Lexical Summary skolios: Crooked, perverse, twisted Original Word: σκολιός Strong's Exhaustive Concordance crooked, froward, untoward. From the base of skelos; warped, i.e. Winding; figuratively, perverse -- crooked, froward, untoward. see GREEK skelos HELPS Word-studies 4646 skoliós (an adjective, derived from a primitive root, NAS dictionary) – properly, crooked (bent) because dried out (like a piece of parched wood); (figuratively) morally twisted (warped) because lacking the oil of the Holy Spirit – hence, unacceptable to God (His standards); "perverse, unjust" (Abbott-Smith). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. word Definition curved, winding, hence crooked NASB Translation crooked (2), perverse (1), unreasonable (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4646: σκολιόςσκολιός, σκολιά, σκολιόν (opposed to ὀρθός, ὄρθιος, εὐθύς (cf. σκώληξ)), from Homer down, crooked, curved: properly, of a way (Proverbs 28:18), τά σκολιά, Luke 3:5 (opposed to ἡ εὐθεῖα namely, ὁδός, from Isaiah 40:4); metaphorically, perverse, wicked: ἡ γενεά ἡ σκολιά, Acts 2:40; with διεστραμμένη added, Philippians 2:15 (clearly so Deuteronomy 32:5); unfair, surly, froward (opposed to ἀγαθός καί ἐπιεικής), 1 Peter 2:18. Topical Lexicon Meaning and Imagery The term conveys the idea of something bent, warped, or twisted out of proper alignment. In Scripture it functions as a vivid metaphor for moral deviation—contrasting God’s righteous “straight way” with humanity’s distorted paths. The imagery is drawn from daily life: a crooked limb, a winding road, or a warped piece of wood, all pointing to a deeper spiritual condition that requires divine correction. Usage in the Gospels Luke 3:5 records John the Baptist’s proclamation, echoing Isaiah’s promise of messianic renewal: “The crooked roads shall become straight”. Here the word depicts the moral landscape of Israel awaiting the Messiah. Repentance prepares the roadbed of the heart, enabling the King’s arrival. John is not merely predicting a topographical miracle but announcing that the coming Christ will realign Israel’s distorted ethics and worship. Apostolic Preaching and Warning Acts 2:40 presents Peter’s urgent plea at Pentecost: “Be saved from this crooked generation!”. The term sketches the spiritual climate of first-century Jerusalem—religiously active yet morally skewed. Peter’s call separates the newborn church from a society resistant to the straight path revealed in Christ. Salvation, therefore, is not only forgiveness of individual sins but rescue from a culture whose very trajectory is off-center. Pauline Exhortation to Blameless Living Philippians 2:15 extends the concept to Gentile believers: “so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and perverted generation, in which you shine as lights in the world”. The apostle encourages believers to stand out against the surrounding distortion by reflecting the character of their Father. “Crooked” describes collective society, while “lights” marks the church as a corrective presence, exposing and healing the warp through sacrificial obedience patterned after Christ’s humility (Philippians 2:5-11). Household and Vocational Ethics 1 Peter 2:18 addresses servants enduring unjust treatment: “not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are harsh”. The word translated “harsh” depicts masters whose leadership is morally misshapen. Peter instructs Christian servants to exhibit respectful submission, entrusting themselves to God’s justice (1 Peter 2:19-25). The passage shows that the kingdom ethic is viable even under crooked authority, testifying to Christ’s own endurance of wrongful suffering. Old Testament Background The concept permeates the Hebrew Scriptures: “They are a perverse and crooked generation” (Deuteronomy 32:5); “whose ways are crooked” (Proverbs 2:15). Righteousness is consistently pictured as level and straight (Proverbs 3:6; Isaiah 40:3-4), preparing the theological soil for the New Testament’s application. The Messiah’s mission includes straightening what sin has curved, fulfilling prophetic expectation. Theological Significance 1. Anthropology: Humanity, apart from grace, is not merely wounded but warped, unable to walk the straight path of God’s law. Intertestamental and Cultural Context Both Jewish wisdom literature and Greco-Roman moralists used the straight-crooked dichotomy. Philosophers prized the “straight rule” of reason, yet New Testament writers deepen the image by rooting straightness in the character of God revealed in Jesus Christ, not in human intellect. Application for Contemporary Ministry • Preaching: Proclaim repentance that straightens twisted desires and attitudes, emphasizing both personal and societal dimensions. The four New Testament occurrences together craft a unified portrait: the straightening begun in John’s wilderness call, proclaimed by Peter at Pentecost, nurtured by Paul in church life, and modeled in everyday vocations by Peter’s readers. The word thus serves as a concise theology of distortion and redemption, reminding every generation that the Lord still makes the crooked straight. Forms and Transliterations σκολια σκολιά σκολιὰ σκολία σκολιαί σκολιαίς σκολιας σκολιάς σκολιᾶς σκολιοις σκολιοίς σκολιοῖς σκολιόν σκολιός σκολιότητι σκολιούς σκολιώς skolia skolià skolias skoliâs skoliois skolioîsLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Luke 3:5 Adj-NNPGRK: ἔσται τὰ σκολιὰ εἰς εὐθείαν NAS: WILL BE BROUGHT LOW; THE CROOKED WILL BECOME KJV: and the crooked shall be made INT: will become the crooked into straight Acts 2:40 Adj-GFS Philippians 2:15 Adj-GFS 1 Peter 2:18 Adj-DMP Strong's Greek 4646 |
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