διάκονος, διακονου, ὁ, ἡ (of uncertain origin, but by no means, as was formerly thought, compounded of διά and κόνις, so as to mean, properly, 'raising dust by hastening'; cf. ἐγκόνειν; for the alpha in the preposition διά is short, in διάκονος, long. Alexander Buttmann (1873) Lexil. i., p. 218ff (English translation, p. 231f) thinks it is derived from the obsolete διάκω equivalent to διήκω (allied with διώκω; cf. Vanicek, p. 363)); one who executes the commands of another, especially of a master; a sergeant, attendant, minister; 1. universally: of the servant of a king, Mat_22:13; with the genitive of the person served, Mat_20:26; Mat_23:11; Mar_9:35; Mar_10:43 (in which passage it is used figuratively of those who advance others' interests even at the sacrifice of their own); τῆς ἐκκλησίας, of one who does what promotes the welfare and prosperity of the church, Col_1:25; διάκονοι τοῦ Θεοῦ, those through whom God carries on his administration on earth, as magistrates, Rom_13:4; teachers of the Christian religion, 1Co_3:5; 2Co_6:4; 1Th_3:2 R T Tr WH text L marginal reading; the same are called διάκονοι (τοῦ) Χριστοῦ, 2Co_11:23; Col_1:7; 1Ti_4:6; ἐν κυρίῳ, in the cause of the Lord, Col_4:7; (Eph_6:21); ὁ διάκονος μου, my follower, Joh_12:26; τοῦ Σατανᾶ, whom Satan uses as a servant, 2Co_11:15; (ἁμαρτίας, Gal_2:17); διάκονος περιτομῆς (abstract for concrete), of Christ, who labored for the salvation of the circumcised, i. e. the Jews, Rom_15:8; with the genitive of the thing to which service is rendered, i. e. to which one is devoted: καινῆς διαθήκης, 2Co_3:6; τοῦ εὐαγγελίου, Eph_3:7; Col_1:23; δικαιοσύνης, 2Co_11:15. 2. a deacon, one who, by virtue of the office assigned him by the church, cares for the poor and has charge of and distributes the money collected for their use (cf. BB. DD., Dict. of Christ. Antiq., Schaff-Herzog under the word ; Lightfoot's Commentary on Philippians, dissert. i. § i.; Julius Muller, Dogmatische Abhandlungen, p. 560ff): Php_1:1; 1Ti_3:8; 1Ti_3:12, cf. Act_6:3 ff; ἡ διάκονος, a deaconess (ministra, Pliny, epistles 10, 97), a woman to whom the care of either poor or sick women was entrusted, Rom_16:1 (cf. Dictionaries as above, under the word ; Lightfoot as above, p. 191; B. D. under the word ). 3. a waiter, one who serves food and drink: Joh_2:5; Joh_2:9, as in Xenophon, mem. 1, 5, 2; Hier. 3, 11 (4, 2); Polybius 31, 4, 5; Lucian, de merced. cond. § 26; Athen. 7, p. 291 a.; 10, 420 e.; see διακονέω, 2 and διακονία, 5; (also Wetstein (1752) on Mat_4:11). [SYNONYMS: διάκονος, δοῦλος, θεράπων, ὑπηρέτης: "διάκονος represents the servant in his activity for the work; not in his relation, either servile, as that of the δοῦλος, or more voluntary, as in the case of the θεράπων, to a person" Trench; yet cf. e. g. Rom_13:4; 2Co_6:4 etc.). δοῦλος opposed to ἐλεύθερος, and correlate to δεσπότης or κύριος, denotes a bondman, one who sustains a permanent servile relation to another. θεράπων is the voluntary performer of services, whether as a freeman or a slave; it is a nobler, tenderer word than δοῦλος. ὑπηρέτης according to its etymol. suggests subordination. Cf. Trench, § ix.; B. D. under the word ; Meyer on Eph_3:7; Schmidt, chapter 164.]

διάκονος diakonos 29x one who renders service to another; an attendant, servant, Mat_20:26 ; Mat_22:13 ; Joh_2:5 ; Joh_2:9 ; one who executes a commission, a deputy, Rom_13:4 ; Χριστοῦ , Θεοῦ , ἐν κυρίῳ , etc. a commissioned minister or preacher of the Gospel, 1Co_3:5 ; 2Co_6:4 ; a minister charged with an announcement or sentence, 2Co_3:6 ; Gal_2:17 ; Col_1:23 ; a minister charged with a significant characteristic, Rom_15:8 ; a servitor, devoted follower, Joh_12:26 ; a deacon or deaconess, whose official duty was to superintend the alms of the Church, with other kindred services, Rom_16:1 ; Php_1:1 ; 1Ti_3:8 ; 1Ti_3:12 deacon; minister; servant.

διάκονος , -ου , ὁ , ἡ (derivation unknown), [in LXX for H5288 , H8334 pi .: Ezr_6:3 ; Ezr_6:5 , ΰ B Ezr_1:10 ; Ezr_2:2 , Pro_10:4 , 4Ma_9:17 * ;] 1. in general, a servant, attendant, minister: Mat_20:26 ; Mat_22:13 ; Mat_23:11 , Mar_9:35 ; Mar_10:43 , Joh_2:5 ; Joh_2:9 , 1Co_3:5 , Gal_2:17 , Eph_6:21 , Col_4:7 ; δ . θεοῦ , Rom_13:4 , 2Co_6:4 , 1Th_3:2 ; δ . Χριστοῦ , 2Co_11:23 , Col_1:7 , 1Ti_4:6 ; cf. ὁ δ . ὁ ἐμός , Joh_12:26 ; δ . περιτομῆς , Rom_15:8 ; δ . καινῆς διαθήκης , 2Co_3:6 ; δ . δικαιοσύνης , 2Co_11:15 ; δ . [εὐαγγελίου ], Eph_3:7 , Col_1:23 ; δ . [ἐκκλησίας ], Col_1:25 . 2. As technical term for Church officer (so in pre-Christian times, v. M , Th ., I, 32), a deacon: Php_1:1 , 1Ti_3:8 ; 1Ti_3:12 ; fem. ( cf. Eccl . διακονίσσα ), Rom_16:1 ( cf. 1Ti_3:11 , and CGT , in l , also M , Th ., l.c .).† SYN.: δοῦλος G1401 , bondman ; θεράπων G2324 , servant acting voluntarily; ὑπηρέτης G5257 , servant, attendant , by etymol. suggesting subordination. All these imply relation to a person, in distinction from which δ . repre\-sents rather the servant in relation to his work. Cf. also λειτουργός G3011 , a public servant, in which the idea of service to the community is promi\-nent; οἰκέτης G3610 , a house servant.

διάκονος [page 149] For the word in its general sense cf. P Flor II. 121 .2 ( c. A.D. 253) ἐπεὶ ἔδοξεν τοῖς [δεκαπρώτοις ?] τὸν διάκονον Εἰ [ρηναῖον ? ἐπ᾽ ]ἐνιαυτὸν χρησι [μεύειν ἡμῖν ?. There is now abundant evidence that the way had been prepared for the Christian usage of this word by its technical application to the holders of various offices, as in the i/B.C. Magn 217, where the dedicators of a statue to Hermes are described as κομάκτορες , κήρυκες and διάκονοι . A definitely religious connotation belongs to the word in ib. 109 ( c. B.C. 100) where the remains of a list of temple officials concludes with μάγειρος . . διάκονος . For a similar combination the editor refers to IG IX. 1, 486 (ii/i B.C.) and IV. 774 .11 (iii/B.C.), and to these examples Thieme (p. 17 f.), from whom the above citations are taken, adds CIG II. 1800, where we hear of a college of διάκονοι , presided over by a ἱερεύς , in the service of Serapis, Isis etc., and ib. 3037 where two διάκονοι and a female διάκονος (cf. Rom_16:1 ) are associated with a ἱερεύς and a ἱέρεια τῶν δώδεκα θεὧν . For the Christian use of the word, see P Oxy VIII. 1162 .8 (iv/A.D.) πρεσβυτ [έ ]ροις καὶ διακώνοις , P Flor III. 323 .22 (A.D. 525), P Giss I. 55 .12 (vi/A.D.) etc. On the form διάκων , see Deissmann LAE p. 91, and add BGU IV. 1046 ii. 24 (A.D. 158). Prof, W. M. Calder tells us it is common in Anatolian inscrr. It is on the same footing as κατήγωρ (see s.v. κατήγορος ), which Thumb Hellen , p. 126, shows to be a natural Greek development : Radermacher Gr. p. 15, gives a number of parallels. It is fairly certain that διάκονος must be associated with ἐγκονέω , ἀκονῑτί , and the simplex preserved in the Anthology, also in glosses such as κόνει , σπεῦδε , τρέχε (Hesychius). The difficult ᾱ (Ionic διήκονος ) is explained by Brugmann (see Boisacq Lex. s.v. ) by analogy of διηνεκής etc.

διάκονος [Etym: Akin to διάκτορος: both perh. from διώκω.] "a servant, waiting-man", Lat. minister, Hdt. , etc.: "a messenger", Aesch. , Soph. :—as fem., Dem. "a minister of the church, a deacon", NTest. : as fem. "a deaconess", id=NTest.

διάκονος, -ου, ὁ, ἡ (derivation unknown), [in LXX for נַעַר, שָׁרַת pi.: Est.6:3, 5, א B Est.1:10 2:2, Pro.10:4, 4Ma.9:17 * ;] __1. in general, a servant, attendant, minister: Mat.20:26 22:13 23:11, Mrk.9:35 10:43, Jhn.2:5, 9, 1Co.3:5, Gal.2:17, Eph.6:21, Col.4:7; δ. θεοῦ, Rom.13:4, 2Co.6:4, 1Th.3:2; δ. Χριστοῦ, 2Co.11:23, Col.1:7, 1Ti.4:6; cf. ὁ δ. ὁ ἐμός, Jhn.12:26; δ. περιτομῆς, Rom.15:8; δ. καινῆς διαθήκης, 2Co.3:6; δ. δικαιοσύνης, 2Co.11:15; δ. [εὐαγγελίου], Eph.3:7, Col.1:23; δ. [ἐκκλησίας], Col.1:25. __2. As technical term for Church officer (so in pre-Christian times, see M, Th., I, 32), a deacon: Php.1:1, 1Ti.3:8, 12; fem. (cf. Eccl. διακονίσσα), Rom.16:1 (cf. 1Ti.3:11, and CGT, in l., also M, Th., l.with).† SYN.: δοῦλος, bondman; θεράπων, servant acting voluntarily; ὑπηρέτης, servant, attendant, by etymol. suggesting subordination. All these imply relation to a person, in distinction from which δ. represents rather the servant in relation to his work. Cf. also λειτουργός, a public servant, in which the idea of service to the community is prominent; οἰκέτης, a house servant. (AS)