Lexical Summary diénekés: Continual, perpetual, unceasing Original Word: διηνεκής Strong's Exhaustive Concordance continually, forever.Neuter of a compound of dia and a derivative of an alternate of phero; carried through, i.e. (adverbially with eis and ho prefixed) perpetually -- + continually, for ever. see GREEK dia see GREEK phero see GREEK eis see GREEK ho HELPS Word-studies 1336 diēnekḗs (or diēnekēs, derived from 1223 /diá, "thoroughly," which intensifies 1308 /diaphérō, "to bear") – properly, bear all the way across, in an unbroken (non-stop) fashion; to persist all the way, to the (intended) end, i.e. "unbroken, continuous . . . perpetually, forever" (Abbott-Smith). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom the aor. of diapheró Definition carried through, continuous NASB Translation all time (2), continually (1), perpetually* (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1336: διηνεκήςδιηνεκής, διηνεκές (from διήνεγκα, διαφέρω, as the simple ἠνεκης from ἤνεγκα, φέρω), from Homer down, continuous: εἰς τό διηνεκές, continally"), Hebrews 7:3; Hebrews 10:1, 12, 14 (δικτάτωρ ἐς τό διηνεκές ἡρεθη, Appendix, b. c. 1, 4). The adjective διηνεκής (Strong’s Greek 1336) conveys the idea of something that continues without interruption—perpetual, unbroken, unceasing. All four New Testament occurrences are found in Hebrews, a letter that contrasts the temporary, repetitive character of the Levitical system with the everlasting efficacy of Jesus Christ’s priesthood and sacrifice. Occurrences in Hebrews Hebrews 7:3 – Melchizedek, “resembling the Son of God, … remains a priest forever”. Hebrews 10:1 – The Law’s sacrifices were “repeated endlessly year after year” yet could never perfect the worshipers. Hebrews 10:12 – Christ “offered for all time one sacrifice for sins” and then sat down at God’s right hand. Hebrews 10:14 – “By one offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” Literary Setting Hebrews addresses Jewish believers tempted to return to the temple ritual. By employing διηνεκής the writer underscores a decisive superiority: what was formerly repetitive and provisional has been overtaken by a ministry that is continuous and final. Old Testament Foreshadowing Though the exact term is Greek, its concept echoes the Pentateuch’s “perpetual statutes” (for example, Exodus 29:42). Those ordinances pointed forward to a better Priest and a better sacrifice; yet the Levitical system itself could never reach actual permanence, for its very repetition revealed incompleteness. Christological Significance 1. A Priest without Succession (Hebrews 7:3): Melchizedek’s perpetual priesthood serves as a type. Jesus, Son of God, fulfills what the type suggested—an office that neither begins nor ends in earthly lineage. Soteriological Emphasis The believer’s standing is as continuous as the sacrifice that secured it. Hebrews 10:14 locates perfection in a single historical act that carries uninterrupted results: believers “are being sanctified,” yet their acceptance is already accomplished. Assurance, therefore, rests not on fluctuating human performance but on a perpetual atonement. Ecclesiological and Liturgical Applications Christian worship revolves around remembrance, not repetition, of the once-for-all offering (1 Corinthians 11:24–26). The Lord’s Table proclaims, it does not re-present, the sacrifice. Prayer, praise, and proclamation flow from confidence that access to the throne of grace is permanently opened (Hebrews 4:16). Pastoral and Spiritual Implications • Assurance of salvation: Continuous priesthood guarantees continuous intercession (Hebrews 7:25). Historical Reception Early church fathers (for example, Athanasius) cited Hebrews 10 to refute any notion of recurring sacrificial offerings in Christian worship. Reformers appealed to the same passages to challenge medieval sacrificial conceptions of the Mass, reaffirming that Christ’s one oblation is efficacious in perpetuity. Related Terms and Themes • αἰώνιος (eternal) – emphasizes duration without end. Summary Strong’s 1336 highlights the unbroken, never-ending character of Christ’s priesthood and sacrifice. In Hebrews it serves as a theological hinge, turning readers’ attention from the repetitive insufficiency of the old order to the enduring sufficiency of the new. For personal faith, congregational life, and the church’s historical witness, διηνεκής reinforces the blessed certainty that what Christ accomplished once remains effective forever. Englishman's Concordance Hebrews 7:3 Adj-ANSGRK: εἰς τὸ διηνεκές INT: to all time Hebrews 10:1 Adj-ANS Hebrews 10:12 Adj-ANS Hebrews 10:14 Adj-ANS |
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