Understanding διάστημα (diastēma) Strong’s G1292: The Divine Interval that Reveals God’s Perfect Timing in Scripture

Pronunciation Guide: dee-AHS-tay-mah

Basic Definition

Strong’s G1292: Διάστημα (diastēma) refers to an interval of space or time—a distinct separation or distance between two points. In biblical usage, it primarily denotes a period or interval of time that has passed. This concept carries significant theological implications as it often highlights God’s sovereignty over temporal events and His perfect timing in salvation history.

Etymology and Morphology

• Part of Speech: Noun (neuter)
• Root Words: From διΐστημι (diistēmi), meaning “to set apart, to separate”
• Compound Formation: Composed of διά (dia, “through, across”) + ἵστημι (histēmi, “to stand, place, set”)
• Primary Usage: Narrative sections, particularly in historical accounts
• Language Origin: Classical Greek, adopted into Koine Greek
• Semantic Field: Temporal and spatial measurements

Διάστημα Morphology:

• διάστημα (nominative singular) – an interval
• διαστήματος (genitive singular) – of an interval
• διαστήματι (dative singular) – in/with an interval
• διάστημα (accusative singular) – an interval
• διαστήματα (nominative/accusative plural) – intervals

Origin & History

The term διάστημα has deep roots in classical Greek literature, where it initially designated physical distance or separation between objects. Aristotle employed it in his “Physics” when discussing the concept of space and the measurement between bodies. In musical theory, writers like Aristoxenus (4th century BCE) used διάστημα to describe the interval between musical notes, highlighting the mathematical precision of the term.

In the Septuagint (LXX), διάστημα appears sparingly but significantly, most notably in 2 Maccabees 14:41 to describe a temporal interval. The transition from primarily spatial connotations in classical Greek to temporal applications in Hellenistic and biblical Greek demonstrates a semantic expansion that became important for New Testament usage. Early church fathers, particularly Origen in his “Contra Celsum,” employed the term when discussing intervals of prophetic time and the periods between divine interventions, emphasizing God’s ordained chronology.

Expanded Definitions & Translation Options

• A measured interval or period of time that has elapsed
• A space or distance between physical objects
• A distinct separation between events in sequence
• A fixed duration or appointed span of time
• An organized division within a continuum

Διάστημα Translation Options:

• Interval – Most precise translation capturing both temporal and spatial aspects; preferred when context suggests a measured, defined period
• Space – Appropriate when the physical distance aspect is emphasized; less suitable for Acts 5:7
• Period – Excellent choice for temporal contexts like Acts 5:7, conveying the passage of time
• Gap – Useful for emphasizing the separation aspect, though less formal than the original Greek term
• Interlude – Captures the sense of an intermediate time between significant events, particularly appropriate for narrative contexts

Biblical Usage

In the New Testament, διάστημα appears only once, in Acts 5:7, within the dramatic narrative of Ananias and Sapphira. This singular usage is pregnant with meaning as it marks the solemn interval between the deaths of the husband and wife who dishonestly withheld portions of their property proceeds while claiming to give all. Luke, with his characteristic attention to detail, employs this precise term to heighten the narrative tension and emphasize the divinely orchestrated timing of judgment.

While rare in biblical Greek, the concept διάστημα represents—divinely appointed intervals—appears throughout Scripture in various forms. God frequently works through measured periods: the six days of creation, Israel’s forty years in the wilderness, the seventy years of Babylonian exile, and the three days between the Messiah’s death and resurrection. These temporal markers underscore יהוה’s sovereignty over time itself and His meticulous orchestration of salvation history according to His perfect plan.

• “Now it happened that there was an interval [διάστημα] of about three hours, when his wife, not knowing what had happened, came in.” Acts 5:7

Cultural Insights

In the Greco-Roman world, time was understood differently than in our modern conception. While we perceive time as a continuous flow, ancient Mediterranean cultures often viewed time as a series of discrete periods or intervals (διαστήματα). This perspective particularly resonated with Jewish apocalyptic thinking, which divided history into distinct ages or epochs. The three-hour διάστημα mentioned in Acts 5:7 would have carried special significance for first-century readers familiar with Jewish prayer practices, as it approximated the interval between the morning and midday prayer times.

Further cultural significance emerges when we consider ancient Near Eastern legal proceedings, which often incorporated deliberate intervals between accusation, testimony, and judgment. The three-hour διάστημα in the Ananias and Sapphira narrative may have evoked this juridical pattern for Luke’s audience, emphasizing the formal, legal character of divine judgment being enacted through the apostolic community. This cultural framework transforms our understanding of the passage from a simple chronological note to a theologically rich statement about God’s judicial process unfolding with precise timing.

Theological Significance

The concept of διάστημα illuminates God’s meticulous sovereignty over time. That Luke specifically notes this interval in Acts 5:7 reveals the orchestrated nature of divine judgment—not as impulsive retribution but as measured, deliberate action. The three-hour interval between the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira demonstrates that God’s timing is neither arbitrary nor hasty; rather, it is purposeful and precise, allowing each person their own encounter with divine truth.

Moreover, διάστημα serves as a powerful reminder that what appears to be divine delay is actually divine timing. Throughout Scripture, יהוה operates according to His perfect schedule, not human expectations. The intervals between promise and fulfillment—whether Abraham’s decades of waiting for Isaac, Israel’s centuries in Egypt before the Exodus, or the four hundred years of prophetic silence before the Messiah’s arrival—all reveal a God who is never late but always precisely on time. This understanding of διάστημα challenges our impatience and invites us to trust the Master Timekeeper who makes “everything beautiful in its time” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

Personal Application

When we encounter seemingly inexplicable delays or waiting periods in our spiritual journey, the concept of διάστημα invites us to reframe these intervals not as divine neglect but as divine preparation. Just as the three-hour διάστημα in Acts 5 served a specific purpose in God’s unfolding plan, the waiting periods in our lives—seasons of silence, unanswered prayer, or delayed fulfillment—may be precisely timed διαστήματα during which God is working invisibly to prepare us or others for what comes next.

Consider practicing “διάστημα awareness” in your daily spiritual walk by intentionally noting the intervals between prayer and answer, between challenge and breakthrough. Rather than viewing these spaces as empty voids, recognize them as pregnant pauses filled with divine activity. Ask yourself: “What might God be accomplishing during this διάστημα that I cannot yet see?” This perspective transforms waiting from passive endurance to active participation in God’s perfectly timed work.

Related Words

• χρόνος (chronos, KHRO-nos) – Time in general, especially as a continuous duration rather than a specific interval; focuses on the quantity or length of time rather than its quality or purpose. While διάστημα highlights a specific interval, χρόνος encompasses the broader flow of time. See G5550
• καιρός (kairos, ky-ROSS) – An appointed time, season, or opportunity; emphasizes the qualitative aspect of time—its ripeness or significance. Where διάστημα is neutral regarding a time period’s significance, καιρός specifically indicates a divinely appointed, opportune moment. See G2540
• ὥρα (hōra, HO-rah) – An hour or specific time of day; more precise than διάστημα in denoting a particular point rather than a span of time, though it can sometimes indicate a brief period. Interestingly, the διάστημα in Acts 5:7 is measured in ὥραι (hours). See G5610
• μεταξύ (metaxu, me-tak-SOO) – Between, in the midst; a spatial or temporal “between” that sometimes functions similarly to διάστημα but emphasizes position between two points rather than the measured distance or interval itself. See G3342
• διαλείπω (dialeipō, dee-ah-LIE-po) – To leave an interval, to cease for a time; a verbal form that captures the action of creating a διάστημα by interrupting or pausing an activity. See G1257

Did You Know?

• In ancient Greek music theory, διάστημα was a technical term for the interval between musical notes, highlighting mathematical precision in musical composition. This technical background enriches our understanding of the term in Acts, suggesting not just any gap in time but a precisely measured interval in God’s orchestration of events—as precise as the intervals in a musical composition.
• The concept of διάστημα influenced early Christian liturgical practices, as church fathers developed specific time intervals for prayer based on biblical examples. The three-hour διάστημα mentioned in Acts 5:7 reportedly inspired the traditional practice in some Eastern Orthodox monasteries of having services three hours apart, creating a rhythm of worship that sanctified the day’s intervals.
• Modern physics has rediscovered the profound significance of διάστημα in its original spatial sense. Einstein’s theory of relativity established that space and time are interconnected as “spacetime,” essentially validating the conceptual range of διάστημα which could encompass both spatial and temporal intervals. This scientific perspective offers a fascinating parallel to the biblical view that God sovereignly controls both physical space and chronological time.

Remember This

Διάστημα reminds us that the intervals in our lives are not empty gaps but divinely crafted spaces where God works His purposes with perfect precision, inviting us to trust His timing even when we cannot see His hand moving.