Greek · Strong's G4190
πονηρός
ponērós (pon-ay-ROS)
adjective
The Greek adjective ponērós describes evil in its active and harmful expression, emphasizing its damaging effect or influence.
The Greek term _ponērós_ refers to that which is evil in a harmful or injurious sense. Unlike _kakos_, which can denote inherent badness, _ponērós_ often highlights the active, damaging nature of evil. It carries the nuance of something that is not merely bad but actively works to corrupt or destroy. This can apply to individuals, such as an "evil servant" who causes harm or distress through their actions, or to qualities, like "evil thoughts" that lead to sinful behavior. The word can also describe conditions or circumstances that are harmful or destructive, such as "evil days."
In the New Testament, _ponērós_ is used in a variety of contexts to underscore the pervasive and active nature of evil. It appears frequently in the Synoptic Gospels, particularly in the teachings of Jesus, where it describes the "evil eye," "evil heart," and "evil generation." Jesus himself is recorded as using the term to refer to the devil as "the evil one," emphasizing the personal and malevolent force behind much of the world's suffering. The concept extends beyond individual moral failings to encompass a broader spiritual struggle against forces that seek to undermine God's kingdom.
The theological weight of _ponērós_ lies in its emphasis on the tangible and destructive consequences of sin and rebellion against God. It highlights the aggressive and insidiously corrupting nature of evil, both human and supernatural. The term calls believers to spiritual vigilance and ethical discernment, urging them to resist active wrongdoing and to recognize the broader spiritual battle at play. Its usage in passages about deliverance from "evil" or "the evil one" underscores the need for divine intervention and protection from these harmful influences.
Poneros — the New Testament word for evil
Poneros (πονηρός) is the New Testament's strongest moral word for evil — active, harmful, and personal. It is the word Jesus uses in the Lord's Prayer: “deliver us from evil” (or “the evil one,” Matthew 6:13). It is the word for the evil eye (Matthew 6:23), the evil generation (Luke 11:29), and the evil one who sows tares in the field (Matthew 13:38-39). When poneros appears, scripture is not describing mere mishap; it is naming hostile, willful badness.
The richness of poneros becomes clearer in contrast to the word kakos (G2556), which can mean simply bad, painful, or unfit. Kakos is the bad fruit on a tree; poneros is the malevolent intention of the heart. James 1:13 insists that God “tempteth no man” with evil (poneros) — God is not the author of malice. Paul prays for deliverance from “unreasonable and wicked (poneros) men” (2 Thessalonians 3:2).
Translators have to decide, verse by verse, whether poneros names a quality (“evil”) or a person (“the evil one”). The closing line of the Lord's Prayer is the classic crux. Most modern English versions read “deliver us from the evil one,” recognising poneros as Jesus' regular term for the devil. Whichever reading, the point holds: the Christian prayer is for rescue from active, personal evil — and the gospel promises exactly that rescue.
Common English renderings
- bad
- evil
- grievous
- harm
- lewd
- malicious
- wicked
Key verses
"But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet:"
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"And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?"
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"We know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in the evil one."
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"Take heed, brethren, lest haply there shall be in any one of you an evil heart of unbelief, in falling away from the living God:"
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"but I say unto you, Resist not him that is evil: but whosoever smiteth thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also."
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"and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and evil men; for all have not faith."
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Related words
Common questions
- Poneros (πονηρός) is a Greek adjective meaning 'evil,' 'wicked,' 'malicious,' or 'harmful.' Used as a noun with the article ('ho poneros'), it often refers personally to the devil — 'the evil one.' It appears 78 times in the New Testament and is the strongest of the standard moral-evil words.
Where this word study leads next