αἰσχροκερδῶς
aischrokerdōs
G147 adverb
SILEX Entry
Definition
In a base or dishonorable manner motivated by greed; acting with a shameful desire for personal profit, particularly for monetary gain. This adverb indicates the manner of an action characterized by an unworthy or ethically questionable pursuit of material benefit.
Semantic Range
shamefully for gain, in a sordid or greedy manner, with disgraceful desire for profit, for base monetary advantage
Root / Etymology
From αἰσχροκερδής (aischrokerdēs, 'greedy for base gain' or 'shamefully greedy'), itself formed from αἰσχρός ('shameful, base') and κέρδος ('gain, profit, advantage'). The adverbial ending -ῶς denotes manner.
Historical & Contextual Notes
αἰσχροκερδῶς appears in later Koine Greek and is not attested in earlier classical literature. In the New Testament, it is used to qualify actions performed for base gain, specifically in 1 Peter 5:2 concerning leadership motivated by shameful profit rather than genuine care. In contemporary Koine Greek texts beyond the NT, similar constructions appear in ethical discourses, often with a negative connotation tied to personal gain at the expense of communal or moral obligations. Standard English translations like 'for filthy lucre's sake' or 'shameful gain' attempt to reflect the term's strong moral opprobrium, but they sometimes obscure the nuance of social dishonor and specifically monetary greed that the term invokes in its original context. αἰσχροκερδής and its adverb αἰσχροκερδῶς differ from related terms such as πλεονέκτης ('one who desires more, covetous') in that they explicitly add an element of disgraceful or socially condemned profit-seeking. The negative evaluation is culturally specific to Greek moral discourse, where both material greed and loss of public honor are at play.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
adverb from αἰσχροκερδής; sordidly:--for filthy lucre's sake.
Root Family
αἰσχροκερδῶς (aischrokerdōs) — shameful, base, profit, gain
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G147-01 |
αἰσχροκερδῶς | aischrokerdos | ADV |
for sordid gain | shamefully for gain | for sordid gain | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G147-01 |
1 Peter 5:2 | αἰσχροκερδῶς | aischrokerdos | ADV |
for sordid gain | shamefully for gain | for sordid gain |