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πανοῦργος

panoûrgos

G3835 predicate adjective

SILEX Entry

Definition

Adroit, skilled in all tasks, resourceful; capable of finding or employing means to achieve an end, often with the implication of cunning or shrewdness. In some contexts, especially in moral or rhetorical discourse, the term acquires a negative connotation: clever in a crafty, deceitful, or unscrupulous way. The core meaning centers on the ability to act effectively in any situation, with contextual shades that emphasize either practical skill or morally ambiguous cunning.

Semantic Range

adroit, versatile, resourceful, clever, shrewd, cunning, crafty, deceitful

Root / Etymology

From πᾶς (all, every) and ἔργον (work, deed), thus literally 'all-working' or 'able to do anything.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek (e.g. Herodotus, Plato), πανοῦργος could be used neutrally to praise all-around competence or practical ability but increasingly acquires a negative undertone—someone who is 'ready for anything,' often by questionable means. By the Hellenistic and Koine periods—including in the Septuagint and New Testament (e.g. 2 Corinthians 12:16)—the word is typically negative, denoting cunning, craftiness, or deceitfulness. The flexibility of the term depends on context and speaker intent: it can describe shrewd intelligence or reprehensible cunning. English translations often render it as 'crafty,' 'cunning,' or 'deceitful,' but these may not fully reflect the way Koine speakers employed the term, which always entwined skill with moral ambiguity. Contrasts with σοφός ('wise') and ἀκέραιος ('innocent, pure'), both of which are positively valued in moral contexts, whereas πανοῦργος shades toward moral suspicion. The Septuagint uses the related noun πανουργία for serpent-like cunning (Genesis 3:1), paralleling the Hebrew עָרוּם (sharp, shrewd), and the New Testament (2 Corinthians 4:2; 11:3) maintains the negative sense.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from πᾶς and ἔργον; all-working, i.e. adroit (shrewd):--crafty.

Root Family

πανουργ- (panourgía) — to do all (things), to be capable, to act with cunning or skill

Root πανουργ- to do every kind of work, to be ready for anything, to act with skill
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
G3834 πανουργία by craftiness

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G3835-01 πανοῦργος panourgos ADJ.P NOM M SG crafty resourceful and cunning resourceful and cunning 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G3835-01 2 Corinthians 12:16 πανοῦργος panourgos ADJ.P NOM M SG crafty resourceful and cunning resourceful and cunning
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