Lexical Summary diagogguzó: To murmur, to grumble, to complain Original Word: διαγογγύζω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance murmur. From dia and gogguzo; to complain throughout a crowd -- murmur. see GREEK dia see GREEK gogguzo HELPS Word-studies 1234 diagoggýzō (an onomatopoetic term imitating the sound of cooing doves and humming bees) – constantly, intensely murmur (grumble, complain) – an intensified form of 1111 /goggýzō ("murmur") to convey "heavy complaining," i.e. the constant "buzz" of negative murmuring (note the prefix, dia). [Lk 5:30 uses the simple form (1111 /goggýzō), which likewise is uncommon. But the "compound with dia- (1234 /diagoggýzō) is still rarer . . . and more expressive" (WP, 2, 240).] NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom dia and gogguzó Definition to murmur among themselves NASB Translation grumble (2). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1234: διαγογγύζωδιαγογγύζω: imperfect διεγόγγυζον; to murmur (διά, i. e. either through a whole crowd, or 'among one another,' German durch einander (cf. διά, C.)); hence, it is always used of many indignantly complaining (see γογγύζω): Luke 15:2; Luke 19:7. (Exodus 16:2, 7, 8; (Numbers 14:2); Joshua 9:24 (18), etc.; Sir. 34:24 (Sir. 31:24); Clement of Alexandria, i, p. 528, Pott. edition; Heliodorus 7, 27, and in some Byzantine writings) Cf. Winer's De verb. comp. etc. Part v., p. 16f. Topical Lexicon Definition and Nuance of the Term Strong’s Greek 1234 depicts a collective under-the-breath protest. It is not a private passing complaint but a ripple of discontent that spreads through a group, fostering shared resistance or disdain. Luke alone employs the verb, tracing the undercurrent of opposition that surfaces whenever Jesus extends grace to those branded “outsiders.” Occurrences in the New Testament 1. Luke 15:2 – “But the Pharisees and scribes were muttering, ‘This Man welcomes sinners and eats with them.’” Both settings revolve around table fellowship—first with tax collectors and sinners, then with Zacchaeus. In each scene, the discontented are a religious majority offended by the inclusiveness of Jesus. Historical Background In Second-Temple Judaism, table fellowship symbolized covenant loyalty and purity. Sharing a meal could be construed as tacit approval of the guest’s spiritual condition. Jesus’ readiness to dine with the ritually suspect shattered prevailing social boundaries. The communal murmur captured by Strong’s 1234 therefore signals more than annoyance; it registers a perceived threat to the very identity markers that distinguished the righteous from the unrighteous. Theological Themes 1. Divine Initiative Toward Sinners. The verb frames the backdrop against which Jesus reveals the heart of God (Luke 15’s parables of the lost sheep, coin, and son). The son is welcomed home amid the servants’ celebration, while an elder brother echoes the earlier grumblers, refusing to join the joy. Relation to Old Testament Grumbling The Septuagint regularly uses cognate forms (for example, Exodus 16:2, Numbers 14:2) to portray Israel’s complaints against the Lord’s provision. Luke’s choice of this rarer, intensified compound verb recalls those wilderness scenes, casting the religious establishment in the role of the rebellious generation. Their reaction, like Israel’s, betrays unbelief in God’s redemptive plan. Lucan Emphasis on Table Fellowship Luke consistently links meals with revelation and mission—Levi’s banquet (Luke 5:29), the hospitality at Emmaus (Luke 24:30-31), and the early church’s breaking of bread (Acts 2:46). Strong’s 1234 surfaces precisely where such meals provoke scandal. Grumbling thus becomes a literary cue: whenever it rises, expect a fresh unveiling of grace. Implications for Christian Ministry • Evangelistic Outreach. The church’s commission includes seeking those considered unreachable. Collective murmuring can stifle mission by elevating cultural taboos over gospel necessity. Warnings Against Corporate Murmuring 1 Corinthians 10:10 records that “some of them complained, and were killed by the destroyer.” Grumbling is not a harmless pastime but a rebellion against God’s revealed agenda. The Lucan scenes remind believers that murmuring typically targets divine mercy extended to others. Conclusion Strong’s Greek 1234 exposes the dissonance between heaven’s celebration of the found and earth’s suspicion of grace. It calls the people of God to renounce communal murmuring, to rejoice in every sinner welcomed home, and to mirror the Savior who “came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). Forms and Transliterations διαγεγραμμένα διαγεγραμμέναι διαγογγύζετε διαγραφήν διαγραψάτωσαν διαγράψεις διαγράψω διαγράψωμεν διεγόγγυζε διεγόγγυζεν διεγογγυζον διεγόγγυζον διεγόγγυσαν διεγογγύσατε diegonguzon diegongyzon diegóngyzonLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Luke 15:2 V-IIA-3PGRK: καὶ διεγόγγυζον οἵ τε NAS: and the scribes [began] to grumble, saying, KJV: and scribes murmured, saying, This man INT: and grumbled both Luke 19:7 V-IIA-3P |
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