διώκω
diṓkō
G1377 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To pursue with intent, to follow after something or someone, whether in a physical, metaphorical, or judicial sense. In its primary sense, διώκω means 'to pursue' or 'to chase,' often with a sense of eagerness or urgency. It may denote literal pursuit (as in hunting or running after), earnest striving for a goal, or, negatively, the pursuit of someone in the sense of 'persecuting' or 'harassing' (legal, social, or physical pressure).
Semantic Range
to pursue, to chase (physically or metaphorically), to strive after, to seek with eagerness, to prosecute or charge (judicially), to persecute or harass
Root / Etymology
From the root διωκ-, of uncertain further origin. Not definitively derived from or connected to the roots of δειλός ('coward') or διάκονος ('servant'), though historically analogized. The form is ancient, with attestation from classical Greek through the Koine period.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek, διώκω is used for physical pursuits (e.g., chasing enemies in battle, pursuing prey, or striving for justice in court cases). The verb is used in both neutral and positive senses: to pursue an enemy, to pursue fame, or to seek legal satisfaction. In the Hellenistic and Koine context, especially in Jewish and early Christian literature, the meaning expanded to include the idea of persistent harassment or legal/social persecution, especially of individuals or groups for specific beliefs or identities (as in the New Testament usage regarding opposition to early Christ-followers). Septuagint usage mirrors both literal and figurative senses. In English translation, 'persecute' often narrows the meaning to hostile action, but the broader Greek sense, 'to pursue eagerly, to strive after,' is often contextually neutral or even positive. Other Greek verbs with similar sense include ἐπιδιώκω (to pursue after) and καταδιώκω (to pursue down, hunt relentlessly).
Translation Consistency
The primary and most frequent sense in SILEX is 'to pursue' or 'to chase,' and corpus renderings cluster around pursue/pursuing and persecuting. 'Pursue' is a natural, neutral English verb that covers literal chasing, striving after a goal, and hostile/legal following (it can be qualified as 'persecute' or 'prosecute' in context when needed). It is easily inflected for person/tense and preserves the full typical semantic range while remaining consistent and natural-sounding.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a prolonged (and causative) form of a primary verb (to flee; compare the base of δειλός and διάκονος); to pursue (literally or figuratively); by implication, to persecute:--ensue, follow (after), given to, (suffer) persecute(-ion), press forward.
Root Family
διωκ- (diṓkō) — to pursue, to chase, to strive after, to persecute
Word Forms
25 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1377-04 |
διώκεις | diokeis | V PRS ACT IND 2P SG |
do you persecute | you are pursuing | you are pursuing | 6 |
G1377-05 |
διώκετε | diokete | V PRS ACT IMP 2P PL |
pursue | keep pursuing | keep pursuing | 3 |
G1377-10 |
διώκων | diokon | V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG |
persecuting | pursuing | persecuting | 3 |
G1377-20 |
διώξουσιν | dioxousin | V FUT ACT IND 3P PL |
they will persecute | they will pursue | they will persecute | 3 |
G1377-22 |
ἐδίωκον | ediokon | V IMPF ACT IND 3P PL |
I persecuted | they were pursuing | I was persecuting | 3 |
G1377-24 |
ἐδίωξαν | edioxan | V AOR ACT IND 3P PL |
they persecuted | they pursued | they persecuted | 3 |
G1377-03 |
δίωκε | dioke | V PRS ACT IMP 2P SG |
pursue | Keep pursuing | Keep pursuing | 2 |
G1377-06 |
διώκω | dioko | V PRS ACT IND 1P SG |
I press on | I pursue | I pursue | 2 |
G1377-09 |
διωκόμενοι | diokomenoi | V PRS PASS PTCP NOM M PL |
being persecuted | being pursued | being pursued | 2 |
G1377-18 |
διώξετε | dioxete | V FUT ACT IND 2P PL |
follow | you will pursue | you (plural) will pursue | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
45 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1377-01 |
Matthew 5:10 | δεδιωγμένοι | dediogmenoi | V PRF PASS PTCP NOM M PL |
who have been persecuted | having been pursued | having been persecuted |
G1377-19 |
Matthew 5:11 | διώξωσιν | dioxosin | V AOR ACT SUBJ 3P PL |
they-persecute | they may pursue | they might pursue |
G1377-24 |
Matthew 5:12 | ἐδίωξαν | edioxan | V AOR ACT IND 3P PL |
they persecuted | they pursued | they persecuted |
G1377-15 |
Matthew 5:44 | διωκόντων | diokonton | V PRS ACT PTCP GEN M PL |
persecuting | of those pursuing | of those pursuing |
G1377-16 |
Matthew 10:23 | διώκωσιν | diokosin | V PRS ACT SUBJ 3P PL |
they persecute | they may pursue | they may persecute |
G1377-18 |
Matthew 23:34 | διώξετε | dioxete | V FUT ACT IND 2P PL |
persecute | you will pursue | you (plural) will pursue |
G1377-20 |
Luke 11:49 | διώξουσιν | dioxousin | V FUT ACT IND 3P PL |
persecute | they will pursue | they will persecute |
G1377-18 |
Luke 17:23 | διώξητε | dioxete | V AOR ACT SUBJ 2P PL |
follow | you will pursue | you (plural) will pursue |
G1377-20 |
Luke 21:12 | διώξουσιν | dioxousin | V FUT ACT IND 3P PL |
they will persecute | they will pursue | they will persecute |
G1377-22 |
John 5:16 | ἐδίωκον | ediokon | V IMPF ACT IND 3P PL |
were persecuting | they were pursuing | they were pursuing |
G1377-24 |
John 15:20 | ἐδίωξαν | edioxan | V AOR ACT IND 3P PL |
they persecuted | they pursued | they persecuted |
G1377-20 |
John 15:20 | διώξουσιν | dioxousin | V FUT ACT IND 3P PL |
they will persecute | they will pursue | they will persecute |
G1377-24 |
Acts 7:52 | ἐδίωξαν | edioxan | V AOR ACT IND 3P PL |
did persecute | they pursued | they persecuted |
G1377-04 |
Acts 9:4 | διώκεις | diokeis | V PRS ACT IND 2P SG |
do you persecute | you are pursuing | you are pursuing |
G1377-04 |
Acts 9:5 | διώκεις | diokeis | V PRS ACT IND 2P SG |
persecute | you are pursuing | you are pursuing |
G1377-23 |
Acts 22:4 | ἐδίωξα | edioxa | V AOR ACT IND 1P SG |
persecuted | I pursued | I pursued |
G1377-04 |
Acts 22:7 | διώκεις | diokeis | V PRS ACT IND 2P SG |
do you persecute | you are pursuing | you are pursuing |
G1377-04 |
Acts 22:8 | διώκεις | diokeis | V PRS ACT IND 2P SG |
persecute | you are pursuing | you are pursuing |
G1377-22 |
Acts 26:11 | ἐδίωκον | ediokon | V IMPF ACT IND 1P SG |
I-persecuted | they were pursuing | I was persecuting |
G1377-04 |
Acts 26:14 | διώκεις | diokeis | V PRS ACT IND 2P SG |
do you persecute | you are pursuing | you are pursuing |
G1377-04 |
Acts 26:15 | διώκεις | diokeis | V PRS ACT IND 2P SG |
persecute | you are pursuing | you are pursuing |
G1377-11 |
Romans 9:30 | διώκοντα | diokonta | V PRS ACT PTCP NOM N PL |
pursuing | those pursuing | pursuing |
G1377-10 |
Romans 9:31 | διώκων | diokon | V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG |
pursuing | pursuing | pursuing |
G1377-14 |
Romans 12:13 | διώκοντες | diokontes | V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M PL |
pursuing | pursuing ones | pursuing |
G1377-13 |
Romans 12:14 | διώκοντας | diokontas | V PRS ACT PTCP ACC M PL |
persecute | pursuing ones | pursuing ones |
G1377-08 |
Romans 14:19 | διώκωμεν | diokomen | V PRS ACT SUBJ 1P PL |
let us pursue | let us be pursuing | let us pursue |
G1377-09 |
1 Corinthians 4:12 | διωκόμενοι | diokomenoi | V PRS PASS PTCP NOM M PL |
being persecuted | being pursued | being pursued |
G1377-05 |
1 Corinthians 14:1 | διώκετε | diokete | V PRS ACT IMP 2P PL |
Pursue | keep pursuing | keep pursuing |
G1377-23 |
1 Corinthians 15:9 | ἐδίωξα | edioxa | V AOR ACT IND 1P SG |
I persecuted | I pursued | I persecuted |
G1377-09 |
2 Corinthians 4:9 | διωκόμενοι | diokomenoi | V PRS PASS PTCP NOM M PL |
persecuted | being pursued | being pursued |
G1377-22 |
Galatians 1:13 | ἐδίωκον | ediokon | V IMPF ACT IND 1P SG |
I persecuted | they were pursuing | I was pursuing |
G1377-10 |
Galatians 1:23 | διώκων | diokon | V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG |
persecuting | pursuing | persecuting |
G1377-21 |
Galatians 4:29 | ἐδίωκε | edioke | V IMPF ACT IND 3P SG |
persecuted | was pursuing | was persecuting |
G1377-07 |
Galatians 5:11 | διώκομαι | diokomai | V PRS PASS IND 1P SG |
am persecuted | I am being pursued | I am being pursued |
G1377-12 |
Galatians 6:12 | διώκωνται | diokontai | V PRS PASS SUBJ 3P PL |
they should be persecuted | they may be pursued | they should be persecuted |
G1377-10 |
Philippians 3:6 | διώκων | diokon | V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG |
persecuting | pursuing | persecuting |
G1377-06 |
Philippians 3:12 | διώκω | dioko | V PRS ACT IND 1P SG |
press on | I pursue | I pursue |
G1377-06 |
Philippians 3:14 | διώκω | dioko | V PRS ACT IND 1P SG |
I press on | I pursue | I pursue |
G1377-05 |
1 Thessalonians 5:15 | διώκετε | diokete | V PRS ACT IMP 2P PL |
pursue | keep pursuing | keep pursuing |
G1377-03 |
1 Timothy 6:11 | δίωκε | dioke | V PRS ACT IMP 2P SG |
pursue | Keep pursuing | Keep pursuing |
G1377-03 |
2 Timothy 2:22 | δίωκε | dioke | V PRS ACT IMP 2P SG |
pursue | Keep pursuing | Keep pursuing |
G1377-02 |
2 Timothy 3:12 | διωχθήσονται | diochthesontai | V FUT PASS IND 3P PL |
will be persecuted | they will be pursued | they will be pursued |
G1377-05 |
Hebrews 12:14 | διώκετε | diokete | V PRS ACT IMP 2P PL |
pursue | keep pursuing | keep pursuing |
G1377-17 |
1 Peter 3:11 | διωξάτω | dioxato | V AOR ACT IMP 3P SG |
let him pursue | let him pursue | let him pursue |
G1377-25 |
Revelation 12:13 | ἐδίωξεν | edioxen | V AOR ACT IND 3P SG |
persecuted | he pursued | he pursued |