"good, profitable, generous, upright, virtuous"
Definition and meaning
good, profitable, generous, upright, virtuous
In the original Greek the word is written: ἀγαθός
Historical context
Rome had controlled Judea since 63 BC. Herod the Great rebuilt the Temple into one of the most magnificent structures in the ancient world — and simultaneously murdered members of his own family. The common people paid multiple layers of taxation and were politically powerless. Into that world a carpenter from Galilee began teaching that the kingdom of God had arrived.
The people who first heard this word were not reading a book — they were living through empires, oppression, exile, and covenant. Every word carried the weight of that reality. Understanding it changes how you read Scripture.
Scripture references
These are the most notable occurrences of agathos (G18) across the King James Bible.
That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?
So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.
Refiner gives you the full lexicon entry, AI-powered verse insight, historical commentary, cross-references, and voice study — all in one place.
Free to start · Disciple $4.99/mo · Shepherd $9.99/mo
Common questions
Strong's G18 (agathos) is a Greek word that means: good, profitable, generous, upright, virtuous It appears 88 times in the King James Bible.
The word agathos (G18) appears 88 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G18 is agathos, a Greek word defined as: good, profitable, generous, upright, virtuous. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
agathos is a Greek word found in the New Testament.