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δόλος

dólos

G1388 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Deceit, treachery, or cunning craft intended to mislead or ensnare; primarily refers to the deliberate use of trickery or falsehood to achieve an advantage or to cause harm. In extended contexts, it can also signify fraudulence, subterfuge, or insincerity, and in rare cases, physical bait or lure used for catching fish or animals.

Semantic Range

deceit, cunning, trickery, treachery, guile, subterfuge, craft, duplicity, bait (rare literal)

Root / Etymology

Root appears to be δολ-, possibly related to an older, unattested verb meaning 'to decoy or lure' (compare the later verb δελεάζω, 'to bait, entice'). The precise verbal root is not directly attested in extant Greek; etymology uncertain but generally agreed to involve the concept of trapping or deception.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, δόλος denotes craft, trickery, or cunning, often in contexts of warfare or interpersonal rivalry (as seen in Homeric and tragic sources), usually in a negative moral sense. In Hellenistic and Koine Greek—including the Septuagint and the New Testament—the word maintains its core meaning of deceit, particularly deceitfulness in speech or intent (e.g., Psalm 32:2 LXX; 1 Peter 2:22). It is often contrasted with ἀπάτη, which emphasizes deception by illusion, while δόλος stresses deliberate planning and deceitful strategy. English translations often render δόλος as 'guile' or 'deceit,' which adequately serves most NT and LXX contexts, though 'guile' is somewhat archaic. The image of bait or a trap (reflecting the root meaning) underlies its ethical connotations; thus, a person 'without δόλος' acts simply, without hidden motive. In Second Temple and early Christian texts, the term is particularly condemned as contrary to divine or communal ethics. The metaphorical extension from physical bait or snare to metaphorical deceit occurs early in Greek literature and is well established by NT times.

Translation Consistency

primary "deceit" 7 occurrences

Most common and natural English rendering of δόλος in the SILEX range. 'Deceit' covers deceit, trickery, guile, treachery and subterfuge (and can handle rare literal senses by context). It was the majority rendering in the P2 occurrences and best preserves the typical meaning while remaining concise and idiomatic.

Alternatives (4 occurrences):
"deceitful craft" (4x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from an obsolete primary verb, (probably meaning to decoy; compare δελεάζω); a trick (bait), i.e. (figuratively) wile:--craft, deceit, guile, subtilty.

Root Family

δόλος (dolos) — deceit, trickery, cunning craft, treachery, ensnaring guile

Root δολ- to deceive, to lure, to ensnare

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G1388-01 δόλῳ dolo N DAT M SG stealth by deceitful craft by deceitful craft 4
G1388-03 δόλος dolos N NOM M SG guile deceptive craft deceit 3
G1388-02 δόλον dolon N ACC M SG deceit deceptive treachery deceit 2
G1388-04 δόλου dolou N GEN M SG deceit of deceit deceit 2

Occurrences in Scripture

11 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G1388-01 Matthew 26:4 δόλῳ dolo N DAT M SG by stealth by deceitful craft by deceitful craft
G1388-03 Mark 7:22 δόλος dolos N NOM M SG deceit deceptive craft deceit
G1388-01 Mark 14:1 δόλῳ dolo N DAT M SG stealth by deceitful craft by deceitful craft
G1388-03 John 1:47 δόλος dolos N NOM M SG guile deceptive craft deceit
G1388-04 Acts 13:10 δόλου dolou N GEN M SG deceit of deceit deceit
G1388-04 Romans 1:29 δόλου dolou N GEN M SG deceit of deceit deceit
G1388-01 2 Corinthians 12:16 δόλῳ dolo N DAT M SG by deceit by deceitful craft by deceitful craft
G1388-01 1 Thessalonians 2:3 δόλῳ dolo N DAT M SG deceit by deceitful craft by deceitful craft
G1388-02 1 Peter 2:1 δόλον dolon N ACC M SG deceit deceptive treachery deceit
G1388-03 1 Peter 2:22 δόλος dolos N NOM M SG guile deceptive craft deceit
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