Greek word · G512

ἀνωφελής

anōphelēs

useless

Not beneficial, unprofitable, bringing no gain or advantage. It is the negative of ὠφελέω ("to help, benefit") and ὄφελος ("advantage"). It always measures something against a purpose: useless for what? It is a functional word, not a moral one.

Appears 2 times in 2 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

ἀν-ωφελής, -ές

(ἀ- neg., ὄφελος), [in LXX: Isaiah 44:10 (יָעַל בִּלְתִּי) Jeremiah 2:8 (יָעַל לֹא), Proverbs 28:3, Wisdom of Solomon 1:11 * ;]

unprofitable: Titus 3:9; neut. as subst., unprofitableness: Hebrews 7:18.†

(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 7:18

Range of meaning

Not beneficial, unprofitable, bringing no gain or advantage. It is the negative of ὠφελέω ("to help, benefit") and ὄφελος ("advantage"). It always measures something against a purpose: useless for what? It is a functional word, not a moral one.

Against the English

"Useless" (BSB, NIV, ESV, NASB, NLT) and "uselessness" (WEB) can sound to a modern ear like "worthless," "pointless" or "never any good." KJV "unprofitableness" stays closer to the Greek idea of not producing the needed return.

How it drifted

In current English "useless" is often a flat verdict of worthlessness ("a useless person"). The Greek is narrower and depends on context: unable to deliver the particular benefit in view.

Used elsewhere in the period

Titus 3:9 calls foolish disputes "unprofitable and futile" (ἀνωφελεῖς καὶ μάταιοι). Hebrews itself uses the root to measure benefit: the message "did not benefit" (οὐκ ὠφέλησεν) the wilderness generation (4:2), and foods "did not benefit" (οὐκ ὠφελήθησαν) those devoted to them (13:9). In each case the question is whether something actually brought people into God's life and rest.

Where it appears

Titus · 1

  1. Titus 3:9 ἀνωφελεῖς unprofitable

    But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, arguments, and quarrels about the law, because these things are pointless and worthless.

    Here: The exact opposite of ὠφέλιμα, 'profitable', at the end of verse 8. Good works are 'profitable for people'; these debates bring no benefit to anyone. The wording is a deliberate contrast.

Hebrews · 1

  1. Hebrews 7:18 ἀνωφελές, uselessness —

    So the former commandment is set aside because it was weak and useless

    Here: Literally "not-benefiting." It means the commandment could not deliver the result that mattered. Verse 19 names that result: it "made nothing perfect," so it could not bring worshippers all the way near to God.

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