What does ἐκδικέω (ekdikéō) mean in the Bible?
This Greek verb concerns carrying out justice or vengeance, with its moral force governed by the actor and setting. In Jesus' parable, a widow repeatedly asks a judge for justice against her adversary.
Greek · G1556
ἐκδικέω
This Greek verb concerns carrying out justice or vengeance, with its moral force governed by the actor and setting. In Jesus' parable, a widow repeatedly asks a judge for justice against her adversary.
Reading a lexicon entry
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ἐκδικέωG1556
Pronunciationekdikéō
What does ἐκδικέω (ekdikéō) mean in the Bible?
Reader summary
Full entry for ἐκδικέω (G1556) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G1556?
The BSB source-word alignment has 6 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include avenge (2), Give me justice (1), He has avenged (1), I will give her justice (1), to punish (1).
Where does ἐκδικέω (ekdikéō) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Luke 18:3. Its strongest book concentrations include Luke (2), Revelation (2), 2 Corinthians (1), Romans (1).
What This Word Actually Means
This Greek verb concerns carrying out justice or vengeance, with its moral force governed by the actor and setting. In Jesus' parable, a widow repeatedly asks a judge for justice against her adversary. Romans tells believers not to avenge themselves and directs them to leave room for God's wrath. Revelation portrays slain witnesses asking the holy and true Lord to judge and avenge their blood.
A vulnerable person's appeal, a prohibition of personal retaliation, and a prayer for divine judgment are different actions. They must not be collapsed into either permission for revenge or a ban on seeking protection. The passages allow readers to recognize the seriousness of wrong while keeping judgment, timing, and the role of the person seeking justice clearly distinguished.
How the Bible Uses It
The widow appeals to a judge, believers are forbidden personal vengeance, and slain witnesses appeal to the Lord; each setting distinguishes justice sought from retaliation performed.
- Luke.18.3
And there was a widow in that town who kept appealing to him, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’
The widow repeatedly asks an unjust judge for justice against her adversary within the parable introduced as encouragement to pray and not lose heart.
- Rom.12.19
Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.”
Believers are told not to avenge themselves but to leave room for God's wrath, followed by concrete instructions to feed and give drink to an enemy.
- Rev.6.10
And they cried out in a loud voice, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge those who dwell upon the earth and avenge our blood?”
Slain witnesses address the holy and true Lord about judgment and their blood; the following verse tells them to rest and wait.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Itavenge2×Romans 12:19, Revelation 6:10
Give me justice1×Luke 18:3
He has avenged1×Revelation 19:2
I will give her justice1×Luke 18:5
to punish1×2 Corinthians 10:6
Show sample aligned rows
Luke 18:3ἘκδίκησόνtoGive me justiceVerb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person SingularLuke 18:5ἐκδικήσωtoI will give her justiceVerb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person SingularRomans 12:19ἐκδικοῦντεςtoavengeVerb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural2 Corinthians 10:6ἐκδικῆσαιtoto punishVerb - Aorist Infinitive ActiveRevelation 6:10ἐκδικεῖςtoavengeVerb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person SingularRevelation 19:2ἐξεδίκησενtoHe has avengedVerb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowLuke 18:3
Aligned rows6
Books represented4
Luke2Romans12 Corinthians1Revelation2
Source forms
ἐκδικεῖς1xekdikeisRevelation 6:10
ἐκδικῆσαι1xekdikēsai2 Corinthians 10:6
Ἐκδίκησόν1xEkdikēsonLuke 18:3
ἐκδικήσω1xekdikēsōLuke 18:5
ἐκδικοῦντες1xekdikountesRomans 12:19
ἐξεδίκησεν1xexedikēsenRevelation 19:2
Parsing patterns
Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular1xLuke 18:3
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular1xRevelation 19:2
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active1x2 Corinthians 10:6
Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular1xLuke 18:5
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular1xRevelation 6:10
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural1xRomans 12:19
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Support appropriate protective action without treating personal retaliation as a faithful response.
- Do not demand emotional calm or immediate trust as proof that a harmed person has forgiven.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that every appeal to a responsible authority is forbidden vengeance.
- Do not claim that God commissions readers to execute the judgment requested by Revelation's witnesses.
Evidence Summary
JusticeMessiah
Greek word. Vindication of the oppressed or enforcement of justice, not personal revenge or retribution.
Strong'sG1556
Lexical occurrences6 versesGreek text appearances6 timesWord forms4 forms6 referencesVerse guides0 guides
Source Gloss
to vindicate, retaliate, punish
Extended definitionSource: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith
Vindication of the oppressed or enforcement of justice, not personal revenge or retribution.
(ἔκδικος), [in LXX for פָּקַד, נָקַם, שָׁפַט, etc. ;]
1to vindicate: with accusative of person(s), Luk.18:3, 5.
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpusGreek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
6 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Luke 18:3Verb Second Person Singular Aorist Active Imperative
Ἐκδίκησόνekdikhson
I give justice over, defend, avenge, vindicate
Read verseLuke 18:5Verb First Person Singular Future Active Indicative
ἐκδικήσωekdikhsw
I give justice over, defend, avenge, vindicate
Read verseRomans 12:19Verb Present Active Participle Nominative Plural Masculine
ἐκδικοῦντες,ekdikountev
I give justice over, defend, avenge, vindicate
Read verse2 Corinthians 10:6Verb Aorist Active Infinitive
ἐκδικῆσαιekdikhsai
I give justice over, defend, avenge, vindicate
Read verseRevelation 6:10Verb Second Person Singular Present Active Indicative
ἐκδικεῖςekdikeiv
I give justice over, defend, avenge, vindicate
Read verseRevelation 19:2Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Active Indicative
ἐξεδίκησεexedikhsen
I give justice over, defend, avenge, vindicate
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 groups4Aligned forms6TensesAorist, Future, PresentVoicesActive
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Tenses
Voices
Imperativecommand or strong request1×
Aorist ActiveLuke 18:31×
Indicativestates a fact or reality3×
Future ActiveLuke 18:51×
Present ActiveRev 6:101×
Aorist ActiveRev 19:21×
Participleverbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality1×
Present ActiveRom 12:191×
Infinitiveverbal noun — the action in abstract1×
Aorist Active2 Cor 10:61×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 6 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect
Tense
aorist3present2future1
Voice
active6
Mood
indicative3infinitive1imperative1participle1
NT Occurrences
Luke 18:3Ἐκδίκησόνaorist active imperativeimperativeLuke 18:5ἐκδικήσωfuture active indicativeprospectiveRomans 12:19ἐκδικοῦντεςpresent active participleparticiple2 Corinthians 10:6ἐκδικῆσαιaorist active infinitiveinfinitiveRevelation 6:10ἐκδικεῖςpresent active indicativeongoingRevelation 19:2ἐξεδίκησενaorist active indicativecompleted
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.
Witnesses
Luke 18:1–8ἐκδίκησόνekdikéō
Grant justice, vindicate
Showing 1 selected witness from 6 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
ἐκδικέω is built from this root:
Canonical Themes
JusticeMessiah
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
The verb becomes pastorally clear when the actors remain visible. The widow seeks a judgment from a judge rather than attacking her adversary; Jesus places her persistence within teaching about prayer and not losing heart. Romans addresses the believer's conduct toward enemies, forbidding personal vengeance and prescribing practical care. Revelation hears the cry of those killed for their testimony, directing their appeal to the holy and true Lord and including a period of waiting.
None of these settings makes wrong trivial. Neither do they allow the reader to seize the judge's role and punish someone in God's name. Teaching can make room for lament, requests for protection, and truthful accountability while resisting retaliatory action. A harmed person must not be silenced by the claim that all pursuit of justice is revenge.
Anchor passage
Rom.12.19
Doctrinal connections
- Luke 18 introduces persistent appeal within Jesus' instruction to pray and not lose heart.
- The widow's vulnerability matters to the contrast with the judge who disregards God and people.
- Romans 12 reserves vengeance to God while commanding practical care toward enemies.
- God's judgment is addressed as holy and true in the slain witnesses' Revelation prayer.
- Revelation's instruction to wait distinguishes an appeal for justice from immediate human execution.
- Refusing personal retaliation can coexist with truthful lament and appropriate pursuit of protection.
The governed Greek entry supports justice or vengeance language whose precise rendering follows the construction and context. A lexical gloss does not identify the rightful judge by itself; the widow, believers, and divine addressee occupy different roles.
From Old to New Testament
Deuteronomy 32's declaration that vengeance belongs to God stands behind the quotation in Romans 12. The connection concerns the stated divine prerogative, not permission for believers to appoint themselves agents of punishment against an enemy.