Lexical Summary daknó: To bite Original Word: δάκνω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance bite. A prolonged form of a primary root; to bite, i.e. (figuratively) thwart -- bite. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom a prim. root dak- Definition to bite NASB Translation bite (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1143: δάκνωδάκνω; to bite; a. properly, with the teeth. b. metaphorically, to wound the soul, cut, lacerate, rend with reproaches: Galatians 5:15. So even in Homer, Iliad 5, 493 μῦθος δακε φρενας, Menander quoted in Athen. 12, 77, p. 552 e., and times without number in other authors. The verb pictures the sudden, painful action of an animal’s teeth, but Paul employs it figuratively for interpersonal aggression. Scripture often transfers physical predation to destructive speech and behavior (Psalm 57:4; Proverbs 30:14). By choosing a word that evokes the reflexive nature of a bite, Paul underlines how easily believers can wound one another before they realize the damage done. Singular New Testament Occurrence Galatians 5:15: “But if you keep on biting and devouring one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another”. Here δάκνετε warns the Galatian churches that internal strife, not external persecution, poses the greater danger. The middle-voice sense (“keep on biting yourselves”) heightens the tragedy: the injuries are self-inflicted within Christ’s body. Theological Significance within Galatians 5 1. Conflict versus Freedom Paul has just proclaimed freedom from the yoke of legalism (Galatians 5:1) and the call to love (Galatians 5:13–14). Bitter contention nullifies that freedom, replacing it with a new bondage of hostility. 2. Flesh versus Spirit “Biting and devouring” exemplify the “works of the flesh” (Galatians 5:19–21). They stand in direct antithesis to the “fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22–23). The singular occurrence of δάκνω thus sharpens the contrast between two incompatible ways of life. 3. Covenant Community Ethics The injunction safeguards the unity promised in Abraham’s blessing (Galatians 3:28–29). A church that resorts to predatory behavior undermines the very gospel it professes. Old Testament and Jewish Parallels • Jeremiah 8:17 associates biting serpents with divine judgment, illustrating how unchecked rebellion turns destructive. Early Church Reception Patristic writers drew on Galatians 5:15 to quell schism. Chrysostom compared contentious Christians to “wild beasts tearing each other to pieces,” urging charity as the only cure. Augustine cited the verse when addressing Donatist violence, noting that self-devouring churches contradict their Head. Pastoral and Practical Implications 1. Guarded Speech James 3:6 warns that the tongue can “set on fire the course of one’s life.” Pastors must cultivate environments where correction is gentle (2 Timothy 2:24-25) and conversations seasoned with grace (Colossians 4:6). 2. Conflict Resolution Matthew 18:15-17 supplies the process that prevents a single “bite” from escalating into corporate consumption. Private confrontation, mediated dialogue, and, if necessary, church discipline stop the spread. 3. Spiritual Formation Teaching the fruit of the Spirit counters the fleshly impulse to “bite.” Regular communion, mutual service, and shared prayer retrain believers to feed, rather than feed upon, one another (Acts 2:42-47). Contemporary Ministry Reflection In an age of online discourse, virtual “biting” can fracture fellowships as surely as face-to-face quarrels. Galatians 5:15 remains a living rebuke: ministries must model gracious disagreement, valuing the unity for which Christ prayed (John 17:21) above the urge to win an argument. Summary Strong’s Greek 1143, δάκνω, though appearing only once in the New Testament, provides a vivid warning against self-destructive conflict. Paul’s image summons the church to forsake fleshly aggression, walk by the Spirit, and embody the love that fulfills the whole law. |
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