2109. euergeteó
Lexical Summary
euergeteó: To do good, to benefit, to be a benefactor

Original Word: εὐεργετέω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: euergeteó
Pronunciation: yoo-er-get-eh'-o
Phonetic Spelling: (yoo-erg-et-eh'-o)
KJV: do good
NASB: doing good
Word Origin: [from G2110 (εὐεργέτης - benefactors)]

1. to be philanthropic

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
do good.

From euergetes; to be philanthropic -- do good.

see GREEK euergetes

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from euergetés
Definition
to do good
NASB Translation
doing good (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 2109: εὐεργετέω

εὐεργετέω, ἐυεργέτω; (εὐεργέτης), to do good, bestow benefits: Acts 10:38. (the Sept.; often in Attic writings.)

Topical Lexicon
Overview

Strong’s Greek 2109 appears once in the New Testament as a participial description of Jesus Christ in Acts 10:38, characterizing His earthly ministry as one of continual beneficence—“doing good.” The single usage becomes a lens through which Scripture depicts the Messiah as the supreme Benefactor whose works embody and reveal the goodness of God.

Scriptural Setting: Acts 10:34-48

Peter stands in the house of Cornelius, the first recorded full-blown Gentile evangelistic breakthrough. Explaining the life of Jesus, he says, “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with Him” (Acts 10:38).

1. The phrase “doing good” (εὐεργετῶν) summarizes Christ’s public activity between His baptism and His passion.
2. The verbal portrait unites compassionate action (“healing”) with triumphant spiritual authority (“all who were oppressed by the devil”).
3. Peter roots Jesus’ benevolence in Trinitarian cooperation: God the Father anoints; the Holy Spirit empowers; the Son acts.

Historical and Cultural Context

In the Greco-Roman world, εὐεργέτης (“benefactor”) was a title of honor for philanthropists who funded civic projects or relief. By applying its cognate verb to Jesus, Peter elevates Him above every earthly patron. Unlike civic benefactors who distributed favors for prestige or political capital, Jesus’ beneficence flows from divine compassion and culminates in the cross and resurrection.

Christ as the Ultimate Benefactor

• Motive: Love rooted in the very nature of God (John 3:16).
• Method: Tangible mercy—healing bodies, liberating from demonic bondage, feeding multitudes, restoring dignity.
• Manifestation of Kingdom: Each act previews the eschatological restoration when “He will wipe away every tear” (Revelation 21:4).
• Messianic Credentials: Isaiah’s Servant Songs (especially Isaiah 61:1-3) anticipated an anointed Deliverer. Acts 10:38 announces that prophecy fulfilled.

Links to Old Testament Theology

Psalm 119:68 declares, “You are good, and You do what is good.” The participle εὐεργετῶν echoes this revelation: divine goodness is not abstract but active. Old Testament acts of deliverance—Exodus redemption, wilderness provision, covenant blessings—foreshadow the concentrated goodness revealed in Christ.

Patterns Adopted by the Early Church

1. Diaconal ministry: Dorcas “was always doing good and helping the poor” (Acts 9:36).
2. Relief offerings: “The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to send relief” (Acts 11:29).
3. Apostolic exhortation: “As we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone” (Galatians 6:10); “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds” (1 Timothy 6:18).

The church’s benevolent outreach functioned apologetically in a pagan society, reflecting the character of its Lord.

Theological Implications

• Soteriology: Good works never merit salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9), yet redeemed people are “created in Christ Jesus to do good works” (Ephesians 2:10).
• Pneumatology: The same Spirit who empowered Jesus empowers believers (Acts 1:8), making beneficence a Spirit-produced fruit.
• Ecclesiology: Doing good is woven into the vocation of every local assembly (Titus 3:8, 14).

Practical Application for Contemporary Ministry

1. Holistic Mission: Combine proclamation with tangible mercy—hospitals, orphan care, disaster aid.
2. Spiritual Warfare: Acts 10:38 links doing good with delivering the oppressed; compassionate service often opens doors for liberation from sin and demonic bondage.
3. Witness to a Skeptical World: Visible, sacrificial kindness authenticates the gospel message (Matthew 5:16).
4. Perseverance: “Do not grow weary in doing good” (2 Thessalonians 3:13) counsels steadfastness even when results are unseen.

Eschatological Perspective

Works of goodness follow believers into eternity: “Their deeds will follow them” (Revelation 14:13). At the judgment, the righteous are recognized by actions toward “the least of these” (Matthew 25:35-40). Acts 10:38 therefore foreshadows the final assessment standard—alignment with the Benefactor’s heart.

Summary

The lone New Testament appearance of Strong’s 2109 distills the ministry of Jesus Christ into a single, potent idea: relentless, Spirit-empowered beneficence. This snapshot informs Christian identity, shaping a church that preaches a saving gospel while tangibly manifesting the goodness of God in a broken world.

Forms and Transliterations
ευεργετήσαντά ευεργετήσαντί ευεργετων ευεργετών εὐεργετῶν ευηργέτησέ euergeton euergetôn euergetōn euergetō̂n
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Acts 10:38 V-PPA-NMS
GRK: ὃς διῆλθεν εὐεργετῶν καὶ ἰώμενος
NAS: and [how] He went about doing good and healing
KJV: who went about doing good, and healing
INT: who went through doing good and healing

Strong's Greek 2109
1 Occurrence


εὐεργετῶν — 1 Occ.

2108
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