κᾰκός G2556
Bad, evil, wicked; of moral corruption, harmful effects, or persons who practice wickedness
A broad moral term spanning the entire range of what is bad or evil. In the Gospels it most often appears as a substantive — 'the evil' or 'evil things' — naming the moral corruption Jesus warned against (Mark 7:21) and the wickedness the crowds could not articulate when Pilate asked 'What evil has he done?' (Matt 27:23). Spanish and German translations consistently render it as 'mal/malo' and 'böse/schlecht,' while the few non-moral uses (Luke 16:25, 'bad things') and personal uses ('evil ones,' Matt 21:41) show its flexibility across abstract, concrete, and personal referents.
Senses
1. evil, wickedness (abstract/moral) — The substantivized or abstract concept of evil and moral wickedness — the dominant NT usage. Jesus names evil thoughts (Mark 7:21) as springing from the heart, and Paul warns that bad company corrupts good morals (1 Cor 15:33). Across languages this sense consistently takes moral-weight terms: Spanish 'mal,' French 'mauvais,' German 'böse.' 45×
AR["الشَّرَّ", "الشَّرُّ", "الشَّرِّ", "الشِّرّيرُ", "شَرًّا", "شَرٌّ", "شَرٍّ", "شَرّاً"]·ben["মন্দ", "মন্দ,", "মন্দ-কারী,", "মন্দের", "মন্দের,"]·DE["boese", "schlecht"]·EN["evil"]·FR["mauvais"]·heb["רַע", "רָע", "רָעָה"]·HI["बुरऐ", "बुरा", "बुराई"]·ID["-", "jahat", "kejahatan", "kejahatan,", "yang-jahat", "yang-jahat,"]·IT["cattivo"]·jav["ala", "awon", "awon,", "piawon", "piawon,"]·KO["악", "악에게", "악으로", "악으로부터", "악을", "악의", "악이", "악이며,", "악한", "악한-것-을", "악한-것을"]·PT["de-mal", "mal", "mal,"]·RU["-делает", "-зла", "зла,", "зло", "зло,", "злое", "злой", "злом", "побеждай"]·ES["hizo", "mal", "malo"]·SW["baya", "kosa", "mtumwa", "mwovu", "ubaya", "ubaya-gani", "uovu,"]·TR["koetue,", "kötü", "kötülük", "kötülükle", "kötülükten", "kötülüğe", "kötülüğü", "kötülüğün", "kötünün", "kötüyü"]·urd["بدکار", "برائی", "بُرا", "بُرائی", "بُرائی-کے،", "بُرائی،", "بُرائی٬"]
Matt 24:48, Matt 27:23, Mark 7:21, Mark 15:14, Luke 23:22, John 18:23, John 18:30, Acts 9:13, Acts 23:9, Acts 28:5, Rom 1:30, Rom 2:9 (+33 more)
2. bad, harmful, injurious — Harmful, injurious, or poor in quality, with emphasis on the damaging effect rather than moral character. In Luke 16:25 Lazarus received 'bad things' during life — not morally evil, but painful and disadvantageous. Spanish 'malas' and German 'schlecht' sometimes shade toward this non-moral register. 3×
AR["سوءًا", "سَيِّئَاتِ", "سَيِّئَةٌ"]·ben["ক্ষতি", "খারাপ", "মন্দ।"]·DE["boese", "schlecht"]·EN["bad", "bad-things", "harm"]·FR["mauvais"]·heb["רָעָה", "רָעוֹת"]·HI["बुराई।", "बुरी", "हानि"]·ID["buruk.", "jahat", "yang-buruk"]·IT["cattivo"]·jav["-awon", "awon", "awon."]·KO["나쁜-것들을", "악한", "해를"]·PT["coisas-más", "mal;", "más."]·RU["злое", "злые", "худого"]·ES["malas", "malo"]·SW["mabaya", "mbaya", "uovu"]·TR["kötülük", "kötülükler"]·urd["بری-چیزوں", "بُری", "نقصان"]
3. evil persons, wicked ones — Substantivized masculine plural identifying wicked persons — those who embody evil. The owner in Jesus' parable will 'destroy those evil ones miserably' (Matt 21:41), and the Ephesian church tested those who claimed apostleship and found them false (Rev 2:2). Spanish 'malos' and French 'mauvais' carry the same personal force. 2×
AR["الأَشرارَ", "الأَشْرارَ"]·ben["মন্দদের"]·DE["boese", "schlecht"]·EN["Evil-ones", "evil-ones"]·FR["mauvais"]·heb["הָרָעִים", "רָעִים"]·HI["बुरों-का", "बुरों-को;"]·ID["Orang-jahat", "orang-jahat;"]·IT["cattivo"]·jav["Awon", "tiyang-awon"]·KO["악한-자들-을"]·PT["Maus", "maus"]·RU["Злых", "злых;"]·ES["A-malos", "malos"]·SW["vibaya", "waovu;"]·TR["kötüleri", "ve-"]·urd["بُروں-کو"]
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
κᾰκός, ή, όν, __A bad: __A.I of persons, __A.I.1 of appearance, ugly, εἶδος μὲν ἔην κακός Refs 8th c.BC+ __A.I.2 of birth, ill-born, mean, γένος ἐστὲ διοτρεφέων βασιλήων.., ἐπεὶ οὔ κε κακοὶ τοιούσδε τέκοιεν Refs 8th c.BC+ __A.I.3 of courage, craven, base, Refs 8th c.BC+; Ἕκτωρ σε κ. καὶ ἀνάλκιδα φήσει Refs 8th c.BC+; οὐδαμῶν κακίονεςRefs 5th c.BC+ __A.I.4 bad of his kind, i. e. worthless, sorry,…