The Greek verb diylizō means to strain or filter liquid through a strainer — used by Jesus in a powerful metaphor of religious hypocrisy.
Diylizō appears in Matthew 23:24 in one of Jesus' most memorable rhetorical strikes against the Pharisees: 'You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.' Devout Jews would strain their wine or water to avoid inadvertently swallowing an unclean insect (Leviticus 11:23). The Pharisees were meticulous about such minor external observances while neglecting the weightier matters of justice, mercy, and faithfulness. This word captures the absurdity of ritual precision combined with moral blindness — the danger of majoring in minors while missing the heart of God.