2550. kakoétheia

Lexicon

kakoétheia: Malice, wickedness, ill-will

Original Word: κακοήθεια
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: kakoétheia
Pronunciation: kah-ko-AY-thee-ah
Phonetic Spelling: (kak-o-ay'-thi-ah)
Definition: Malice, wickedness, ill-will
Meaning: evil-mindedness, malignity, malevolence.

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

malice, malevolence

From a compound of kakos and ethos; bad character, i.e. (specially) mischievousness -- malignity.

see GREEK kakos

see GREEK ethos

HELPS Word-studies

Cognate: 2550 kakoḗtheia (from 2556 /kakós, "an evil, vicious disposition" and 2239 /ēthos, "custom") – a malicious disposition (character) that fosters and fondles evil habits. 2550 /kakoḗtheia ("malignity") inevitably shows itself in acts of deceit (treachery) – i.e. what is characteristic of " 'evil-mindedness' that puts the worst construction on everything" (Souter).

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from kakos and éthos
Definition
malevolence
NASB Translation
malice (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 2550: κακοήθεια

κακοήθεια (κακοηθια WH; see Iota), κακοηθείας, ἡ (from κακοήθης, and this from κακός and ἦθος), bad character, depravity of heart and life, Xenophon, Plato, Isocrates, others; 4 Macc. 1:4, where cf. Grimm, p. 299; specifically used of malignant subtlety, malicious craftiness: Romans 1:29 (3Macc. 3:22; Additions to Esther 8:1, 12 [Esther 8:238:12f, Esther 8:32p]; Clement of Rome, 1 Cor. 35, 5 [ET]; Josephus, Antiquities 1, 1, 4; 16, 3, 1; (contra Apion 1, 24, 4); Polybius 5, 50, 5, etc.). On the other hand, Aristotle, rhet. 2, 13 (3, p. 81) defines it τό ἐπί τό χεῖρον ὑπολαμβάνειν πάντα (taking all things in the evil part, Genevan N. T. Cf. Trench, § xi.).

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Derived from κακός (kakos, meaning "bad" or "evil") and ἦθος (ēthos, meaning "character" or "custom").

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: While there is no direct Hebrew equivalent for κακοήθεια, similar concepts can be found in Hebrew words such as רַע (ra', Strong's 7451), which means "evil" or "wickedness," and מְרִי (meri, Strong's 4805), meaning "rebellion" or "bitterness." These terms capture aspects of the moral and ethical corruption that κακοήθεια conveys in the Greek New Testament.

Usage: The term κακοήθεια is used in the New Testament to describe a disposition of malice or wickedness, often in the context of moral or ethical behavior. It reflects a deep-seated ill-will or malignity that affects one's actions and interactions with others.

Context: The Greek term κακοήθεια appears in the New Testament to denote a state of moral corruption or wickedness that is deeply ingrained in a person's character. It is often associated with behaviors that are contrary to the virtues of love, kindness, and righteousness that are central to Christian teaching. In the Berean Standard Bible, κακοήθεια is translated as "malice" and is mentioned in contexts that warn against such negative traits.

For example, in Romans 1:29, Paul lists κακοήθεια among other vices that characterize those who have turned away from God: "They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice." Here, malice is depicted as part of a broader spectrum of sinful behaviors that result from a rejection of divine truth.

In 1 Corinthians 5:8, Paul exhorts believers to celebrate the Christian life not with "old leaven, the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." This metaphorical use of leaven highlights how malice can permeate and corrupt the community of believers, contrasting it with the purity and truth that should characterize their lives.

The presence of κακοήθεια in these passages underscores the importance of cultivating a heart and mind that are free from ill-will and moral corruption. It serves as a reminder to believers to examine their own dispositions and to strive for a character that reflects the love and holiness of God.

Forms and Transliterations

κακοηθείας κακοηθιας κακοηθίας kakoetheias kakoetheías kakoētheias kakoētheías

Englishman's Concordance

Romans 1:29 N-GFS
GRK: ἔριδος δόλου κακοηθείας ψιθυριστάς
NAS: deceit, malice; [they are] gossips,
KJV: debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
INT: strife deceit malice gossips

Strong's Greek 2550
1 Occurrence

κακοηθείας — 1 Occ.