1351. dilogos
Lexical Summary
dilogos: Double-tongued, deceitful

Original Word: δίλογος
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: dilogos
Pronunciation: dee'-lo-gos
Phonetic Spelling: (dil'-og-os)
KJV: double-tongued
NASB: double-tongued
Word Origin: [from G1364 (δίς - twice) and G3056 (λόγος - word)]

1. equivocal, i.e. telling a different story

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
double-tongued.

From dis and logos; equivocal, i.e. Telling a different story -- double-tongued.

see GREEK dis

see GREEK logos

HELPS Word-studies

1351 dílogos (an adjective, derived from 1364 /dís, "twice" and 3004 /légō, "to speak to a conclusion") – properly, "double-saying," i.e. deceitful by saying one thing but meaning another – literally, "two-sayings" ("double-tongued," used only in 1 Tim 3:8).

1351 /dílogos ("double-speaking") describes someone leaving a deliberate misimpression – acting like a spiritual "weathervane" by reversing their position (taking different sides of an issue whenever it is convenient or expedient). This person is unstable (vacillating), "speaking out of both sides of their mouth."

[1351 /dílogos ("double-tongued") does "not occur in the LXX or in classical writers. It means saying one thing and meaning another, and making different representations to different people about the same thing" (WS, 1028).]

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from dis and logos
Definition
given to repetition, double-tongued
NASB Translation
double-tongued (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 1351: δίλογος

δίλογος, διλογον (δίς and λέγω);

1. saying the same thing twice, repeating: Pollux 2, 118, p. 212, Hemst. edition; whence διλόγειν and διλογία, Xenophon, de re equ. 8, 2.

2. double-tongued, double in speech, saying one thing with one person, another with another (with intent to deceive): 1 Timothy 3:8.

Topical Lexicon
Scriptural Context

Strong’s Greek 1351 appears once in the New Testament, in Paul’s list of qualifications for deacons: “Likewise, deacons must be dignified, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money” (1 Timothy 3:8). The term highlights a pattern of speech that is inconsistent or duplicitous—saying one thing to one person and another to someone else. In the context of church leadership, a single instance of such behavior could undermine trust, fracture fellowship, and tarnish the witness of the gospel.

Theological Significance

1. Truth as a divine attribute. Scripture teaches that “God is not a man, that He should lie” (Numbers 23:19). Because the character of God is perfectly truthful, His servants are called to reflect that same integrity.
2. Unity of speech and heart. Jesus said, “Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34). Double-tongued words reveal a divided heart, whereas singleness of speech demonstrates wholeness in Christ.
3. Contrast with worldly rhetoric. In the Greco-Roman milieu, rhetorical skill was prized, even when detached from moral substance. The gospel reorients speech toward faithfulness rather than persuasion at any cost.

Historical Insights

Early church writers consistently echoed Paul’s concern. The Didache exhorts believers to be “simple in speech” and Justin Martyr commends Christians who “say what they mean.” In a culture where client-patron relations often encouraged flattery and duplicity, the requirement that deacons be free of double speech set the church apart as a community of transparent relationships.

Related Biblical Themes

• Integrity in words: “Lying lips are detestable to the LORD, but those who deal faithfully are His delight” (Proverbs 12:22).
• Consistency of the tongue: “With the tongue we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men… My brothers, this should not be!” (James 3:9-10).
• Guarded speech: “When words are many, sin is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise” (Proverbs 10:19).
• Truthful relationships: “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are members of one another” (Ephesians 4:25).

Applications for Ministry

1. Leadership credibility. Whether spoken from a pulpit or in private counsel, words must align with actions. Congregations quickly discern discrepancies.
2. Pastoral care. Double-tongued counseling—telling each party in a conflict what they wish to hear—breeds deeper division. Faithful shepherds pursue honest mediation grounded in Scripture.
3. Evangelistic witness. The world often expects religious speech to be manipulative. Consistent, transparent words validate the message that “the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).
4. Personal discipline. Practicing silence before speaking, praying Psalm 141:3 (“Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth”), and inviting accountability protect against the temptation to tailor words to shifting audiences.

Practical Questions for Reflection

• Do my private words match my public statements?
• When I recount events, do I subtly adjust details to gain favor?
• Would those under my leadership describe my counsel as steady and consistent?

Summary

Strong’s Greek 1351 confronts the believer with the call to single-hearted speech that mirrors God’s own faithfulness. For deacons—and for every follower of Christ—renouncing double-tongued talk is not merely an ethical refinement; it is a gospel imperative that upholds the integrity of the church and magnifies the truth of the Lord we serve.

Forms and Transliterations
διλογους διλόγους dilogous dilógous
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Englishman's Concordance
1 Timothy 3:8 Adj-AMP
GRK: σεμνούς μὴ διλόγους μὴ οἴνῳ
NAS: [must be] men of dignity, not double-tongued, or
KJV: not doubletongued, not
INT: dignified not double-tongued not to wine

Strong's Greek 1351
1 Occurrence


διλόγους — 1 Occ.

1350
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