Word: chre-sTOS (5543)
Definitions:
- Strong's:
chresTOS, khrase-tos'; from CHRAomai (5530) "to receive a loan; borrow; take for one's use".
Employed, that is, (by implication) useful (in manner or morals). KJV "better, easy, good (-ness), gracious, kind".
- Zodhiates:
chre-sTOS; fem. chre-sTE-, neut. chre-sTON, adj. from CHRAomai (5530), to furnish what is needed.
Profitable, fit, good for any use.
- Of things (Luke 5:39, better for drinking; Sept.: Jer 24:2,5, good for eating.)
- Figuratively, good, gentle, easy to use or bear. Christ's yoke is chre-sTOS, as having nothing harsh or galling about it. (Matt. 11:30)
- In a moral sense, moral, useful, good, virtuous. (in the proverb in 1 Cor. 15:33 quoted from Menander)
- Of persons, useful toward others, hence good-natured, good, gentle, kind. (Luke 6:35 of God; Eph. 4:32; 1 Pet. 2:3)
- to chre-sTON (neuter with article), goodness, kindness, equal to he- chre-sTOte-s (S 5544). (Rom. 2:4; Sept.: Ps. 86:5)
- Mounce's:
GK 5982 (S 5543) Word occurs 7 times.
Greek-English
- Useful, profitable; good, agreeable. (Lk. 5:39)
- Easy, as a yoke. (Mt. 11:30)
- Gentle, benign, kind, obliging, gracious. (Lk. 6:35; Eph. 4:32; Rom. 2:4; 1 Pet. 2:3)
- Good in character, disposition, etc., virtuous. (1 Cor. 15:33)
Expository:
- This adjective refers first of all to God, who is "kind to the ungrateful and wicked". (Lk. 6:35)
- In fact, his being kind to all people is intended to lead them to repentance. (Rom. 2:4)
- Once we have become children of God, we continue to experience God's kindness or goodness. (1 Pet. 2:3)
- Then, as a result of and in imitation of our loving God, God calls us to "be kind and compassionate to one another". (Eph. 4:32)
- Vine's:
- Easy, Adjective No. 1, primarily signifies fit for use, able to be used (akin to chraomai, to use), hence, good, virtuous, mild, pleasant (in contrast to what is hard, harsh, sharp, bitter). It is said
- of the character of God as kind, gracious (Luke 6:35; 1 Pet. 2:3); good (Rom. 2:4), where the neuter of the adjective is used as a noun, "the goodness" (cp. the corresponding noun chre-sTOtes, "goodness", in the same verse);
- of the yoke of Christ (Matt. 11:30), "easy" (a suitable rendering would be 'kindly');
- of believers; (Eph. 4:32)
- of things, as wine (Luke 5:39, R.V.), "good", for A.V., "better" (cp. Jer. 24:3,5, of figs);
- ethically, of manners. (1 Cor. 15:33)
- Good, Adjective No. 3, said of things, that which is pleasant, said of persons, kindly, gracious, is rendered "good" (1 Cor. 15:33); "goodness". (Rom. 2:4)
- Kind, Adjective No. 1: serviceable, good, pleasant (of things), good, gracious, kind (of persons), is translated "kind" (Luke 6:35), of God; in Eph. 4:32, enjoined upon believers.
- Thayer's:
- Fit, fit for use, useful.
- Virtuous, good.
- Manageable.
- Mild, pleasant (as opposed to harsh, hard, sharp, bitter).
- Of things.
- chre-sTOteROS OInos, pleasanter. (Luke 5:39)
- SYka. (Jer. 24:3,5)
- ho zyGOS, opposed to burdensome. KJV "easy". (Matt. 11:30)
- Of persons: kind, benevolent.
- Of God. KJV "gracious". (1 Peter 2:3 from Psalm 33:9)
- to chre-sTON tou theOU equivalent to he- chre-sTOte-s. (Rom. 2:4)
- Of men.
- eis TIna, toward one. KJV "kind". (Eph. 4:32)
- ePI TIna. Here of God; KJV "kind". (Luke 6:35)
- HELPS Word-studies:
5543 chrestOS (an adjective, derived from 5530 CHRAomai, "to furnish what is suitable, useful")
Properly, useful (serviceable, productive); well-fitted (well-resourced); useful (beneficial, benevolent).
On the spiritual plane, 5543 chrestOS ("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).
["Chrestus ("useful, kindly") was a common slave-name in the Graeco-Roman world. It "appears as a spelling variant for the unfamiliar Christus (chrisTOS). (In Greek the two words were pronounced alike.)" (F. F. Bruce, The Books of Acts, 368).]
Word: CHRAomai (5530)
Definitions:
- Strong's:
CHRAomai, khrah'-om-ahee; middle voice of a primary verb (perhaps rather from cheir [5495], to handle).
To furnish what is needed; (give an oracle, "graze" [touch slightly], light upon, etc), that is, (by implication) to employ or (by extension) to act towards one in a given manner. Compare CHRAo- (5531), chre- (5534). KJV "entreat, use".
- Mounce's:
GK 5968 (S 5530) Word occurs 11 times.
Greek-English
- To use, make use of, employ. (Acts 27:17; 1 Cor. 7:31)
- To take advantage of. (1 Cor. 7:21; 9:12, 15)
- To use, to treat, behave towards. (Acts 27:3; 2 Cor. 13:10)
Expository
- Use, Verb No. 1: chraomai means "to use". This verb occurs in a variety of passages with a variety of nuances.
- Paul encourages slaves who are able to gain their freedom to "make use" of that opportunity. (1 Cor. 7:21)
- Two chapters later the apostle says that he could have earned his living from being an evangelist, but he freely chooses not to "use" that right. (1 Cor. 9:12, 15)
- If we "use" the law in a proper manner, the law is good and not a burden. (1 Tim. 1:8)
- Later in this same letter Paul instructs Timothy to "use a little wine" for his stomach's sake. (1 Tim. 5:23)
Back to Top
|