1371. dichotomeó

Lexical Summary

dichotomeó: To cut in two, to divide

Original Word: διχοτομέω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: dichotomeó
Pronunciation: dee-khot-om-eh'-o
Phonetic Spelling: (dee-khot-om-eh'-o)
KJV: cut asunder (in sunder)
NASB: cut in pieces
Word Origin: [from a compound of a derivative of G1364 (δίς - twice) and a derivative of temno "to cut"]

1. to bisect
2. (by extension) to flog severely

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

cut, flog.

From a compound of a derivative of dis and a derivative of temno (to cut); to bisect, i.e. (by extension) to flog severely -- cut asunder (in sunder).

see GREEK dis

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from the same as dichazó and temnó (to cut)
Definition
to cut in two, cut asunder
NASB Translation
cut...in pieces (2).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 1371: διχοτομέω

διχοτομέω, διχοτόμω: future διχοτομήσω; (διχότομος cutting in two); to cut into two parts (Exodus 29:17): Matthew 24:51; Luke 12:46 — in these passages many suppose reference to be made to that most cruel mode of punishment, in use among the Hebrews (1 Samuel 15:33) and other ancient nations (see Winers RWB under the word Lebensstrafen; (B. D. under the word , III. b. 3; especially Wetstein on Matthew, the passage cited)), by which criminals and captives were cut in two. But in the text the words which follow, and which imply that the one thus 'cut asunder' is still surviving, oppose this interpretation; so that here the word is more fitly translated cut up by scourging, scourge severely, (but see Meyer on Matthew, the passage cited). (Occasionally in Greek writings from Plato down.)

Topical Lexicon

Root Concept and Imagery

Strong’s Greek 1371 portrays an act of violent severing—literally “to cut in two.” The imagery carries weight because it invokes the ultimate separation of life from life, portion from portion, and, by extension, the division of the faithful from the unfaithful. The verb’s two New Testament appearances reserve it exclusively for the climactic moment of divine judgment in two parallel parables told by Jesus.

Occurrences in the New Testament

• Matthew 24:51 – “Then he will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
• Luke 12:46 – “The master of that servant will come on a day he does not anticipate and at an hour he does not expect. Then he will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.”

Both contexts address a servant who has abused his stewardship in the master’s absence. When the master returns unexpectedly, the sentence is swift, definitive, and irreversible. The cutting in two is followed by banishment to the company of the condemned, highlighting both physical and relational separation.

Old Testament Background and Intertextual Echoes

1. Covenant ratification involved animals “cut in two” (Genesis 15:10), creating a solemn walk-through path that symbolized life-and-death stakes.
2. Jeremiah 34:18-19 uses the same covenant imagery to warn faithless leaders that they will become like the divided pieces.
3. In ritual sacrifice (Exodus 29:17; Leviticus 1:17) the animal is split to signify complete consecration to God.

The act of dividing thus already carried covenantal and judicial overtones in the Hebrew Scriptures. Jesus lifts that imagery into an eschatological scene: the unfaithful servant is treated as a broken covenant victim.

Historical-Cultural Context

Ancient Near Eastern legal texts and Greco-Roman records note dismemberment as the extreme penalty for treason or gross disloyalty. Listeners in first-century Judea would have recognized the phrase as a graphic description of the worst imaginable sentence, underscoring the parable’s seriousness.

Theological Significance

1. Divine Justice: The verb illustrates the certainty and severity of God’s judgment on hypocrisy and unbelief.
2. Covenant Faithfulness: Failure of stewardship is treated as covenant violation, inviting a punishment parallel to the breached covenant rituals of the Old Testament.
3. Separation Motif: The cutting anticipates the final sorting of humanity (Matthew 25:32), echoing the wheat-and-tares and sheep-and-goats imagery.

Eschatological Dimension

Both parables are placed in eschatological discourses (Matthew 24–25; Luke 12–13). The sudden arrival of the master parallels the unannounced return of the Son of Man. The servant’s fate models the irreversible destiny awaiting those found unfaithful when Christ returns.

Pastoral and Ministry Applications

• Stewardship: Leaders are warned that authority in the household of God must be exercised with integrity and vigilance.
• Watchfulness: Congregations are called to live in readiness, understanding that apparent delay in the Lord’s return is not laxity but patience (2 Peter 3:9).
• Holiness: The image motivates personal holiness, reminding believers that unrepentant hypocrisy invites terrifying judgment (Hebrews 10:26-31).
• Discipleship: Faithful service is not optional; it defines true disciples (John 15:8-10).

Practical Exhortation

The term urges believers to embrace a sober mindset: the Judge stands at the door (James 5:9). Faithfulness in small daily duties is eternally significant because the same Lord who rewards also separates.

Conclusion

Strong’s Greek 1371 supplies one of Scripture’s most sobering pictures of final judgment. By linking covenant imagery, cultural context, and eschatological warning, the term magnifies both the holiness of God and the urgency of faithful obedience until Christ returns.

Forms and Transliterations

διχοτόμημα διχοτομήματα διχοτομημάτων διχοτομησει διχοτομήσει διχοτομήσεις δίψα δίψαν δίψη δίψης dichotomesei dichotomēsei dichotomḗsei

Englishman's Concordance

Matthew 24:51 V-FIA-3S
GRK: καὶ διχοτομήσει αὐτὸν καὶ
NAS: and will cut him in pieces and assign
KJV: shall cut him asunder, and appoint
INT: and will cut in pieces him and

Luke 12:46 V-FIA-3S
GRK: γινώσκει καὶ διχοτομήσει αὐτὸν καὶ
NAS: he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign
KJV: him in sunder, and
INT: he knows and will cut in two him and

Strong's Greek 1371
2 Occurrences

διχοτομήσει — 2 Occ.