Quick Definition
ἔκδικος, ον Adj avenging, an avenger
Strong's Definition
from 1537 and 1349; carrying justice out, i.e. a punisher
KJV Usage: a (re-)venger
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
ἔκδικος, -ov, (δίκη right, justice, penalty) ; 1. without law and justice (cf. Lat. exler), unjust: Aeschyl., Soph., Eur., Ael.n.an.16,5. 2. exacting penalty from (€x) one; an avenger, punisher: Ro. xiii. 4; περί τινος, 1 Th. iv. 6; (Sap. xii. 12; Sir. xxx. 6; 4 Mace. xv. 26 (29); [Plut. de garrul. § 14 p. 509 f.]; Hdian. 7, 4, 10 [5 ed. Bekk.; al.]).
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
ἔκδικος ekdikos 2x
an avenger, one who inflicts punishment, Rom. 13:4; 1 Thess. 4:6*
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
** ἔκδικος, -ον
(< δίκη), [in LXX: Wi 12:12, Si 30:6, IV Mac 15:29 * ;]
without law, unjust.
exacting penalty from; as subst., an avenger: Ro 13:4; seq. περί, I Th 4:6 (in π., a legal representative; Milligan, Th., l.c.).†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
ἔκδικος is the regular term in the papyri for a legal representative, e.g. P Oxy 11. 2370: 9 (a.p. 186) Διδύμη ἧς ἔκδικος ὁ ἀνὴρ ᾿Απολλώνιος πρὸς Σαβεῖνον, “ Didyme, defended by her husband Apollonius, against Sabinus,’’ 76. 26114 (A.D. 55) συνεστακέναι αὐτὴν τὸν προγεγραμμένον viwvoy Χα[ιρ]ἥμονα ἔγδικον ἐπὶ πάσης ἐξουσίας, “that she has appointed her said grandson Chaeremon to appear for her before every authority ’’ (Edd.), and for a similar use in the inserr. = ‘‘advocatus,” Michel 459° (ii/B.c. ad init.) ὑπέμεινεν ἑκουσίως [ἔκδικος : see further Gradenwitz LEinfiihrung i. p. 160, Nageli p. 33, and for the Bibl. usage Milligan on 1 Thess 4°. ὋὉ ἔκδικος τῆς πόλεως, defensor civitatis, appears in Egypt early in iv/A.D. : see the notes on P Oxy XII. 141317, 14264. Moulton (Gy. ii. § 119 (c)) suggests that in ἔκδικος -““avenger ” we may see the same force of ἐκ as in the recurrent legal phrase καθάπερ ἐγ δίκης, ‘just as a/fer a legal decision”; the ἔκδικος would thus be the man who carries out a sentence. Alternatively the classical compositum ἐκδικάζω, “‘avenge,’ may have influenced the meaning of ἔκδικος with its derivatives. Part III. ᾿ “ εκει
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
ἔκδικος (ekdikos) — avenging. ἔκδῐκ-ος, ον, lawless, unjust, ἔκδικα πάσχω [Refs 4th c.BC+]; of persons, [Refs 5th c.BC+]. adverb -κως[Refs 4th c.BC+]
II. maintaining the right, avenging, ἔχει θεὸς ἔ. ὄμμα [LXX+1st c.AD+]
II.2. substantive, avenger, [Refs 1st c.AD+]
II.3. public advocate or prosecutor, [Refs 1st c.BC+]
II.4. generally, legal representative, [Refs 1st c.AD+]