διασπάω (diaspaō)
diaspaō
to tear apart
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb diaspaō describes a violent tearing or breaking asunder. Its components suggest a forceful separation, combining the idea of dispersion with the act of rending. In the New Testament, it carries a heavy physical weight, depicting something being ripped apart with significant power.
This word appears in only two verses, both highlighting intense conflict. In Mark 5:4, it describes the unclean spirit’s struggle within the Gerasene demoniac, who tore himself apart so violently that no chains could hold him. Later, in Acts 23:10, Paul faces a similar threat when the scribes and Pharisees rise up to tear him apart during a heated dispute before the Sanhedrin.
The sources note its use in the Septuagint for breaking bonds, reinforcing this sense of destructive force. Translators often render it as "tear apart" or "rend," capturing the raw physicality of the action. It is never used for gentle separation but always for a rupture caused by external pressure or internal chaos.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word diaspaō paints a vivid picture of violent rupture. It describes something being torn apart with such force that no restraint can hold it back. In Mark 5:4, we see a man bound by chains that he shatters himself, driven by an inner chaos too strong for iron to contain. This image reminds us that some struggles are not just emotional but feel like they threaten to break us from the inside out.
Yet this word also appears in Acts 23:10, where Paul faces a mob ready to tear him apart. Here, the danger is external, coming from those who oppose him. In both cases, the tearing is intense and destructive. But notice how God’s presence protects His servants even when they are surrounded by forces that seek their destruction.
When life feels like it is pulling you apart, remember that God sees the struggle. He does not ignore the chains that bind or the voices that rise against you. You are held by a power greater than any force trying to tear you loose.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- to have been torn apart1×
- may be torn to pieces1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- διεσπάσθαι1×
- διασπασθῇ1×
Key Verses
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Mark 5:4
because he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him, and the fetters broken in pieces. Nobody had the strength to tame him.
This verse shows the word describing internal chaos so powerful that physical restraints fail, highlighting the intensity of spiritual oppression.
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Acts 23:10
When a great argument arose, the commanding officer, fearing that Paul would be torn in pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them and bring him into the barracks.
Here the term describes external hostility from a mob, showing how divine protection intervenes when believers face violent opposition.