What does διαμαρτύρομαι (diamartýromai) mean in the Bible?
diamartyromai means to testify solemnly, warn earnestly, bear emphatic witness, or charge someone before a weighty authority. The word is stronger than casual speech.
Greek · G1263
διαμαρτύρομαι
To attest or protest earnestly, or (by implication) hortatively
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διαμαρτύρομαι G1263
Pronunciation diamartýromai
What does διαμαρτύρομαι (diamartýromai) mean in the Bible?
diamartyromai means to testify solemnly, warn earnestly, bear emphatic witness, or charge someone before a weighty authority. The word is stronger than casual speech.
Reader summary
Full entry for διαμαρτύρομαι (G1263) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G1263?
The BSB source-word alignment has 15 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include testifying (2), [ the ministry ] of testifying (1), charging [them] (1), had testified (1), he testified (1).
Where does διαμαρτύρομαι (diamartýromai) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Luke 16:28. Its strongest book concentrations include Acts (9), 2 Timothy (2), 1 Thessalonians (1), 1 Timothy (1).
What This Word Actually Means
Diamartyromai means to testify solemnly, warn earnestly, bear emphatic witness, or charge someone before a weighty authority. The word is stronger than casual speech. It appears where testimony presses hearers with accountable truth: the rich man wants his brothers warned, Peter testifies and urges the crowd, the apostles are commanded to testify about Christ as judge, Paul testifies about repentance and faith, and the Pastoral Epistles charge Timothy before God and Christ.
The word can carry warning, gospel witness, public testimony, and formal charge. It should be taught as solemn truth-bearing under God, not as harsh tone or human pressure.
How the Bible Uses It
The selected witnesses move from urgent warning, to apostolic testimony, to gospel proclamation before Jews and Gentiles, to formal ministerial charge before God and Christ.
- Luke.16.28
For I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also end up in this place of torment.’
The rich man wants Lazarus to warn his brothers so they will not arrive in torment. The verb carries urgent warning under eternal stakes, even though the narrative refuses to make miracles replace Moses and the Prophets.
- Acts.2.40
With many other words he testified, and he urged them, “Be saved from this corrupt generation.”
Peter testifies with many words and urges the crowd to be saved from a corrupt generation. Solemn witness presses toward repentance and rescue, not mere information transfer.
- Acts.10.42
And He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that He is the One appointed by God to judge the living and the dead.
Peter says the apostles were commanded to preach and testify that Jesus is the appointed judge of the living and the dead. The witness is Christ-centered and accountable before God.
- Acts.20.21
Testifying to Jews and Greeks alike about repentance to God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul summarizes his ministry as testifying to Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The verb gathers the gospel's demanded response.
- Acts.28.23
So they set a day to meet with Paul, and many people came to the place he was staying. He expounded to them from morning to evening, testifying about the kingdom of God and persuading them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and the Prophets.
Paul spends a full day testifying about the kingdom of God and persuading concerning Jesus from Moses and the Prophets. The witness is patient, scriptural, and kingdom-shaped.
- 2Tim.4.1
I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of His appearing and His kingdom:
Paul charges Timothy in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead. The verb gives preaching and ministry a courtroom-like seriousness before Christ's appearing and kingdom.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It testifying 2× Acts 18:5, Acts 20:21
[ the ministry ] of testifying 1× Acts 20:24
charging [them] 1× 2 Timothy 2:14
had testified 1× Acts 8:25
he testified 1× Acts 2:40
I charge [you] 1× 2 Timothy 4:1
I solemnly charge [you] 1× 1 Timothy 5:21
it is testified 1× Hebrews 2:6
Let him warn 1× Luke 16:28
solemnly warned [you] 1× 1 Thessalonians 4:6
testifying about 1× Acts 28:23
to testify 1× Acts 10:42
warns 1× Acts 20:23
you have testified 1× Acts 23:11
Show sample aligned rows
Luke 16:28 διαμαρτύρηται to Let him warn Verb - Present Subjunctive Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular Acts 2:40 διεμαρτύρατο to he testified Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular Acts 8:25 διαμαρτυράμενοι to had testified Verb - Aorist Participle Middle - Nominative Masculine Plural Acts 10:42 διαμαρτύρασθαι to to testify Verb - Aorist Infinitive Middle Acts 18:5 διαμαρτυρόμενος to testifying Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular Acts 20:21 διαμαρτυρόμενος to testifying Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular Acts 20:23 διαμαρτύρεταί to warns Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular Acts 20:24 διαμαρτύρασθαι to [ the ministry ] of testifying Verb - Aorist Infinitive Middle Acts 23:11 διεμαρτύρω to you have testified Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 2nd Person Singular Acts 28:23 διαμαρτυρόμενος to testifying about Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Luke 16:28
Aligned rows 15
Books represented 6
Luke 1 Acts 9 1 Thessalonians 1 1 Timothy 1 2 Timothy 2 Hebrews 1
Source forms
διαμαρτυρόμενος 4x diamartyromenos Acts 18:5, Acts 20:21, Acts 28:23, 2 Timothy 2:14
διαμαρτύρασθαι 2x diamartyrasthai Acts 10:42, Acts 20:24
Διαμαρτύρομαι 2x Diamartyromai 1 Timothy 5:21, 2 Timothy 4:1
διεμαρτύρατο 2x diemartyrato Acts 2:40, Hebrews 2:6
διαμαρτυράμενοι 1x diamartyramenoi Acts 8:25
διαμαρτύρεταί 1x diamartyretai Acts 20:23
διαμαρτύρηται 1x diamartyrētai Luke 16:28
διεμαρτυράμεθα 1x diemartyrametha 1 Thessalonians 4:6
Parsing patterns
Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular 4x Acts 18:5, Acts 20:21, Acts 28:23, 2 Timothy 2:14
Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular 2x Acts 2:40, Hebrews 2:6
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Middle 2x Acts 10:42, Acts 20:24
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 1st Person Singular 2x 1 Timothy 5:21, 2 Timothy 4:1
Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 1st Person Plural 1x 1 Thessalonians 4:6
Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 2nd Person Singular 1x Acts 23:11
Verb - Aorist Participle Middle - Nominative Masculine Plural 1x Acts 8:25
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular 1x Acts 20:23
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Let solemn warning remain tethered to Scripture, Christ, repentance, faith, and judgment rather than to a speaker's temperament.
- Teach this word as accountable witness before God, so urgency serves the hearer's good and the truth of Christ.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim diamartyromai always means rebuke; it can describe testimony, warning, charge, and earnest witness.
- Do not claim solemn testimony gives ministers freedom to go beyond what Scripture says.
Evidence Summary
Messiah
Greek word. Solemnly testify or protest with urgent intensity, often in direct address to persuade or warn hearers.
Strong's G1263
Lexical occurrences 15 verses Greek text appearances 15 times Word forms 4 forms 15 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Acts 18:5-11 Source Gloss
to attest or protest earnestly, or (by implication) hortatively
Extended definition Source: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith
Solemnly testify or protest with urgent intensity, often in direct address to persuade or warn hearers.
solemnly to protest: Luk.16:28, Act.2:40 8:25 10:42 18:5 20:21, 23, 24 23:11 28:23, 1Th.4:6, Heb.2:6; in adjuration, before ἐνώπιον τ. θεοῦ, 1Ti.5:21, 2Ti.2:14 4:1 (Cremer, 415).
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
15 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Luke 16:28 Verb Third Person Singular Present Middle or Passive Deponent Subjunctive
διαμαρτύρηται diamarturhtai
I give solemn evidence, testify solemnly
Read verse Acts 2:40 Verb Third Person Singular Imperfect Middle or Passive Deponent Indicative
διεμαρτύρετο diemartureto
I give solemn evidence, testify solemnly
Read verse Acts 8:25 Verb Aorist Middle Deponent Participle Nominative Plural Masculine
διαμαρτυράμενοι diamarturamenoi
I give solemn evidence, testify solemnly
Read verse Acts 10:42 Verb Aorist Middle Deponent Infinitive
διαμαρτύρασθαι diamarturasqai
I give solemn evidence, testify solemnly
Read verse Acts 18:5 Verb Present Middle or Passive Deponent Participle Nominative Singular Masculine
διαμαρτυρόμενος diamarturomenov
I give solemn evidence, testify solemnly
Read verse Acts 20:21 Verb Present Middle or Passive Deponent Participle Nominative Singular Masculine
διαμαρτυρόμενος diamarturomenov
I give solemn evidence, testify solemnly
Read verse Acts 20:23 Verb Third Person Singular Present Middle or Passive Deponent Indicative
διαμαρτύρεται diamarturetai
I give solemn evidence, testify solemnly
Read verse Acts 20:24 Verb Aorist Middle Deponent Infinitive
διαμαρτύρασθαι diamarturasqai
I give solemn evidence, testify solemnly
Read verse Acts 23:11 Verb Second Person Singular Aorist Middle Deponent Indicative
διεμαρτύρω diemarturw
I give solemn evidence, testify solemnly
Read verse Acts 28:23 Verb Present Middle or Passive Deponent Participle Nominative Singular Masculine
διαμαρτυρόμενος diamarturomenov
I give solemn evidence, testify solemnly
Read verse 1 Thessalonians 4:6 Verb First Person Plural Aorist Middle Deponent Indicative
διεμαρτυράμεθα. diemarturameqa
I give solemn evidence, testify solemnly
Read verse 1 Timothy 5:21 Verb First Person Singular Present Middle or Passive Deponent Indicative
διαμαρτύρομαι diamarturomai
I give solemn evidence, testify solemnly
Read verse 2 Timothy 2:14 Verb Present Middle or Passive Deponent Participle Nominative Singular Masculine
διαμαρτυρόμενος diamarturomenov
I give solemn evidence, testify solemnly
Read verse 2 Timothy 4:1 Verb First Person Singular Present Middle or Passive Deponent Indicative
Διαμαρτύρομαι diamarturomai
I give solemn evidence, testify solemnly
Read verse Hebrews 2:6 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Middle Deponent Indicative
διεμαρτύρατο diemarturato
I give solemn evidence, testify solemnly
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
Grammatical Forms
How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 4 Aligned forms 15 Tenses Present, Aorist Voices Middle
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Tenses
Voices
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 5×
Present Middle Acts 18:5 · Acts 20:21 · Acts 28:23 · 2 Tim 2:14 4×
Aorist Middle Acts 8:25 1×
Indicative states a fact or reality 7×
Aorist Middle Acts 2:40 · Heb 2:6 · Acts 23:11 · 1 Thess 4:6 4×
Present Middle 1 Tim 5:21 · 2 Tim 4:1 · Acts 20:23 3×
Infinitive verbal noun — the action in abstract 2×
Aorist Middle Acts 10:42 · Acts 20:24 2×
Subjunctive possibility, probability, or purpose 1×
Present Middle Luke 16:28 1×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 14 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect
Tense
present 8 aorist 6
Voice
middle 14
Mood
indicative 7 participle 4 infinitive 2 subjunctive 1
NT Occurrences
Luke 16:28 διαμαρτύρηται present middle subjunctive subjunctive Acts 2:40 διεμαρτύρατο aorist middle indicative completed Acts 10:42 διαμαρτύρασθαι aorist middle infinitive infinitive Acts 18:5 διαμαρτυρόμενος present middle participle participle Acts 20:21 διαμαρτυρόμενος present middle participle participle Acts 20:23 διαμαρτύρεταί present middle indicative ongoing Acts 20:24 διαμαρτύρασθαι aorist middle infinitive infinitive Acts 23:11 διεμαρτύρω aorist middle indicative completed Acts 28:23 διαμαρτυρόμενος present middle participle participle 1 Thessalonians 4:6 διεμαρτυράμεθα aorist middle indicative completed 1 Timothy 5:21 διαμαρτύρομαι present middle indicative ongoing 2 Timothy 2:14 διαμαρτυρόμενος present middle participle participle 2 Timothy 4:1 Διαμαρτύρομαι present middle indicative ongoing Hebrews 2:6 διεμαρτύρατο aorist middle indicative completed
Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.
Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
New Testament Witnesses
To solemnly affirm or testify.
Showing 1 selected witness from 15 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
διαμαρτύρομαι is built from these roots:
Why This Word Matters
Emphasizes the seriousness of proclaiming Jesus as the Christ. Acts 18:5-11
Canonical Themes
Messiah
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
For the Preacher and Teacher
Diamartyromai makes Christian speech feel the weight of God, judgment, repentance, faith, and entrusted ministry. The word is not a permission slip for scolding. In Luke 16, warning is urgent because final realities are serious. In Acts, the apostolic witness testifies to Jesus, His appointed judgment, the kingdom of God, and the needed response of repentance and faith.
In 2 Timothy, Paul charges Timothy before God and Christ, so the preacher's task is measured by Christ's appearing and kingdom, not by audience preference. The word teaches that faithful ministry speaks with sober accountability. It warns because judgment is real, testifies because Christ is true, and charges because servants of the word answer to God.
Anchor passage
Acts.20.21
Doctrinal connections
- G3140 Martyreo, testify: diamartyromai intensifies witness with solemn accountability and warning force.
- G3341 Metanoia, repentance: Acts 20 joins solemn testimony to repentance toward God.
- G4102 Pistis, faith: Paul's testimony in Acts 20 pairs repentance with faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
- G2784 Kerysso, preach: Acts 10 binds preaching to testimony about Jesus as appointed judge.
- G2920 Krisis, judgment: Acts 10 and 2 Timothy 4 place the witness before the judge of the living and the dead.
- G932 Basileia, kingdom: Acts 28 and 2 Timothy 4 connect solemn witness to God's kingdom and Christ's appearing.
The dia prefix strengthens the witness sense of the martyreo family, often giving the verb a solemn, emphatic, or warning force. Context decides whether the emphasis is testimony, warning, charge, or earnest insistence.
From Old to New Testament
The prophets often bore covenant witness with warning and appeal, calling Israel to hear before judgment came. In the New Testament, that solemn witness centers on Jesus Christ, the kingdom of God, repentance, faith, and the coming judgment of the living and the dead.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain