Lexical Summary diploó: To double, to fold over Original Word: διπλόω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance double. From diplous; to render two-fold -- double. see GREEK diplous NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom diplous Definition to double NASB Translation double* (1), give back (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1363: διπλόωδιπλόω, διπλῷ: (1 aorist ἐδιπλωσα); (διπλως); to double: διπλώσατε αὐτῇ (only R G) διπλᾶ (τά διπλᾶ T Tr WH brackets), i. e. return to her double, repay in double measure the evils she has brought upon you, Revelation 18:6 (R. V. double unto her the double). (Xenophon, Hell. 6, 5, 19; Plutarch, Cam. 41; (Diogenes Laërtius 6, 22.) Topical Lexicon Overview Strong’s Greek 1363 expresses the action of “doubling,” the idea of making something two-fold, whether in quantity or intensity. Scripture employs this verb to communicate strict proportionality in God’s dealings with evil and, by contrast, the lavishness of His grace. Its single New Testament appearance serves as the capstone of a canonical motif that reaches back to the Torah and the Prophets. New Testament Occurrence: Revelation 18:6 “Give back to her as she has done to others; pay her back double for what she has done. Mix her a double portion in her own cup.” (Revelation 18:6) In the final judgment pronounced upon the symbolic city of Babylon, Heaven commands that her recompense be “doubled.” The verb stands as a judicial imperative: the punishment must perfectly correspond to the magnitude of Babylon’s sins, leaving no room for partiality or for excessive cruelty. Within the wider context of Revelation 17–18, Babylon represents the sum of idolatrous commerce, moral corruption, and persecuting power arrayed against the saints. Doubling her cup signals the completeness and irrevocability of divine judgment. Old Testament Antecedents of the “Double” Principle 1. Exodus 22:4–9 prescribes doubled restitution for theft. Justice is restorative and proportional. Patterns of Divine Justice Revelation 18:6 gathers the legal and prophetic antecedents into a singular eschatological verdict. Justice is: Contrast with the “Double Portion” of Grace The same measure that exposes wickedness also magnifies grace. Elisha sought a “double portion” of Elijah’s spirit (2 Kings 2:9). The firstborn son received a double inheritance (Deuteronomy 21:17), a sign of favor. Therefore, doubling can either punish rebellion or enrich covenant loyalty. The double recompense of Babylon accentuates the security of the saints who receive, not wrath, but a doubled mercy in Christ (compare Romans 5:20). Literary and Cultural Background of Doubling In the ancient Near East, duplication of a record—two tablets or two scrolls—guaranteed authenticity. Likewise, Babylon’s doubled judgment guarantees the trustworthiness of God’s verdict. Folded contracts sealed before witnesses echo the act of “doubling,” a legal certainty not open to renegotiation. Pastoral and Homiletical Insights • Preaching the text highlights God’s settled opposition to institutionalized evil; no enterprise, however opulent, escapes His scales. Practical Applications for the Church 1. Accountability: local congregations mirror divine justice by ensuring transgressions meet appropriate discipline (1 Corinthians 5:12–13). Summary Strong’s Greek 1363 encapsulates God’s precise and unflinching justice while reminding the saints that the same God bestows double grace on the humble. Revelation 18:6 thus becomes both a warning to the proud and a comfort to the faithful, anchoring ethics, worship, and mission in the certainty that every deed will be answered—either in judgment or in the overflowing mercy purchased by Christ. Forms and Transliterations διπλωσατε διπλώσατε diplosate diplōsate diplṓsateLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
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