Original Word: ἀργός
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: argos
Pronunciation: ar-gos'
Phonetic Spelling: (ar-gos')
Definition: Idle, lazy, inactive
Meaning: idle, lazy, thoughtless, unprofitable, injurious.

barren, idle, slow.

From a (as a negative particle) and ergon; inactive, i.e. Unemployed; (by implication) lazy, useless -- barren, idle, slow.

see GREEK a

see GREEK ergon

Word Origin
from alpha (as a neg. prefix) and ergon
Definition
inactive, idle
NASB Translation
careless (1), idle (4), lazy (1), useless (2).

STRONGS NT 692: ἀργός

ἀργός, ἀργόν, and in later writings from Aristotle, hist. anim. 10, 40 (vol. i., p. 627{a}, 15) on and consequently also in the N. T. with the feminine ἀργῇ, which among the early Greeks Epimenides alone is said to have used, Titus 1:12; cf. Lob. ad Phryn., p. 104f; id. Paralip., p. 455ff; Winers Grammar, 68 (67) (cf. 24; Buttmann, 25 (23)) (contracted from ἀεργός which Homer uses, from alpha privative and ἔργον without work, without labor, doing nothing), inactive, idle;

a. free from labor, at leisure (ἀργόν εἶναι, Herodotus 5, 6): Matthew 20:3, 6 (Rec.); 1 Timothy 5:13.

b. lazy, shunning the labor which one ought to perform (Homer, Iliad 9, 320 ὁ, τ' ἀεργός ἀνήρ, ὁ, τέ πολλά ἐοργως): πίστις, James 2:20 (L T Tr WH for R G νεκρά); γαστέρες ἀργαί i. e. idle gluttons, from Epimenides, Titus 1:12 (Nicet. ann. 7, 4, 135 d. εἰς ἀργᾷς γαστερας ὀχετηγησας); ἀργός καί ἄκαρπος εἰς τί, 2 Peter 1:8.

c. of things from which no profit is derived, although they can and ought to be productive; as of fields, trees, gold and silver, (cf. Grimm on Wis. 14:5; (Liddell and Scott, under the word I. 2)); unprofitable, ῤῆμα ἀργόν, by litotes equivalent to pernicious (see ἄκαρπος): Matthew 12:36. [SYNONYMS: ἀργός, βραδύς, νωθρός: ἀργός, idle, involving blameworthiness; βραδύς slow (tardy), having a purely temporal reference and no necessary bad sense; νωθρός sluggish, descriptive of constitutional qualities and suggestive of censure. Schmidt, chapter 49; Trench, § civ.]

Word Origin: Derived from the Greek prefix ἀ- (a-, "not") and the root ἐργ- (erg-, "work"), meaning "without work" or "idle."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: The concept of idleness or laziness in the Hebrew Bible is often expressed with terms such as עָצֵל (ʿāṣēl, Strong's Hebrew 6102), which means "sluggard" or "lazy," and רָפָה (rāphāh, Strong's Hebrew 7503), meaning "to slacken" or "to be idle." These terms similarly convey the negative aspects of failing to engage in productive or responsible behavior.

Usage: The word ἀργός is used in the New Testament to describe individuals who are not actively working or who are neglecting their responsibilities. It often carries a negative connotation, implying laziness or slothfulness.

Context: The Greek term ἀργός appears in several New Testament passages, emphasizing the importance of diligence and the dangers of idleness. In Matthew 12:36, Jesus warns that people will give an account for every "idle word" they speak, highlighting the moral and spiritual implications of careless speech. The Apostle Paul, in his epistles, often admonishes believers to avoid idleness and to be diligent in their work. For instance, in 2 Thessalonians 3:11, Paul addresses the issue of some among the Thessalonians who were leading an "undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies." Here, ἀργός is used to describe those who are not contributing to the community and are instead engaging in disruptive behavior. The biblical perspective underscores the value of hard work and the ethical responsibility to contribute positively to society and the community of faith.

αργαι αργαί ἀργαί ἀργαὶ αργη ἀργή αργοι αργοί ἀργοί αργον αργόν ἀργὸν αργους αργούς ἀργούς ἀργοὺς argai argaí argaì arge argē argḗ argoi argoí argon argòn argous argoús argoùsInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts