διακαθαίρω (diakathairō)
diakathairō
to scour
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb diakathairō means to clean something thoroughly, removing every trace of impurity. It combines the intensive prefix dia- with kathairō, "to cleanse," creating a sense of complete purification. In the New Testament, this word appears only once, in Luke 3:17.
Jesus uses it to describe the final judgment, where He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. The image is agricultural: just as a threshing floor is swept clean of every bit of straw and dust, so too will the wicked be entirely removed from God’s presence. This word emphasizes not just cleaning, but total removal of what is worthless.
Its rarity in Scripture makes this single occurrence stand out. Rather than describing ritual washing or moral improvement, it points to a decisive, irreversible act of separation. The thoroughness implied by the prefix dia- suggests nothing is left behind — no residue, no hidden impurity remains.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word diakathairō paints a vivid picture of total purification. In Luke 3:17, Jesus uses this term to describe His role in final judgment. He holds the winnowing fan and thoroughly cleanses the threshing floor, separating wheat from chaff. This is not a gentle sweep but an intense, complete removal of impurity.
For believers, this brings both comfort and solemnity. The thoroughness of God’s work means nothing hidden remains unseen or untouched. It assures us that injustice will be fully addressed and purity restored. We can trust in His perfect justice, knowing He removes what is worthless while gathering what is precious into His barn.
This promise invites hope. While the image of burning chaff is stark, it highlights God’s commitment to holiness. We are called to live with integrity, trusting that He will ultimately make all things new and clean.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- to scour1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- διακαθᾶραι1×
Key Verses
-
Luke 3:17
His winnowing fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing floor, and will gather the wheat into his barn; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
This is the only New Testament occurrence of diakathairō, where Jesus describes His decisive act of separating wheat from chaff on the threshing floor.