δίκη (dikē)
dikē
condemnation
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun dikē refers to a judicial decision or its result: the execution of a sentence and the resulting punishment. In the New Testament it appears only three times, carrying a heavy weight of divine retribution rather than abstract fairness. It describes the concrete outcome of a trial where justice is served through penalty.
This meaning emerges clearly in Jude 7, which speaks of Sodom and Gomorrah suffering the punishment of eternal fire, and in 2 Thessalonians 1:9, where those who reject God face everlasting destruction. The word points to the finality of judgment, not just the legal process leading up to it.
Acts 28:4 offers a striking example when Paul is bitten by a viper on Malta. The locals assume he must be a murderer, waiting for "dikē" (justice or vengeance) to strike him down. Here the concept blends with personified vengeance, showing how closely the idea of punishment was tied to divine retribution in the ancient mind.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Greek word dikē carries a heavy weight in Scripture, pointing not to abstract fairness but to the concrete outcome of divine justice. It describes the final execution of a sentence, where retribution is fully realized. This concept reminds us that God’s moral order is real and serious; actions have consequences that reach into eternity.
When we encounter this term in passages like Jude 1:7 or 2 Thessalonians 1:9, we see the gravity of turning away from God. It is a sobering reminder that divine justice is not merely a legal formality but a tangible reality. Yet, understanding this seriousness also highlights the depth of grace available to those who turn to Christ.
In Acts 28:4, the word appears in a moment of misunderstanding, where people assume punishment is immediate. This shows how deeply rooted the fear of divine retribution was in the ancient mind. For believers, it underscores the hope that we are not left to face this justice alone, but are offered forgiveness through faith.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- [the] penalty2×
- Justice1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- δίκην2×
- δίκη1×
Key Verses
-
Jude 1:7
Even as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, having in the same way as these given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are shown as an example, suffering the punishment of eternal fire.
This verse uses dikē to describe the concrete, irreversible punishment of eternal fire that fell on Sodom and Gomorrah as a result of their sexual immorality.
-
II Thessalonians 1:9
who will pay the penalty: eternal destruction from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his might,
Here the word signifies the final state of everlasting destruction experienced by those who reject God, emphasizing the permanence of this judicial outcome.
-
Acts 28:4
When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped from the sea, yet Justice has not allowed to live.”
In this narrative context, the locals personify dikē as a waiting vengeance, believing Paul must die for some hidden crime he escaped in the sea.