κᾰκουργ-ος G2557
A criminal, evildoer, malefactor; one who does evil deeds, especially in a legal or judicial context.
Refers to a criminal or evildoer in the formal, judicial sense — someone identified by law as a wrongdoer. All four New Testament occurrences carry strong courtroom or punishment associations. In Luke 23:32-33, 39, the two men crucified alongside Jesus are identified as kakourgoi, and every major translation tradition reflects the legal weight: Spanish malhechor, French malfaiteur, German Übeltäter. Paul applies the term to himself in 2 Timothy 2:9, noting the bitter irony that he suffers imprisonment 'as a criminal' for proclaiming the gospel.
Senses
1. sense 1 — A criminal or malefactor in the judicial sense — one formally recognized as an evildoer. Spanish malhechor ('wrongdoer'), French malfaiteur ('malefactor'), and German Übeltäter ('evildoer') all preserve the compound structure of the Greek (kakos + ergon, 'evil-worker'). In Luke 23:32-33, 39, it designates the two men crucified with Jesus, carrying the weight of legal condemnation. In 2 Tim 2:9, Paul applies it to himself with pointed irony, suffering bonds 'as a criminal' for the sake of the gospel. 4×
AR["مُجْرِمانِ", "مُجْرِمٍ", "مُجْرِمَيْنِ"]·ben["κακούργους-অপরাধীদের", "κακούργων-অপরাধীদের", "κακοῦργοι-অপরাধীরা", "অপরাধী।"]·DE["Uebeltaeter", "κακούργους", "κακούργων", "κακοῦργοι"]·EN["criminal", "criminals"]·FR["malfaiteur"]·heb["עַבְרְיַן", "פּוֹשְׁעִים"]·HI["अपरअधि.", "अपराधियों-को", "अपराधियों-में-से", "अपराधी"]·ID["penjahat", "penjahat-penjahat"]·IT["kakourgoi", "kakourgon", "kakourgos", "kakourgous"]·jav["durjana", "durjana."]·KO["범죄자.", "행악한-자들", "행악한-자들을", "행악한-자들의"]·PT["malfeitor"]·RU["злодеев", "злодей"]·ES["malhechor", "malhechores"]·SW["mhalifu", "wahalifu", "waliyetundikwa"]·TR["suçlu", "suçlular", "suçluları", "suçluların"]·urd["بدکار", "مجرم", "مجرموں"]
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
κᾰκουργ-ος, Epic dialect κακοεργός (also late Prose, Refs 3rd c.AD+; δαιμόνια κακοεργά Refs 5th c.AD+, ον, (ἔργον) doing ill, mischievous, knavish, once in Refs 8th c.BC+ importunate, Refs 8th c.BC+. adverb -γωςRefs 2nd c.AD+ __2 as substantive, malefactor, criminal in the eye of the law, NT+5th c.BC+; at Athens, technically, thief, robber, ὁ τῶν κακούργων νόμος Refs 5th c.BC+ __II with genitive,…