διαφέρω G1308
To carry through, differ, surpass in value; also to matter or be of concern
A remarkably versatile Greek verb, διαφέρω literally means 'carry through' but branches into several distinct uses in the New Testament. Jesus employs it memorably in the Sermon on the Mount: 'Are you not worth more than the birds?' (Matt 6:26) — here the verb measures comparative value. Acts uses it for the physical spreading of God's word through a region (13:49) and for a ship driven helplessly by a storm (27:27). Paul then deploys it for theological distinction (1 Cor 15:41, stars differing in glory) and for rhetorical dismissal — 'whatever they were makes no difference to me' (Gal 2:6).
4. matter, be of concern — To matter, be of importance or concern. Galatians 2:6 provides the sole New Testament instance: 'whatever they were makes no difference to me — God shows no partiality.' Spanish 'importa' ('it matters') captures the impersonal construction. This sense develops naturally from the comparative meaning: if something 'differs' enough to warrant attention, it 'matters.' Paul's pointed use dismisses human credentials as irrelevant before God's impartial judgment. 1×
AR["يُفرِقُ"]·ben["প্রভেদ,"]·DE["sich-unterscheiden"]·EN["it-matters"]·FR["être-supérieur"]·heb["מְשַׁנֶּה"]·HI["फ़रक-पदत,"]·ID["berarti"]·IT["diapherei"]·jav["béda,"]·KO["다르지-않으니,"]·PT["faz-diferença"]·RU["различия"]·ES["importa"]·SW["linanihusu"]·TR["fark-etmez"]·urd["فرق-پڑتا"]
▼ 3 more senses below
Senses
1. be worth more, surpass — To be worth more than, to surpass or excel in value. This is the dominant New Testament sense, appearing in Jesus' comparisons of human worth against birds (Matt 6:26; 10:31; Luke 12:7, 24) and against sheep (Matt 12:12). Spanish 'valéis' ('you are worth') and German 'unterscheidet' capture the evaluative force. The rhetorical punch depends on the gap between what is compared: if God cares for sparrows, how much more — how greatly you 'surpass' them — does he care for you. 7×
AR["أَفضَلَ","أَفضَلُ","أَفْضَلُ","أَفْضَلُ-أَنْتُمْ","الأُمورَ-المُختَلِفَةَ","الأُمورَ-المُمْتازَةَ","يَفضُلُ"]·ben["উত্কৃষ্ট","উত্তমগুলিকে","প্রভেদ-করে","ভিন্ন","ভিন্ন,","মূল্যবান"]·DE["sich-unterscheiden","unterscheidet"]·EN["are-worth","differing","differs","things-differing","you-are-worth-more"]·FR["différer","être-supérieur"]·heb["חֲשׁוּבִים","מְעֻלִּים,","מֻבְדָּלִים","שׁוֹנִים","שׁוֹנֶה"]·HI["अलग-हो","उत्तम,","उत्तम-बातें","मूल्यवान-हो","श्रेशथ-है"]·ID["berharga","hal-hal yang penting","kamu-lebih-berharga","lebih-berharga","yang-terpenting,"]·IT["diapheronta","differire","valere-di-più"]·jav["aji","ingkang-langkung-saé","langkung-aji","panjenengan-langkung-aji","penting,"]·KO["귀하냐","귀하니","귀하니까","나은-것이냐","너희가-귀하다","다른-것들","다른-것들,"]·PT["coisas-excelentes","excelentes","valeis","valeis-mais"]·RU["лучше","лучшего","отличаетесь","отличается","различающееся","ценны"]·ES["difiere","que-difieren","valéis","valéis-más"]·SW["ana-tofauti","mna-thamani-zaidi","mna-tofauti-na","ni-bora-kuliko","yaliyo-bora"]·TR["daha-değerlidir","daha-değerlisiniz","değerlisiniz","farkli-olanlari,","ustun-olan-seyleri","üstünsünüz"]·urd["بہتر-باتوں-کو","بہتر-باتیں","بہتر-ہو","بہتر-ہے","تم-بہتر-ہو","قیمتی-ہو"]
2. carry through, spread abroad — The literal, physical sense: to carry or bear from one place to another, to be spread or driven along. In Mark 11:16 Jesus forbids anyone carrying vessels through the temple; Acts 13:49 describes the word of the Lord being 'carried through' the whole region; Acts 27:27 pictures a ship 'driven about' in the Adriatic. Spanish 'siendo llevados' ('being carried') and 'era difundida' ('was being spread') distinguish the passive dispersion (Acts) from the active prohibition against carrying (Mark). 3×
AR["انتَشَرَت","مُنْجَرِفِينَ","يَحْمِلَ"]·ben["ছড়িয়ে-পড়ছিল","বহন-করে","বহিয়া-বেড়াইতেছিলাম"]·DE["sich-unterscheiden","unterscheidet"]·EN["being-driven","should-carry","was-being-carried"]·FR["différer","être-supérieur"]·heb["יַעֲבִיר","נִסְחֲפִים","נִשָּׂא"]·HI["फैलता-था","बहतेहुए","ले-जाए"]·ID["membawa","terbawa","tersebar"]·IT["differire","valere-di-più"]·jav["Sumebar","kabeta","mbeta"]·KO["떠도는","운반하도록","펴졌다"]·PT["Espalhava-se","sendo-levados"]·RU["Распространялось","носимых","пронёс"]·ES["era-difundida","llevara","siendo-llevados"]·SW["apitishe","likaenea","tulipokuwa-tukisukumwa"]·TR["sürüklenirken","taşısın","yayılıyordu"]·urd["بہتے-ہوئے","لے-جائے","پھیلتا-تھا"]
3. differ, be different — To differ, be distinct, or vary from something else. Paul uses this in 1 Corinthians 15:41 — 'star differs from star in glory' — and in Galatians 4:1, where an heir who is a child 'differs nothing' from a slave. The sense is qualitative distinction without necessarily implying superiority. French 'différer' and German 'sich unterscheiden' ('to distinguish oneself') map this meaning precisely, emphasizing distinguishable characteristics rather than ranked value. 2×
AR["لا-يَفرِقُ","يَختَلِفُ"]·ben["পার্থক্য-করে","প্রভেদ"]·DE["sich-unterscheiden"]·EN["differs","he-differs"]·FR["différer","être-supérieur"]·heb["שׁוֹנֶה"]·HI["फ़रक","भिन्न-होता-है"]·ID["berbeda"]·IT["diapherei","differire"]·jav["bèda","bédanipun"]·KO["다르니라","다르지-않노라"]·PT["difere"]·RU["отличается"]·ES["difiere"]·SW["inatofautiana","tofauti"]·TR["fark-etmez","farklıdır"]·urd["فرق-رکھتا-ہے","فرق-کرتا"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
διαφέρω, future διοίσω Refs 5th c.BC+aorist 1 διήνεγκα, Ionic dialect διήνεικα: aorist 2 διήνεγκον:—carry over or across, δ. ναῦς τὸν Ἰσθμόν Refs 5th c.BC+; carry from one to another, διαφέρεις κηρύγματα Refs 5th c.BC+ will put the tongue in motion, will speak, Refs 5th c.BC+ __2 of Time, δ. τὸν αἰῶνα, τὸν βίον, go through life, Refs 5th c.BC+:—middle, live, continue, ὑγιηροὶ τἄλλα διαφέρονται…