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δίδωμι (didōmi)

didōmi

to give

G1325 · Greek · New Testament · 378 verses

Quick Reference

Language
Koine Greek
Testament
New Testament
Occurrences
378 verses
Root
—

Word Overview

The verb didōmi means to give, but its scope in Scripture is remarkably broad. It covers simple acts like handing over an object, as when Jesus offers water to the Samaritan woman (John 4:10), and extends to profound spiritual realities, such as God giving His Son for the world (John 3:16). The word appears nearly four hundred times in the New Testament, making it one of the most frequent and versatile actions described in the text.

Its meaning shifts subtly based on what is being given. It can describe granting authority, as seen when Jesus says the Father has given all judgment to the Son (John 5:22), or yielding life, as when a seed gives fruit (Mark 4:8). In Revelation, it even describes inanimate forces giving up their dead (Revelation 20:13). This flexibility allows the word to bridge everyday physical exchanges with deep theological concepts of grace and provision.

A key feature of didōmi is its use with double objects, where both the person receiving and the thing given are specified in the accusative case. This structure emphasizes the directness of the gift. Translators often render it simply as "give," but the Greek context frequently implies a deliberate act of bestowal or entrustment, highlighting the relationship between the giver and the receiver.

Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).

What This Word Means for Your Faith

The word didōmi appears nearly four hundred times in the New Testament, covering everything from handing over a coin to God giving His Son. It describes simple acts like Jesus offering water, but also profound spiritual realities such as granting authority or yielding fruit. This flexibility allows the term to bridge everyday physical exchanges with deep theological concepts of grace and provision.

In John 3:16, we see the ultimate expression of this verb when God gave His only Son. The text emphasizes that this was a deliberate act of bestowal, highlighting the relationship between the giver and the receiver. When you understand how often this word is used, you begin to see giving not just as a duty, but as a central theme of God's character.

Christians have understood this passage to mean that divine generosity is the foundation of our faith. Whether it is the daily bread we ask for or the spiritual gifts we receive, the act of giving connects us to the source of all good things. This perspective invites us to view our own lives as part of a continuous flow of grace.

How it's translated

How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 378 verses where it appears, by frequency.

  • to give30×
  • do give26×
  • gave24×
  • has given19×
  • will give17×
  • was given17×
  • I will give16×
  • having been given13×
  • He gave12×
  • having given11×
  • You have given11×
  • will be given7×

Forms in the text

The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.

  • ἔδωκεν58×
  • ἐδόθη30×
  • δοῦναι26×
  • δώσω23×
  • δώσει17×
  • δοθήσεται15×
  • δότε13×
  • δὸς10×
  • δοὺς10×
  • ἐδίδου9×
  • δίδωσιν9×
  • δέδωκάς9×

Key Verses

  • John 3:16
    For God so loved the world, that he gave his only born Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

    This occurrence matters because it identifies God's giving of His Son as the definitive act of love that secures eternal life for believers.

  • Matthew 7:11
    If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

    The word here establishes a contrast between flawed human parents and a perfect Heavenly Father, showing that God gives good things to those who ask.

  • Matthew 10:8
    Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons. Freely you received, so freely give.

    This verse links receiving spiritual power with the obligation to give freely, reflecting the principle that what is received from God should be shared without cost.

  • Matthew 13:11
    He answered them, “To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it is not given to them.

    The passive form used here indicates that understanding the mysteries of the Kingdom is a gift granted by God rather than an achievement earned by human effort.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Greek word didōmi mean?

Didōmi is a common verb that means to give. It covers a wide range of actions, from handing over physical objects like bread to granting abstract concepts like authority or eternal life.

How is didōmi different from other words for giving?

While other terms might focus on the act of transferring possession, didōmi often implies a deliberate bestowal or entrustment. It highlights the relationship between the giver and the receiver, especially in theological contexts.

Where does this word appear most significantly?

It appears frequently throughout the Gospels and Acts. A key example is John 3:16, where it describes God giving His Son, and Matthew 7:11, which contrasts human and divine generosity.

Every Occurrence (378 verses across 22 books)

Matthew 54 verses
Matthew 4:9

He said to him, “I will give you all of these things, if you will fall down and worship me.”

Matthew 5:31

“It was also said, ‘Whoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorce,’

Matthew 5:42

Give to him who asks you, and don’t turn away him who desires to borrow from you.

Matthew 6:11

Give us today our daily bread.

Matthew 7:6

“Don’t give that which is holy to the dogs, neither throw your pearls before the pigs, lest perhaps they trample them…

Matthew 7:7

“Ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened for you.

Matthew 7:11

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven…

Matthew 9:8

But when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

Matthew 10:1

He called to himself his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal…

Matthew 10:8

Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons. Freely you received, so freely give.

Matthew 10:19

But when they deliver you up, don’t be anxious how or what you will say, for it will be given you in that hour what you…

Matthew 12:39

But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but no sign will be given to it but the…

Matthew 13:8

Others fell on good soil and yielded fruit: some one hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty.

Matthew 13:11

He answered them, “To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it is not given to them.

Matthew 13:12

For whoever has, to him will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever doesn’t have, from him will be taken…

Matthew 14:7

Therefore he promised with an oath to give her whatever she should ask.

Matthew 14:8

She, being prompted by her mother, said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptizer.”

Matthew 14:9

The king was grieved, but for the sake of his oaths and of those who sat at the table with him, he commanded it to be…

Matthew 14:11

His head was brought on a platter and given to the young lady; and she brought it to her mother.

Matthew 14:16

But Jesus said to them, “They don’t need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

Matthew 14:19

He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass; and he took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to…

Matthew 15:36

and he took the seven loaves and the fish. He gave thanks and broke them, and gave to the disciples, and the disciples…

Matthew 16:4

An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and there will be no sign given to it, except the sign of the…

Matthew 16:19

I will give to you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven;…

Matthew 16:26

For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what will a man give in exchange…

Matthew 17:27

But, lest we cause them to stumble, go to the sea, cast a hook, and take up the first fish that comes up. When you have…

Matthew 19:7

They asked him, “Why then did Moses command us to give her a certificate of divorce and divorce her?”

Matthew 19:11

But he said to them, “Not all men can receive this saying, but those to whom it is given.

Matthew 19:21

Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure…

Matthew 20:4

He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went their way.

Matthew 20:14

Take that which is yours, and go your way. It is my desire to give to this last just as much as to you.

Matthew 20:23

He said to them, “You will indeed drink my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on…

Matthew 20:28

even as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Matthew 21:23

When he had come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and…

Matthew 21:43

“Therefore I tell you, God’s Kingdom will be taken away from you and will be given to a nation producing its fruit.

Matthew 22:17

Tell us therefore, what do you think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”

Matthew 24:24

For false christs and false prophets will arise, and they will show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if…

Matthew 24:29

“But immediately after the suffering of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the…

Matthew 24:45

“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his lord has set over his household, to give them their food in due…

Matthew 25:8

The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’

Matthew 25:15

To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his own ability. Then he went on his…

Matthew 25:28

Take away therefore the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents.

Matthew 25:29

For to everyone who has will be given, and he will have abundance, but from him who doesn’t have, even that which he…

Matthew 25:35

for I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you took me in.

Matthew 25:42

for I was hungry, and you didn’t give me food to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink;

Matthew 26:9

For this ointment might have been sold for much and given to the poor.”

Matthew 26:15

and said, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him to you?” So they weighed out for him thirty pieces of…

Matthew 26:26

As they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks for it, and broke it. He gave to the disciples and said, “Take, eat;…

Matthew 26:27

He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave to them, saying, “All of you drink it,

Matthew 26:48

Now he who betrayed him had given them a sign, saying, “Whoever I kiss, he is the one. Seize him.”

Matthew 27:10

and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.”

Matthew 27:34

they gave him sour wine to drink mixed with gall. When he had tasted it, he would not drink.

Matthew 28:12

When they were assembled with the elders and had taken counsel, they gave a large amount of silver to the soldiers,

Matthew 28:18

Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.

Mark 35 verses
Luke 53 verses
John 64 verses
Acts 34 verses
Romans 9 verses
I Corinthians 14 verses
II Corinthians 13 verses
Galatians 5 verses
Ephesians 12 verses
Colossians 1 verse
I Thessalonians 2 verses
II Thessalonians 4 verses
I Timothy 3 verses
II Timothy 6 verses
Titus 1 verse
Hebrews 4 verses
James 4 verses
I Peter 2 verses
II Peter 1 verse
I John 7 verses
Revelation of John 50 verses