1558. ekdikos
Lexical Summary
ekdikos: Avenger, one who executes justice

Original Word: ἔκδικος
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: ekdikos
Pronunciation: EK-dee-kos
Phonetic Spelling: (ek'-dik-os)
KJV: a (re-)venger
NASB: avenger
Word Origin: [from G1537 (ἐκ - among) and G1349 (δίκη - justice)]

1. carrying justice out, i.e. a punisher

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
avenger.

From ek and dike; carrying justice out, i.e. A punisher -- a (re-)venger.

see GREEK ek

see GREEK dike

HELPS Word-studies

Cognate: 1558 ékdikos – someone executing a just judgment, carrying out what is right which can include administering punishment for the wicked. See 1557 (ekdikēsis).

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from ek and diké
Definition
exacting penalty from, avenging
NASB Translation
avenger (2).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 1558: ἔκδικος

ἔκδικος, ἔκδικον (δίκη right, justice, penalty);

1. "without law and justice (cf. Latinexlex), unjust": Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Aelian n. an. 16, 5.

2. exacting penalty from (ἐκ) one; an avenger, punisher: Romans 13:4; περί τίνος, 1 Thessalonians 4:6; (Wis. 12:12; Sir. 30:6; 4 Macc. 15:26 (29); (Plutarch, de garrul. § 14, p. 509 f.); Herodian, 7, 4, 10 (5th edition, Bekker; others)).

Topical Lexicon
Concept of “ekdikos”

The term describes one who executes justice on behalf of another. It embraces both the idea of vindication (protecting the innocent) and punitive retribution (penalizing the guilty). Scripture never presents “ekdikos” as vindictive caprice; it is the measured, righteous answer to wrongdoing that safeguards the moral order God has established.

New Testament Occurrences

Romans 13:4 and 1 Thessalonians 4:6 employ the word in complementary ways. In the first, God delegates the role of “ekdikos” to legitimate civil authority; in the second, He reserves the role for Himself when moral violations transcend human courts. These two texts together form a balanced biblical doctrine of justice: earthly rulers act under divine commission, yet the Lord Himself remains the final arbiter of every transgression.

Civil Authority as God’s “Ekdikos” (Romans 13:4)

“For he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not carry the sword in vain. He is God’s servant, an agent of retribution to the wrongdoer.”

1. Divine delegation: The magistrate possesses authority not intrinsically but by appointment of God; therefore respect for human government, insofar as it upholds righteousness, is reverence for God’s order.
2. Moral restraint: The presence of an “ekdikos” in the civic sphere deters evil and protects the community.
3. Limited scope: The sword is to be wielded “for your good,” indicating that governmental punishment must align with God-centered morality, never with tyranny or self-interest.

The Lord as the Ultimate “Ekdikos” (1 Thessalonians 4:6)

“...because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we have already told you and solemnly warned you.”

1. Personal holiness: The context is sexual immorality; God Himself undertakes to avenge wrongs that exploit or defraud another believer.
2. Comfort for the oppressed: Victims of hidden sins are assured that no injustice escapes divine notice.
3. Warning to the offender: Sooner or later, every violation meets the perfect justice of God.

Old Testament Antecedents

Although “ekdikos” is Greek, its conceptual roots appear in the Old Testament “goel” (kinsman-redeemer, Numbers 35:19) and in God’s self-revelation: “Vengeance is Mine, and recompense” (Deuteronomy 32:35). These antecedents underline continuity between the Testaments—personal vengeance is forbidden, but divinely sanctioned justice is upheld.

Christological and Eschatological Dimensions

1. At the cross, Christ absorbs divine wrath, satisfying the claims of God’s justice for those who believe (Romans 3:25-26). Thus the “ekdikos” motif magnifies the gospel: justice is not set aside but fulfilled.
2. At His return, Christ appears “in blazing fire with His mighty angels, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-8). Final judgment will vindicate the righteous and punish the unrepentant—an eschatological consummation of the “ekdikos” role.

Pastoral and Discipleship Implications

• Encourage submission to lawful authority while discerning its limits (Acts 5:29).
• Foster sexual purity and respect within the church, mindful that the Lord avenges every violation of a brother or sister.
• Redirect personal impulses toward revenge into prayerful trust in God’s justice (Romans 12:19).
• Inspire evangelism: awareness of coming judgment fuels compassion for the lost.
• Sustain sufferers of injustice: their cause rests with an unfailing “ekdikos.”

Application to Church Life and Mission

1. Church discipline mirrors God’s justice in a redemptive key (1 Corinthians 5:12-13).
2. Intercession for governing leaders (1 Timothy 2:1-2) recognizes their God-appointed role as “ekdikos,” seeking their wisdom and restraint.
3. Holistic mission integrates gospel proclamation with social righteousness, affirming both mercy and justice as dimensions of God’s character.

In sum, Strong’s Greek 1558 illuminates how Scripture unites personal ethics, civil order, and divine sovereignty under the one overarching reality that God himself—directly or through appointed agents—remains the righteous Avenger who upholds and vindicates His holy standards.

Forms and Transliterations
εκδικος εκδίκος έκδικος ἔκδικος ekdikos ékdikos
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Englishman's Concordance
Romans 13:4 Adj-NMS
GRK: διάκονός ἐστιν ἔκδικος εἰς ὀργὴν
NAS: of God, an avenger who brings wrath
KJV: of God, a revenger to [execute] wrath
INT: a servant he is an avenger for wrath

1 Thessalonians 4:6 Adj-NMS
GRK: αὐτοῦ διότι ἔκδικος Κύριος περὶ
NAS: the Lord is [the] avenger in all
KJV: that the Lord [is] the avenger of
INT: of him because avenging [is] [the] Lord concerning

Strong's Greek 1558
2 Occurrences


ἔκδικος — 2 Occ.

1557
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