Word

καλός

kalós · G2570 · Greek · 101 occurrences

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Meanings

good, fine, praiseworthy

Pertaining to a positive moral quality, with the implication of being favorably valued

Examples
Matthew 5:16 “Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 15:26 Yet He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”
Matthew 26:10 But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why are you bothering the woman? For she has done a good deed for Me.
good, fine

Pertaining to having acceptable characteristics or functioning in an agreeable manner, often with the focus on outward form or appearance

Examples
Matthew 3:10 “And the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore, every tree that does not bear good fruit is being cut down and thrown into the fire.
Matthew 7:17 “So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.
Matthew 7:18 “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.
advantageous, better

Pertaining to providing some special or superior benefit

Examples
Matthew 18:8 “And if your hand or your foot is causing you to sin, cut it off and throw it away from you; it is better for you to enter life maimed or without a foot, than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into the eternal fire.
Matthew 18:9 “And if your eye is causing you to sin, tear it out and throw it away from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fiery hell.
Matthew 26:24 “The Son of Man is going away just as it is written about Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.”
fitting, good

Pertaining to being fitting and at the same time probably good

Examples
Matthew 17:4 Peter responded and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If You want, I will make three tabernacles here: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
Mark 7:27 And He was saying to her, “Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”
Mark 9:5 Peter responded and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here; let’s make three tabernacles, one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
beautiful, fine

Pertaining to being beautiful or attractive in terms of outward form or shape, often implying a corresponding fine value

Examples
Luke 21:5 And while some were talking about the temple, that it was decorated with beautiful stones and vowed gifts, He said,
high, important, fine

Pertaining to having high status, with the possible implication of its attractiveness

Examples
1 Timothy 3:7 And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into disgrace and the snare of the devil.
1 Timothy 3:13 For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.
1 Timothy 5:10 having a reputation for good works; and if she has brought up children, if she has shown hospitality to strangers, if she has washed the saints’ feet, if she has assisted those in distress, and if she has devoted herself to every good work.

How it’s used In 5 roles

Every occurrence, grouped by the words it is grammatically related to.

the word studied the word it goes with

What is done to itIt is the object

11 occurrences in 7 groups

ποιέωto do, to make 4
προνοέωto give attention beforehand 2
κατεργάζομαιto work out, to produce 1
κατέχωto hold fast, to hold back 1
λέγωto say 1
συλλέγωto pick 1

Second object ofSecond object

2 occurrences in 2 groups

ἔχωto have 1
ποιέωto do, to make 1

What is said to be itIt is the predicate

23 occurrences in 15 groups

εἰσέρχομαιto enter, to go into, to come into 5
εἰμίto be 4
οὗτοςthis 3
Other words · 12 groups that occur once or twice (15) 15

After prepositionsPrepositional phrases

1 occurrences in 1 groups

ἐνin 2

In phrases “… of it”It is the genitive

1 occurrences in 1 groups

διάκρισιςdiscernment, ability to judge 1

When two words share a role, as in “Paul and Barnabas said”, the verse appears under each, so a section’s counts can add up to more than the number of occurrences.

MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.

In the other Testament 3 words

טוֹב ṭôwb · H2896 · good, nice, beautiful: Both denote goodness/beauty with overlapping moral and aesthetic senses; καλός (kalós, G2570) καλός emphasizes the beautiful-good quality (καλὸς κἀγαθός ideal), while טוֹב (ṭôwb, H2896) טוֹב covers the broader good/pleasant/favorable range, but the core 'good' sense is directly equivalent across the LXX's consistent rendering pattern.
יָפֶה yâpheh · H3303 · beautiful, handsome, proper: καλός (kalós, G2570) encompasses both aesthetic beauty and moral/functional goodness with broad application, while יָפֶה (yâpheh, H3303) focuses primarily on physical beauty and attractiveness, though both share the semantic overlap of 'good/beautiful' in contexts where appearance and quality converge.
נָעִים nâʻîym · H5273 · lovely, pleasant, sweet: καλός (kalós, G2570) encompasses a broader semantic range including moral goodness, beauty, and value across literal and figurative contexts, while נָעִים (nâʻîym, H5273) is narrower, focusing specifically on pleasantness and sweetness in sensory or experiential terms.

Semantic domains 7 entries

Advantageous, better65.43: In 1 Timothy 1:8, Paul writes, “we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully,” using this word for something advantageous or beneficial when used rightly.
Fitting, good66.2: In 1 Timothy 3:1, Paul writes, “if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do,” using this word for something fitting or appropriate to its purpose.
Beautiful, fine79.9: In Matthew 26:10, when a woman anoints Jesus with expensive perfume, He says, “She has done a good deed to Me,” using this word in a context emphasizing the beauty and fineness of the act itself.
High, important, fine87.25: In 1 Peter 2:12, believers are told to keep their behavior “excellent among the Gentiles,” using this word for conduct that carries honor and high standing.
Good, fine, praiseworthy88.4: In John 10:11, Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep,” using this word for moral goodness and praiseworthy character.
Fair Havens93.493: In Acts 27:8, of Paul's voyage it is written that the ship “came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea,” naming this harbor on the southern coast of Crete.
Good, fine65.22: Distinct from the moral-goodness sense already attested, this lexeme also describes the plain physical quality of a thing: “But the one sown with seed on the good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it” (Matthew 13:23).

Word family 5 words

Words formed from the same root. They share a form, not always a meaning.

καλόςkalós · G2570καλῶς kalōs · G2573 · good, fine, praiseworthy · 36×καλοδιδάσκαλος kalodidáskalos · G2567 · teacher of what is good, teacher of what is right · 1×καλοποιέω kalopoiéō · G2569 · to do good · 1×Καλοὶ Λιμένες Kaloì Liménes · G2568 · Good Harbors, i.e. Fairhaven, a bay of Crete · 0×

Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon καλή, καλόν (probably primarily 'sound,' 'hale,' 'whole;' cf. Vanicek, p. 140f; Curtius,…

καλή, καλόν (probably primarily 'sound,' 'hale,' 'whole;' cf. Vanicek, p. 140f; Curtius, § 31), the Sept. for יָפֶה beautiful, but much more often for טוב good; beautiful, applied by the Greeks to everything so distinguished in form, excellence, goodness, usefulness, as to be pleasing; hence (according to the context) equivalent to "beautiful, handsome, excellent, eminent, choice, surpassing, precious, useful, suitable, commendable, admirable";
a. beautiful to look at, shapely, magnificent: λίθοις καλοῖς κεκόσμηται (A. V. goodly), Lk 21:5.
b. good, excellent in its nature and characteristics, and therefore well adapted to its ends: joined to the names of material objects, universally, 1 Tim 4:4 (equivalent to pure); especially of things so constituted as to answer the purpose for which that class of things was created; good of its kind: τά καλά, of fish, opposed to such as are thrown away (τά σαπρά), Mt 13:48; σπέρμα, Mt 13:24, Mt 13:21, Mt 13:37f; καρπός, Mt 3:10; Mt 7:17-19; Mt 12:33; Lk 3:9 (L WH brackets καλόν); ; δένδρον, opposed to σαπρόν, Mt 12:33; Lk 6:43; γῆ, Mt 13:8, Mt 13:23; Mk 4:8, Mk 4:20; Lk 8:15; καλόν τό ἅλας (is an excellent thing), Mk 9:50; Lk 14:34; so too ὁ νόμος, good in its substance and nature, and fitted to beget good, Rom 7:16; 1 Tim 1:8; διδασκαλία, true and approved teaching, 1 Tim 4:6; καρδία καλή καί ἀγαθή, Lk 8:15; παραθήκη (which see) (containing (rather, consisting of) καλά), 2 Tim 1:14; μέτρον, ample measure (rabbinical, טובה מדה; English good measure), Lk 6:38; βαθμός (firm (but see βαθμός)), 1 Tim 3:13; also θεμέλιος, 1 Tim 6:19; equivalent to genuine, approved, πάντα δοκιμάζετε, τό καλόν κατέχετε, 1 Thess 5:21; equivalent to precious (A. V. goodly), μαργαρῖται, Mt 13:45; equivalent to superior to other kinds, οἶνος, Jn 2:10; joined to names of men designated by their office, competent, able, such as one ought to be: ποιμήν, Jn 10:11, Jn 10:14; διάκονος, 1 Tim 4:6; οἰκονόμος, 1 Pet 4:10; στρατιώτης, 2 Tim 2:3; joined to nouns denoting an effect estimated by the power it involves, or by its constancy, or by the end aimed at by its author, equivalent to praiseworthy, noble: στρατεία, 1 Tim 1:18; ἀγών, 1 Tim 6:12; 2 Tim 4:7; ὁμολογία, 1 Tim 6:12f; ἔργον, Mt 26:10; Mk 14:6; Jn 10:33; 1 Tim 3:1; plural Jn 10:32. καλόν ἐστιν, it is expedient, profitable, wholesome: followed by an infinitive as subject, 1 Cor 7:1; with τίνι added (so in 1 Corinthians, the passage cited also), Mt 18:8f (cf. Winers Grammar, 241 (226); Buttmann, § 149, 7); Mk 9:43, Mk 9:45, Mk 9:47, R G (also L Tr marginal reading in 47); 1 Cor 7:26; 1 Cor 9:15; καλόν ἐστιν followed by the accusative and infinitive, Mk 9:43, Mk 9:45, Mk 9:47, L (but see above) T Tr (but not marginal reading, see above) WH; Heb 13:9; followed by εἰ (cf. Buttmann, 217 (187f); Winer's Grammar, 282 (265)), Mt 26:24; Mk 9:42; Mk 14:21; followed by ἐάν (Buttmann and Winer's Grammar, as above), 1 Cor 7:8; it is pleasant, delightful, followed by an accusative with an infinitive: Mt 17:4; Mk 9:5; Lk 9:33.
c. beautiful by reason of purity of heart and life, and hence praiseworthy; morally good, noble, (Latinhonestus; (cf. Aristotle, τό καθ' αὐτό καλόν)): διάκρισις καλοῦ τέ καί κακοῦ, Heb 5:14; ἔργα, Mt 5:16; 1 Tim 5:10, 1 Tim 5:25; 1 Tim 6:18; Tit 2:7, Tit 2:14; Tit 3:8, Tit 3:14; Heb 10:24; 1 Pet 2:12, and Lachmann in 2 Pet 1:10; ἀναστροφή, Jas 3:13; 1 Pet 2:12; καλή συνείδησις, consciousness of good deeds (A. V. a good conscience), Heb 13:18; καλά, καλόν ἐνώπιον τίνος, in one's judgment, Rom 12:17; 2 Cor 8:21; 1 Tim 2:3 and Rec. in 1 Tim 5:4; ζηλοῦσθαι ἐν καλῷ, Gal 4:18; τό καλόν κατεργάζεσθαι, Rom 7:18; ποιεῖν, Rom 7:21; 2 Cor 13:7; Gal 6:9; Jas 4:17; καλόν ἐστιν, it is right, proper, becoming, followed by an infinitive: Mt 15:26 (L T ἔξεστιν); (Mk 7:27); Gal 4:18 (here Tr marginal reading imperative); Rom 14:21.
d. honorable, conferring honor: μαρτυρία, 1 Tim 3:7; ὄνομα, Jas 2:7; οὐ καλόν τό καύχημα ὑμῶν, 1 Cor 5:6.
e. affecting the mind agreeably, comforting and confirming: Θεοῦ ῤῆμα (the Sept. for טוב דָּבָר, which is spoken of the divine promises, Josh 21:45; Zech 1:13), the gospel and its promises full of consolation, Heb 6:5. Compar. καλλίων, κάλλιον, better: neut, adverbially, σύ κάλλιον ἐπιγινώσκεις, i. e. better than by thy question thou seemest to know, Acts 25:10 (Winers Grammar, 242 (227)). The word is not found in the Apocalypse. (Cf. Trench, § cvi. at the end; Zezschwitz, Profangräcität as above with, p. 60f (cf. ἀγαθός, at the end); Westcott on Jn 10:11.)

Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (1889), public domain

Topical studies with this word 6 entries

Good, Bad29 occurrences Advantageous, Not Advantageous10 occurrences Proper, Improper7 occurrences Beautiful, Ugly1 occurrence High Status or Rank [including persons of high status]3 occurrences Goodness56 occurrences

Meanings adapted from the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament, © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0 and the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew (from the Semantic Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew), © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0; MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.

Sources

eRhema lexical overview, based on the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew and the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament (© United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Macula Hebrew and Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0); released under CC BY-SA 4.0