"to corrupt or destroy utterly; to waste, bring to decay, Lk. 12:33; 2 Cor. 4:16; to destroy, Rev. 8:9; 11:18 (2x); met. to corrupt, pervert utterly, 1 Tim. 6:5*"
Definition and meaning
to corrupt or destroy utterly; to waste, bring to decay, Lk. 12:33; 2 Cor. 4:16; to destroy, Rev. 8:9; 11:18 (2x); met. to corrupt, pervert utterly, 1 Tim. 6:5*
In the original Greek the word is written: διαφθείρω
Historical context
Luke wrote as a historian addressing a Greek audience. He carefully interviewed eyewitnesses and arranged events in order. The social and economic realities he describes — Roman taxation, Jewish religious hierarchy, the marginalization of women and the poor — are consistent with first-century Judea under Roman administration.
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 diaphtheiro (G1311) across the King James Bible.
Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.
For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.
And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.
And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.
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Common questions
Strong's G1311 (diaphtheiro) is a Greek word that means: to corrupt or destroy utterly; to waste, bring to decay, Lk. 12:33; 2 Cor. 4:16; to destroy, Rev. 8:9; 11:18 (2x); met. to corrupt, pervert utterly, 1 Tim. 6:5* It appears 5 times in the King James Bible.
The word diaphtheiro (G1311) appears 5 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G1311 is diaphtheiro, a Greek word defined as: to corrupt or destroy utterly; to waste, bring to decay, Lk. 12:33; 2 Cor. 4:16; to destroy, Rev. 8:9; 11:18 (2x); met. to corrupt, pervert utterly, 1. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
diaphtheiro is a Greek word found in the New Testament.