κακόω (G2559) — Greek Lexicon

κακόω

kakóō

G2559 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To cause harm or to mistreat; fundamentally, to treat someone or something badly (physically, emotionally, or socially). The word encompasses a range of hostile actions or ill-treatment, including to injure, oppress, afflict, or cause suffering. Extended uses include to cause distress or vexation, particularly by unjust or harsh behavior.

Semantic Range

to afflict, to oppress, to mistreat, to injure, to harm, to treat unjustly, to vex, to exasperate

Root / Etymology

From the root κακός ('bad, evil, harmful'); formed as a denominative verb meaning 'to do evil (to someone),' 'to harm' or 'to treat badly.' The verbal ending -όω forms verbs from adjectives or nouns, indicating the action of bringing about the quality denoted by the stem.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, κακόω can mean to maltreat, humiliate, or treat insolently. In the Septuagint (LXX) and New Testament, it often refers to hostile or unjust treatment, including physical mistreatment (e.g., Acts 7:6, 19) and social oppression. In the LXX, it frequently translates Hebrew verbs for affliction or oppression, particularly in the narratives of Israelite enslavement (e.g., Exodus 1:11-12). In the New Testament, the term retains this sense of being wronged or oppressed by hostile parties. English translations often render κακόω with 'afflict,' 'oppress,' 'mistreat,' or 'harm,' but may obscure the broader connotation of active unjust treatment beyond only physical injury. The semantic range may also extend to emotional or psychological harm (to vex, to exasperate), though this is contextual and less frequent. The term does not inherently emphasize malice, but rather the effect or state imposed on the subject.

Translation Consistency

primary "mistreat" 4 occurrences

“Mistreat” best captures the typical semantic range of kakóō — treating someone badly, whether physically, emotionally, or socially — and matches the majority of P2 renderings. It is natural English, covers harm/oppression/affliction without being overly formal, and will read consistently across all inflected forms.

Alternatives (2 occurrences):

"harmed" (1x) "who will harm" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from κακός; to injure; figuratively, to exasperate:--make evil affected, entreat evil, harm, hurt, vex.

Root Family

κακόω (kakoō) — to do harm, to treat badly, to afflict

Root κακ- to do harm, to treat badly, to afflict

Word Forms

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`G2559-03`	κακῶσαί	kakosai	`V AOR ACT INF`	harm	to mistreat	to mistreat	2
`G2559-01`	ἐκάκωσαν	ekakosan	`V AOR ACT IND 3P PL`	embittered	they mistreated	they mistreated	1
`G2559-05`	κακώσουσιν	kakosousin	`V FUT ACT IND 3P PL`	mistreat	they will mistreat	they will mistreat	1
`G2559-04`	κακώσων	kakoson	`V FUT ACT PTCP NOM M SG`	that will harm	one who will harm	one who will harm	1
`G2559-02`	ἐκάκωσεν	ekakosen	`V AOR ACT IND 3P SG`	mistreated	he harmed	he harmed	1

Occurrences in Scripture

6 occurrences

Filter by SIDANCE:

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`G2559-05`	Acts 7:6	κακώσουσιν	kakosousin	`V FUT ACT IND 3P PL`	mistreat	they will mistreat	they will mistreat
`G2559-02`	Acts 7:19	ἐκάκωσεν	ekakosen	`V AOR ACT IND 3P SG`	mistreated	he harmed	he harmed
`G2559-03`	Acts 12:1	κακῶσαί	kakosai	`V AOR ACT INF`	to mistreat	to mistreat	to mistreat
`G2559-01`	Acts 14:2	ἐκάκωσαν	ekakosan	`V AOR ACT IND 3P PL`	embittered	they mistreated	they mistreated
`G2559-03`	Acts 18:10	κακῶσαί	kakosai	`V AOR ACT INF`	harm	to mistreat	to mistreat
`G2559-04`	1 Peter 3:13	κακώσων	kakoson	`V FUT ACT PTCP NOM M SG`	that will harm	one who will harm	one who will harm

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