Quick Definition
ἐκδικέω v. I give justice over, defend, avenge, vindicate
Strong's Definition
from 1558; to vindicate, retaliate, punish
KJV Usage: a (re-)venge
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
verb | δικαιόω
56.35 · Courts and Legal Procedures · Obtain Justice
to give someone justice to give justice to someone who has been wronged
39.33 · Hostility, Strife · Revenge
to pay back, to revenge, to seek retribution, retribution, seeking retribution to repay harm with harm, on the assumption that the initial harm was unjustified and that retribution is therefore called for
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
ἐκδικέω, -@; fut. ἐκδικήσω ; 1 aor. ἐξεδίκησα ; (ἔκδικος. q- V-); Sept. for Dp3, 1pa, VAY; one’s right, do one justice, [A. V. avenge]: Lk. xviii. 5 (1 Mace. vi. 22); τινὰ ἀπό twos, to protect, defend, one person from another, Lk. xviii. 3; ἑαυτόν, to avenge one’s self, Ro. xii. 19. Ὁ. τί, to avenge a thing (i. 6. to punish a person for a thing): τὴν παρακοήν, 2 Co. x. 6; τὸ αἷμά τινος ἀπό or ἔκ τινος, to demand in punishment the blood of one from another, i. e. to exact of the murderer a. τινά, to vindicate the penalty of his crime, [A. V. avenge one’s blood on or at the hand of]: Rev. vi. 10; xix. 2; see ἐκ, I. 7. (In Grk. auth. fr. [Apollod.], Diod. down.)
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
ἐκδικέω ekdikeō 6x
pr. to execute right and justice; to punish, 2 Cor. 10:6; Rev. 6:10; 19:2; in NT to right, avenge a person, Lk. 18:3, 5; Rom. 12:9*
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
† ἐκδικέω, -ῶ
(< ἔκδικος), [in LXX for פָּקַד, נָקַם, שָׁפַט, etc. ;]
to vindicate: c. acc pers., Lk 18:3, 5.
to avenge: c. acc pers., ἑαυτούς, Ro 12:19; c. acc rei, παρακοήν, II Co 10:6; αἷμα, Re 6:10 19:2 (Cremer, 203; for exx. from π. in both senses, v. MM, Exp., xii).†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
ἐκδικέω. In Ρ Ryl IT. 9415 (a.p. 14-37) the head and the secretary of a guild of weavers become sureties for five of their number, undertaking to produce them whenever required—ékdtkodytes τὰ διὰ τοῦ ὑπομνήματος Ilavivottios τοῦ ᾿Αφροδισίου ἐρι(ουργοῦ Ὁ), ‘to answer the claims stated in the petition of Paninoutis son of Aphrodisius, wool-worker” (Edd.). For the meaning ‘‘ vindicate”’ cf. P Amh II. 134!°(early ii/a.p.) where Heliodorus is urged to take action on behalf of Peteus, whom certain πρεσβύτεροι had attempted to carry off— ἐκδικῆσαι αὐτὸν ‘to vindicate him,” and ἐντυχεῖν κατά, “to > , ἐκδίκησις draw up a petition against,” the persons concerned : cf. P Strass I. 41° (A.D. 250). In P Oxy VII. 10208 (a.p. 198201) the word is used of a judicial decision—et τὴν ἐκ τῆς ἡλικίας ἔχεις β[οήθιαν,] δ ἡγούμ[ενος) τοῦ ἔθνους τὸν ἀγῶνα τῆς ἀφέσεως ἐκδικ[ ήσει, ‘if you can claim the assistance due to immature age, the praefect of the province shall decide the suit for release” (Ed.): so P Lond 24519 (A.D. 343) (=I. p. 272) αὐτοῦ γάρ ἐστιν τὰ τοια[ὕτ]α τολμῶντες ἐκδικῖν α΄ It would appear therefore that the thought of “avenge” (AV, RV) is not necessarily primary in Lk 183, but rather of ‘‘do right to” and so “" protect ” the wronged party (cf. Zxf7 xxv. p. 7o f.). The context, however, suggests the stronger sense in the striking Jewish prayer for vengeance for a murdered girl, Sy/? 816", which Deissmann (LAE p. 434) carries back as far as the end of the second or beginning of the first century B.c., where ‘the most high God” is implored—tya ἐγδικήσῃς τὸ αἷμα τὸ ἀναίτιον ζητήσῃς καὶ τὴν ταχίστην, “that Thou mayst avenge the innocent blood and require it again right speedily ’’: cf. Joel 3(4)"*A ἐκδικήσω τὸ αἷμα αὐτῶν. See also P Oxy VI. 9377 (ili/A.D.) where a brother writes to his sister regarding some wrong that had been done to him—éay οὖν ζήσω Χρόνον καὶ ἔλθω εἰς τὴν πατρίδα μου ἐκδικήσω ἐμαυτόν, “well, if I live and come to my native land I will have my revenge ’’ (Edd.) : cf. Rom 121°.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
ἐκδικέω (ekdikeō) — to avenge. ἐκδῐκ-έω, avenge, punish, φόνον [NT+5th c.BC+]; exact vengeance for, τὰ αἵματα τῶν δούλων [LXX+2nd c.BC+]
2. decide a case, δίκην, ἀγῶνα, [Refs 1st c.AD+]
II. avenge or vindicate a person, by taking up his cause, [NT+1st c.AD+]; ἐ. τινὰ ἀπό τινος avenge one on another, [NT+5th c.BC+]:—passive, [LXX]
II.2. act as ἔκδικος [Refs 1st c.BC+]
III. claim, [Refs 5th c.AD+]
IV. ἐ. τισί make retribution for them, [Refs 5th c.BC+]