1286. diaseió
Lexical Summary
diaseió: To extort, to shake violently, to intimidate

Original Word: διασείω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: diaseió
Pronunciation: dee-ah-SAY-oh
Phonetic Spelling: (dee-as-i'-o)
KJV: do violence to
NASB: take money by force
Word Origin: [from G1223 (διά - through) and G4579 (σείω - shook)]

1. to shake thoroughly
2. (figuratively) to intimidate

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
intimidate, extort

From dia and seio; to shake thoroughly, i.e. (figuratively) to intimidate -- do violence to.

see GREEK dia

see GREEK seio

HELPS Word-studies

1286 diaseíō (from 1223 /diá, "thoroughly" and 4579 /seíō, "shake") – properly, shake violently, to manhandle (literally, "shake someone to-and-fro"); strongly intimidate, coerce (blackmail, extort), forcing someone to comply under threat (of being physically harmed, treated violently). 1286 /diaseíō ("exhort") is only used in Lk 3:14.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from dia and seió
Definition
to shake violently, to intimidate
NASB Translation
take money...by force (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 1286: διασείω

διασείω: 1 aorist διεσεισα; in Greek writings from Herodotus down; to shake thoroughly; tropically, to make to tremble, to terrify (Job 4:14 for הִפְחִיר) to agitate; likeconcurio in juridical Latin, to extort from one by intimidation money or other property: τινα, Luke 3:14 (A. V. do violence to); 3Macc. 7:21; the Basilica; (Heinichen on Eusebius, h. e. 7, 30, 7).

Topical Lexicon
Topical Definition and Imagery

διασείω pictures a person “shaking thoroughly” another, not with mere physical violence but with the menacing agitation that coerces money or favors. The act is the verbal and physical “shakedown” of the ancient world—an abuse of power that weaponizes fear. The word’s only New Testament appearance crystallizes the practice: threatening force in order to seize material gain.

Single New Testament Occurrence

Luke 3:14 records soldiers approaching John the Baptist during his Jordan-side call to repentance:

“Then some soldiers asked him, ‘And what about us, what should we do?’ He replied, ‘Do not extort money or accuse others falsely. Be content with your wages.’”

John’s prohibition, directed toward men legally armed and salaried by the state, exposes διασείω as a sin grounded both in greed and in misuse of delegated authority.

Historical Background

Military units stationed in first-century Palestine were often underpaid auxiliaries. They supplemented income by threatening civilians with confiscation, trumped-up charges, or bodily harm. Roman law technically forbade such conduct, yet it flourished wherever garrisons lacked accountability. John’s prophetic rebuke therefore addressed a known societal wound; his command neither undermined soldiering itself nor called for wealth redistribution, but required integrity and contentment within one’s legitimate station.

Continuity with Old Testament Ethics

Exodus 20:15 condemns theft in its purest form; διασείω adds intimidation to theft’s repertoire.
Leviticus 19:13 forbids oppressive withholding: “You must not oppress your neighbor or rob him.”
Ezekiel 45:9 rebukes princes who “banish violence and destruction and practice justice and righteousness.”
Proverbs 22:22–23 warns, “Do not rob a poor man because he is poor… for the LORD will take up their case.”

Thus Luke 3:14 stands squarely within the biblical witness that God defends the powerless and holds rulers and agents of the sword to strict righteousness.

Ethical and Theological Significance

1. Stewardship of Authority. διασείω violates the divine trust granted to civil servants (Romans 13:1–4).
2. Contentment. John couples the ban with “Be content with your wages” (cf. Hebrews 13:5; 1 Timothy 6:6-10). Discontent often births extortion.
3. Repentance’s Fruit. Luke’s narrative sequence (3:8 “Produce fruit worthy of repentance”) shows that forsaking coercive gain evidences genuine heart change.
4. Preparation for Messiah. John’s preaching levels moral high places (Isaiah 40:3-4), making way for Christ by cleansing societal structures.

Pastoral and Contemporary Application

• Law-enforcement, military, governmental, and corporate leaders must reject any form of intimidation for personal profit.
• Believers facing economic temptation are reminded that godliness with contentment is great gain.
• Churches can advocate for the oppressed, echoing John’s prophetic stance without conflating the gospel with political activism.

Related New Testament Themes

Opposite virtues include gentleness (Philippians 4:5) and servanthood (Mark 10:42-45). Negatively, διασείω aligns with “violent seizure” (Matthew 11:12) and “lover of money” (2 Timothy 3:2). While those terms differ in vocabulary, they trace the same dark root of coercive greed.

Summary

διασείω illustrates how sin corrupts legitimate power and how repentance reforms social conduct. John the Baptist’s lone use of the term indicts extortion, calls for contentment, and foreshadows the kingdom ethic fulfilled in Jesus Christ, where strength serves rather than exploits.

Forms and Transliterations
διασεισητε διασείσητε διασκεδάζει διασκεδάζοντα διασκεδάννυται διασκεδάσαι διασκεδάσει διασκεδάσης διασκεδασθή διασκεδασθήσεται διασκέδασον διασκέδασόν διασκεδάσουσι διασκεδάσω διασκευήν διεσκέδασαν διεσκέδασε διεσκέδασέ διεσκέδασεν διεσκέδασται διεσκευασμένοι diaseisete diaseisēte diaseísete diaseísēte
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Luke 3:14 V-ASA-2P
GRK: αὐτοῖς Μηδένα διασείσητε μηδὲ συκοφαντήσητε
NAS: And he said to them, Do not take money from anyone
KJV: them, Do violence to no man,
INT: to them No one oppress nor accuse falsely

Strong's Greek 1286
1 Occurrence


διασείσητε — 1 Occ.

1285
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