Word Study for G1260 (διαλογίζομαι)

dialogízomai /dee-al-og-id'-zom-ahee/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom διά and λογίζομαι

Meaningto reckon thoroughly, i.e. (genitive case) to deliberate (by reflection or discussion)

KJV usagecast in mind, consider, dispute, muse, reason, think.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of dialogízomai — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Greek word dialogízomai, represented by G1260, means to reckon thoroughly, to deliberate, or to reason. It appears 16 times across 15 unique verses in the Bible. The term encompasses a range of mental processes, from internal reflection and musing to external discussion and dispute.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical narratives, G1260 is used to describe the act of deliberation in various contexts. It can signify a private, internal process, as when Mary "cast in her mind" what the angel's salutation meant Luke 1:29 or when the rich man "thought within himself" what to do with his fruits Luke 12:17. It is also used for group discussion, such as when the scribes and Pharisees "began to reason" that Jesus was speaking blasphemies Luke 5:21. The disciples are often depicted reasoning among themselves out of confusion or a lack of faith, for example, about having no bread Matthew 16:7.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the meaning of deliberation and thought:

G1261 dialogismós: This is the noun form, meaning "discussion" or "reasoning." It frequently describes the end product of deliberation, such as the "evil thoughts" that proceed from the heart Matthew 15:19 or the "doubtful disputations" that should be avoided Romans 14:1.
G1921 epiginṓskō: Meaning to "perceive" or "become fully acquainted with." This word is often used in direct connection with G1260, as when Jesus perceived in his spirit that the scribes were reasoning in their hearts Mark 2:8, highlighting a divine awareness that surpasses human deliberation.
G1097 ginṓskō: This verb means to "know." It is set in contrast to human reasoning when Jesus knew his disciples were discussing their lack of bread and questioned why they reason about it Mark 8:17.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G1260 is significant, often illustrating the condition of the human heart and the limits of human understanding.

The Heart as the Source of Reasoning: The act of reasoning is frequently located "in their hearts," whether it is the people musing about John the Baptist Luke 3:15 or the scribes reasoning against Christ Mark 2:6. This demonstrates that deliberation is not a purely intellectual exercise but stems from one's core beliefs and motivations.
Human Reasoning vs. Divine Faith: The term often appears in contexts where human reasoning is flawed or insufficient. The disciples reason because of "little faith" Matthew 16:8, and religious leaders reason to challenge Jesus' authority Matthew 21:25, whereas faith requires belief without such skeptical deliberation.
Deliberation Leading to Action: The process of reasoning often precedes a critical decision. The husbandmen in the parable first reasoned among themselves and then decided to kill the heir to claim the inheritance Luke 20:14.

Summary

In summary, G1260 is more than a simple word for thinking. It describes a process of thorough deliberation that reveals the inner state of an individual or group. Whether it is the contemplative reflection of Mary, the anxious reasoning of the disciples, or the hostile disputing of the Pharisees, the term consistently draws a line between the often-limited processes of the human mind and the call to simple faith and divine understanding.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Greek New Testament, this word appears as a verb across 17 occurrences, inflected in 8 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Imperfect Middle Or Passive Deponent Indicative 3rd Plural 5×
Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Indicative 2nd Plural 5×
Imperfect Middle Or Passive Deponent Indicative 3rd Singular 2×
Imperfect Middle Or Passive Deponent Indicative 2nd Plural 1×
Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Indicative 3rd Plural 1×
Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Infinitive 1×
Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Participle Genitive Plural Masculine 1×
Present Middle Or Passive Deponent Participle Nominative Plural Masculine 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Genitive: Possession or source — often "of".
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
2nd: Second person — the one addressed ("you").
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Present: Action in progress or repeated — happening now or continually.
Imperfect: Ongoing or repeated action in the past — "was doing".
Middle: The subject acts on or for itself.
Passive: The subject is acted upon.
Passive Deponent: Passive in form but active in meaning.
Middle Or Passive: Can be read as middle or passive; context decides.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
Infinitive: The verb as a noun — "to do".
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 15 verses across 4 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Luke (6 verses); never once in the other 23.

Matthew

Mark

Luke

John

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.