← G691 G693 →

ἀργός

argós

G692 substantive adjective

SILEX Entry

Definition

Not working; lacking productive activity. In general Greek usage, ἀργός refers to that which is not engaged in labor or is functionally inactive. It can describe people (idle, not occupied, lazy), land (lying fallow, uncultivated), things (useless, unproductive), or time (spent without productive action). In behavioral contexts, it frequently carries the sense of willful inaction or laziness, whereas in reference to objects or land, it denotes literal non-use or lack of function.

Semantic Range

inactive, idle, lazy, unemployed, unproductive, barren (land), ineffective, useless, empty (of words or actions), slow (in action)

Root / Etymology

From the alpha privative prefix (ἀ-, meaning 'not', expressing negation) and ἔργον ('work', 'deed'). Thus, ἀργός originally means 'not working'. Related to similar formations in Greek denoting absence of action or productivity.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek (e.g., Homer, Herodotus), ἀργός can mean 'idle', 'lazy', or even 'inactive' in a broader sense (of people, objects, or land). It does not always connote moral blame; it can simply be descriptive of a factual state. By the Hellenistic and Koine era, it is often pejorative regarding people (lazy, negligent), but still carries a neutral literal sense when referring to land ('lying uncultivated') or things ('unproductive', 'barren'). In the Septuagint and New Testament, its usage focuses on people (idle, not doing what is expected), on words or speech (empty, useless), and on land (barren). Standard English translations like 'idle', 'lazy', or 'barren' each capture an aspect but may miss the underlying idea of inactivity or lack of effective work, which applies broadly. The term does not always imply willful neglect unless the context makes this clear. Its negating prefix is parallel to other Greek formations indicating absence or opposition to the base property (e.g., ἀνήρ [without man], ἄλογος [without reason]).

Translation Consistency

primary "idle" 7 occurrences

“Idle” is the most natural, common English rendering for ἀργός, matching its typical sense of willful inaction or lack of productive activity. It works for people (idle, lazy), land or things (idle/uncultivated, unproductive), and time (spent idly). It also matches the attested P2 choices (6 of 8 instances as “idle”) and is more idiomatic than the more neutral “inactive.”

Alternatives (1 occurrence):
"inactive" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from Α (as a negative particle) and ἔργον; inactive, i.e. unemployed; (by implication) lazy, useless:--barren, idle, slow.

Root Family

ἀργός (argos) — not working, inactive, idle

Root ἀργ- not working, inactive, idle

Word Forms

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G692-01 ἀργαὶ argai ADJ.S NOM F PL idle inactive ones idle ones 3
G692-05 ἀργούς argous ADJ.S ACC M PL idle idle ones idle 2
G692-02 ἀργή arge ADJ.P NOM F SG idle inactive inactive 1
G692-03 ἀργοί argoi ADJ.S NOM M PL idle idle ones idle 1
G692-04 ἀργὸν argon ADJ.A ACC N SG idle inactive idle 1

Occurrences in Scripture

8 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G692-04 Matthew 12:36 ἀργὸν argon ADJ.A ACC N SG idle inactive idle
G692-05 Matthew 20:3 ἀργούς argous ADJ.S ACC M PL idle idle ones idle
G692-03 Matthew 20:6 ἀργοί argoi ADJ.S NOM M PL idle idle ones idle
G692-01 1 Timothy 5:13 ἀργαὶ argai ADJ.S NOM F PL idle inactive ones idle ones
G692-01 1 Timothy 5:13 ἀργαὶ argai-2 ADJ.P NOM F PL idle inactive ones idle ones
G692-01 Titus 1:12 ἀργαί argai ADJ.A NOM F PL idle inactive ones idle ones
G692-02 James 2:20 ἀργή arge ADJ.P NOM F SG idle inactive inactive
G692-05 2 Peter 1:8 ἀργοὺς argous ADJ.S ACC M PL idle idle ones idle
← G691 Greek Lexicon G693 →