Lexical Summary diaspeiró: To scatter, to disperse Original Word: διασπείρω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance scatter abroad. From dia and speiro; to sow throughout, i.e. (figuratively) distribute in foreign lands -- scatter abroad. see GREEK dia see GREEK speiro NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom dia and speiró Definition to sow throughout, i.e. fig. disperse (in foreign lands) NASB Translation scattered (3). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1289: διασπείρωδιασπείρω: 2 aorist passive διεσπάρην; to scatter abroad, disperse; passive of those who are driven to different places, Acts 8:1, 4; Acts 11:19. (In Greek writings from (Sophocles and) Herodotus down; very often in the Sept..) Topical Lexicon Scope of the Term Strong’s Greek 1289 portrays the purposeful “scattering abroad” of persons, much as seed is broadcast across a field. In the New Testament it always describes the dispersal of believers who are driven from one locale to another. Occurrences in Acts Acts 8:1; Acts 8:4; Acts 11:19 form a tight narrative unit surrounding the martyrdom of Stephen. These three occurrences frame a single movement of God in which suffering becomes the catalyst for mission. Historical Background Jerusalem had been the heart of the fledgling church from Pentecost onward. Yet Jesus had already set the geographic trajectory in Acts 1:8. The wave of persecution that erupted after Stephen’s death simply pried open what human hesitation had kept shut. The scattered believers traced the trade routes of the eastern Mediterranean, carrying the gospel into strongly Jewish regions (Phoenicia, Cyprus) and into a major Gentile center (Antioch). Antioch would later commission Paul and Barnabas, turning a forced migration into an organized missionary enterprise. Theological Significance 1. Divine Sovereignty over Adversity God’s redemptive plan co-opts human hostility. What the Sanhedrin intended to silence became the very means by which “the word of the Lord continued to spread and multiply” (Acts 12:24). 2. Fulfillment of Prophetic Pattern Scattering is a recurring instrument in Scripture. Israel’s exile (Deuteronomy 28:64) disciplined the nation; the church’s dispersion propagates blessing to all nations. The movement from centripetal gathering (Pentecost) to centrifugal scattering (persecution) mirrors the sowing-harvest pattern in the parables of Jesus (Matthew 13). 3. Participation in the Mission of Christ The scattered believers “went about preaching” (Acts 8:4), a verb that elsewhere describes apostolic proclamation. Ordinary disciples became frontline evangelists, validating the priesthood of all believers. Missional Implications • Persecution cannot impede the advance of the gospel; it often accelerates it. Pastoral Applications • Suffering believers today can draw courage from knowing their displacement is never wasted. Connection to Old Testament Themes While Israel’s scattering often signified judgment (2 Kings 17:6), prophetic hope foresaw a gathering in righteousness (Isaiah 11:12). The church’s scattering paradoxically inaugurates that gathering by announcing salvation in Jesus the Messiah. Thus the term bridges judgment and redemption, exile and ingathering. Related New Testament Passages John 11:52 – Jesus will “gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad,” revealing the ultimate aim behind every dispersion. James 1:1; 1 Peter 1:1 – Both letters greet believers “in the dispersion,” showing that scattered communities quickly became a normal, honored reality within the church. Summary Strong’s Greek 1289 marks a pivotal turning point in Acts: the gospel leaps from a single city to the wider world through the involuntary yet Spirit-directed scattering of disciples. History, theology, and mission converge to show that God sows His people as seed, and the harvest is assured. Forms and Transliterations διασπαρεντες διασπαρέντες διασπαρή διασπαρήναι διασπαρήσεσθε διασπάρητε διασπείραι διασπερεί διασπερείς διασπερώ διασπέρω διεσπάρη διεσπαρησαν διεσπάρησαν διεσπαρμένοι διεσπαρμένον διεσπαρμένος διεσπαρμένους διέσπειρα διέσπειρά διέσπειρας διέσπειρε διέσπειρεν diasparentes diasparéntes diesparesan diesparēsan diespáresan diespárēsanLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Acts 8:1 V-AIP-3PGRK: πάντες δὲ διεσπάρησαν κατὰ τὰς NAS: and they were all scattered throughout KJV: all scattered abroad throughout INT: all moreover were scattered throughout the Acts 8:4 V-APP-NMP Acts 11:19 V-APP-NMP Strong's Greek 1289 |
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