Lexical Summary diatagé: Ordinance, command, arrangement Original Word: διαταγή Strong's Exhaustive Concordance ordinance, directionFrom diatasso; arrangement, i.e. Institution -- instrumentality. see GREEK diatasso HELPS Word-studies Cognate: 1296 diatagḗ – properly, thoroughly set in place by the Lord, i.e. by His perfect appointing (arranging, ordering). See 1299 (diatassō). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom diatassó Definition institution, ordinance NASB Translation ordained (1), ordinance (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1296: διαταγήδιαταγή, διαταγης, ἡ (διατάσσω), a purely Biblical (2 Esdr. 4:11) and ecclesiastical word (for which the Greeks use διάταξις), a disposition, arrangement, ordinance: Romans 13:2; ἐλάβετε τόν νόμον εἰς διαταγάς ἀγγέλων, Acts 7:53, ye received the law, influenced by the authority of the ordaining angels, or because ye thought it your duty to receive what was enjoined by angels (at the ministration of angels (nearly equivalent to as being the ordinances etc.), similar to εἰς ὄνομα δέχεσθαι, Matthew 10:41; see εἰς, B. II 2 d.; (Winers Grammar, 398 (372), cf. 228 (214), also Buttmann, 151 (131))). On the Jewish opinion that angels were employed as God's assistants in the solemn proclamation of the Mosaic law, cf. Deuteronomy 33:2 the Sept.; Acts 7:38; Galatians 3:19; Hebrews 2:2; Josephus, Antiquities 15, 5, 3; (Philo de somn. i. § 22; Lightfoot's Commentary on Galatians, the passage cited). STRONGS NT 1296: διάταγμαδιάταγμα, διατάγματος, τό (διατάσσω), an injunction, mandate: Hebrews 11:23 (Lachmann δόγμα). (2 Esdr. 7:11; Additions to Esther 3:14 Strong’s Greek 1296 speaks of an authoritative arrangement put in place by one who has the right to command. In Scripture it functions as a reminder that God ordains both heavenly and earthly structures and that resistance to His order never leads to blessing. Occurrences in the New Testament 1. Acts 7:53 – Israel “received the Law ordained by angels, yet did not keep it.” Although the contexts differ—Sinai’s revelation versus civil authority—the common thread is that the ultimate source behind the arrangement is God Himself. Old Testament and Intertestamental Background Jewish tradition drew on Deuteronomy 33:2 and Psalm 68:17 to picture countless angels present at Sinai. Second-Temple writings (for example, Jubilees 1:27) reinforced the idea that celestial beings served as intermediaries when God established His covenant. This backdrop explains Stephen’s wording in Acts 7:53: law mediated by angels carries divine weight. Likewise, the Septuagint often uses cognate forms to translate commands given by kings (for example, Ezra 6:8), suggesting that “ordinance” includes both sacred and royal spheres. Angelic Mediation and Covenant Responsibility In Acts 7, the word underscores privilege. If the law came through angelic agency, breaking it is not a minor oversight but a direct affront to the heavenly court. Stephen’s accusation therefore heightens Israel’s guilt: they possessed a divinely organized covenant yet rejected its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Civil Authority and Christian Obedience Romans 13 sets the term squarely in the realm of governing powers. Earthly rulers stand within a framework God has “ordered.” The passage does not idealize every magistrate; it asserts that the very concept of government is part of divine providence. Submission, therefore, is a matter of conscience (Romans 13:5), not mere social convenience. Theological Themes 1. Divine Sovereignty: Whether mediated by angels or magistrates, the arrangement originates with God. Historical Insight Early church fathers (for example, Irenaeus, Against Heresies 4.16.2) appealed to Romans 13 to urge respect for imperial authorities while facing persecution. Conversely, they cited Acts 7 to warn believers against presuming upon their spiritual privileges. Ministry and Discipleship Application • Teaching: Emphasize that God’s commands are never abstract; they arrive via concrete structures—Scripture, church leadership, family, and civil institutions. Key Cross-References for Study Deuteronomy 33:2; Psalm 68:17; Daniel 4:17; Matthew 28:18; 1 Corinthians 14:40; 1 Peter 2:13-17; Jude 9. Summary Strong’s 1296 points to God’s right to arrange His universe and to humanity’s duty to honor that arrangement, whether made known through angels at Sinai or through rulers in society. When believers grasp that every sphere of obedience is rooted in the same divine authority, they will heed the warning of Acts 7 and embrace the counsel of Romans 13. Englishman's Concordance Acts 7:53 N-AFPGRK: νόμον εἰς διαταγὰς ἀγγέλων καὶ NAS: the law as ordained by angels, KJV: by the disposition of angels, INT: law by [the] disposition of angels and Romans 13:2 N-DFS Strong's Greek 1296 |
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