διαπραγματεύομαι (diapragmateuomai)
diapragmateuomai
to gain in trade
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb diapragmateuomai describes the act of engaging in business or trade with a specific focus on profit. Its structure combines a prefix meaning "through" or "thoroughly" with a root related to transaction, suggesting an earnest and calculated effort to manage affairs for financial gain. In the New Testament, this term appears only once, marking it as a rare word in biblical Greek.
This single occurrence is found in Luke 19:15, within the parable of the minas. The master commands his servants to "occupy" or trade until he returns, using this verb to highlight their active pursuit of increase. The sources note that while earlier classical writers used it for thorough examination, by the time of the New Testament, the meaning had settled firmly on commercial gain.
Translators often render it as "trade" or "do business," capturing the practical nature of the command. It is not merely about holding wealth but actively working to multiply it through engagement in economic activity. The word underscores the expectation that resources entrusted by God should be put to work rather than left idle.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
This rare word describes active engagement in trade with a clear aim toward profit. In Luke 19:15, the master instructs his servants to use their resources wisely while he is away. The term implies more than simple holding; it requires effort, strategy, and participation in the world of exchange.
For your daily life, this suggests that faith involves practical stewardship. God entrusts you with time, talents, and money not for storage, but for growth. You are invited to use what you have been given to produce good fruit, reflecting faithful management in ordinary economic activities.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- they had gained by trading.1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- διεπραγματεύσαντο.¶1×
Key Verses
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Luke 19:15
“When he had come back again, having received the kingdom, he commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by conducting business.
The master uses this specific verb to command active business engagement rather than passive preservation of the entrusted money.