Evil/harm
κακόςStrong’s G2556kakos
Appears in 45 verses of the New Testament
In short
Kakos is the Greek word usually translated “evil”, “harm” and “evil things”. It appears in 45 verses of the New Testament.
“For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”
Meaning
Usually translated “evil”, “harm” and “evil things”. Open the dictionary entry below for the full range of meaning, with the verses it cites.
How it's translated
- evil 36
- harm 3
- of evil things 2
- wretches 1
- harmful 1
- evils 1
- injurious 1
- of wrongs 1
Word-by-word English from the STEPBible tagged text.
Where it's used most
- Romans 12
- Acts 4
- 1 Peter 4
- Matthew 3
- 1 Corinthians 3
- Mark 2
19 books in all.
Related words
Explore in Scripture
- Titus 1:12In contextOne of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.
- 3 John 1:11In contextBeloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.
- Matthew 21:41They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.
- Matthew 24:48But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
- Matthew 27:23And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.
- Mark 7:21For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
All 45 verses, by book
Greek dictionary
κακός kakos · evil/harm
κακός, -ή, -όν [in LXX chiefly for רַע ;] 1. in general, opposite to ἀγαθός, καλός, in various senses, bad, mean, base, worthless (cl.). 2. In ethical sense, base, evil, wicked: of persons, Mat.21:41 24:48, Php.3:2, Rev.2:2; διαλογισμοί, Mrk.7:21; ὁμιλίαι, 1Co.15:33; ἐπιθυμία (Pro.12:12), Col.3:5; ἔργον, Rom.13:3; neut., κακόν, τὸ κ., evil: Jhn.18:23, Act.23:9, Rom.7:21 14:20 16:19, 1Co.13:5, Heb.5:14, 1Pe.3:10-11, 3Jn.11; pl., Rom.1:30, 1Co.10:6, 1Ti.6:10, Jas.1:13; κ. (τὸ, τὰ κ.) ποιεῖν (πράσσειν), Mat.27:23, Mrk.15:14, Luk.23:22, Jhn.18:30, Rom.3:8 7:19 13:4, 2Co.13:7, 1Pe.3:12; κατεργάζ …
From STEPBible’s Greek lexicon (based on Abbott-Smith).
Webster's 1828 Dictionary
How the English word “evil” was understood when the King James Version was still the common Bible of English readers.
E'VIL, adjective
e'vl. [Heb. to be unjust or injurious, to defraud.]
- Having bad qualities of a natural kind; mischievous; having qualities which tend to injury, or to produce mischief.“Some evil beast hath devoured him” Genesis 37:20
- Having bad qualities of a moral kind; wicked; corrupt; perverse; wrong; as evil thoughts; evil deeds; evil speaking; an evil generation.
- Unfortunate; unhappy; producing sorrow, distress, injury or calamity; as evil tidings; evil arrows; evil days.
All definitions and other forms of “evil”
E'VIL, noun
evil is natural or moral. Natural evil is any thing which produces pain, distress, loss or calamity, or which in any way disturbs the peace, impairs the happiness, or destroys the perfection of natural beings.
- Misfortune; mischief; injury.“There shall no evil befall thee” Psalms 91:10“A prudent man foreseeth the evil and hideth himself” Proverbs 22:3
- Depravity; corruption of heart, or disposition to commit wickedness; malignity.“The heart of the sons of men is full of evil” Ecclesiastes 9:3
- Malady; as the king's evil or scrophula.
E'VIL, adverb
[generally contracted to ill.]
- Not well; not with justice or propriety; unsuitable.
- Not virtuously; not innocently.
- Not happily; unfortunately.
- Injuriously; not kindly.
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.