Original Word: διϊσχυρίζομαι
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: diischurizomai
Pronunciation: dee-is-khoo-RID-zom-ahee
Phonetic Spelling: (dee-is-khoo-rid'-zom-ahee)
KJV: confidently (constantly) affirm
NASB: insist, insisting
Word Origin: [from G1223 (διά - through) and a derivative of G2478 (ἰσχυρός - strong)]

1. to declare or affirm earnestly, to asseverate

confidently affirm.

From dia and a derivative of ischuros; to stout it through, i.e. Asservate -- confidently (constantly) affirm.

see GREEK dia

see GREEK ischuros

1340 diisxyrízomai (from isxyros, "combatively strong," which is intensified by the prefix, 1223 /diá, "thoroughly") – properly, thoroughly assert (intensely affirm), especially in the face of opposition; to "assert emphatically" (Souter).

[The high level of personal self-involvement (personal interest) of this action ("intense asserting") accounts for why it is always in the Gk middle voice.]

Word Origin
from dia and ischurizomai (to rely on something, feel confident); from ischuros
Definition
to lean upon, affirm confidently
NASB Translation
insist (1), insisting (1).

STRONGS NT 1340: διϊσχυρίζομαι

διϊσχυρίζομαι (L WH διϊσχυρίζομαι (see Iota)): imperfect διισχυριζομην;

1. to lean upon.

2. to affirm stoutly, to assert confidently: Luke 22:59; Acts 12:15. (Lysias, Isaeus, Plato, Demosthenes, Josephus, Antiquities 2, 6, 4; Aelian hist. an. 7, 18; Dio Cassius, 57, 23; others.)

δικάζω[δικάζω; 1 aorist passive ἐδικασθην; from Homer down; "to judge, pass judgment: absolutely, Luke 6:37 Tr marginal reading (others, καταδικάζω.]

Overview

Strong’s Greek 1340 captures a form of determined speech—an emphatic insistence that a statement is true. In its two New Testament uses the verb serves as a window into the dynamics of testimony, belief, and unbelief at crucial moments in salvation history.

Usage in the New Testament

1. Luke 22:59 presents the word on the lips of an accuser during Peter’s denial of Jesus: “About an hour later, another man insisted, ‘Certainly this man was with Him, for he too is a Galilean.’” The term heightens the pressure on Peter and exposes the intensity of the crowd’s certainty—even when that certainty is misdirected.
2. Acts 12:15 places the same verb in the mouth of Rhoda, the servant girl who has recognized Peter’s voice after his miraculous deliverance from prison. While the prayer meeting doubts, “she kept insisting that it was so.” Her unwavering affirmation contrasts with the skepticism of believers who had been praying for exactly such an outcome.

Contrasting Portraits of Certainty

Luke 22 pairs emphatic assertion with error and hostility; Acts 12 pairs emphatic assertion with faith and accurate perception. The Scriptures therefore warn that intensity alone does not guarantee truth while also commending steadfast declaration when grounded in reality. Discernment, not mere volume, determines the value of a witness.

Historical and Cultural Background

Classical and Hellenistic rhetoric prized forceful assertion as a persuasive tool. The verb could describe courtroom oath-taking or political oratory. Luke—himself a careful historian—draws on this cultural nuance to underline how early Christian events played out in real-world, public settings where words carried legal and social weight.

Theological Themes: Witness and Verification

• The necessity of corroborated testimony (Deuteronomy 19:15) resurfaces: Peter crumbles under an emphatic but inaccurate charge, whereas Rhoda stands firm amid incredulity.
• God vindicates the true witness. In Luke, Jesus remains silent yet is later vindicated by resurrection. In Acts, Peter’s physical presence at the prayer meeting validates Rhoda’s word and magnifies God’s intervention.
• Prayer must expect divine response. The praying believers in Acts illustrate how easily earnest supplication can coexist with practical unbelief, while the verb highlights the value of a resolute testimony that aligns with God’s action.

Pastoral and Ministry Implications

1. Teach discernment: believers are to test every emphatic claim against Scriptural truth (1 Thessalonians 5:21).
2. Encourage faithful witnesses: like Rhoda, Christians should persist in proclaiming what they have seen God do, even when confronted by doubt.
3. Guard against misplaced confidence: the crowd around Peter shows that passionate certainty can reinforce error; humility and verification are essential in evangelism and counseling.
4. Model expectant prayer: ministry leaders can use the Acts narrative to challenge congregations to believe God for answers that may seem unbelievable when they arrive.

Summary

Strong’s Greek 1340 depicts a resolve of speech that either advances truth or magnifies error depending on its alignment with divine reality. The New Testament’s dual portrayals call the church to combine bold testimony with spiritual discernment, ensuring that unwavering insistence is grounded in the unchanging truth of God’s Word.

διισχυριζετο διισχυρίζετο διϊσχυρίζετο δικάζειν δικάζεσθε δικάζηται δικαζόμενον δικάζονται δικάσαι δικάσει δίκασον δικάσω εδίκαζε εδίκαζεν εδίκασας diischurizeto diischyrizeto diischyrízetoInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts