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Greek adjective · G4190

πονηρός

ponerospon-ay-ros'

bad, worthless

78 uses in the Greek text, one for each word STEP Bible has tagged with this key

Concordance spelling: ponērós

Word page · Part of the concordance, one page for every word of the Hebrew and Greek text. Strong's G4190is this word's number in James Strong's 1890 index of the King James Bible.

  • 20 of 27
    New Testament books
  • 26
    spellings
  • 1
    meaning

The definition in full

Strong's key (1890) · G4190

hurtful, i.e. evil (properly, in effect or influence, and thus differing from , which refers rather to essential character, as well as from , which indicates degeneracy from original virtue); figuratively, calamitous; also (passively) ill, i.e. diseased; but especially (morally) culpable, i.e. derelict, vicious, facinorous; neuter (singular) mischief, malice, or (plural) guilt; masculine (singular) the devil, or (plural) sinners

The King James renders it: bad, evil, grievous, harm, lewd, malicious, wicked(-ness).

James Strong, The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890), public domain. Strong indexed the King James text, and this site quotes his entry as that index.

Summary

poneros is rendered "bad, worthless". It stands 78 times in the Greek text, across twenty books.

  • Twenty-six of the uses stand in Matthew, more than in any other book.
  • Its one listed meaning is "bad, worthless".
  • Its first use in canonical order opens the ledger below.Matthew 5:11Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
  • The Greek text spells it twenty-six different ways.

The first use

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.

Matthew 5:11πονηρὸν

The first use, in the order of the New Testament's books.

Where the word stands

What the word means

The word carries one meaning: bad, worthless.

Each meaning, and the words it is translated by

The English STEP Bible gives each use, word by word, and how many times.
bad, worthless__(a) in physical senseTagged as
  • evil60
  • wicked3
  • bad2
  • evil one2
  • evils2
  • more evil2
  • an evil1
  • crimes1

and 5 more, 78 uses in all

WhereMatthew 7:11So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children…

The words built on the same word-part

Each word below begins with the same letters this one begins with. A shared word-part shows a family. It does not settle what any one of them means, so each word carries its own uses on its own page. Scholars call that shared part the stem.

πονηρίαponeriaevilUses7
πονηρότεροςponeroterosmore evilUsesnot recorded

All 78, in canonical order

Every use, in order

Every use, grouped by book, with its verse.

26 spellings and their grammar

STEP Bible tags every word of the Hebrew and Greek text with its spelling and its grammar. Both lists below count the rows printed underneath, written out in English, with the code beside each one as it was tagged.

How it is spelled

  • πονηροῦ12
  • πονηρὰ9
  • πονηρὸς6
  • πονηρόν5
  • πονηρὸν5
  • πονηροὺς5
  • πονηρῶν5
  • πονηροὶ4
  • πονηρά3
  • πονηραί2
  • πονηρὲ2
  • πονηροῖς2

and 14 more spellings in the ledger below.

The grammar of each form

  • adjective · genitive (“of”) · masculine singular9A-GSM
  • adjective · nominative (subject) · masculine singular8A-NSM
  • adjective · accusative (object) · masculine plural7A-APM
  • adjective · accusative (object) · neuter singular5A-ASN
  • adjective · nominative (subject) · masculine plural5A-NPM
  • adjective · nominative (subject) · feminine singular5A-NSF
  • adjective · accusative (object) · neuter plural4A-APN
  • adjective · genitive (“of”) · neuter plural4A-GPN
  • adjective · nominative (subject) · neuter plural4A-NPN
  • adjective · nominative (subject) · neuter singular4A-NSN
  • adjective · accusative (object) · masculine singular3A-ASM
  • adjective · genitive (“of”) · neuter singular3A-GSN

Matthew

twenty-six uses
  • Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.

    Matthew 5:11

    • πονηρὸνponeronadjective · accusative (object) · neuter singulartagged: evil
  • Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ Anything more comes from the evil one.

    Matthew 5:37

    • πονηροῦponerouadjective · genitive (“of”) · masculine singulartagged: evil
  • But I tell you not to resist an evil person. If someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also;

    Matthew 5:39

    • πονηρῷponeroadjective · dative (“to / for”) · neuter singulartagged: evil
  • that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

    Matthew 5:45

    • πονηροὺςponerousadjective · accusative (object) · masculine pluraltagged: evil
  • And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’

    Matthew 6:13

    • πονηροῦponerouadjective · genitive (“of”) · neuter singulartagged: evil’
  • But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

    Matthew 6:23

    • πονηρὸςponerosadjective · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: evil
  • So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

    Matthew 7:11

    • πονηροὶponeroiadjective · nominative (subject) · masculine pluraltagged: evil
  • Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.

    Matthew 7:17

    • πονηροὺςponerousadjective · accusative (object) · masculine pluraltagged: bad
  • A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.

    Matthew 7:18

    • πονηροὺςponerousadjective · accusative (object) · masculine pluraltagged: bad
  • But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said, “Why do you harbor evil in your hearts?

    Matthew 9:4

    • πονηρὰponeraadjective · accusative (object) · neuter pluraltagged: evil
  • You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.

    Matthew 12:34

    • πονηροὶponeroiadjective · nominative (subject) · masculine pluraltagged: evil
  • The good man brings good things out of his good store of treasure, and the evil man brings evil things out of his evil store of treasure.

    Matthew 12:35

    • πονηρὸςponerosadjective · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: evil
    • πονηροῦponerouadjective · genitive (“of”) · masculine singulartagged: evil
    • πονηρά.¶poneraadjective · accusative (object) · neuter pluraltagged: evil things
  • Jesus replied, “A wicked and adulterous generation demands a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

    Matthew 12:39

    • πονηρὰponeraadjective · nominative (subject) · feminine singulartagged: evil
  • Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and dwell there; and the final plight of that man is worse than the first. So will it be with this wicked generation.”

    Matthew 12:45

    • πονηρότεραponeroteraadjective · accusative (object) · neuter pluraltagged: more evil
    • πονηρᾷ.¶poneraadjective · dative (“to / for”) · feminine singulartagged: evil
  • When anyone hears the message of the kingdom but does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path.

    Matthew 13:19

    • πονηρὸςponerosadjective · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: evil one
  • The field is the world, and the good seed represents the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one,

    Matthew 13:38

    • πονηροῦponerouadjective · genitive (“of”) · masculine singulartagged: evil
  • So will it be at the end of the age: The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous,

    Matthew 13:49

    • πονηροὺςponerousadjective · accusative (object) · masculine pluraltagged: evil
  • For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander.

    Matthew 15:19

    • πονηροίponeroiadjective · nominative (subject) · masculine pluraltagged: evil
  • A wicked and adulterous generation demands a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Then He left them and went away.

    Matthew 16:4

    • πονηρὰponeraadjective · nominative (subject) · feminine singulartagged: evil
  • Then the master summoned him and declared, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave all your debt because you begged me.

    Matthew 18:32

    • πονηρέponereadjective · vocative (address) · masculine singulartagged: evil
  • Do I not have the right to do as I please with what is mine? Or are you envious because I am generous?’

    Matthew 20:15

    • πονηρόςponerosadjective · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: envious
  • So the servants went out into the streets and gathered everyone they could find, both evil and good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

    Matthew 22:10

    • πονηρούςponerousadjective · accusative (object) · masculine pluraltagged: evil
  • ‘You wicked, lazy servant!’ replied his master. ‘You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed.

    Matthew 25:26

    • πονηρὲponereadjective · vocative (address) · masculine singulartagged: Wicked

Mark

two uses
  • greed, wickedness, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, arrogance, and foolishness.

    Mark 7:22

    • πονηρόςponerosadjective · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: evil
  • All these evils come from within, and these are what defile a man.”

    Mark 7:23

    • πονηρὰponeraadjective · nominative (subject) · neuter pluraltagged: evils

Luke

thirteen uses
  • But when he rebuked Herod the tetrarch regarding his brother’s wife Herodias and all the evils he had done,

    Luke 3:19

    • πονηρῶνponeronadjective · genitive (“of”) · neuter pluraltagged: evils
  • Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil because of the Son of Man.

    Luke 6:22

    • πονηρὸνponeronadjective · accusative (object) · neuter singulartagged: evil
  • But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

    Luke 6:35

    • πονηρούς.¶ponerousadjective · accusative (object) · masculine pluraltagged: evil
  • The good man brings good things out of the good treasure of his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil treasure of his heart. For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.

    Luke 6:45

    • πονηρὸςponerosadjective · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: evil
    • πονηροῦponerouadjective · genitive (“of”) · masculine singulartagged: evil
    • πονηρόνponeronadjective · accusative (object) · neuter singulartagged: evil
  • At that very hour Jesus healed many people of their diseases, afflictions, and evil spirits, and He gave sight to many who were blind.

    Luke 7:21

    • πονηρῶνponeronadjective · genitive (“of”) · neuter pluraltagged: evil
  • as well as some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,

    Luke 8:2

    • πονηρῶνponeronadjective · genitive (“of”) · neuter pluraltagged: evil
  • So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

    Luke 11:13

    • πονηροὶponeroiadjective · nominative (subject) · masculine pluraltagged: evil
  • Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and dwell there. And the final plight of that man is worse than the first.”

    Luke 11:26

    • πονηρότεραponeroteraadjective · accusative (object) · neuter pluraltagged: more evil
  • As the crowds were increasing, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It demands a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.

    Luke 11:29

    • πονηράponeraadjective · nominative (subject) · feminine singulartagged: an evil
  • Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are good, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are bad, your body is full of darkness.

    Luke 11:34

    • πονηρὸςponerosadjective · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: evil
  • His master replied, ‘You wicked servant, I will judge you by your own words. So you knew that I am a harsh man, withdrawing what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow?

    Luke 19:22

    • πονηρὲponereadjective · vocative (address) · masculine singulartagged: evil

John

three uses
  • And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil.

    John 3:19

    • πονηρὰponeraadjective · nominative (subject) · neuter pluraltagged: evil
  • The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me, because I testify that its works are evil.

    John 7:7

    • πονηράponeraadjective · nominative (subject) · neuter pluraltagged: evil
  • I am not asking that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one.

    John 17:15

    • πονηροῦponerouadjective · genitive (“of”) · masculine singulartagged: evil

Acts

eight uses
  • The Jews, however, became jealous. So they brought in some troublemakers from the marketplace, formed a mob, and sent the city into an uproar. They raided Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas, hoping to bring them out to the people.

    Acts 17:5

    • πονηροὺςponerousadjective · accusative (object) · masculine pluraltagged: wicked
  • But just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio told the Jews, “If this matter involved a wrongdoing or vicious crime, O Jews, it would be reasonable for me to hear your complaint.

    Acts 18:14

    • πονηρόνponeronadjective · nominative (subject) · neuter singulartagged: wicked
  • so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and the diseases and evil spirits left them.

    Acts 19:12

    • πονηρὰponeraadjective · accusative (object) · neuter pluraltagged: evil
  • Now there were some itinerant Jewish exorcists who tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those with evil spirits. They would say, “I bind you by Jesus, whom Paul proclaims.”

    Acts 19:13

    • πονηρὰponeraadjective · accusative (object) · neuter pluraltagged: evil
  • Eventually, one of the evil spirits answered them, “Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?”

    Acts 19:15

    • πονηρὸνponeronadjective · nominative (subject) · neuter singulartagged: evil
  • Then the man with the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. The attack was so violent that they ran out of the house naked and wounded.

    Acts 19:16

    • πονηρόνponeronadjective · nominative (subject) · neuter singulartagged: evil
  • But when his accusers rose to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected.

    Acts 25:18

    • πονηρῶνponeronadjective · genitive (“of”) · neuter pluraltagged: crimes
  • The leaders replied, “We have not received any letters about you from Judea, nor have any of the brothers from there reported or even mentioned anything bad about you.

    Acts 28:21

    • πονηρόνponeronadjective · accusative (object) · neuter singulartagged: evil

Romans

one use
  • Love must be sincere. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good.

    Romans 12:9

    • πονηρόνponeronadjective · accusative (object) · neuter singulartagged: evil

1 Corinthians

one use
  • God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.”

    1 Corinthians 5:13

    • πονηρὸνponeronadjective · accusative (object) · masculine singulartagged: evil

Galatians

one use
  • who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,

    Galatians 1:4

    • πονηροῦponerouadjective · genitive (“of”) · masculine singulartagged: evil

Ephesians

three uses
  • redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

    Ephesians 5:16

    • πονηραίponeraiadjective · nominative (subject) · feminine pluraltagged: evil
  • Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand.

    Ephesians 6:13

    • πονηρᾷponeraadjective · dative (“to / for”) · feminine singulartagged: evil
  • In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

    Ephesians 6:16

    • πονηροῦponerouadjective · genitive (“of”) · masculine singulartagged: evil one

Colossians

one use
  • Once you were alienated from God and were hostile in your minds, engaging in evil deeds.

    Colossians 1:21

    • πονηροῖςponeroisadjective · dative (“to / for”) · neuter pluraltagged: evil

1 Thessalonians

one use
  • Abstain from every form of evil.

    1 Thessalonians 5:22

    • πονηροῦponerouadjective · genitive (“of”) · neuter singulartagged: of evil

2 Thessalonians

two uses
  • And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men; for not everyone holds to the faith.

    2 Thessalonians 3:2

    • πονηρῶνponeronadjective · genitive (“of”) · masculine pluraltagged: evil
  • But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.

    2 Thessalonians 3:3

    • πονηροῦponerouadjective · genitive (“of”) · masculine singulartagged: evil

1 Timothy

one use
  • he is conceited and understands nothing. Instead, he has an unhealthy interest in controversies and semantics, out of which come envy, strife, abusive talk, evil suspicions,

    1 Timothy 6:4

    • πονηραίponeraiadjective · nominative (subject) · feminine pluraltagged: evil

2 Timothy

two uses
  • while evil men and imposters go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

    2 Timothy 3:13

    • πονηροὶponeroiadjective · nominative (subject) · masculine pluraltagged: Evil
  • And the Lord will rescue me from every evil action and bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

    2 Timothy 4:18

    • πονηροῦponerouadjective · genitive (“of”) · neuter singulartagged: evil

Hebrews

two uses
  • See to it, brothers, that none of you has a wicked heart of unbelief that turns away from the living God.

    Hebrews 3:12

    • πονηρὰponeraadjective · nominative (subject) · feminine singulartagged: evil
  • let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

    Hebrews 10:22

    • πονηρᾶςponerasadjective · genitive (“of”) · feminine singulartagged: evil

James

two uses
  • have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

    James 2:4

    • πονηρῶν;¶poneronadjective · genitive (“of”) · masculine pluraltagged: evil
  • As it is, you boast in your proud intentions. All such boasting is evil.

    James 4:16

    • πονηράponeraadjective · nominative (subject) · feminine singulartagged: evil

1 John

six uses
  • I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father.

    1 John 2:13

    • πονηρόν.¶poneronadjective · accusative (object) · masculine singulartagged: evil
  • I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

    1 John 2:14

    • πονηρόν.¶poneronadjective · accusative (object) · masculine singulartagged: evil
  • Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did Cain slay him? Because his own deeds were evil, while those of his brother were righteous.

    1 John 3:12

    • πονηροῦponerouadjective · genitive (“of”) · masculine singulartagged: evil
    • πονηρὰponeraadjective · nominative (subject) · neuter pluraltagged: evil
  • We know that anyone born of God does not keep on sinning; the One who was born of God protects him, and the evil one cannot touch him.

    1 John 5:18

    • πονηρὸςponerosadjective · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: evil
  • We know that we are of God, and that the whole world is under the power of the evil one.

    1 John 5:19

    • πονηρῷponeroadjective · dative (“to / for”) · masculine singulartagged: evil

2 John

one use
  • Whoever greets such a person shares in his evil deeds.

    2 John 1:11

    • πονηροῖς.¶poneroisadjective · dative (“to / for”) · neuter pluraltagged: evil

3 John

one use
  • So if I come, I will call attention to his malicious slander against us. And unsatisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers and forbids those who want to do so, even putting them out of the church.

    3 John 1:10

    • πονηροῖςponeroisadjective · dative (“to / for”) · masculine pluraltagged: evil

Revelation

one use
  • So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and loathsome, malignant sores broke out on those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.

    Revelation 16:2

    • πονηρὸνponeronadjective · nominative (subject) · neuter singulartagged: grievous

Where it leads

How the numbers are counted

Every count on this page comes from STEP Bible's tagged Hebrew and Greek text, the same text the ledger prints. A use is counted once each time the tagging marks a word with this key.

Spellings are counted as the Greek text spells them, with the sentence's own punctuation taken off the word first, so a form that ends a clause is not counted as a second spelling.

The words it stands beside are the nouns, verbs and adjectives immediately before or after it, counted in every verse where the word stands. The article, the conjunctions and the prepositions are left out, because they stand beside every word.

The family is read from the lexicon by the stem the two words share, with the accents off, and a person or a place named on the stem is left out.

Hebrew and Greek text, word tagging and grammar: STEP Bible (www.STEPBible.org), Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0. Their grammar codes are written out in English here and shown as tagged beside each one.

Meaning and senses: STEP Bible TBESG (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0), the Brief lexicon based on Abbott-Smith (1922).

Dictionary key: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890, public domain). English verse text: Berean Standard Bible (public domain, 2023).

Revised 2026-09-05. Every cited work, the sources registry →