κακοπάθεια
kakopátheia
G2552 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Endurance or state of experiencing suffering; specifically, the condition of bearing up under hardship, distress, or adversity. Used to denote prolonged suffering, especially that which is endured for a cause or as part of a trial. The term often emphasizes perseverance and the active endurance of pain, misfortune, or difficulties, rather than passive suffering.
Semantic Range
endurance of suffering, state of undergoing affliction, perseverance in distress, condition of hardship, sustained adversity
Root / Etymology
From κακός (evil, bad) + πάθος (suffering, experience, passion); denotes the state of having or undergoing evil or painful experiences. Not from ἡμιώριον; Strong's gloss is erroneous. The formation is directly from the adjective/particle κακός and the noun πάθος.
Historical & Contextual Notes
κακοπάθεια is a rare noun in extant Greek literature, primarily attested in later Hellenistic and early Christian texts. In the New Testament, it appears only in James 5:10, where it refers to the suffering experienced by the prophets as examples of perseverance under affliction. The term carries strong connotations of enduring hardship with fortitude, not merely experiencing pain but doing so as an ongoing or exemplary state. Classical Greek prefers other terms for general suffering (e.g., πόνος, πάθος); κακοπάθεια is more emphatic about the afflictive or adverse aspect and less about emotional suffering than πάθος alone. English translations often render it 'suffering affliction' or 'hardship,' but these may not fully communicate the sense of enduring adverse circumstances with persistence. Early Christian writers used the term to describe both physical and moral endurance under trial. Its use in moral exhortation highlights its association with virtue through steadfastness in adversity. The related verb, κακοπαθέω, similarly means 'to suffer affliction' or 'to endure hardship.'
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from a compound of ἡμιώριον and πάθος; hardship:--suffering affliction.
Root Family
κακ-, παθ- (kakopátheia) — to suffer evil, to endure hardship
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2552-01 |
κακοπαθίας | kakopathias | N GEN F SG |
suffering | of sustained adversity | suffering | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G2552-01 |
James 5:10 | κακοπαθίας | kakopathias | N GEN F SG |
suffering | of sustained adversity | suffering |