ἀγαθο-εργέω G0014
to do good, to actively practice beneficence and good works
This compound verb emphasizes active doing of good—not merely being good but energetically practicing beneficence. In Acts 14:17, Paul declares that God 'did good' by giving rain and fruitful seasons, demonstrating divine goodness through providence. In 1 Timothy 6:18, Paul commands the rich 'to do good,' to be generous and ready to share—translating wealth into active benevolence. The verb captures good not as static virtue but as dynamic action, good works that flow from good character. It's righteousness in motion, virtue expressed in tangible benefit to others.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Multilingual glosses consistently emphasize active doing—Spanish 'hacer bien' and 'haciendo bien' (doing good), French 'faire le bien,' German forms preserving the Greek participial structure. Both occurrences present God or humans as active agents of good: God doing good through creation's bounty (Acts 14:17), believers doing good through generous sharing (1 Tim 6:18). The cross-linguistic evidence supports this as energetic beneficence, not passive goodness but active works that bless others. 2×
AR["أَنْ-يَصْنَعوا-خَيْراً", "يَصنَعُ-خَيرًا"]·ben["ভালো-করে", "সৎকাজ-করতে,"]·DE["ἀγαθοεργεῖν", "ἀγαθουργῶν"]·EN["doing-good", "to-do-good"]·FR["faire-le-bien", "ἀγαθοεργεῖν"]·heb["לְ-הֵיטִיב", "מֵטִיב"]·HI["भलाई-करते-हुए", "भलै-करन"]·ID["berbuat-baik"]·IT["agathoergein", "fare-il-bene"]·jav["damel-saé,", "nindakaken-becikin,"]·KO["선을-행하기를,", "선행하시며"]·PT["fazendo-bem,", "fazer-o-bem"]·RU["благодетельствуя", "добро-творить"]·ES["hacer-bien", "haciendo-bien"]·SW["akitenda-mema", "kutenda-mema"]·TR["iyilik-ederek", "iyilik-yapmalarını"]·urd["بھلائی-کرتے-ہوئے", "نیکی-کرنا"]
Related Senses
H2896a 1. good (quality or moral) (305×)H7563 1. wicked person (259×)H7451c 1. moral evil or wickedness (234×)H5771 1. iniquity, sin, wrongdoing (222×)H6662 1. righteous person (substantive) (195×)G0266 1. sin, failure, transgression (173×)H2403b 1. sin, transgression (170×)H2617a 1. Covenant faithfulness, steadfast love (167×)H2398 1. Qal: to sin, commit sin (165×)H6666 1. righteousness, moral uprightness (145×)G5485 1. grace, divine favor (141×)H7451a 1. morally evil, wicked (129×)H2403b 2. sin-offering, sacrifice for sin (120×)G2570 1. good, right, excellent (98×)H6588 1. transgression, offense against God (88×)G0018 1. good (moral quality) (85×)H2896b 1. good, what is good (85×)H7451b 1. evil, wickedness (moral) (83×)H7451a 2. evil, harm, calamity (80×)G1342 1. righteous, upright (of persons) (70×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἀγαθο-εργέω, do good or well, NT: contraction ἀγαθουργέω, NT