διαμαρτύρομαι G1263
To testify solemnly, bear earnest witness; also to charge or warn with solemn urgency.
Built on μαρτύρομαι with the intensifying prefix δια-, this verb carries weight beyond ordinary testimony. It denotes solemn, emphatic declaration — whether bearing witness to facts about Christ and the gospel, or charging someone with grave urgency before God. Luke uses it extensively in Acts to describe the apostles' proclamation: Peter 'testified and exhorted' at Pentecost (Acts 2:40), and Paul 'testified to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ' (Acts 18:5). In the Pastoral Epistles, it shifts toward solemn charge — Paul adjures Timothy 'before God and Christ Jesus' (2 Tim 4:1), blending testimony with authoritative command.
2. solemnly charge, warn earnestly — To solemnly charge, warn, or exhort with grave urgency, often invoking God as witness. This sense appears predominantly in the Pastoral Epistles: Paul charges Timothy 'before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels' (1 Tim 5:21) and 'before God and Christ Jesus who will judge the living and the dead' (2 Tim 4:1). The Lukan parable of the rich man (Luke 16:28) also uses this sense — 'warn them, lest they also come to this place of torment.' German 'bezeugt ernst' (testifies earnestly) captures the solemn gravity well. 5×
AR["أَشْهَدُ","شَهِدْنا","مُناشِداً","يَشْهَدَ-لَهُمْ"]·ben["আমি-গম্ভীরভাবে-আদেশ-দিই","সাক্ষ্য-দিচ্ছি","সাক্ষ্য-দিয়ে","সাক্ষ্য-দিয়েছিলাম","সাক্ষ্য-দেয়"]·DE["bezeugen","bezeugt-ernst"]·EN["I-solemnly-charge","he-warns","solemnly-charging","testified"]·FR["avertir"]·heb["הֵעַדְנוּ","יָעִיד","מֵעִיד"]·HI["गवअहि-दि","गवअहि-देत-होओन","गवाही-दे","सकशि-देत-होओन","सकशि-देते-हुए"]·ID["Aku-bersaksi","Aku-bersaksi-dengan-sungguh-sungguh","bersaksi-dengan-sungguh-sungguh","ia-memperingati","kami-peringatkan"]·IT["diamarturetai","testimoniare-solennemente"]·jav["Kula-nyeksèni","kita-nyeksèkaken.","kula-nyeksèkaken","nyeksèni","nèlèkaken"]·KO["엄숙히-명하며","엄숙히-명한다","엄히-경고했다.","증거한다","증언하도록"]·PT["Testifico-solenemente","testificamos","testificando-solenemente","testifique"]·RU["Засвидетельствую","Свидетельствую","заклиная","засвидетельствовал","засвидетельствовали"]·ES["Solemnemente-testifico","les-advierta","solemnemente-testificando","testificamos-solemnemente","testifico-solemnemente"]·SW["Nakuamuru","awashuhudie","nakuamuru","tulishuhudia","ukiwaonya"]·TR["Uyarıyorum","tanıklık-ediyorum","uyararak","uyardık","uyarsın"]·urd["تاکید-کرتے-ہوئے","میں-تاکید-کرتا-ہوں","میں-گواہی-دیتا-ہوں","گواہی-دی","گواہی-دے"]
▼ 1 more sense below
Senses
1. testify, bear solemn witness — To solemnly testify or bear emphatic witness to facts, events, or truths, particularly the gospel message. This is the primary Lukan usage in Acts: Peter testifies at Pentecost (Acts 2:40), Philip and the apostles testify in Samaria (Acts 8:25), Paul testifies to both Jews and Greeks about repentance and faith (Acts 20:21). The Spanish split between 'testifica' and 'habiendo testificado' mirrors the Greek's range of tenses. French distinguishes 'attester' (testify) from 'avertir' (warn), reflecting the sense boundary. 10×
AR["أَنْ-أَشْهَدَ","أَنْ-نَشْهَدَ","شاهِدًا","شَاهِدًا","شَهِدَ","شَهِدُوا","شَهِدْتَ","يَشْهَدُ-لِي"]·ben["সাক্ষ্য-দিচ্ছে","সাক্ষ্য-দিতে","সাক্ষ্য-দিয়া","সাক্ষ্য-দিয়ে","সাক্ষ্য-দিল","সাক্ষ্য-দিলে","সাক্ষ্য-দিলেন"]·DE["bezeugen","bezeugt-ernst"]·EN["having-testified","he-testified","testified","testifies","testifying","to-testify","you-testified"]·FR["attester","avertir"]·heb["הֵעִיד","הֵעִידוּ","הֵעַדְתָּ","לְהָעִיד","מֵעִיד"]·HI["गवाही-दी","गवाही-देकर","गवाही-देता-हुआ","गवाही-देता-है","गवाही-देते-हुए","गवाही-देने","गवाही-देने-को","तूनेगवाहीदी","वह-गवाही-देता-था"]·ID["bersaksi","dia-bersaksi,"]·IT["testimoniare","testimoniare-solennemente"]·jav["nyeksekaken,","nyekseni","nyeksèni","panjenengan-sampun-nyeksèni","paring-seksi","paring-seksi,","sampun-nyekseni","sasampunipun-mratela-akén,"]·KO["약속-이","증거하기를","증거하며","증거하시니","증언하기-를","증언하며","증언하였다","증언하였으니","증언한-후에"]·PT["Testificou","de-testificar","me-testifica","tendo-testificado","testificando","testificava"]·RU["засвидетельствовав","засвидетельствовал","засвидетельствовать","он-засвидетельствовал,","свидетельствовал","свидетельствовать","свидетельствует","свидетельствуя"]·ES["habiendo-testificado","testifica","testificaba","testificando","testificar","testificaste","testificó"]·SW["akishuhudia","akishuhudia-kwa-nguvu","aliwashuhudia","ameshuhudia","anishuhudia","kushuhudia","kushuhudia,","nikishuhudia","ulivyoshuhudia","walipotoa-ushahidi"]·TR["-o","tanıklık-edenler","tanıklık-ederek","tanıklık-ediyor","tanıklık-ediyordu","tanıklık-etmek","tanıklık-etmemizi","tanıklık-etti","tanıklık-ettin"]·urd["تُو-نے-گواہی-دی","گواہی-دی","گواہی-دیتا-ہوا","گواہی-دیتا-ہے","گواہی-دیتے-ہوئے","گواہی-دینا","گواہی-دینے","گواہی-دے-کر"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
διαμαρτύρομαι [ῡ], aorist 1 -μαρτῡράμην: perfect -μεμαρτύρημαι [ῠ], deponent verb:—absolutely, call gods and men to witness, protest solemnly, especially in case of falsehood or wrong, βοᾶν καὶ δ. Refs 4th c.BC+; δ. μή.., with infinitive, Refs; δ. ὅπως μή.., with future, Refs; δ. τινὶ μὴ ποιεῖν protest against his doing, Refs 4th c.BC+: with infinitive, Refs 2nd c.BC+; call to witness, ὑμῖν τὸν…