πονηρός

ἀγαθός agathós · G18 · good, goodness, good act

πονηρός ('evil, wicked') and ἀγαθός ('good') represent fundamental moral opposition in New Testament ethical vocabulary and appear together in direct antithetical constructions contrasting moral goodness with wickedness.

רַע raʻ · H7451 · bad, evil, wicked

Greek πονηρός emphasizes the actively harmful effect or influence of evil, while Hebrew רַע has a broader range encompassing adversity, calamity, and misfortune alongside moral evil; the two overlap substantially in contexts of moral wickedness and harmful action, making them primary translation equivalents in the Septuagint.

רֹעַ rôaʻ · H7455 · bad, ugly, sadness

Greek πονηρός emphasizes evil in its effects and harmful influence, while Hebrew רֹעַ denotes badness, wickedness, and evil broadly as both moral quality and adverse circumstance; the two overlap substantially in moral-evil contexts where LXX translators rendered Hebrew רֹעַ with Greek πονηρός.

רָעַע râʻaʻ · H7489 · to act wickedly, to do wickedness, to do evil

Greek πονηρός emphasizes evil in effect or influence (harm-producing quality), while Hebrew רָעַע focuses on the action of doing evil, breaking, or causing affliction (the verbal enactment of harm).

The Evil One, He who is evil12.35

As a substantive title, the adjective can name Satan himself, the Evil One. Matthew's explanation of the parable of the sower uses this term: “‘When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart’” (Matthew 13:19).

To be sick, to be diseased23.149

The adjective can also describe an affliction as grievous or painful in a disease sense. John's vision of the first bowl judgment uses this term: “So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth; and a harmful and painful sore afflicted the people who had the mark of the beast” (Revelation 16:2).

Stingy, miserly57.108

In the fixed idiom of an ‘evil eye,’ the adjective describes stinginess or miserliness rather than moral evil generally. Jesus's teaching on the eye as the body's lamp uses this term: “‘But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness’” (Matthew 6:23, where the underlying idiom names a grudging, ungenerous disposition).

Bad, worthless65.27

Applied to things rather than persons, the adjective can describe something as bad or of poor quality. Jesus's teaching on trees and their fruit uses this term: “‘So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit’” (Matthew 7:17).

Immoral, evil, wicked88.110

Most often, the adjective describes moral evil or wickedness of character or deed. The Sermon on the Mount's teaching on retaliation uses this term: “‘But I say to you, do not show opposition against an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other toward him also’” (Matthew 5:39).

Jealous(y)88.165

In the idiom of an envious or jealous eye, the adjective describes jealousy specifically. The parable of the workers in the vineyard records the landowner's question to the complaining laborers: “‘Is it not lawful for me to do what I want with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?’” (Matthew 20:15).

Guilty88.314

The adjective can also describe an act as a chargeable offense or crime in a legal context. Luke's account of Paul before Gallio records the proconsul's assessment: “But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, 'If it were a matter of some crime or vicious, unscrupulous act, O Jews, it would be reasonable for me to put up with you'” (Acts 18:14, where the underlying adjective names a chargeable legal wrong).

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

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.