"pr. a bait or contrivance for entrapping, fraud, deceit, cunning, guile, Mt. 26:4; Mk. 7:22; 14:1"
Definition and meaning
pr. a bait or contrivance for entrapping, fraud, deceit, cunning, guile, Mt. 26:4; Mk. 7:22; 14:1
In the original Greek the word is written: δόλος
Historical context
Rome had controlled Judea since 63 BC. Herod the Great rebuilt the Temple into one of the most magnificent structures in the ancient world — and simultaneously murdered members of his own family. The common people paid multiple layers of taxation and were politically powerless. Into that world a carpenter from Galilee began teaching that the kingdom of God had arrived.
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 dolos (G1388) across the King James Bible.
And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him.
Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death.
Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!
And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?
Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
But be it so, I did not burden you: nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with guile.
For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile:
Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,
Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
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Common questions
Strong's G1388 (dolos) is a Greek word that means: pr. a bait or contrivance for entrapping, fraud, deceit, cunning, guile, Mt. 26:4; Mk. 7:22; 14:1 It appears 12 times in the King James Bible.
The word dolos (G1388) appears 12 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G1388 is dolos, a Greek word defined as: pr. a bait or contrivance for entrapping, fraud, deceit, cunning, guile, Mt. 26:4; Mk. 7:22; 14:1. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
dolos is a Greek word found in the New Testament.