Lexical Summary
diaphtheiró: To destroy, to corrupt, to ruin, to spoil
Original Word: διαφθείρω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: diaphtheiró
Pronunciation: dee-af-thay'-ro
Phonetic Spelling: (dee-af-thi'-ro)
KJV: corrupt, destroy, perish
NASB: destroy, decaying, depraved, destroyed, destroys
Word Origin: [from G1225 (διαβάλλω - reported) and G5351 (φθείρω - corrupted)]
1. to rot thoroughly
2. (by implication) to ruin
3. (passively) decay utterly
4. (figuratively) pervert
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
corrupt, destroy, perish.
From diaballo and phtheiro; to rot thoroughly, i.e. (by implication) to ruin (passively, decay utterly, figuratively, pervert) -- corrupt, destroy, perish.
see GREEK diaballo
see GREEK phtheiro
HELPS Word-studies
1311 diaphtheírō (from 1223 /diá, "thoroughly," which intensifies 5351 /phtheírō, "defile, corrupt") – properly, thoroughly corrupt, totally degenerate (disintegrate); waste away by the decaying influence of moral (spiritual) impurity; "utterly corrupt"; becoming thoroughly disabled (morally depraved), "all the way through" ("utterly decayed").
[Vine, Unger, White (NT, 130), "1311 (diaphtheírō) comes from dia, 'through,' 'intensive,' to corrupt utterly, through and through." The noun form, 1312 (diaphthorá), likewise means "thorough decay."]
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
dia and
phtheiróDefinitionto destroy utterly, to spoil, corrupt
NASB Translationdecaying (1), depraved (1), destroy (2), destroyed (1), destroys (1).
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 1311: διαφθείρωδιαφθείρω; 1 aorist
διεφθειρα; passive (present
διαφθείρομαι); perfect participle
διεφθαρμενος; 2 aorist
διεφθαρην; the
Sept. very often for
שִׁחֵת, occasionally for
חִבֵּל; in Greek writings from
Homer down;
1. to change for the worse, to corrupt: minds, morals; τήν γῆν, i. e. the men that inhabit the earth, Revelation 11:18; διεφθαρμένοι τόν νοῦν, 1 Timothy 6:5 (τήν διάνοιαν, Plato, legg. 10, p. 888 a.; τόν γνώμην, Dionysius Halicarnassus Antiquities 5, 21; τούς ὀφθαλμούς, Xenophon, an. 4, 5, 12).
2. to destroy, ruin, (Latinperdere);
a. to consume, of bodily vigor and strength: ὁ ἔξω ἡμῶν ἄνθρωπος διαφθείρεται (is decaying), 2 Corinthians 4:16; of the worm or moth that eats provisions, clothing, etc. Luke 12:33.
b. to destroy (Latindelere): Revelation 8:9; to kill, διαφθείρειν τούς, etc. Revelation 11:18.
Topical Lexicon
Meaning and Concept The verb conveys the idea of ruin brought about by internal corruption or external destruction. It spans material decay (as in ships and bodies), moral degeneration (as in minds and doctrines), and the final judgment of God upon unrepentant opposition.
Occurrence in the New Testament
1. Luke 12:33 – “Provide purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.”
2. 2 Corinthians 4:16 – “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, yet our inner self is being renewed day by day.”
3. 1 Timothy 6:5 – Paul speaks of “men of depraved mind and bereft of the truth,” whose corruption distorts godliness into a means for gain.
4. Revelation 8:9 – “…and a third of the ships were destroyed.”
5. Revelation 11:18 – “The nations were enraged, and Your wrath has come, and the time has come to judge the dead and to reward Your servants… and to destroy those who destroy the earth.”
Historical Background
Classical usage includes agricultural blight, rotting wood, or the collapse of civic order. In Scripture the word inherits these layers but adds definitive moral and eschatological weight: the decay of a fallen creation under sin and the decisive intervention of God to halt it.
Moral and Spiritual Corruption
Paul applies the verb to false teachers (1 Timothy 6:5) whose minds are “depraved.” Here corruption is not merely doctrinal error; it is an inward disintegration that manifests in greed and contention (1 Timothy 6:4-10). The Church must therefore guard her teaching ministry, lest spiritual corrosion spread (compare 2 Timothy 2:17).
Physical Decay and Bodily Frailty
In 2 Corinthians 4:16, the wasting-away of the “outer self” underscores humanity’s mortality. Yet the present continuous tense of “being renewed” affirms that believers participate in resurrection life before the resurrection day arrives. Suffering does not negate hope; it amplifies the contrast between temporal decay and eternal glory.
Eschatological Destruction
John’s visions widen the scope from individual ruin to cosmic judgment. Revelation 8:9 pictures maritime commerce crippled, symbolizing the undoing of earthly security. Revelation 11:18 escalates from ecological harm (“those who destroy the earth”) to divine recompense. The verb thus brackets the entire age: mankind corrupts creation; God eradicates the corrupters.
Stewardship of Creation
Because God vows to “destroy those who destroy the earth,” believers recognize environmental care as a moral issue. While Scripture rejects nature‐worship, it insists that humanity’s dominion is accountable dominion (Genesis 2:15). Christian stewardship resists the twin errors of exploitation and idolatry.
Ministry Application
• Teaching: Uphold pure doctrine; corruption of truth leads to corrosion of souls.
• Discipleship: Encourage perseverance amid bodily decline; inner renewal is the Spirit’s daily work.
• Evangelism: Warn that unchecked corruption culminates in irreversible judgment; offer the gospel that halts decay.
• Social ethics: Practice responsible use of resources, reflecting God’s future reclamation of creation (Romans 8:19-23).
Connection to the Old Testament
The Septuagint uses the same verb for the flood victims who “were corrupted” on the earth (Genesis 6:11-12 LXX). The New Testament thus echoes primeval patterns: widespread corruption invites comprehensive judgment, yet God preserves a righteous remnant.
Summary
The verb encapsulates the account of sin and salvation: corruption enters, spreads, and corrodes; Christ interrupts the decay, renewing believers now and promising a renovated cosmos. Every occurrence of the word in the New Testament, whether moth-eaten garments, perishing ships, or depraved minds, ultimately drives the reader to the hope of “new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13).
Forms and Transliterations
διαφθαρή διαφθαρήσεται διαφθειραι διαφθείραι διαφθείραί διαφθεῖραι διαφθείραντι διαφθείρατε διαφθειρει διαφθείρει διαφθειρεται διαφθείρεται διαφθείρη διαφθείρης διαφθείρον διάφθειρον διαφθείροντα διαφθειροντας διαφθείροντας διαφθείροντες διαφθείροντι διαφθειρόντων διαφθείρω διαφθείρωμεν διαφθείρων διαφθερεί διαφθερώ διεφθάρη διεφθαρησαν διεφθάρησαν διεφθάρητε διεφθαρμένα διεφθαρμέναις διεφθαρμένας διεφθαρμένοι διεφθαρμένον διεφθαρμενων διεφθαρμένων διέφθαρται διέφθειραν διεφθείρατε διέφθειρε διέφθειρεν διέφθειρον diaphtheirai diaphtheîrai diaphtheirei diaphtheírei diaphtheiretai diaphtheíretai diaphtheirontas diaphtheírontas diephtharesan diephtharēsan diephtháresan diephthárēsan diephtharmenon diephtharmenōn diephtharménon diephtharménōn
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