ἀνωφελ-ής G0512
unprofitable, useless, unhelpful; providing no benefit or advantage
This adjective describes what is unprofitable or useless—providing no benefit. Titus 3:9 calls foolish controversies, genealogies, and quarrels about the law unprofitable and useless. Hebrews 7:18 describes the former commandment as weak and unprofitable. Classical usage included both unprofitable and actively harmful. The New Testament restricts it to unhelpfulness or lack of benefit. Translations (Spanish inutilidad/inútiles, French inutile, German unnuetz) consistently emphasize uselessness.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Titus uses the feminine plural ἀνωφελεῖς to describe religious disputes—they're unprofitable, producing no spiritual benefit. Hebrews employs the same adjective for the Mosaic law regarding priesthood—it was unprofitable in that it couldn't perfect worshipers. Both uses involve religious systems or practices that fail to accomplish their ostensible purpose. The adjective doesn't mean these things are evil but that they're ineffective—unable to produce the benefit claimed or desired. 2×
AR["عَدَمِ-نَفْعِهَا", "غَيرُ-نافِعَةٍ"]·ben["অনুপকারী", "অপকারী"]·DE["unnuetz"]·EN["unprofitable", "uselessness"]·FR["inutile"]·heb["חֲסַר־תּוֹעֶלֶת", "חֹסֶר-תוֹעֶלֶת"]·HI["निरर्थकता--", "लअभ-हेएन"]·ID["ketidakbergunaan", "tidak-berguna"]·IT["anōpheleis", "anōpheles"]·jav["mboten-migunani", "tanpa-gina"]·KO["무익한", "무익함을"]·PT["inutilidade", "inúteis"]·RU["бесполезности", "бесполезные"]·ES["inutilidad", "inútiles"]·SW["kutofaa", "yasiyo-na-faida"]·TR["yararssız", "yararsız"]·urd["بے-فائدہ", "بےفائدگی"]
Related Senses
H5414 1. give, bestow (1855×)H3947 1. take, seize, grasp (Qal) (940×)G2192 1. possess / have (680×)G1325 1. give, bestow (336×)H5159 1. inherited land or property (170×)G2983 1. receive, obtain (134×)H3423 1. Qal: take possession of land (130×)G2983 2. take, take up (113×)G2398 1. one's own, belonging to oneself (91×)G3860 1. hand over, deliver to custody (78×)H7998 1. spoil, plunder, booty (74×)G1325 2. be given, be granted (70×)H5414 2. put, place, set (68×)H7999a 1. pay, repay, recompense (63×)H7069 1. Buy, purchase (59×)H1892 1. vanity, futility, absurdity (58×)H5159 2. heritage as covenant portion (52×)H6299 1. redeem or ransom (Qal active) (49×)H4376 1. Sell (Qal active) (47×)H1350a 1. Redeem, buy back (46×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἀνωφελ-ής, ές, unprofitable, useless, ἁβροσύναιRefs 6th c.BC+ __2 hurtful, prejudicial, Refs 5th c.BC+: comparative -έστεροςRefs 5th c.BC+. adverb -λῶςRefs 4th c.BC+