καλός G2570
Good, beautiful, excellent; morally commendable or aesthetically fine, also used as a proper-name element in 'Fair Havens.'
While agathos (G0018) emphasizes intrinsic moral goodness, kalos carries a richer aesthetic dimension—what is beautiful, noble, or admirable to behold and experience. The word echoes its classical Greek heritage where physical beauty and moral excellence were intertwined (kalokagathia). Jesus speaks of 'good soil' and 'good fruit' (Matt 13:8, 23), where kalos suggests not just moral fitness but an almost visible flourishing. The rare aesthetic sense surfaces in Luke 21:5 ('beautiful stones') and Matt 13:45 ('beautiful pearls'). Acts 27:8 preserves it as a place-name element: Kaloi Limenes, 'Fair Havens.' German gut and schon together capture what kalos holds in a single word.
1. good, right, excellent — Morally good, commendable, excellent, or of fine quality—used of persons, deeds, fruit, soil, conscience, and works. This dominant sense (98x) pervades the parables and ethical teaching of the Gospels: the 'good seed' sown by the Son of Man (Matt 13:24), 'good works' that glorify the Father (Matt 5:16), and the 'good fight' of faith (1 Tim 6:12). French beau and German schon hint at the aesthetic undertone that distinguishes kalos from agathos, though most translations flatten both to 'good.' 98×
AR["جَيِّدًا","جَيِّدٌ","جَيِّدٍ","جَيِّدَةً","حَسَنٌ","خَيْرًا","خَيْرٌ"]·ben["ভালো"]·DE["gut","schön"]·EN["Good","good"]·FR["beau"]·heb["הוּא","טוֹב"]·HI["अच्छा","अछ","अछअ","उत्तम","बच्चों"]·ID["Baik","baik"]·IT["buono"]·jav["Saé","langkung-sae","langkung-saé","sae","saé","saé,"]·KO["나은-것이다","선하게","좋고","좋다","좋습니다","좋았으리라","좋았을-것이다","좋은","좋은-것"]·PT["Bom","bom"]·RU["доброго","добром","добрый","лучше","хороша","хорошим","хорошо"]·ES["Buena","buena","bueno","mejor"]·SW["Nzuri","ingekuwa-bora","ingekuwa-vyema","kuchukua","mazuri","mzuri","ni-afadhali","ni-bora","ni-vizuri","vyema","zuri,"]·TR["iyi","iyidir","İyi"]·urd["اچھا","اچھا-تھا","بہتر","نیک","ٹھیک"]
Matt 3:10, Matt 12:33, Matt 12:33, Matt 13:8, Matt 13:23, Matt 13:24, Matt 13:27, Matt 13:37, Matt 13:38, Matt 15:26, Matt 17:4, Matt 18:8 (+38 more)
▼ 2 more senses below
Senses
2. beautiful, fair in appearance — Aesthetically pleasing, beautiful, or attractive in physical appearance—describing the outward beauty of objects or persons. Only two clear occurrences: Luke 21:5 describes the temple adorned with 'beautiful stones and gifts,' and Matt 13:45 speaks of 'beautiful pearls.' This sense preserves the classical Greek core of kalos as an aesthetic term, visible in the cognate kallos (beauty). Spanish hermosas and German schon naturally capture this visual dimension. 2×
AR["جَميلَةٍ","جَمِيلَةً"]·ben["সুন্দর"]·DE["schön"]·EN["beautiful","good"]·FR["beau"]·heb["טוֹבוֹת","יָפִים"]·HI["अछहे","सुन्दर"]·ID["indah"]·IT["buono"]·jav["ingkang-éndah","saé"]·KO["아름다운"]·PT["belas","boas"]·RU["красивыми","хороших"]·ES["buenas","hermosas"]·SW["mazuri","nzuri"]·TR["güzel"]·urd["خوبصورت"]
3. Fair (in place name) — Used as a proper-name element in the place name Kaloi Limenes ('Fair Havens'), the harbor on the southern coast of Crete where Paul's ship anchored (Acts 27:8). A single occurrence where kalos functions not as a living adjective but as a frozen component of a geographical designation. Spanish renders it Buenos (Puertos), preserving the adjectival flavor within the toponym. 1×
AR["المَوَانِئِ-الجَمِيلَةِ"]·ben["সুন্দর"]·DE["schön"]·EN["Fair"]·FR["bon"]·heb["נְמָלִים"]·HI["अच्छे"]·ID["Baik"]·IT["buono"]·jav["Pelabuhan-Saé"]·KO["아름다운"]·PT["Bons"]·RU["Хорошие"]·ES["Buenos"]·SW["Bandari"]·TR["Güzel"]·urd["خوبصورت"]
Related Senses
H5921a 1. upon, on, over (spatial) (5443×)H0413 1. directional: to, toward (5366×)H1121a 1. son, male offspring, descendant (4914×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)H4428 1. king, human ruler (2518×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)H6440 1. before, in front of (spatial) (1870×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H3027 1. physical hand (body part) (1596×)H1697 1. word, speech, utterance (1235×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
καλός, ή, όν, Aeolic dialect κάλος (see. below), α, ον, Boeotian dialect καλϝός Refs 6th c.BC+:— __A beautiful, of outward form, frequently of persons, κάλλιστος ἀνὴρ ὑπὸ Ἴλιον ἦλθεν Refs 8th c.BC+ usually in the phrase κ. τε μέγας τε Refs 8th c.BC+; μέγας καὶ κ. Refs 8th c.BC+; καλὸς δέμας beautiful of form,Refs 5th c.BC+; Χορῷ καλή beauteous in the dance, Refs 8th c.BC+: with infinitive,…