μαλακός
malakós
G3120 substantive adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
Having a soft or delicate quality; primarily describes materials or substances as soft, tender, or yielding. In extended usage, characterizes persons as delicate, luxurious, or lacking in firmness, sometimes carrying a negative moral connotation of effeminacy or moral weakness. In rare, polemical contexts, can refer to a passive partner in male same-sex acts, though this meaning is debated and not always explicit.
Semantic Range
soft (of materials or textures), tender, gentle, delicate, living in luxury, lacking in firmness or self-control, effeminate (pejorative; of men), morally weak, passive in male same-sex acts (rare, debated)
Root / Etymology
Adjective formed from the root μαλ- (mal-), associated with softness or tenderness; possibly related to μαλακία (softness, weakness). Ancient Greek origins, well-attested in both classical and Koine literature.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Greek, μαλακός most often describes textures (e.g., soft cloth, delicate skin) or traits of physical or emotional gentleness. By the Hellenistic period and in some moralist or polemical contexts, it could extend in meaning to describe men perceived as overly refined, luxurious, or lacking conventional masculine virtues (i.e., lacking self-control or fortitude). In some rare polemical texts, especially in later Roman sources, it became a term of moral censure, possibly referring to a passive sexual role but often more broadly denoting perceived weakness or lack of masculinity. In Matthew 11:8 and Luke 7:25 (NT), used neutrally of 'soft/luxurious clothing.' In 1 Corinthians 6:9, its meaning is debated: it may refer to men associated with luxury, effeminacy, or, more specifically, to a passive role in same-sex sexual practices, but the precise referent is contested. English translations such as 'effeminate' or 'catamite' can impose anachronistically narrow or moralized senses; the Greek term had a broader semantic field including non-sexual and non-moral connotations.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
of uncertain affinity; soft, i.e. fine (clothing); figuratively, a catamite:--effeminate, soft.
Root Family
μαλακός (malakos) — soft, tender, gentle, delicate
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3120-03 |
μαλακοῖς | malakois | ADJ.S DAT N PL |
soft | to soft ones | soft clothing | 2 |
G3120-02 |
μαλακοὶ | malakoi | ADJ.S NOM M PL |
men who practice homosexuality | soft men | soft men | 1 |
G3120-01 |
μαλακὰ | malaka | ADJ.S ACC N PL |
soft | soft things | soft things | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3120-03 |
Matthew 11:8 | μαλακοῖς | malakois | ADJ.S DAT N PL |
soft | to soft ones | soft clothing |
G3120-01 |
Matthew 11:8 | μαλακὰ | malaka | ADJ.S ACC N PL |
soft | soft things | soft things |
G3120-03 |
Luke 7:25 | μαλακοῖς | malakois | ADJ.A DAT N PL |
soft | to soft ones | soft garments |
G3120-02 |
1 Corinthians 6:9 | μαλακοὶ | malakoi | ADJ.S NOM M PL |
men who practice homosexuality | soft men | soft men |