ESTUDIO DE LA PALABRA GRIEGA
Didōmi (G1325) — Meaning & Usage in the Bible
δίδωμι (didōmi) is the standard NT Greek verb 'to give,' used in literal, figurative, and theological senses across 344 occurrences.
Significado de la palabra
δίδωμι (didōmi) is the ordinary Greek verb 'to give,' applied very broadly: to bestow, grant, deliver, commit, offer, supply, or yield. The lexicon notes it is 'greatly modified by the connection,' meaning its exact force—whether a physical gift, an abstract grant, or a divine act—depends on the objects and context in each sentence.
In its grammar, didōmi takes an accusative of the thing given and a dative of the recipient (e.g., Matthew 5:31, 'give her a writing'). It also appears with a double accusative (person and thing, as in Matthew 20:28, 'a ransom for many'), with an infinitive of purpose, and with clauses introduced by ἵνα. The KJV rendering list—bestow, commit, deliver, grant, yield, etc.—reflects this range.
In the LXX (Greek Old Testament), didōmi chiefly translates the Hebrew נָתַן (nātan, 'to give'). This Hebrew background helps explain why many NT uses of didōmi carry theological weight, particularly when God gives his Son, gives the Spirit, or grants authority.
Uso en las Escrituras
Didōmi appears across every NT genre: Gospels, Acts, Epistles, and Revelation. Its uses range from everyday requests ('Give us this day our daily bread,' Matthew 6:11) to instructions about not giving what is holy to dogs (Matthew 7:6), to granting authority over unclean spirits (Matthew 10:1).
Theologically, didōmi underwrites several key NT ideas: God gives his only Son (John 3:16), Christ gives himself as a ransom (Matthew 20:28), the Father gives the Spirit, and Christ is given authority. The verb also describes what disciples are to do—give to those who ask (Matthew 5:42)—linking God's giving to human giving.
La palabra en detalle
- G1325 δίδωμι (didōmi) is the standard NT verb 'to give.' It governs an accusative of the thing and a dative of the recipient, and can also take a double accusative (person and thing) or an infinitive/ἵνα clause of purpose. In the LXX it mainly renders Hebrew נָתַן (nātan).
Versículos de ejemplo
- Matthew 6:11 Didōmi frames the model prayer as a daily request: 'Give us this day our daily bread.' A simple plea for present provision, with the verb in the aorist imperative δός.
- Matthew 7:7 In 'ask, and it shall be given (δοθήσεται) you,' didōmi in the future passive is paired with the promise of divine response to prayer.
- Matthew 10:1 Here didōmi (ἔδωκεν) expresses the delegation of authority: Jesus 'gave' his twelve disciples power over unclean spirits—a key Matthewan use tying 'giving' to commissioning.
- Matthew 20:28 The Son of Man came 'to give his life as a ransom for many.' Didōmi with a double accusative (person—his life—and implicit thing—himself) carries the theology of substitutionary giving.
Preguntas frecuentes
How many times does didōmi appear in the New Testament?
Didōmi occurs 344 times across 313 distinct verses in the Greek New Testament, making it one of the most common verbs in the NT.
What is the difference between didōmi and dōreomai?
The lexicon lists δωρέομαι (dōreomai) as a synonym of didōmi. Both mean 'to give,' but dōreomai tends to emphasize a free, gracious gift, whereas didōmi is the broader, neutral verb for giving in any sense.
Why does didōmi sometimes translate Hebrew nātan in the Old Testament (LXX)?
In the Septuagint (LXX), didōmi is the principal Greek equivalent of the common Hebrew verb נָתַן (nātan, 'to give'). Because so much of the NT theology of giving is shaped by OT passages, didōmi carries that Hebrew background into the Greek NT.