What does διδασκαλία (didaskalía) mean in the Bible?
διδασκαλία means teaching, instruction, or doctrine. In the Pastoral Epistles, it is a central word for the content and formative work of ministry.
Greek · G1319
διδασκαλία
Instruction (the function or the information)
Reading a lexicon entry
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διδασκαλία G1319
Pronunciation didaskalía
What does διδασκαλία (didaskalía) mean in the Bible?
διδασκαλία means teaching, instruction, or doctrine. In the Pastoral Epistles, it is a central word for the content and formative work of ministry.
Reader summary
Full entry for διδασκαλία (G1319) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G1319?
The BSB source-word alignment has 21 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include teaching (10), instruction (3), [as] doctrine (2), doctrine (2), [the] teachings (1).
Where does διδασκαλία (didaskalía) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 15:9. Its strongest book concentrations include 1 Timothy (8), Titus (4), 2 Timothy (3), Romans (2).
What This Word Actually Means
διδασκαλία means teaching, instruction, or doctrine. In the Pastoral Epistles, it is a central word for the content and formative work of ministry. Teaching can be sound, good, nourished on, attended to, continued in, opposed by demonic teachings, rejected by those who gather teachers to suit their desires, and adorned by faithful conduct. The word does not refer only to classroom transfer of information.
It names doctrine that forms worship, godliness, household conduct, elder qualification, Scripture use, and perseverance. Paul tells Timothy to devote himself to teaching, to watch his teaching, and to continue in it. He tells Titus to speak what accords with sound doctrine and shows that even servants can adorn the teaching about God our Savior. διδασκαλία therefore joins truth, content, character, endurance, correction, and public credibility.
It is doctrine for the church's life before God.
How the Bible Uses It
In the Pastoral Epistles, διδασκαλία is doctrine and instruction that must be sound, Scripture-governed, persevered in, and adorned by life. It is opposed by false teaching and by hearers who prefer desire-shaped doctrine.
- 1Tim.1.10
For the sexually immoral, for homosexuals, for slave traders and liars and perjurers, and for anyone else who is averse to sound teaching
Sound teaching stands against whatever contradicts the law's moral concern and the gospel's order. Doctrine has ethical shape.
- 1Tim.4.13
Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, and to teaching.
Timothy must devote himself to public reading, exhortation, and teaching. διδασκαλία belongs at the center of gathered ministry.
- 1Tim.4.16
Pay close attention to your life and to your teaching. Persevere in these things, for by so doing you will save both yourself and those who hear you.
Timothy must watch his life and teaching and persevere. Teaching and character cannot be safely separated.
- 2Tim.3.16
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
All Scripture is useful for instruction, conviction, correction, and training. Scripture governs teaching's source and usefulness.
- 2Tim.4.3
For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires.
A time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine. Desire can reshape the market for teachers.
- Titus.2.1
But as for you, speak the things that are consistent with sound doctrine.
Titus must speak what is consistent with sound doctrine. Pastoral speech is measured by doctrinal soundness.
- Titus.2.10
Not stealing from them, but showing all good faith, so that in every respect they will adorn the teaching about God our Savior.
Faithful conduct can adorn the teaching about God our Savior. Doctrine is publicly beautified by embodied faithfulness.
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 teaching 10× 1 Timothy 1:10, 1 Timothy 4:13, 1 Timothy 4:16, 1 Timothy 5:17
instruction 3× Romans 15:4, 1 Timothy 4:6, 2 Timothy 3:16
[as] doctrine 2× Matthew 15:9, Mark 7:7
doctrine 2× 2 Timothy 4:3, Titus 2:1
[the] teachings 1× 1 Timothy 4:1
let him teach 1× Romans 12:7
of teaching 1× Ephesians 4:14
teachings 1× Colossians 2:22
Show sample aligned rows
Matthew 15:9 διδασκαλίας to [as] doctrine Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural Mark 7:7 διδασκαλίας to [as] doctrine Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural Romans 12:7 διδασκαλίᾳ to let him teach Noun - Dative Feminine Singular Romans 15:4 διδασκαλίαν to instruction Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular Ephesians 4:14 διδασκαλίας to of teaching Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular Colossians 2:22 διδασκαλίας to teachings Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural 1 Timothy 1:10 διδασκαλίᾳ to teaching Noun - Dative Feminine Singular 1 Timothy 4:1 διδασκαλίαις to [the] teachings Noun - Dative Feminine Plural 1 Timothy 4:6 διδασκαλίας to instruction Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular 1 Timothy 4:13 διδασκαλίᾳ to teaching Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Matthew 15:9
Aligned rows 21
Books represented 8
Matthew 1 Mark 1 Romans 2 Ephesians 1 Colossians 1 1 Timothy 8 2 Timothy 3 Titus 4
Source forms
διδασκαλίᾳ 10x didaskalia Romans 12:7, 1 Timothy 1:10, 1 Timothy 4:13, 1 Timothy 4:16
διδασκαλίας 6x didaskalias Matthew 15:9, Mark 7:7, Ephesians 4:14, Colossians 2:22
διδασκαλίαν 3x didaskalian Romans 15:4, 2 Timothy 3:16, Titus 2:10
διδασκαλία 1x didaskalia 1 Timothy 6:1
διδασκαλίαις 1x didaskaliais 1 Timothy 4:1
Parsing patterns
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular 10x Romans 12:7, 1 Timothy 1:10, 1 Timothy 4:13, 1 Timothy 4:16
Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural 3x Matthew 15:9, Mark 7:7, Colossians 2:22
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular 3x Romans 15:4, 2 Timothy 3:16, Titus 2:10
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular 3x Ephesians 4:14, 1 Timothy 4:6, 2 Timothy 4:3
Noun - Dative Feminine Plural 1x 1 Timothy 4:1
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular 1x 1 Timothy 6:1
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Test teaching by Scripture, soundness, and the godliness it forms.
- Refuse both anti-doctrinal spirituality and doctrine that does not lead to faithful life.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that διδασκαλία means only formal classroom instruction.
- Do not claim that adorning doctrine means human conduct improves the gospel itself.
Evidence Summary
MessiahRevelation
Greek word. The content or doctrine taught, emphasizing the substance of instruction rather than the act of teaching itself.
Strong's G1319
Lexical occurrences 21 verses Greek text appearances 21 times 16 shown below Word forms 6 forms 21 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link 1 Timothy 4:11-16 Source Gloss
instruction (the function or the information)
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
16 of 21 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Matthew 15:9 Noun Accusative Plural Feminine
διδασκαλίας didaskaliav
instruction, teaching
Read verse Mark 7:7 Noun Accusative Plural Feminine
διδασκαλίας didaskaliav
instruction, teaching
Read verse Romans 12:7 Noun Dative Singular Feminine
διδασκαλίᾳ· didaskalia
instruction, teaching
Read verse Romans 15:4 Noun Accusative Singular Feminine
διδασκαλίαν didaskalian
instruction, teaching
Read verse Ephesians 4:14 Noun Genitive Singular Feminine
διδασκαλίας, didaskaliav
instruction, teaching
Read verse Colossians 2:22 Noun Accusative Plural Feminine
διδασκαλίας didaskaliav
instruction, teaching
Read verse 1 Timothy 1:10 Noun Dative Singular Feminine
διδασκαλίᾳ didaskalia
instruction, teaching
Read verse 1 Timothy 4:1 Noun Dative Plural Feminine
διδασκαλίαις didaskaliaiv
instruction, teaching
Read verse 1 Timothy 4:6 Noun Genitive Singular Feminine
διδασκαλίας didaskaliav
instruction, teaching
Read verse 1 Timothy 4:13 Noun Dative Singular Feminine
διδασκαλίᾳ. didaskalia
instruction, teaching
Read verse 1 Timothy 4:16 Noun Dative Singular Feminine
διδασκαλίᾳ. didaskalia
instruction, teaching
Read verse 1 Timothy 5:17 Noun Dative Singular Feminine
διδασκαλίᾳ. didaskalia
instruction, teaching
Read verse 1 Timothy 6:1 Noun Nominative Singular Feminine
διδασκαλία didaskalia
instruction, teaching
Read verse 1 Timothy 6:3 Noun Dative Singular Feminine
διδασκαλίᾳ, didaskalia
instruction, teaching
Read verse 2 Timothy 3:10 Noun Dative Singular Feminine
διδασκαλίᾳ, didaskalia
instruction, teaching
Read verse 2 Timothy 3:16 Noun Accusative Singular Feminine
διδασκαλίαν, didaskalian
instruction, teaching
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 this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
This word appears as a noun across 6 case and number patterns. The form changes show how the word functions in a sentence; they do not change the basic lexical meaning by themselves.
Form patterns 6 Aligned forms 21 Case pattern Dative (11) Number pattern Singular (17)
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Nominative · Singular · Feminine 1 Tim 6:1 1×
Genitive · Singular · Feminine Eph 4:14 · 1 Tim 4:6 · 2 Tim 4:3 3×
Dative · Singular · Feminine Rom 12:7 · 1 Tim 1:10 · 1 Tim 4:13 · 1 Tim 4:16 · 1 Tim 5:17 · 1 Tim 6:3 · 2 Tim 3:10 · Titus 1:9 · Titus 2:1 · Titus 2:7 10×
Dative · Plural · Feminine 1 Tim 4:1 1×
Accusative · Plural · Feminine Matt 15:9 · Mark 7:7 · Col 2:22 3×
Accusative · Singular · Feminine Rom 15:4 · 2 Tim 3:16 · Titus 2:10 3×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
New Testament Witnesses
Instruction in apostolic truth.
Apostolic instruction concerning Christ.
instruction, doctrine, teaching
Showing 3 selected witnesses from 21 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
διδασκαλία is built from this root:
Why This Word Matters
Paul emphasizes doctrinal instruction as a central element of faithful ministry. 1 Timothy 4:11-16
The content of teaching must remain faithful to the gospel. 1 Timothy 6:1-2
Christian behavior validates or undermines the credibility of the gospel message. 2 Timothy 3:10-13
Canonical Themes
MessiahRevelation
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
διδασκαλία shows that the Pastoral Epistles do not separate doctrine from life. Sound teaching opposes moral disorder, demonic deception, corrupt speech, and desire-shaped religion. Yet teaching is not merely a defensive wall. It nourishes the servant of Christ, belongs with public Scripture reading and exhortation, must be watched alongside personal life, and is useful because Scripture itself is God-breathed.
Titus shows the public beauty of doctrine when even ordinary household conduct adorns the teaching about God our Savior. This word therefore protects the church from two opposite errors. One error treats doctrine as lifeless content that can be stored without obedience. The other treats obedience as possible without doctrinal truth. Paul refuses both. Teaching is the church's Scripture-governed instruction in truth, and its soundness is seen in faithful life.
Anchor passage
1Tim.4.16
Doctrinal connections
- G3056 Logos: Sound teaching is carried by faithful words, the word of truth, and the preached word.
- G225 Aletheia: Teaching must serve the truth that leads to godliness.
- G2085 Heterodidaskaleo: Different doctrine is the direct distortion διδασκαλία must resist.
- G3870 Parakaleo: Teaching and exhortation stand together in gathered ministry and pastoral correction.
- G2784 Kerusso: Preaching the word includes patient instruction, so proclamation and doctrine are not rivals.
- G2041 Ergon: Good works adorn and confirm the teaching about God our Savior.
διδασκαλία can refer to the act of teaching or the content taught. In these letters, context often blends both: Timothy must devote himself to teaching, watch his teaching, and hold sound doctrine. The word should not be reduced either to information delivery or to a vague atmosphere of instruction.
From Old to New Testament
The canon presents God's people as taught by His word and called to walk in His ways. The Pastoral Epistles bring that pattern into apostolic church order by making Scripture-governed teaching central to shepherding and public faithfulness.
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