ἐγκράτ-εια G1466
Self-control; mastery over one's desires, appetites, and impulses
A virtue denoting the inner strength to govern one's passions and appetites. In Galatians 5:23 it crowns the fruit-of-the-Spirit list, while in 2 Peter 1:6 it appears twice in a chain linking knowledge to godliness. When Paul reasoned about 'righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment' before Felix (Acts 24:25), the governor trembled -- suggesting this was no abstract ideal but a piercing moral demand. French 'maitrise de soi' and Spanish 'dominio propio' both capture the reflexive dimension: authority exercised over oneself.
Senses
1. sense 1 — The capacity to restrain one's desires, appetites, and impulses through inner discipline. Classical Greek usage (enkrateia hedonon kai epithymion) already framed this as mastery over pleasures and lusts. In the NT it appears in ethical catalogs (Gal 5:23, 2 Pet 1:6) and in Paul's pointed discourse before Felix (Acts 24:25). The multilingual evidence -- spa 'dominio propio,' fra 'maitrise de soi,' deu approximating the Greek -- uniformly treats it as deliberate self-governance rather than mere restraint. 4×
AR["التَّعَفُّفُ", "الضَّبْطِ-النَّفْسِيِّ", "ضَبطَ-النَّفسِ", "ضَبطِ-النَّفسِ"]·ben["সংযম", "সংযম;", "সংযমের"]·DE["ἐγκράτεια", "ἐγκράτειαν", "ἐγκρατείας", "ἐγκρατείᾳ"]·EN["self-control"]·FR["maîtrise-de-soi", "ἐγκράτεια", "ἐγκράτειαν", "ἐγκρατείᾳ"]·heb["רִסּוּן", "רִסּוּן-עַצְמִי", "שְׁלִיטַת-עַצְמִית"]·HI["संयम", "संयमकी", "सन्यम;"]·ID["pengendalian-diri,", "penguasaan-diri", "penguasaan-diri,", "penguasaan-diri;"]·IT["autocontrollo"]·jav["ngendhaleni-diri,", "pangendalèn,", "pangendalèn;", "pangwasa-sarèrèhani;"]·KO["절제,", "절제;", "절제를;", "절제와"]·PT["domínio-próprio", "temperança"]·RU["воздержание", "воздержании"]·ES["dominio-propio"]·SW["kiasi", "kujizuia"]·TR["öz-denetime", "öz-denetimi", "özdenetim"]·urd["ضبط", "ضبط-نفس-میں،", "ضبط-نفس؛", "پرہیزگاری"]
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
ἐγκράτ-εια [ρᾰ], ἡ, mastery over, ἐ. ἑαυτοῦ self-control, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἐ. ἡδονῶν καὶ ἐπιθυμιῶν control over them,Refs 5th c.BC+ __II absolutely, self-control, NT+5th c.BC+