889. achreioó
Lexical Summary
achreioó: To make useless, to render unprofitable

Original Word: ἀχρειόω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: achreioó
Pronunciation: ah-khri-eh-OH
Phonetic Spelling: (akh-ri-o'-o)
KJV: become unprofitable
NASB: become useless
Word Origin: [from G888 (ἀχρεῖος - unworthy)]

1. to render useless, i.e. spoil

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
become unprofitable, render useless

From achreios; to render useless, i.e. Spoil -- become unprofitable.

see GREEK achreios

HELPS Word-studies

Cognate: 889 axreióō (from 888 /axreíos, "without profit") – properly, to become useless (without utility), like when something turns "sour" and unprofitable (used only in Ro 3:12). See 890 (axrēstos).

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from achreios
Definition
to make useless
NASB Translation
become useless (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 889: ἀχρειόω

ἀχρειόω, ἀχρειω: 1 aorist passive ἠχρειωθην; (ἀχρεῖος, which see); to make useless, render unserviceable: of character, Romans 3:12 (from Psalm 13:3 (), where L marginal reading T Tr WH read ἠχρεώθησαν from the rarer ἀχρεος equivalent to ἀχρεῖος. (Several times properly, in Polybius)

Topical Lexicon
Concept of Spiritual Uselessness

The verb ἀχρειόω expresses a transition from purpose to purposelessness, from serviceability before God to moral and spiritual bankruptcy. It does not merely describe inactivity but the tragic loss of created intent. Humanity, designed for fellowship and fruitful obedience, becomes, through sin, as refuse—incapable of producing the righteous fruit God seeks (compare John 15:6).

Old Testament Background

Paul’s wording in Romans 3:12 echoes the Septuagint of Psalm 14:3 and Psalm 53:3, where the same verb portrays Israel’s collective departure from covenant faithfulness. The psalmist laments, “All have turned away, together they have become useless” (LXX). Centuries before Paul, Scripture already diagnosed universal depravity, establishing that moral decline is not a New Testament discovery but a persistent theme in redemptive history.

New Testament Usage

Romans 3:12 stands as the sole New Testament occurrence, yet its strategic placement within Paul’s sweeping indictment of Jew and Gentile makes it pivotal. By stringing together Old Testament citations (Romans 3:10-18), Paul argues that every mouth is stopped and “the whole world accountable to God” (Romans 3:19). Ἠχρεώθησαν functions as a climax: sin not only accuses; it corrodes usefulness, rendering humanity incapable of producing any deed meriting divine approval.

Theological Significance

1. Total inability: The verb underscores that fallen humanity lacks the capacity to effect its own rescue (Romans 3:20).
2. Universal scope: No ethnic, cultural, or religious distinction exempts anyone from this verdict (Romans 3:9, 22-23).
3. Necessity of grace: Because people have “become worthless,” justification must be “as a gift by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24).

Christological Resolution

Where sin renders people useless, Christ makes them “a people for His own possession, zealous for good works” (Titus 2:14). Union with Christ reverses ἀχρειόω; believers are “created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life” (Ephesians 2:10). The worthless are transformed into vessels of honor (2 Timothy 2:21).

Pastoral and Ministry Application

• Gospel proclamation should begin with Scripture’s assessment of human inability, driving hearers to the sufficiency of Christ.
• Discipleship must remind believers that apart from abiding in Christ they risk lapsing into functional uselessness (John 15:5-6).
• Church leadership evaluates ministries by spiritual fruit, not mere activity, ensuring that programs serve God’s purposes rather than perpetuate forms emptied of power.

Historical Reflection

Reformers cited Romans 3 to confront a works-based righteousness. Likewise, revivals have often begun with preaching that exposes sin’s devaluation of human effort, preparing hearts to prize Christ’s imputed righteousness.

Eschatological Perspective

The worthless servant of Matthew 25:30, though described with a different term, illustrates the end of persistent unprofitableness: outer darkness. Conversely, those redeemed from uselessness will “rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them” (Revelation 14:13). Present usefulness in Christ anticipates eternal reward.

Summary

Strong’s Greek 889 reveals the stark reality that sin renders humanity spiritually unserviceable. Yet in the same context Scripture unveils the righteousness of God that restores purpose. The word thus magnifies both the gravity of the fall and the glory of redemption, calling every generation to find its usefulness renewed in the saving work of Jesus Christ.

Forms and Transliterations
αχρειώσετε ηχρειώθησαν ηχρεωθησαν ἠχρεώθησαν echreothesan echreṓthesan ēchreōthēsan ēchreṓthēsan
Links
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Englishman's Concordance
Romans 3:12 V-AIP-3P
GRK: ἐξέκλιναν ἅμα ἠχρεώθησαν οὐκ ἔστιν
NAS: TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE
KJV: together become unprofitable; there is
INT: turned away together they became worthless none there is

Strong's Greek 889
1 Occurrence


ἠχρεώθησαν — 1 Occ.

888
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