[Greek] διαβάλλω (diaballō), [Latin] diffamari:to bring charges against, to accuse, to defame, to malign, to separate; Lk.16:1
Background Information:
Greek Hellenism: This term means to throw, to discredit, to attack, to accuse, to misrepresent, and to set against. Antiphon’s First Tetralogy states “I only ask that my misfortune, which is being used to discredit me, may turn to good fortune.” Herodotus’ The Histories 5.96 states “Sigeum left not stone unturned maligning the Athenians to the Artaphrenes.” Demosthenes’ On the Crown 18.20 states “The peace conceded to him at the time was due to the causes I have named and not, as Aeschines maliciously insists, to me.”
Old Testament: This is a verbal assault. Satan has become the most noteworthy biblical character who slanders and accuses. Satan’s primary task is to separate God from man. However, there are also human deceivers and false witnesses in scripture.
New Testament: This terms means to accuse. The Jewish people highly value the important relationship between master and servant/steward. It was accepted that servants would act on their master’s behalf. This becomes a significant situation when this bond of trust is broken. The dishonesty of the steward consisted in the squandering of his master’s property.
Etymology: This term means to throw (-ballo) accross (dia-).
Scripture:
“A rich man had a steward who was reported to him for squandering his property.” Lk.16:1
The steward was correctly accused of squandering the rich man’s property.
Conclusion:
Diabolic, defame
Form this comes words diabolic and Diabolos, a name given to the Devil. Satan is known as the Accuser and Adversary, who separates God from man. It is seems that accusers and witnesses are many times in close proximity to the accused. The accusers appeared before the woman caught in adultery. Jesus shamed these accusers, forcing them to leave.