Original Word: χρηστός
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: chréstos
Pronunciation: khray-stos'
Phonetic Spelling: (khrase-tos')
KJV: better, easy, good(-ness), gracious, kind
NASB: good, kind, kindness, easy
Word Origin: [from G5530 (χράομαι - use)]

1. employed
2. (by implication) useful (in manner or morals)

better, easy, gracious, kind.

From chraomai; employed, i.e. (by implication) useful (in manner or morals) -- better, easy, good(-ness), gracious, kind.

see GREEK chraomai

Cognate: 5543 xrēstós (an adjective, derived from 5530 /xráomai, "to furnish what is suitable, useful") – properly, useful (serviceable, productive); well-fitted (well-resourced); useful (beneficial, benevolent). See 5544 (xrēstotēs).

On the spiritual plane, 5543 /xrēstós ("suitable, usefully kind") describes what God defines is kind – and therefore also eternally useful! "We have no adjective in English that conveys this blend of being kind and good at the same time" (M. Vincent).

["Xrestus ("useful, kindly") was a common slave-name in the Graeco-Roman world. It "appears as a spelling variant for the unfamiliar Christus (Xristos). (In Greek the two words were pronounced alike.)" (F. F. Bruce, The Books of Acts, 368).]

Word Origin
adjective from chraomai
Definition
serviceable, good
NASB Translation
easy (1), good (2), kind (2), kindness (2).

STRONGS NT 5543: χρηστός

χρηστός, χρηστη, χρηστόν (χράομαι), from Herodotus down, the Sept. for טוב;

1. properly, fit for use, useful; virtuous, good: ἤθη χρηστά, 1 Corinthians 15:33 ((Treg. χρηστά (but cf. Buttmann, 11)), see ἦθος, 2).

2. manageable, i. e. mild, pleasant (opposed to harsh, hard, sharp, bitter): of things, χρηστότερός οἶνος, pleasanter, Luke 5:39 (here T Tr text χρηστός; so WH in brackets) (of wine also in Plutarch, mor., p. 240 d. (i. e. Lacaen. apophtheg. (Gorgias 2); p. 1073 a. (i. e. de com. notit. 28)); of food and drink, Plato, de rep. 4, p. 438 a.; σῦκα, the Sept. Jeremiah 24:3, 5); ὁ ζυγός (opposed to burdensome), Matthew 11:30 (A. V. easy); of persons, kind, benevolent: of God, 1 Peter 2:3 (A. V. gracious) from Psalm 33:9 (); τό χρηστόν τοῦ Θεοῦ equivalent to ἡ χρηστότης (Winer's Grammar, § 34, 2), Romans 2:4; of men, εἰς τινα toward one, Ephesians 4:32; ἐπί τινα, Luke 6:35 (here of God; in both passages, A. V. kind).

Overview

Strong’s Greek 5543 gathers seven New Testament occurrences around the idea of beneficent goodness—kindness that proves itself through usefulness, suitability, and gracious favor. The term spans descriptions of the character of God, the yoke of Christ, the taste of salvation, and the conduct expected within the redeemed community.

Divine Kindness Revealed

Luke 6:35 records the Lord’s direct assertion of the Father’s nature: “He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.” This statement roots every other use of the word in God Himself. Romans 2:4 broadens the vista, speaking of “the riches of His kindness” that “lead you to repentance.” Kindness is therefore not sentimental indulgence but a purposeful grace that confronts sin and draws sinners toward restoration.

Christ’s Yoke of Benevolence

In Matthew 11:30 Jesus invites the weary with the assurance, “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” The adjective expresses the gentle, well-fitting nature of discipleship under the Messiah. Far from crushing, His rule liberates, proving the Messianic promise of rest foreshadowed by Sabbath patterns and covenant faithfulness.

Tasted in Salvation Experience

1 Peter calls believers back to their first encounter with the gospel: “now that you have tasted that the Lord is good” (1 Peter 2:3). Peter assumes that authentic conversion involves a discernible savor of divine kindness, echoing Psalm 34:8. The metaphor of taste safeguards the personal, experiential dimension of faith, preventing the gospel from becoming mere abstraction.

Old and New Wine—Discernment Required

Luke 5:39 notes the natural human bias: “And no one after drinking old wine wants new, for he says, ‘The old is better.’” Here the word functions comparatively, describing the perceived excellence of what is already known. The saying exposes the resistance of human tradition to the fresh inbreaking of the kingdom, even when that kingdom brings the truest good.

Formation of Christian Character

Ephesians 4:32 exhorts, “Be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.” Kindness becomes the relational aroma of the new humanity created in Christ, directly mirroring God’s action toward His people. When Paul warns “Bad company corrupts good character” (1 Corinthians 15:33), the word underscores that such character is fragile; it flourishes or withers according to one’s associations. Sanctification therefore demands both cultivation and vigilance.

Pastoral and Missional Implications

1. Evangelism: Stressing divine kindness provides a biblical foundation for calling sinners to repentance without diluting holiness.
2. Discipleship: Presenting Christ’s yoke as kind combats legalistic distortions and encourages joyful obedience.
3. Counseling: Ephesians 4:32 authorizes a grace-saturated model for conflict resolution, grounded in the gospel’s forgiving kindness.
4. Community Witness: Congregational life marked by practical benevolence serves as an apologetic, displaying the character of God before a watching world.

Historical Echoes

Early Christian apologists leveraged this concept against pagan misconceptions. Tertullian famously played on the phonetic similarity between “Christians” and “good-natured ones” (χρηστοί), turning ridicule into testimony. Patristic writers connected the term with beneficence in social ministries—care for the poor, hospitality, and rescue of infants—demonstrating that doctrinal fidelity and social kindness were never intended to be rivals.

Theological Synthesis

Kindness is not a mere ethical add-on; it is covenantal. The God who pledged hesed in the Old Testament now manifests it in the incarnate Son and pours it out through the Spirit into the hearts of believers. Each occurrence of Strong’s 5543 therefore serves as a facet in the unified biblical testimony: God’s goodness is active, redemptive, and reproducible in His people until the age to come.

χρηστα χρηστά χρηστὰ χρηστοι χρηστοί χρηστον χρηστόν χρηστὸν χρηστος χρηστός χρηστὸς χρηστότερός χρηστού χρηστών chresta chrestà chrēsta chrēstà chrestoi chrestoí chrēstoi chrēstoí chreston chrestòn chrēston chrēstòn chrestos chrestós chrestòs chrēstos chrēstós chrēstòsInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts