καλός,
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),
Luke 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 Timothy 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),
Matthew 13:48;
σπέρμα,
Matthew 13:24,
21,
37f;
καρπός,
Matthew 3:10;
Matthew 7:17-19;
Matthew 12:33;
Luke 3:9 (
L WH brackets
καλόν);
Luke 6:43;
δένδρον, opposed to
σαπρόν,
Matthew 12:33;
Luke 6:43;
γῆ,
Matthew 13:8,
23;
Mark 4:8,
20;
Luke 8:15;
καλόν τό ἅλας (is an excellent thing),
Mark 9:50;
Luke 14:34; so too
ὁ νόμος, good in its substance and nature, and fitted to beget good,
Romans 7:16;
1 Timothy 1:8;
διδασκαλία, true and approved teaching,
1 Timothy 4:6;
καρδία καλή καί ἀγαθή,
Luke 8:15;
παραθήκη (which see) (containing (rather, consisting of)
καλά),
2 Timothy 1:14;
μέτρον, ample measure (rabbinical,
טובה מדה; English
good measure),
Luke 6:38;
βαθμός (firm (but see
βαθμός)),
1 Timothy 3:13; also
θεμέλιος,
1 Timothy 6:19; equivalent to
genuine, approved, πάντα δοκιμάζετε,
τό καλόν κατέχετε,
1 Thessalonians 5:21; equivalent to
precious (
A. V. goodly),
μαργαρῖται,
Matthew 13:45; equivalent to
superior to other kinds,
οἶνος,
John 2:10; joined to names of men designated by their office,
competent, able, such as one ought to be:
ποιμήν,
John 10:11,
14;
διάκονος,
1 Timothy 4:6;
οἰκονόμος,
1 Peter 4:10;
στρατιώτης,
2 Timothy 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 Timothy 1:18;
ἀγών,
1 Timothy 6:12;
2 Timothy 4:7;
ὁμολογία,
1 Timothy 6:12f;
ἔργον,
Matthew 26:10;
Mark 14:6;
John 10:33;
1 Timothy 3:1; plural
John 10:32.
καλόν ἐστιν,
it is expedient, profitable, wholesome: followed by an infinitive as subject,
1 Corinthians 7:1; with
τίνι added (so in 1 Corinthians, the passage cited also),
Matthew 18:8f (cf.
Winers Grammar, 241 (226);
Buttmann, § 149, 7);
Mark 9:43,
45,
47,
R G (also
L Tr marginal reading in 47);
1 Corinthians 7:26;
1 Corinthians 9:15;
καλόν ἐστιν followed by the accusative and infinitive,
Mark 9:43,
45,
47,
L (but see above)
T Tr (but not marginal reading, see above)
WH;
Hebrews 13:9; followed by
εἰ (cf.
Buttmann, 217 (187f);
Winer's Grammar, 282 (265)),
Matthew 26:24;
Mark 9:42;
Mark 14:21; followed by
ἐάν (
Buttmann and
Winer's Grammar, as above),
1 Corinthians 7:8;
it is pleasant, delightful, followed by an accusative with an infinitive:
Matthew 17:4;
Mark 9:5;
Luke 9:33.
c. beautiful by reason of purity of heart and life, and hence praiseworthy; morally good, noble, (Latin
honestus; (cf.
Aristotle,
τό καθ' αὐτό καλόν)):
διάκρισις καλοῦ τέ καί κακοῦ,
Hebrews 5:14;
ἔργα,
Matthew 5:16;
1 Timothy 5:10,
25;
1 Timothy 6:18;
Titus 2:7,
14;
Titus 3:8,
14;
Hebrews 10:24;
1 Peter 2:12, and Lachmann in
2 Peter 1:10;
ἀναστροφή,
James 3:13;
1 Peter 2:12;
καλή συνείδησις, consciousness of good deeds (
A. V. a good conscience),
Hebrews 13:18;
καλά,
καλόν ἐνώπιον τίνος, in one's judgment,
Romans 12:17;
2 Corinthians 8:21;
1 Timothy 2:3 and
Rec. in
1 Timothy 5:4;
ζηλοῦσθαι ἐν καλῷ,
Galatians 4:18;
τό καλόν κατεργάζεσθαι,
Romans 7:18;
ποιεῖν,
Romans 7:21;
2 Corinthians 13:7;
Galatians 6:9;
James 4:17;
καλόν ἐστιν,
it is right, proper, becoming, followed by an infinitive:
Matthew 15:26 (
L T ἔξεστιν); (
Mark 7:27);
Galatians 4:18 (here
Tr marginal reading imperative);
Romans 14:21.
d. honorable, conferring honor:
μαρτυρία,
1 Timothy 3:7;
ὄνομα,
James 2:7;
οὐ καλόν τό καύχημα ὑμῶν,
1 Corinthians 5:6.
e. affecting the mind agreeably, comforting and confirming:
Θεοῦ ῤῆμα (the
Sept. for
טוב דָּבָר, which is spoken of the divine promises,
Joshua 21:45;
Zechariah 1:13), the gospel and its promises full of consolation,
Hebrews 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
John 10:11.)
THAYER’S GREEK LEXICON, Electronic Database.
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