δῐ-λογος G1351
Double-tongued, saying one thing to one person and another to someone else; deceitful in speech
This adjective literally means 'of double word' and describes someone who speaks duplicitously, telling different stories to different people. In 1 Timothy 3:8, Paul lists this among disqualifying traits for deacons—church servants must not be two-faced in their communication. The image is of a forked tongue, speaking contradictory things. It's not merely changing one's mind, but deliberately deceiving through inconsistent speech designed to manipulate different audiences.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Paul's instruction to Timothy (1 Tim 3:8) requires deacons not to be double-tongued—speaking one way to one group and differently to another for manipulative purposes. The English and Spanish glosses capture the 'double word/speech' imagery, while the French preserves the Greek transliteration. This describes deliberate duplicity in communication, a fundamental breach of trustworthiness required for church leadership. 1×
AR["ذَوي-لِسانَيْنِ"]·ben["দ্বিমুখী,"]·DE["doppelzuengig"]·EN["double-tongued"]·FR["διλόγους"]·heb["דִּבְרֵי-לָשׁוֹן"]·HI["दो-बअत-वअले"]·ID["bermuka-dua"]·IT["dilogous"]·jav["rangkep-pangandika,"]·KO["이중으로-말하는,"]·PT["de-língua-dobre"]·RU["двоеязычным"]·ES["de-doble-palabra"]·SW["wenye-ndimi-mbili"]·TR["çift-dilli"]·urd["دوگلے"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)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×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
δῐ-λογος, ον, double-tongued, doubtful, NT