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ἔργον

érgon

G2041 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A tangible action, deed, or work; concrete activity performed by an individual or group, either in the realm of physical labor, action, or accomplishment, as distinguished from intent or thought. In various contexts, it refers to a wide range of acts, including occupational work, moral actions (either good or bad), undertakings, accomplishments, or anything produced by effort. The sense includes both manual labor and any result of purposeful effort, and can carry neutral, positive, or negative connotations depending on context.

Semantic Range

deed, action, work (labor), undertaking, accomplishment, activity, product, practical effort, result of effort, occupation

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root ἐργ-, related to the verb ἔργω (to work, to do), ultimately of Indo-European origin (compare Latin 'orgo, origo' and English 'work'). The root is well-established in classical and Koine Greek as denoting the concept of action or deed.

Historical & Contextual Notes

ἔργον is a common noun from Homeric Greek onwards, denoting a wide range of concrete and abstract 'works' or deeds: agricultural labor, handiwork, artistic production, moral behavior, or divine acts. In the Septuagint, it translates several Hebrew terms (notably מַעֲשֶׂה and פָּעַל), referring to both God's creative acts and human endeavors. In the New Testament, ἔργον is frequently contrasted with λόγος (word, speech) and πίστις (trust, faith), such as in Pauline literature, where 'works' may refer to deeds performed in accordance with Torah or moral expectation. Common English translations such as 'work', 'deed', or 'act' capture much of its usage, but in Greek, the term could cover meanings from daily labor to extraordinary accomplishment to moral action, depending on context.

Translation Consistency

primary "work" 45 occurrences

"Work" is the most natural, flexible English headword for ἔργον: it covers manual labor, actions/deeds, undertakings, and results of effort. It matches the dominant English renderings ("works/ work") in the data, can be used countably or uncountably as needed, and avoids the narrower moral/legal tone of "deed."

Alternatives (5 occurrences):
"deeds" (4x) "deed" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from a primary (but obsolete) (to work); toil (as an effort or occupation); by implication, an act:--deed, doing, labour, work.

Root Family

ἐργ- (ergátēs) — to work, to perform, to accomplish

Root ἐργ- to work, to act, to accomplish
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
G2040 ἐργάτης workers
G2716 κατεργάζομαι accomplished for himself
G4020 περιεργάζομαι those busying themselves about

Word Forms

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G2041-04 ἔργον ergon N ACC N SG works a deed work 79
G2041-01 ἔργα erga N ACC N PL works works works 58
G2041-03 ἔργοις ergois N DAT N PL works to deeds deeds 13
G2041-02 ἔργῳ ergo N DAT N SG deed by work by work 10
G2041-05 ἔργου ergou N GEN N SG work of work of work 8

Occurrences in Scripture

168 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G2041-01 Matthew 5:16 ἔργα erga N ACC N PL works works works
G2041-01 Matthew 11:2 ἔργα erga N ACC N PL works works works
G2041-01 Matthew 23:3 ἔργα erga N ACC N PL works works works
G2041-01 Matthew 23:5 ἔργα erga N ACC N PL works works works
G2041-04 Matthew 26:10 ἔργον ergon N ACC N SG work a deed a work
G2041-04 Mark 13:34 ἔργον ergon N ACC N SG work a deed a work
G2041-04 Mark 14:6 ἔργον ergon N ACC N SG work a deed work
G2041-03 Luke 11:48 ἔργοις ergois N DAT N PL deeds to deeds of the deeds
G2041-02 Luke 24:19 ἔργῳ ergo N DAT N SG deed by work deed
G2041-01 John 3:19 ἔργα erga N NOM N PL deeds works works
G2041-01 John 3:20 ἔργα erga N NOM N PL works works works
G2041-01 John 3:21 ἔργα erga N NOM N PL works works works
G2041-04 John 4:34 ἔργον ergon N ACC N SG work a deed work
G2041-01 John 5:20 ἔργα erga N ACC N PL works works works
G2041-01 John 5:36 ἔργα erga N NOM N PL works works works
G2041-01 John 5:36 ἔργα erga-2 N NOM N PL works works works
G2041-01 John 6:28 ἔργα erga N ACC N PL works works works
G2041-04 John 6:29 ἔργον ergon N NOM N SG work a deed work
G2041-01 John 7:3 ἔργα erga N ACC N PL works works works
G2041-01 John 7:7 ἔργα erga N NOM N PL works works works
G2041-04 John 7:21 ἔργον ergon N ACC N SG work a deed work
G2041-01 John 8:39 ἔργα erga N ACC N PL works works works
G2041-01 John 8:41 ἔργα erga N ACC N PL works works works
G2041-01 John 9:3 ἔργα erga N NOM N PL works works works
G2041-01 John 9:4 ἔργα erga N ACC N PL works works works
G2041-01 John 10:25 ἔργα erga N NOM N PL works works works
G2041-01 John 10:32 ἔργα erga N ACC N PL works works works
G2041-04 John 10:32 ἔργον ergon N ACC N SG work a deed work
G2041-05 John 10:33 ἔργου ergou N GEN N SG work of work work
G2041-01 John 10:37 ἔργα erga N ACC N PL works works works
G2041-03 John 10:38 ἔργοις ergois N DAT N PL works to deeds to works
G2041-01 John 14:10 ἔργα erga N ACC N PL works works works
G2041-01 John 14:11 ἔργα erga N ACC N PL works works works
G2041-01 John 14:12 ἔργα erga N ACC N PL works works works
G2041-01 John 15:24 ἔργα erga N ACC N PL works works works
G2041-04 John 17:4 ἔργον ergon N ACC N SG work a deed work
G2041-04 Acts 5:38 ἔργον ergon N NOM N SG work a deed work
G2041-03 Acts 7:22 ἔργοις ergois N DAT N PL deeds to deeds deeds
G2041-03 Acts 7:41 ἔργοις ergois N DAT N PL works to deeds deeds
G2041-04 Acts 9:36 ἔργων ergon N GEN N PL of works a deed of works
G2041-04 Acts 13:2 ἔργον ergon N ACC N SG work a deed work
G2041-04 Acts 13:41 ἔργον ergon N ACC N SG a work a deed a work
G2041-04 Acts 13:41 ἔργον ergon-2 N ACC N SG a work a deed a work
G2041-04 Acts 14:26 ἔργον ergon N ACC N SG work a deed work
G2041-04 Acts 15:38 ἔργον ergon N ACC N SG work a deed work
G2041-01 Acts 26:20 ἔργα erga N ACC N PL works works works
G2041-01 Romans 2:6 ἔργα erga N ACC N PL works works works
G2041-05 Romans 2:7 ἔργου ergou N GEN N SG doing of work of work
G2041-04 Romans 2:15 ἔργον ergon N ACC N SG work a deed a work
G2041-04 Romans 3:20 ἔργων ergon N GEN N PL works a deed deeds
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