διά

diathrough/because ofHow to read Greek
greekNew TestamentPreposition667 occurrences27 books600 verses

Definition

διά (before a vowel δ᾽, exc. Romans 8:10, 2 Corinthians 5:7, and in (Proper name)s; Tdf., Pr., 94),

prep. with genitive, accusative, as in cl.;

1. with genitive, through;

(i) of Place, after verbs of motion or action: Matthew 2:12; 12:43, Mark 2:23, Luke 4:30, John 4:4, 2 Corinthians 11:33, al.; σώζεσθαι (διας-) δ. πυρός, ὕδατος, 1 Corinthians 3:15, 1 Peter 3:20; βλέπειν δ. ἐσόπτρου, 1 Corinthians 13:12; metaphorically, of a state or condition: Romans 14:20, 2 Corinthians 2:4; 5:7, 10; δ. γράμματος, ἀκροβυστίας (Lft., Notes, 263, 279), Romans 2:27; 4:11; δι ̓ὑπομενῆς, Romans 8:25.

(ii) Of Time;

(a) during which: Matthew 26:61, Mark 14:58, Luke 5:5; δ. παντὸς τοῦ ζῆν, Hebrews 2:15; δ. παντός (διαπαντός in Mark 5:5, Luke 24:53), always, continually, Matthew 18:10, Acts 2:25" (LXX) 10:2 24:16, Romans 11:10" (LXX), 2 Thessalonians 3:16, Hebrews 9:6; 13:15.

(b) within which: Acts 1:3; δ. νυκτός, Acts 5:19; 16:9; 17:10; 23:31;

(with) after which (Field, Notes, 20; Abbott, JG, 255f.): Mark 2:1, Acts 24:17, Galatians 2:1.

(iii) Of the Means or Instrument;

(1) of the efficient cause (regarded also as the instrument): of God, Romans 11:36, 1 Corinthians 1:9, Galatians 4:7, Hebrews 2:10; 7:21; of Christ, Romans 1:8; 5:1, 17, 1 Corinthians 15:21, 1 Peter 4:11, al.; δ. τ. ὑμῶν δεήσεως, Romans 1:12, 2 Corinthians 1:4, Galatians 4:23, al.;

(2) of the agent, instrument or means;

(a) with genitive of person(s), Matthew 11:2, Luke 1:70, John 1:17, Acts 1:16, Romans 2:16, 1 Corinthians 1:21, Ephesians 1:5, Hebrews 2:14, Revelation 1:1, al.; ὑπὸ τ. κυρίου δ. τ. προφήτου (δ. τ. κυρίου, 1 Thessalonians 4:2 (M, Th., in l.); Lft., Rev., 121f.), Matthew 1:22; 2:15, Romans 1:2; δ. ἐπιστολῆς ὡς δ. ἡμῶν (Field, Notes, 202), 2 Thessalonians 2:2; δ. Σ. (NTD, 22), 1 Peter 5:12;

(b) with genitive of thing(s) (where often the simple dative is used in cl.; Jannaris, Gr., 375), John 11:4, Acts 5:12; δ. τ. πίστεως, Romans 3:30; δ. λόγου θεοῦ, 1 Peter 1:23; δ. παραβολῆς, Luke 8:4; δουλεύειν δ. τ. ἀγάπης, Galatians 5:13; δ. ἐπαγγελίας, Galatians 3:18,

2. C. accusative;

(i) rarely, as with genitive, through (Hom), δ. μέσον Σαμαρίας (ICC, in l.; Bl., §42, 1; Robertson, Gr., 581), Luke 17:11.

(ii) by reason of, because of, for the sake of;

(a) with accusative of person(s) (M, Pr., 105), Mark 2:27, John 6:57; 11:42, Romans 8:20;

(b) with accusative of thing(s), δ. φθόνον, Matthew 27:18, Mark 15:10; δ. φόβον, John 7:13; 20:19; δ. ἀγάπην, Ephesians 2:4; δ. τοῦτο, freq., for this cause, therefore, Matthew 6:25, Mark 6:14, Luke 11:49, John 6:65, al.; id. before ὅτι, John 5:16; 10:17, al.; δ. τί, why, Matthew 9:11, 14, Mark 2:18, John 7:45, al.; δ. τό, with inf., Mark 5:4, Luke 9:7, James 4:2.

3. In composition,

(1) through, as in διαβαίνω;

(2) of separation, asunder, as in διασπάω;

(3) of distribution, abroad, as in διαγγέλλω;

(4) of transition, as διαλλάσσω;

(5) of "perfective" action (M, Pr., 112f., 115f.), as διαφύγω, διακαθαρίζω.

Hebrew words it translates

The Hebrew words that the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament renders as διά:

Usage patterns

Old TestamentNew Testament

Occurrences

667 total
  1. Matthew 1:22διὰ · through
    All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
  2. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
  3. Matthew 2:12δι’ · by
    And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they withdrew to their country by another route.
  4. Matthew 2:15διὰ · through
    …where he stayed until the death of Herod. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”
  5. Matthew 2:17διὰ · through
    Then what was spoken through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
  6. Matthew 2:23διὰ · through
    …and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophets: “He will be called a Nazarene.”
  7. Matthew 3:3διὰ · through
    This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.’”
  8. Matthew 4:4διὰ · from
    But Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
  9. Matthew 4:14διὰ · through
    …to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:
  10. Matthew 6:25Διὰ · Therefore
    Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?
  11. Matthew 7:13διὰ · through; δι’ · through
    Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.
  12. Matthew 8:17διὰ · through
    This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.”
  13. When Jesus arrived on the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, He was met by two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs. They were so violent that no one could pass that way.
  14. Matthew 9:11Διὰ · Why
    When the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
  15. Matthew 9:14Διὰ · Why is it that
    Then John’s disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Why is it that we and the Pharisees fast so often, but Your disciples do not fast?”
  16. Matthew 10:22διὰ · because of
    You will be hated by everyone because of My name, but the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.
  17. Meanwhile John heard in prison about the works of Christ, and he sent his disciples
  18. Matthew 12:1διὰ · through
    At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick the heads of grain and eat them.
  19. Matthew 12:17διὰ · through
    This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:
  20. Matthew 12:27διὰ · So then
    And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons drive them out? So then, they will be your judges.
  21. Matthew 12:31Διὰ · Therefore
    Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
  22. Matthew 12:43δι’ · through
    When an unclean spirit comes out of a man, it passes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it.
  23. Matthew 13:5διὰ · because
    Some fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow.
  24. Matthew 13:6διὰ · because
    But when the sun rose, the seedlings were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.
  25. Matthew 13:10Διὰ · Why
    Then the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Why do You speak to the people in parables?”
  26. Matthew 13:13διὰ · is why
    This is why I speak to them in parables: ‘Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.’
  27. Matthew 13:21διὰ · because of
    But since he has no root, he remains for only a season. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.
  28. Matthew 13:35διὰ · through
    So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: “I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world.”
  29. Matthew 13:52Διὰ · For this reason
    Then He told them, “For this reason, every scribe who has been discipled in the kingdom of heaven is like a homeowner who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”
  30. Matthew 13:58διὰ · because of
    And He did not do many miracles there, because of their unbelief.
  31. Matthew 14:2διὰ · is why
    …and said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”
  32. Matthew 14:3διὰ · on account of
    Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife,
  33. Matthew 14:9διὰ · but because of
    The king was grieved, but because of his oaths and his guests, he ordered that her wish be granted
  34. Matthew 15:2Διὰ · Why {do}
    “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They do not wash their hands before they eat.”
  35. Matthew 15:3Διὰ · why; διὰ · for the sake of
    Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?
  36. Matthew 15:6διὰ · for the sake of
    …he need not honor his father or mother with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition.
  37. Matthew 17:19Διὰ · Why
    Afterward the disciples came to Jesus privately and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
  38. Matthew 17:20Διὰ · Because
    “Because you have so little faith,” He answered. “For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
  39. Matthew 18:7δι’ · through
    Woe to the world for the causes of sin. These stumbling blocks must come, but woe to the man through whom they come!
  40. Matthew 18:10διὰ · always
    See that you do not look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of My Father in heaven.
  41. Matthew 18:23Διὰ · Because of
    Because of this, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.
  42. Matthew 19:12διὰ · for the sake of
    For there are eunuchs who were born that way; others were made that way by men; and still others live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”
  43. Matthew 19:24διὰ · through
    Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
  44. Matthew 21:4διὰ · through
    This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
  45. Matthew 21:25Διὰ · Why
    What was the source of John’s baptism? Was it from heaven or from men?” They deliberated among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will ask, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’
  46. Matthew 21:43Διὰ · Therefore
    Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.
  47. Matthew 23:34Διὰ · Because of
    Because of this, I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and others you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town.
  48. Matthew 24:9διὰ · because of
    Then they will deliver you over to be persecuted and killed, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.