EVIL, EVIL-DOER

. kakos (2556) stands for "whatever is evil in character, base," in distinction (wherever the distinction is observable) from poneros (see No. 2), which indicates "what is evil in influence and effect, malignant." Kakos is the wider term and often covers the meaning of poneros. Kakos is antithetic to kalos, "fair, advisable, good in character," and to agathos, "beneficial, useful, good in act"; hence it denotes what is useless, incapable, bad; poneros is essentially antithetic to chrestos, "kind, gracious, serviceable"; hence it denotes what is destructive, injurious, evil. As evidence that poneros and kakos have much in common, though still not interchangeable, each is used of thoughts, cf. <Matt. 15:19> with <Mark 7:21>; of speech, <Matt. 5:11> with <1 Pet. 3:10>; of actions, <2 Tim. 4:18> with <1 Thes. 5:15>; of man, <Matt. 18:32> with <24:48>.

The use of kakos may be broadly divided as follows: (a) of what is morally or ethically "evil," whether of persons, e. g., <Matt. 21:41; 24:48; Phil. 3:2; Rev. 2:2>, or qualities, emotions, passions, deeds, e. g., <Mark 7:21; John 18:23, 30; Rom. 1:30; 3:8; 7:19,21; 13:4; 14:20; 16:19; 1 Cor. 13:5; 2 Cor. 13:7; 1 Thes. 5:15; 1 Tim. 6:10; 2 Tim. 4:14; 1 Pet. 3:9,12>; (b) of what is injurious, destructive, baneful, pernicious, e. g., <Luke 16:25; Acts 16:28; 28:5; Titus 1:12; Jas. 3:8; Rev. 16:2>, where kakos and poneros come in that order, "noisome and grievous." See B, No. 3. For compounds of kakos, see below.

(from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words)

(Copyright (C) 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

kakos (kak-os');

apparently a primary word; worthless (intrinsically, such; whereas 4190 properly refers to effects), i.e. (subjectively) depraved, or (objectively) injurious:

KJV-- bad, evil, harm, ill, noisome, wicked.

Click on the 'back' button to continue.

Content