διωγμός (diōgmos)
diōgmos
persecution
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 9 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun diōgmos refers to active hostility and organized persecution, specifically the act of driving someone out or harassing them for their faith. Derived from the verb diokeō ("to pursue"), it carries the sense of a relentless chase that turns violent or oppressive. In the New Testament, this term describes the suffering endured by believers because of their allegiance to Jesus.
Lexical sources highlight its occurrence in key passages such as Mark 4:17 and Acts 8:1. In Mark’s Gospel, it appears in the parable of the sower, describing how those who receive the word with joy fall away when diōgmos arises because of the word. This usage underscores that persecution is often an external pressure designed to test the depth of a person's commitment.
The term also appears in Paul’s letters, such as 2 Timothy 3:11, where he recounts his own experiences of persecution. Here, it serves as evidence of faithful endurance rather than divine abandonment. Translators typically render it simply as "persecution," capturing the concrete reality of opposition faced by the early church.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When we read about diōgmos, we are not looking at abstract theology but at the real, often painful, friction between faith and a hostile world. This word describes an active, organized pursuit designed to drive believers away from their commitment to Jesus. It is the moment when following Christ becomes difficult, costly, or dangerous. Recognizing this term helps us understand that opposition is not a sign of God’s absence, but frequently a marker of genuine allegiance.
Yet the biblical narrative does not leave us in the darkness of suffering. In passages like Romans 8:35, we see that neither persecution nor any other hardship can separate us from the love of Christ. The early church faced intense pressure, yet their response was often one of endurance and expanded community. This word invites us to look at our own challenges with clarity: we are not alone in facing resistance, and we are held by a love that outlasts every storm.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 9 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- persecutions3×
- persecution3×
- a persecution2×
- persecutions,1×
- persecutions —1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- διωγμὸς2×
- διωγμοῦ2×
- διωγμοῖς2×
- διωγμῶν1×
- διωγμὸν1×
- διωγμοῖς,1×
- διωγμοὺς1×
Key Verses
-
Matthew 13:21
yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while. When oppression or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.
This verse identifies persecution as the specific external pressure that exposes shallow roots in a believer's commitment to the word.
-
Acts 8:1
Saul was consenting to his death. A great persecution arose against the assembly which was in Jerusalem in that day. They were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except for the apostles.
Here the term describes the sudden, violent outbreak against the Jerusalem church that ironically led to the spread of the gospel.
-
Romans 8:35
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Could oppression, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Paul lists persecution alongside physical dangers to emphasize that no external force can sever the believer's connection to Christ's love.