G1294

διαστρέφω

diastréphō /dee-as-tref'-o/ Ask about this word
Rootfrom διά and στρέφω
Meaningto distort, i.e. (figuratively) misinterpret, or (morally) corrupt
KJV usageperverse(-rt), turn away.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of diastréphō — 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 diastréphō, represented by G1294, is defined as to distort, misinterpret, or morally corrupt. It appears 7 times across 7 unique verses in the Bible. The word conveys an active and intentional turning away from what is true or right, suggesting a deliberate twisting of a person, a message, or a way of life.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, G1294 is used to describe profound spiritual and moral corruption. Jesus uses it to characterize the people of his time as a "faithless and perverse generation" (Matthew 17:17, Luke 9:41). The term is also used in a legal accusation against Jesus, where his enemies claim, "We found this fellow perverting the nation" Luke 23:2. The Apostle Paul uses it to confront Elymas the sorcerer for attempting to "pervert the right ways of the Lord" Acts 13:10. It also serves as a warning about future leaders who will speak "perverse things, to draw away disciples" Acts 20:30.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the context and meaning of perversion:

  • G571 ápistos (disbelieving, i.e. without Christian faith): This word is directly linked to G1294 in Jesus's lament over the "faithless and perverse generation" Matthew 17:17, indicating that a lack of faith can be a foundation for moral distortion.
  • G4646 skoliós (warped, i.e. winding; figuratively, perverse): This term is used in parallel with G1294 to describe the world as a "crooked and perverse nation" Philippians 2:15, highlighting a state of being morally twisted and contrary to God's standard.
  • G645 apospáō (to drag forth, i.e. ... retire (personally or factiously)): This word reveals the motive behind perversion. False teachers speak "perverse things" for the express purpose to draw away disciples after them Acts 20:30.
  • G2190 echthrós (an adversary (especially Satan)): Paul identifies the one who perverts the ways of the Lord as an "enemy of all righteousness," showing that such actions are a form of active hostility toward God Acts 13:10.

Theological Significance

The use of G1294 carries significant theological weight, illustrating a core element of spiritual conflict.

  • Active Opposition to God: The word describes a deliberate effort to corrupt what is good. Elymas the sorcerer is not simply mistaken; he is actively seeking "to pervert the right ways of the Lord" and is called an "enemy of all righteousness" Acts 13:10.
  • A Characteristic of Faithlessness: Jesus's joining of "faithless" and "perverse" suggests that a generation that rejects faith is inherently distorted and turned aside from the truth Matthew 17:17.
  • The Nature of False Teaching: Perversion is the primary tool of those who wish to mislead. Paul warns that men will arise from among the believers themselves "speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them" Acts 20:30.
  • The World's Condition: Believers are described as shining like lights in the midst of a "crooked and perverse nation" Philippians 2:15. This establishes perversion as the default moral state of a world alienated from God.

Summary

In summary, G1294 signifies much more than a simple error. It denotes a willful distortion of truth, a corruption of morality, and a turning away from the straight path of God. From the characterization of a whole generation to the specific actions of false teachers, diastréphō highlights a conscious opposition to divine truth and righteousness, making it a critical term for understanding the nature of spiritual warfare and deception in the New Testament.

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 7 occurrences, inflected in 6 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

  • Perfect Passive Participle Vocative Singular Feminine 2×
  • Aorist Active Infinitive 1×
  • Perfect Passive Participle Accusative Plural Neuter 1×
  • Perfect Passive Participle Genitive Singular Feminine 1×
  • Present Active Participle Accusative Singular Masculine 1×
  • Present Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine 1×
Nominative
The subject of the verb.
Genitive
Possession or source — often "of".
Accusative
The direct object of the verb.
Vocative
Direct address — naming who is spoken to.
Singular
One.
Plural
More than one.
Masculine
Masculine grammatical gender.
Feminine
Feminine grammatical gender.
Neuter
Neuter grammatical gender.
Present
Action in progress or repeated — happening now or continually.
Aorist
Action viewed as a single whole — usually a simple past event.
Perfect
A completed act whose results continue.
Active
The subject performs the action.
Passive
The subject is acted upon.
Infinitive
The verb as a noun — "to do".
Participle
A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

G571 ἄπιστος from Α (as a negative particle) and πιστός; (actively) disbelieving, i.e. without Christian faith (specially, a heathen) G4646 σκολιός from the base of σκέλος; warped, i.e. winding; figuratively, perverse:--crooked, froward, untoward. G645 ἀποσπάω from ἀπό and σπάω; to drag forth, i.e. (literally) unsheathe (a sword), or relatively (with a degree of force implied) r G2190 ἐχθρός from a primary (to hate); hateful (passively, odious, or actively, hostile); usually as a noun, an adversary (especiall

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 7 verses across 4 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Acts (3 verses); never once in the other 23.

1
Matthew
2
Luke
3
Acts
1
Philippians

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.