Original Word: ἀκάκος
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: akakos
Pronunciation: ah-KAH-kos
Phonetic Spelling: (ak'-ak-os)
KJV: harmless, simple
NASB: innocent, unsuspecting
Word Origin: [from G1 (α - Alpha) (as a negative particle) and G2556 (κακός - evil)]

1. not bad
2. (objectively) innocent
3. (subjectively) unsuspecting

harmless, simple, innocent.

From a (as a negative particle) and kakos; not bad, i.e. (objectively) innocent or (subjectively) unsuspecting -- harmless, simple.

see GREEK a

see GREEK kakos

172 ákakos (an adjective, derived from 1 /A "not" and 2556 /kakós, "malignant") – properly, not harmful, describing someone innocent, down to their very intentions (motives), i.e. a person without any desire to hurt (harm).

172/akakos ("a character without guile") means being constitutionally harmless, free from the desire to inflict harm (grief, hurt).

[It is ultimately the negated form of 2556 /kakós ("a rotten disposition, bent on inflicting harm").]

Word Origin
from alpha (as a neg. prefix) and kakos
Definition
guileless
NASB Translation
innocent (1), unsuspecting (1).

STRONGS NT 172: ἄκακος

ἄκακος, (κακός);

a. without guile or fraud, harmless; free from guilt: Hebrews 7:26; (cf. Clement, fragment 8, Jacobson edition (Lightfoot S. Clement of Rome etc., p. 219): ἄκακος ὁ πατήρ πνεῦμα ἔδωκεν ἄκακον).

b. fearing no evil from others, distrusting no one, (cf. English guileless): Romans 16:18. ((Aeschylus) Plato, Demosthenes, Polybius, others; the Sept.) (Cf. Trench, § lvi.; Tittmann i., p. 27f.)

The Moral Fabric of Innocence

The word rendered “innocent” in Hebrews 7:26 and “naïve” in Romans 16:18 portrays a freedom from willful malice or guile. In Scripture this moral transparency is never presented as mere inexperience but as an ethical quality that reflects the character of God Himself. Far from weakness, it is a strength that flourishes under the light of divine truth and resists the corrosive power of sin.

New Testament Usage

Romans 16:18 applies the term to believers whose hearts are free of treachery, yet it does so in a warning context: “By smooth talk and flattery, they deceive the hearts of the naive” (Berean Standard Bible). The innocence of the Roman Christians makes them potential targets for false teachers. Thus the verse underscores a tension—innocence must be partnered with discernment (compare Philippians 1:9–10; Matthew 10:16).

Hebrews 7:26, by contrast, uses the same term of Jesus Christ: “Such a high priest truly befits us—One who is holy, innocent, undefiled, set apart from sinners, and exalted above the heavens” (Berean Standard Bible). Here innocence is absolute and unassailable, forming part of the perfect righteousness that qualifies the Son to intercede eternally for His people.

Christological Significance

Innocence reaches its fullest expression in the incarnate Son. Whereas the first Adam forfeited purity, the Last Adam embodies it flawlessly. His innocence is not passive; it actively conquers temptation (Hebrews 4:15) and becomes the foundation of His atoning work (1 Peter 1:19). Because the High Priest is innocent, the believer’s conscience can be cleansed (Hebrews 9:14).

Pastoral and Ministry Implications

1. Guarding the Flock

Shepherds must nurture innocence in the congregation while equipping saints with doctrinal clarity. Romans 16 shows that purity of heart, untethered from sound teaching, invites deception.

2. Modeling Christlike Character

Leaders who imitate the innocence of Christ gain moral authority. The church’s witness is strengthened when its shepherds are “above reproach” (1 Timothy 3:2), reflecting the same quality attributed to the Great High Priest.

3. Discipleship and Spiritual Formation

Believers are called to grow in wisdom without surrendering purity (Philippians 2:15; James 1:27). Teaching should therefore cultivate holy innocence that is coupled with biblical literacy.

Historical Reflection

Early church fathers such as Augustine highlighted Christ’s blamelessness as proof of His divinity and as the ground of substitutionary atonement. Reformers stressed that, because Christ alone is perfectly innocent, justification must be by faith apart from works. Throughout evangelical history, revival movements have underscored personal holiness as evidence of genuine conversion, echoing Hebrews 7:26 by pointing to the Savior’s spotless character.

Practical Application

• Examine motives in service and relationships, pursuing transparency before God (Psalm 139:23–24).
• Resist teachings that appeal to ego or appetite, remembering that flattery preys on the unsuspecting (Romans 16:18).
• Celebrate Christ’s innocence in worship, grounding assurance not in personal merit but in the flawless righteousness of the High Priest.

άκακοι ακάκοις άκακον ακακος άκακος ἄκακος ακάκου ακάκους ακακων ακάκων ἀκάκων άκαν άκανα akakon akakōn akákon akákōn akakos ákakosInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts