"a separation; a distinction, or, doubt, Rom. 14:1; a discerning, the act of discerning or distinguishing, Heb. 5:14; the faculty of distinguishing and estimating, 1 Cor. 12:10*"
Definition and meaning
a separation; a distinction, or, doubt, Rom. 14:1; a discerning, the act of discerning or distinguishing, Heb. 5:14; the faculty of distinguishing and estimating, 1 Cor. 12:10*
In the original Greek the word is written: διάκρισις
Historical context
Paul wrote Romans from Corinth, one of the most important commercial cities in the empire. Rome had a Jewish population of around 50,000. The letter addresses real tensions between Jewish believers with centuries of Torah tradition and Gentile believers with no such background. Emperor Nero was on the throne. Within ten years he would execute both Paul and Peter.
The people who first heard this word were not reading a book — they were living through empires, oppression, exile, and covenant. Every word carried the weight of that reality. Understanding it changes how you read Scripture.
Scripture references
These are the most notable occurrences of diakrisis (G1253) across the King James Bible.
Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.
To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
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Common questions
Strong's G1253 (diakrisis) is a Greek word that means: a separation; a distinction, or, doubt, Rom. 14:1; a discerning, the act of discerning or distinguishing, Heb. 5:14; the faculty of distinguishing and estimating, 1 Cor. 12:10* It appears 3 times in the King James Bible.
The word diakrisis (G1253) appears 3 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G1253 is diakrisis, a Greek word defined as: a separation; a distinction, or, doubt, Rom. 14:1; a discerning, the act of discerning or distinguishing, Heb. 5:14; the faculty of distinguishing and. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
diakrisis is a Greek word found in the New Testament.