Greek word · G865

ἀφιλάγαθος

aphilagathos

hating good

From the alpha-privative plus philagathos, 'loving what is good'. Agathos can be neuter ('good things, goodness') or masculine ('good people'). The positive word was a term of civic praise, applied to public benefactors and virtuous citizens.

Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

ἀ-φιλ-άγαθος, -ον

without love of good: 2 Timothy 3:3 (not elsewhere in Gk. lit., but see 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 3:3

Range of meaning

From the alpha-privative plus philagathos, 'loving what is good'. Agathos can be neuter ('good things, goodness') or masculine ('good people'). The positive word was a term of civic praise, applied to public benefactors and virtuous citizens. The negative describes someone with no love for goodness, or for good people.

Against the English

BSB 'without love of good', WEB 'not lovers of good' and NIV 'not lovers of the good' keep it open. KJV 'despisers of those that are good' narrows it to people and strengthens 'not loving' to 'despising', as do NASB 'haters of good' and NLT 'hate what is good'. YLT 'not lovers of those who are good' also chooses persons.

Used elsewhere in the period

Philagathos appears in honorific language and moral writing. Wisdom of Solomon 7:22 lists 'loving the good' (philagathon) among the qualities of the spirit of Wisdom. Titus 1:8 requires an overseer to be philagathos. The negative form is very rare and occurs only here in the New Testament.

Where it appears

2 Timothy · 1

  1. 2 Timothy 3:3 ἀφιλάγαθοι, without love of good,

    unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without love of good,

    Here: 'Not a lover of the good.' This is the reverse of the honoured trait philagathos, which an overseer must have (Titus 1:8). The Greek can mean good things or good people, so it describes people with no attraction to goodness of any kind. It occurs only here in the New Testament.

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