Lexical Summary areté: Virtue, excellence, moral goodness Original Word: ἀρετή Strong's Exhaustive Concordance praise, virtue. From the same as arrhen; properly, manliness (valor), i.e. Excellence (intrinsic or attributed) -- praise, virtue. see GREEK arrhen HELPS Word-studies 703 arétē – properly, virtue ("moral excellence") which is displayed to enrich life. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof uncertain origin Definition moral goodness, i.e. virtue NASB Translation excellence (2), excellencies (1), moral excellence (2). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 703: ἀρετήἀρετή, ἀρετῆς, ἡ (see ἄρα at the beginning), a word of very wide signification in Greek writings; any excellence of a person (in body or mind) or of a thing, an eminent endowment, property or quality. Used of the human mind and in an ethical sense, it denotes: 1. a virtuous course of thought, feeling and action; virtue, moral goodness (Wis. 4:1 Wis. 5:13; often in 4 Macc. and in Greek writings): 2 Peter 1:5 (others take it here specifically, viz. moral vigor; cf. next entry). 2. any particular moral excellence, as modesty, purity; hence (plural αἱ ἀρεταί, Wis. 8:7; often in 4 Macc. and in the Greek philosophers) τίς ἀρετή, Philippians 4:8. Used of God, it denotes a. his power: 2 Peter 1:3. b. in the plural his excellences, perfections, 'which shine forth in our gratuitous calling and in the whole work of our salvation' (John Gerhard): 1 Peter 2:9. (In the Sept. for הוד splendor, glory, Habakkuk 3:3, of God; Zechariah 6:13, of the Messiah; in plural for תְּהִלּות praises, of God, Isaiah 43:21; Isaiah 42:12; Isaiah 63:7.) Strong’s Greek 703 refers to the moral and spiritual excellence that both belongs to God and is cultivated in believers. While rare in the New Testament, its five appearances form a carefully placed thread, weaving divine character into Christian conduct and community witness. Distribution of the Word 1 Peter 2:9; Philippians 4:8; 2 Peter 1:3; 2 Peter 1:5 (twice). Each occurrence either attributes excellence to God or urges believers to embody it, showing inseparable union between God’s nature and the Christian’s calling. God’s Excellence Proclaimed (1 Peter 2:9) Peter assigns “virtues” to God Himself: “that you may proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light”. The Church’s first evangelistic duty is doxological—the declaration of God’s excellencies. Evangelism, therefore, is not merely information transfer but celebration of divine moral splendor. Excellence as a Christian Mind-Set (Philippians 4:8) Paul directs believers to fill their thoughts with whatever is “excellent.” Here the word functions as a mental filter, safeguarding holiness by focusing the heart on qualities congruent with God’s own character. This protects against both apathy and moral compromise in a pagan society. Excellence Granted and Demanded (2 Peter 1:3-5) Peter presents a two-sided truth: Old Testament and Greco-Roman Echoes The Septuagint uses related terms for valor and praise (e.g., Judges 5:10; Isaiah 42:8), linking excellence with heroic deeds and divine honor. In the wider Greco-Roman world, ἀρετή was the summit of civic and philosophical ideals. The New Testament transforms this cultural aspiration by rooting it in God’s nature and empowering it through the Spirit. Doctrinal Significance 1. Revelation of God: His excellence is not abstract; it is historically displayed in redemptive acts culminating in Christ. Practical Ministry Applications • Preaching: Proclaim God’s excellencies to foster worship-driven mission. Historical Reception Early church fathers, such as Clement of Alexandria, invoked ἀρετή to challenge believers toward moral earnestness amid persecution. Reformers stressed its inseparability from faith, countering antinomian tendencies. Contemporary evangelical scholarship likewise sees in 703 a synthesis of doctrinal orthodoxy and ethical obedience. Key Cross References for Study Proverbs 31:10-31; Isaiah 42:12 (LXX); Titus 2:7; Hebrews 13:18; 1 Peter 2:12. Summary Strong’s Greek 703 encapsulates the radiant moral quality inherent in God and imparted to His people. Its brief New Testament footprint leaves a lasting mandate: receive divine excellence, rehearse it in worship, and reproduce it in daily life so that the praises of God resound and the watching world sees His light. Englishman's Concordance Philippians 4:8 N-NFSGRK: εἴ τις ἀρετὴ καὶ εἴ NAS: there is any excellence and if KJV: if [there be] any virtue, and INT: if any excellence and if 1 Peter 2:9 N-AFP 2 Peter 1:3 N-GFS 2 Peter 1:5 N-AFS 2 Peter 1:5 N-DFS Strong's Greek 703 |
    |