Greek word · G739

ἄρτιος

artios

competent

From the root ar- ('fit, join'). It describes what fits or suits its purpose: sound, in working order, capable, proficient, able to meet what is demanded. In arithmetic it was the ordinary word for an even number, one that 'fits' together in pairs (the opposite was perissos, 'odd').

Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

ἄρτιος, -α, -ον

fitted, complete: 2 Timothy 3:17 (MM, see word).†

(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 2 Timothy 3:17

Range of meaning

From the root ar- ('fit, join'). It describes what fits or suits its purpose: sound, in working order, capable, proficient, able to meet what is demanded. In arithmetic it was the ordinary word for an even number, one that 'fits' together in pairs (the opposite was perissos, 'odd'). BDAG defines it as being well fitted for some function: complete, capable, proficient, able to meet all demands.

Against the English

The KJV's 'perfect' (following the Latin perfectus) sounds to modern ears like sinless or flawless. 'Complete' (BSB, ESV, WEB) is closer. 'Adequate' (NASB 1995) catches the idea of capability but sounds a little like 'barely good enough'. YLT's 'fitted' is the most literal. The word describes fitness for a task, not a moral state of flawlessness.

How it drifted

In 1611 'perfect' still mainly meant 'complete, fully made, fully skilled' (from Latin perficere, 'to finish'), and Tyndale and the Vulgate shaped the choice. In modern English 'perfect' mostly means 'without fault', so the old rendering now says something different.

Used elsewhere in the period

This is its only occurrence in the New Testament. In classical and Hellenistic Greek it is used of what is suitable, in good order or proficient, and in mathematics of even numbers. Its relative katartizō ('to put in order, mend, equip') is common in the NT, for example of fishermen 'mending' nets (Mark 1:19) and of 'equipping' the saints (Ephesians 4:12, using the noun katartismos).

Where it appears

2 Timothy · 1

  1. 2 Timothy 3:17 ἄρτιος complete

    so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.

    Here: Ready and suited for what one has to do, with nothing missing for the task. The word comes first in its clause for emphasis. This is its only use in the New Testament. It means 'fit for the job', not 'morally flawless'.

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