"well, rightly, suitable, with propriety, becomingly, 1 Cor. 7:37; 14:17; Gal. 4:17; 5:7; truly, justly, correctly, Mk. 12:32; Lk. 20:39; Jn. 4:17; appositely, Mt. 15:7; Mk. 7:6; becomingly, honorably, Jas. 2:3; well, effectually, Mk. 7:9, 37; καλῶς εἰπεῖν, to speak well, praise, ..."
Definition and meaning
well, rightly, suitable, with propriety, becomingly, 1 Cor. 7:37; 14:17; Gal. 4:17; 5:7; truly, justly, correctly, Mk. 12:32; Lk. 20:39; Jn. 4:17; appositely, Mt. 15:7; Mk. 7:6; becomingly, honorably, Jas. 2:3; well, effectually, Mk. 7:9, 37; καλῶς εἰπεῖν, to speak well, praise, applaud, Lk. 6:26; καλῶς ἔχειν, to be convalescent, Mk. 16:18; καλῶς ποιεῖν, to do good, confer benefits, Mt. 5:44; 12:12; to do well, act virtuously, Phil. 4:14
In the original Greek the word is written: καλῶς
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 kalos (G2573) across the King James Bible.
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.
Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.
And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.
And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?
And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:
They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.
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Common questions
Strong's G2573 (kalos) is a Greek word that means: well, rightly, suitable, with propriety, becomingly, 1 Cor. 7:37; 14:17; Gal. 4:17; 5:7; truly, justly, correctly, Mk. 12:32; Lk. 20:39; Jn. 4:17; appositely, Mt. 15:7; Mk. 7:6; becomingly, honorably,... It appears 36 times in the King James Bible.
The word kalos (G2573) appears 36 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G2573 is kalos, a Greek word defined as: well, rightly, suitable, with propriety, becomingly, 1 Cor. 7:37; 14:17; Gal. 4:17; 5:7; truly, justly, correctly, Mk. 12:32; Lk. 20:39; Jn. 4:17; app. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
kalos is a Greek word found in the New Testament.