διάκονος G1249
A servant or minister who serves another; in the Pastoral Epistles, a deacon holding formal church office.
One of the most theologically productive words in the New Testament, διάκονος spans the range from table servant to church officer. Jesus uses it to redefine greatness — "whoever would be great among you must be your servant" (Matt 20:26; Mark 10:43). Paul applies it broadly to himself, to Apollos, and even to civil authorities as God's servants (Rom 13:4). Only in the Pastoral Epistles does a distinct ecclesiastical office emerge, with qualifications specified for deacons alongside bishops (1 Tim 3:8-12).
Senses
1. servant, minister, attendant — The general sense (27x): a servant, minister, or attendant who carries out service on behalf of another. Spanish "ministro/servidores" and German "Diener" capture the breadth of this usage. Jesus employs it to invert social hierarchies (Matt 23:11; Mark 9:35). Paul calls himself and his co-workers διάκονοι of Christ (2 Cor 3:6; Col 1:7). The king's attendants in the parable of the wedding feast (Matt 22:13) and even civil rulers as God's agents (Rom 13:4) share this designation. 27×
AR["الخادِمُ","خادِماً","خادِمونَ","خادِمًا","خادِمٌ","خادِمُ","خَادِمًا","خَادِمٌ","خَادِمَ","خَادِمُ","خُدّامًا","خُدّامٍ","خُدّامُهُ"]·ben["পরিচারক","পরিচারক,","সেবক","সেবক?","সেবকরা"]·DE["Diener"]·EN["a-servant","servant","servants"]·FR["serviteur"]·heb["כֻלָּם","מְשָׁרְתִים","מְשָׁרְתֵי","מְשָׁרֵת"]·HI["सेवक","सेवक?"]·ID["-","pelayan","pelayan-pelayan"]·IT["diacono","servitore"]·jav["abdi","abdi,","abdi-abdi","juru-laden","para-abdi","pelayan","pelayan?","réncang"]·KO["사역자","사역자가","섬기는-자","섬기는-자도","일꾼","일꾼-이다","일꾼들","일꾼들로","일꾼들이","일꾼이라","일꾼인가?","종","종-이","종이","집사가"]·PT["ministro","ministros","servo","servo;","servos"]·RU["для-","слугой","слугой;","служителем","служители","служитель","служителями"]·ES["Servidores","ministro","ministros","servidor","siervo"]·SW["Watumishi","mtumishi","na","wahudumu","watumishi","watumishi,","yeyote"]·TR["bizi","hizmetkar","hizmetkari","hizmetkarlar","hizmetkarları","hizmetkarı","hizmetkâr","hizmetkârları","hizmetkârı","hizmetkârınız","hizmetçisi-mi","oldum"]·urd["خادم"]
Matt 20:26, Matt 22:13, Matt 23:11, Mark 9:35, Mark 10:43, John 2:5, John 2:9, John 12:26, Rom 13:4, Rom 13:4, Rom 15:8, Rom 16:1 (+15 more)
2. deacon (ecclesiastical office) — A technical ecclesiastical sense (2x): the formal church office of deacon. This usage appears exclusively at 1 Tim 3:8 and 3:12, where specific moral and domestic qualifications are laid out for those holding the office. Spanish marks this with the Latinate "diáconos" rather than the generic "servidores," signaling the shift from general service to institutional role. The qualifications listed (dignified, not double-tongued, managing households well) indicate an established office distinct from general ministry. 2×
AR["الشَّمامِسَةُ"]·ben["সেবকদের","সেবকরা"]·DE["Diener"]·EN["deacons"]·FR["serviteur"]·heb["שַׁמָּשִׁים"]·HI["सेवक"]·ID["Diaken-diaken","diaken-diaken"]·IT["diacono"]·jav["Para-juru-laden","para-juru-laden"]·KO["집사들을","집사들이"]·PT["Diáconos","diáconos"]·RU["Диаконам","диаконы"]·ES["Diáconos","diáconos"]·SW["Mashemasi","mashemasi"]·TR["Hizmetkârlar","hizmetkârlar"]·urd["خادم","خادموں"]
Related Senses
H5921a 1. upon, on, over (spatial) (5443×)H0413 1. directional: to, toward (5366×)H1121a 1. son, male offspring, descendant (4914×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)H4428 1. king, human ruler (2518×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)H6440 1. before, in front of (spatial) (1870×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H3027 1. physical hand (body part) (1596×)H1697 1. word, speech, utterance (1235×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
διάκονος [ᾱ], Ionic dialect διήκονος, ὁ, later διάκων (which see):— servant, Refs 5th c.BC+; messenger, Refs 5th c.BC+ __2 attendant or official in a temple or religious guild, Refs 3rd c.BC+:—especially in the Christian church, deacon, NT+4th c.AD+: feminine, deaconess, NT __II as adjective, servile, menial, ἐπιστήμη Refs 5th c.BC+: irregular comparative διᾱκονέστερος Refs 5th c.BC+