Lexical Definition

‎διαφέρω‎ diaphérō (dee-af-er'-o) to spread/surpass ^G:V
from ‎διά‎ and ‎φέρω‎

be better, carry, differ from, drive up and down, be (more) excellent, make matter, publish, be of more value.

• to bear through, i.e. (literally) transport
• usually to bear apart, i.e. (objectively) to toss about (figuratively, report)
• subjectively, to "differ", or (by implication) surpass

Abbott-Smith

δια-φέρω [in LXX for שְׁנָא (Da 7 only); I Ki 17:39, Es 3:13, al. ;]
1. trans.,
(a) to carry through: seq. διά, Mk 11:16;
(b) to carry about, spread abroad: pass., Ac 13:49 27:27.
2. Intrans.,
(a) to differ: τὰ διαφέροντα, Ro 2:18, Phl 1:10 (R, mg., but v. infr.); impers., διαφέρει, it makes a difference, it matters: Ga 2:6;
(b) to excel: c. gen. Mt 6:26 10:31 12:12, Lk 12:7, 24, I Co 15:41, Ga 4:1; τὰ διαφέροντα, Ro 2:18, Phl 1:10 (R, txt.; for discussion and reff. v. ICC on Ro, Phl, ll. c.).†

Abbott-Smith References

Liddell-Scott-Jones

διαφέρω,

future διοίσω [Refs 5th c.BC+]aorist 1 διήνεγκα, Ionic dialect διήνεικα: aorist 2 διήνεγκον:—carry over or across, δ. ναῦς τὸν Ἰσθμόν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; carry from one to another, διαφέρεις κηρύγματα [Refs 5th c.BC+] will put the tongue in motion, will speak, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

__2 of Time, δ. τὸν αἰῶνα, τὸν βίον, go through life, [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—middle, live, continue, ὑγιηροὶ τἄλλα διαφέρονται [Refs 5th c.BC+]; σοῦ διοίσεται μόνος will pass his life apart from thee, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__3 bear through, bear to the end, σκῆπτρα [Refs 5th c.BC+]; γαστρὸς ὄγκον δ., of a woman, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__4 bear to the end, go through with, πόλεμον [Refs 5th c.BC+]; but also, bear the burden of war, [Refs]; endure, support, with an adverb, ῥᾷστα γὰρ τὸ σόν τε σὺ κἀγὼ διοίσω τοὐμόν [Refs 5th c.BC+]: absolutely, of patients in disease, δ. ἕως τῶν εἰκοσιτεσσάρων ἡμερέων [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II carry different ways, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; toss about, ὅπλισμα.. διαφέρων ἐσφενδόνα [Refs 5th c.BC+]; δ. τὰς κόρας to turn the eyes about, [Refs]:—passive, to be drawn apart, disrupted, opposed to συμφέρεσθαι, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; to be tossed about, uncertain in [NT+1st c.BC+]
__II.2 δ. τινά spread his fame abroad, [Refs 5th c.BC+]:—passive, φήμη διηνέχθη [Refs 1st c.AD+]
__II.3 tear asunder, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; disjoin, [Refs 4th c.BC+]: metaphorically, distract, τὰς ψυχὰς φροντίσιν [Refs 1st c.AD+]
__II.4 δ. τὴν ψῆφον give one's vote a different way, i.e. against another, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; but also, give each man his vote, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__II.5 ἐράνους δ., ={διαλύεσθαι}, pay them up, discharge them, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
__II.6 defer, reserve for judgement, τὸν αἴτιον [Refs 4th c.BC+]
__II.7 plunder, [Refs 3rd c.BC+]:—passive, τῶν ἀπὸ [τῆς οἰκίας] φορτίων διενηνεγμένων [Refs 2nd c.BC+]
__II.8 excel, ἀρετῇ τοὺς ἄλλους [Refs 1st c.BC+]
__III intransitive, differ, φυᾷ δ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἆρ᾽ οἱ τεκόντες διαφέρουσιν ἢ τροφα; is it one's parents or nurture that make the difference? [Refs 5th c.BC+]: with genitive, to be different from, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; δ. εἴς τι, ἔν τινι, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: with infinitive, μόνῃ τῇ μορφῇ μὴ οὑχὶ πρόβατα εἶναι δ. [Refs 2nd c.AD+] three votes made the difference (i.e. majority) against capital punishment, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; also διαφέρει τὸ ἥμισυ τοῦ ἔργου makes a difference equal to half the effort expended, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__III.2 impersonal, διαφέρει it makes a difference, πλεῖστον δ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]; οὐδὲν δ. it makes no odds, [Refs 5th c.BC+] it makes a difference to me, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἰδίᾳ τι αὐτῷ δ. he has some private interest at stake, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; εἰ ὑμῖν μή τι δ. if you see no objection, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: with infinitive, οὐδέ τί οἱ διέφερεν ἀποθανεῖν [Refs 5th c.BC+]: with personal construction, πράγματά τινι διαφέροντα [Refs 1st c.AD+]; to be of importance, πρός or εἴς τι, [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
__III.3 τὸ δ. the difference, the odds, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ={τὸ συμφέρον} [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὰ ἀναγκαιότερα τῷ ταμιείῳ δ. vital interests, [Refs 3rd c.AD+]; τὸ δ. μέρος τῶν ἀποφάσεων the essential part, [Refs 3rd c.AD+]; τὰ δ. vital matters, [NT+5th c.BC+] also simply, points of difference, in character and the like, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__III.4 to be different from a person: generally, in point of excess, surpass, excel him (compare above [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τινί in a thing, [Refs 5th c.BC+]: with infinitive, δ. τινὸς μεταβιβάζειν τινά [Refs 5th c.BC+] it was far better.. than.., [Refs 5th c.BC+] (where it means to differ in point of diminution); also δ. μέγα τι παρὰ τὰς ἄλλας πόλεις [Refs 2nd c.BC+]: absolutely, excel, ἐπί τινι [Refs 5th c.BC+]a remarkable achievement, [Refs 2nd c.BC+]
__III.5 prevail, ἐπὶ πολὺ διήνεγκε [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__III.6 quarrel, struggle, [Refs 5th c.BC+]the parties, litigants, [Refs 3rd c.AD+]
__III.7 come between, intervene, ὁ διαφέρων χρόνος [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__III.8 belong to, τινί, as property, [Refs 1st c.AD+]; of persons, belong to a household, [Refs 4th c.AD+]; οἱ -φέροντες kinsfolk, [Refs]; appertain to, τῇ ὠνῇ [Refs 3rd c.AD+]; τὰ εἰς τοῦτο -φέροντα πράγματα Mitteis [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
__IV middle and passive, be at variance, quarrel, τινί [Refs 5th c.BC+]; δ. ἀλλήλοις differ with, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἀμφί τινος [Refs 5th c.BC+]; δ. ὡς.. maintain on the contrary that.., [Refs 4th c.BC+]; οὐ διαφέρομαι, ={οὔ μοι διαφέρει}, [Refs]; μηδὲν διὰ τοῦτο διαφέρου let there be no dispute on this ground, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; οἱ -φερόμενοι the litigants, [Refs 2nd c.BC+] —Not in _Epic dialect_

_{LSJ Scripture Refs: Acts.27.27 ☩ Rom.2.18}