Greek word · G2554

κακοποιέω

kakopoieō

to do evil/harm

To do wrong, do harm, act as a criminal. The related noun κακοποιός means 'evildoer, criminal,' a common word for someone who deserves punishment by the authorities.

Appears 4 times in 4 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

κακο-ποιέω, ῶ

[in LXX chiefly for רָעַע hi. ;]

to do harm, to do evil: Mark 3:4, Luke 6:9, 1 Peter 3:17, 3 John 11 (Cremer, 329).†

(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 1 Peter 3:17

Range of meaning

To do wrong, do harm, act as a criminal. The related noun κακοποιός means 'evildoer, criminal,' a common word for someone who deserves punishment by the authorities.

Against the English

'Doing evil' can sound like general wickedness or inner sinfulness. In 1 Peter the word group refers to wrongdoing that a court or magistrate would punish.

How it drifted

Modern English 'evil' leans toward the monstrous or the spiritual. The Greek is closer to 'wrongdoing, crime.'

Used elsewhere in the period

In John 18:30 Jesus' accusers say 'if he were not a κακοποιός, we would not have handed him over,' a legal charge. In 1 Peter 2:12 pagans slander believers 'as evildoers'. In 2:14 governors punish 'evildoers'. In 4:15 believers are told not to suffer 'as a murderer or thief or κακοποιός.'

Similar words

Where it appears

Mark · 1

  1. Mark 3:4 κακοποιῆσαι, to do evil?

    And He asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?” But they were silent.

Luke · 1

  1. Luke 6:9 κακοποιῆσαι; to do evil?

    Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?”

1 Peter · 1

  1. 1 Peter 3:17 κακοποιοῦντας· doing evil;

    For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

    Here: The opposite of 'doing good.' In 1 Peter this word group points to wrongdoing that rightly brings punishment, the kind of conduct for which a person would be prosecuted (2:14; 4:15).

3 John · 1

  1. 3 John 1:11 κακοποιῶν doing evil

    Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.

    Here: "Bad-doing," the exact opposite of the earlier participle. It means doing what harms or wrongs others, and again describes a pattern of conduct.

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