Lexical Summary malakos: Soft, effeminate Original Word: μαλακός Strong's Exhaustive Concordance effeminate, soft. Of uncertain affinity; soft, i.e. Fine (clothing); figuratively, a catamite -- effeminate, soft. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. word Definition soft, effeminate NASB Translation effeminate (1), soft (3). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 3120: μαλακόςμαλακός, μαλακή, μαλακον, soft; soft to the touch: ἱμάτια, Matthew 11:8 R G L brackets; Luke 7:25 (ἱματίων πολυτελῶν καί μαλακων, Artemidorus Daldianus, oneir. 1, 78; ἐσθής, Homer, Odyssey 23, 290; Artemidorus Daldianus, oneir. 2, 3; χιτών, Homer, Iliad 2, 42); and simply τά μαλακά, soft raiment (see λευκός, 1): Matthew 11:8 T Tr WH. Like the Latinmollis, metaphorically, and in a bad sense: effeminate, of a catamite, a male who submits his body to unnatural lewdness, 1 Corinthians 6:9 (Dionysius Halicarnassus, Antiquities 7, 2 under the end; ((Diogenes Laërtius 7, 173 at the end)). Topical Lexicon Overview Strong’s Greek 3120, μαλακός (malakos), moves from a literal description of something “soft” to a figurative indictment of moral softness or effeminacy. Its four New Testament occurrences form two distinct but complementary strands: (1) the outward softness of luxury garments worn in royal courts (Matthew 11:8; Luke 7:25) and (2) the inward softness that surrenders masculine integrity and participates in sexual sin (1 Corinthians 6:9). Literal sense: soft or fine clothing Matthew 11:8 and Luke 7:25 quote Jesus contrasting John the Baptist’s rugged austerity with palace courtiers: John’s camel-hair garment (Matthew 3:4) symbolized prophetic fortitude. By juxtaposing malakos apparel with a prophet’s rough attire, the Lord exposed a broader spiritual contrast: comfort versus conviction, the court’s approval versus the desert’s call to repentance. The word thus becomes a shorthand for complacency fostered by luxury. Metaphorical sense: moral softness and effeminacy In 1 Corinthians 6:9 malakos is lifted from closet to conscience: “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts.” Here malakoi (“men who submit”) appears alongside ἀρσενοκοῖται (“men who… perform”) to bracket both passive and active participants in male-to-male intercourse. Paul labels such practice a kingdom-excluding sin, placing it in the same list with idolatry, adultery, theft, greed, drunkenness, slander, and swindling (1 Corinthians 6:9–10). Cultural background In Greco-Roman society the passive partner in homosexual acts was socially scorned for perceived effeminacy. Jewish moral law (Leviticus 18:22; 20:13) rejected all homosexual behavior. Paul, a Jew steeped in Scripture and writing to a sexually permissive Corinthian culture, draws on both backgrounds. His use of malakoi reaches beyond mere social stigma; it confronts any deliberate feminization of men that violates God’s creational design. Theological significance 1. Creation order upheld. Malakos behavior contradicts the male-female complementarity instituted in Genesis 1–2 and affirmed by Jesus (Matthew 19:4–6). Early church reception Patristic writers such as Clement of Alexandria and John Chrysostom echoed Paul, interpreting malakos as effeminacy rooted in moral weakness. They urged Christian men to reject cosmetic vanities, luxurious dress, and sexual practices that blurred gender distinctions. Pastoral implications • Call to repentance. Those entangled in malakos behavior are offered the same cleansing promised in 1 Corinthians 6:11. Contemporary relevance Modern culture often celebrates both opulent self-indulgence and gender fluidity. Malakos warns that softness of character—whether birthed by luxury or moral compromise—erodes readiness for the kingdom of God. The term invites renewed courage, purity, and resilience in Christian witness today. Forms and Transliterations εμαλάκυνε μαλακα μαλακά μαλακὰ μαλακή μαλακοι μαλακοί μαλακοὶ μαλακοις μαλακοίς μαλακοῖς μαλακώς malaka malakà malakoi malakoì malakois malakoîsLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Matthew 11:8 Adj-DNPGRK: ἄνθρωπον ἐν μαλακοῖς ἠμφιεσμένον ἰδοὺ NAS: dressed in soft [clothing]? Those KJV: clothed in soft raiment? behold, INT: a man in fine [clothes] having been dressed Behold Matthew 11:8 Adj-ANP Luke 7:25 Adj-DNP 1 Corinthians 6:9 Adj-NMP Strong's Greek 3120 |
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