ὀκνηρός

From the study of Romans 12:11

Range of meaning

Hesitant, shrinking back, reluctant (from oknos, "hesitation" or "reluctance"); hence idle, sluggish, lazy. Also, of a thing, "tiresome" or "bothersome" (Phil 3:1, "not tiresome for me").

Against the English

"Slothful" (KJV, YLT), "lagging" (WEB, NASB), "lacking" (NIV). The BSB turns it into a positive command ("do not let your zeal subside"). All are fair. "Lagging" and "hesitant" keep the sense of holding back better than "lazy" alone does.

Used elsewhere in the period

In Greek Proverbs it is the word for the "sluggard" (Prov 6:6, 9: "Go to the ant, O sluggard"). In Matt 25:26 the master calls the slave who buried his talent "wicked and oknēre." Classical writers use it for someone who shrinks from action.

From the study of Philippians 3:1

Range of meaning

From okneō, 'to hesitate, shrink back, delay' (Acts 9:38). Used of persons it means 'hesitant, sluggish, lazy' (Matt 25:26, 'wicked and slothful servant'; Rom 12:11, 'not slothful in zeal'). Used of things it means 'troublesome, irksome': something that makes you reluctant.

Against the English

KJV 'grievous' (in 1611 meaning 'burdensome', which today sounds like 'causing grief'). WEB 'tiresome'. BSB, ESV and NASB 'no trouble'. These are all fine, but the root idea of reluctance or hanging back is mostly lost.

How it drifted

KJV's 'grievous' has drifted toward 'very sad' or 'very serious'. In 1611 it meant 'heavy, irksome'.

Used elsewhere in the period

Classical and Koine use for hesitation and sluggishness (LSJ; BDAG s.v.). J. T. Reed shows that letter writers of the period used set phrases such as 'I do not hesitate to write…' or 'do not hesitate to write to me…' to introduce a request or a repetition.

From the study of Matthew 25:26

Range of meaning

From oknos, 'shrinking, hesitation, reluctance', and the verb oknéō, 'to hesitate, hold back from, be slow to'. It means hesitant, slow to act, reluctant, idle. It can also describe something that causes reluctance, i.e. something tiresome (Phil 3:1, 'not troublesome to me').

Against the English

KJV and WEB have 'slothful', BSB, NIV and NASB 'lazy', ESV 'slothful'. These capture the idleness but lose the hesitation, the holding back out of fear that the Greek root carries.

How it drifted

In modern English 'lazy' mostly means unwilling to put in effort. The Greek includes that, but its core picture is shrinking back from action. That fits this slave exactly: by his own account he did not lounge about. He acted out of fear ('I was afraid', v. 25), dug a hole and played it safe.

Used elsewhere in the period

Acts 9:38: 'do not delay (mē oknēsēs) to come to us'. Romans 12:11: 'in zeal not oknēroi' (not holding back). In the LXX of Proverbs the word is the standard term for the 'sluggard': Prov 6:6, 'Go to the ant, O sluggard (ō oknēre)', and 6:9. Sirach 22:1–2 uses it too. Matthew's vocative oknēre sounds like Proverbs' rebuke of the sluggard.