Evil
φαῦλοςStrong’s G5337phaulos
Appears in 6 verses of the New Testament
In short
Phaulos is the Greek word usually translated “evil”. It appears in 6 verses of the New Testament.
“Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.”
Meaning
Usually translated “evil”. Open the dictionary entry below for the full range of meaning, with the verses it cites.
How it's translated
- evil 6
Word-by-word English from the STEPBible tagged text.
Where it's used most
- John 2
- Romans 1
- 2 Corinthians 1
- Titus 1
- James 1
5 books in all.
Explore in Scripture
- John 3:20For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
- John 5:29And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
- Romans 9:11(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
- 2 Corinthians 5:10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
- James 3:16For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
Greek dictionary
φαῦλος phaulos · evil
φαῦλος, -η, -ον [in LXX: Pro.22:8 (עֶוֶל) Pro.29:9 (אֱוִיל), etc. ;] slight, worthless, of no account, both of persons and things in various shades of meaning (see LS, see word), in NT, as frequently in cl., always with distinct moral reference (see Ellic., Past. Epp., 203; Hort, Ja., 85; Tr., Syn., LXXxiv), worthless, bad: Jhn.3:20, Tit.2:8, Jas.3:16; opposite to ἀγαθός (which see), Jhn.5:29, Rom.9:11, 2Co.5:10.† SYN.: see: ἄθεσμος (AS)
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.