This adjective used as a noun means spies or secret agents—people planted to gather information or create a trap. Luke 20:20 describes the religious leaders sending 'spies who pretended to be righteous' to catch Jesus in His words so they could deliver Him to Roman authorities. The term emphasizes their covert, deceptive nature—pretending sincerity while actually seeking to entrap. Classical Greek used it for people secretly inserted into situations for surveillance or subversion. These agents tried to force Jesus into politically dangerous statements.