Virtue
ἀρετήStrong’s G0703aretē
Appears in 4 verses of the New Testament
In short
Aretē is the Greek word usually translated “excellence”, “virtue” and “excellencies”. It appears in 4 verses of the New Testament.
“According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:”
Meaning
Usually translated “excellence”, “virtue” and “excellencies”. Open the dictionary entry below for the full range of meaning, with the verses it cites.
How it's translated
- excellence 2
- virtue 2
- excellencies 1
Word-by-word English from the STEPBible tagged text.
Where it's used most
- 2 Peter 2
- Philippians 1
- 1 Peter 1
3 books in all.
Explore in Scripture
- 2 Peter 1:5In contextAnd beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
- Philippians 4:8Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
- 1 Peter 2:9But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
Greek dictionary
ἀρετή aretē · virtue
ἀρετή, -ῆς, ἡ [in LXX, in sing.: Hab.3:3, Zec.6:13 (הוֹד), in pl.: Isa.42:8, 12 43:21 63:7 (תְּהִלָּה), Wis.4:1 5:13 8:7 2:1-24; 4Mac.2.2 * ;] prop., whatever procures pre-eminent estimation for a person or thing, in Hom. any kind of conspicuous advantage. Later confined by philos. writers to intrinsic eminence-moral goodness, virtue; (a) of God: 2Pe.1:3; …
From STEPBible’s Greek lexicon (based on Abbott-Smith).
Webster's 1828 Dictionary
How the English word “virtue” was understood when the King James Version was still the common Bible of English readers.
VIRTUE, noun
vur'tu. [Latin virtus, from vireo, or its root. See Worth.] The radical sense is strength, from straining, stretching, extending. This is the primary sense of Latin vir, a man.]
- Strength; that substance or quality of physical bodies, by which they act and produce effects on other bodies.
- Bravery valor.
- Moral goodness; the practice of moral duties and the abstaining from vice, or a conformity of life and conversation to the moral law.
- A particular moral excellence; as the virtue of temperance, of chastity, of charity.
All definitions
- Acting power; something efficacious.“Jesus, knowing that virtue had gone out of him, turned -” Mark 5:30
- Secret agency; efficacy without visible or material action.
- Excellence; or that which constitutes value and merit.
- One of the orders of the celestial hierarchy.
- Efficacy; power.
- Legal efficacy or power; authority.
Noah Webster, An American Dictionary of the English Language (1828). Verse references are checked against the KJV. Read the full entry.
Verses are from the King James Version. Word meanings come from the original Greek, not from any one translation.