Greek word · G2111

εὔθετος

euthetos

suitable

Well-placed, fit, suitable, usable for a purpose; useful, convenient (BDAG).

Appears 3 times in 3 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

εὔ-θετος, -ον

(τίθημι), [in LXX: Psalms 32:6 (מָצָא), From Th Sus 1:15* ;]

ready for use, fit: of things, with dative, Hebrews 6:7; before εἰς, Luke 14:35; of persons, with dative, Luke 9:62 (for rabbinic parallels, see Dalman, Words, 119 f.).†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Hebrews 6:7

Range of meaning

Well-placed, fit, suitable, usable for a purpose; useful, convenient (BDAG).

Against the English

'Useful' (BSB), 'suitable' (WEB), 'fit' (YLT), 'meet' (KJV). All are correct, though KJV's 'meet' is now archaic.

Used elsewhere in the period

Luke 9:62: no one who looks back is 'fit' (εὔθετος) for the kingdom of God. Luke 14:35: salt that has lost its taste is 'fit' neither for the soil nor the manure pile. Both are judgments on whether something serves its purpose. LXX Ps 31:6 (32:6 Eng.) uses it of a 'suitable/favourable' time.

From the study of Luke 9:62

Range of meaning

Literally 'well-placed'. It means suitable, convenient, fit for use, serviceable. Classical and Hellenistic Greek apply it to things, times and people that are well adapted to a purpose.

Against the English

'Fit' (KJV, BSB, ESV, NASB) is a good match if read as 'suitable, fit for purpose'. It drifts if heard as 'worthy' or 'morally good enough'. The NIV's 'fit for service in' makes the usefulness sense explicit, but it adds a word.

How it drifted

Readers sometimes hear 'not fit for the kingdom' as a verdict of damnation ('not good enough to get into heaven'). The Greek word is about suitability and usefulness.

Used elsewhere in the period

In the New Testament: Luke 14:35, salt that has lost its taste is 'fit (εὔθετον) neither for the soil nor for the manure heap'; Hebrews 6:7, land that produces 'useful' vegetation. In the Greek Old Testament: Psalm 31(32):6, 'at a fitting time'; Susanna 15, 'a suitable day'. BDAG: 'pert. to being well-suited for something, fit, suitable, usable, convenient'.

Where it appears

Luke · 2

  1. Luke 9:62 εὔθετός suitable

    Then Jesus declared, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and then looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

    Here: 'Well-placed, serviceable, fit for use.' It describes usefulness for a purpose, like a tool or field that does its job. It is not a word for moral worthiness.

  2. Luke 14:35 εὔθετόν fit

    It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile, and it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Hebrews · 1

  1. Hebrews 6:7 εὔθετον useful

    For land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is tended receives the blessing of God.

    Here: Growth that is actually useful for its purpose: food or fodder, as opposed to weeds. The contrast is with the 'thorns and thistles' of verse 8.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.