Word Study for G2106 (εὐδοκέω)

eudokéō /yoo-dok-eh'-o/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom εὖ and δοκέω

Meaningto think well of, i.e. approve (an act); specially, to approbate (a person or thing)

KJV usagethink good, (be well) please(-d), be the good (have, take) pleasure, be willing.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of eudokéō — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Greek word eudokéō, represented by G2106, means to think well of, approve, or be well pleased with a person, thing, or act. It appears 25 times across 21 unique verses in the Bible. The term is derived from εὖ (good) and δοκέω (to think), conveying a sense of deliberate and favorable opinion, taking pleasure in something, or being willing.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In scripture, G2106 is frequently used to express God the Father's divine approval of His Son, Jesus Christ. At Jesus's baptism and transfiguration, a voice from heaven declares, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17, Matthew 17:5). The word also denotes God's sovereign will and delight in His redemptive plan, as when it "pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe" 1 Corinthians 1:21. On a human level, it describes a state of willingness and contentment, such as Paul being willing to be absent from the body to be with the Lord 2 Corinthians 5:8. Conversely, the term is used to show God's displeasure with disobedience 1 Corinthians 10:5 and man's pleasure in unrighteousness 2 Thessalonians 2:12.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words clarify the actions and concepts associated with what is pleasing to God:

G1325 dídōmi (to give): Defined as "to give (used in a very wide application...)." God's pleasure is linked to His generosity, as it is the Father's good pleasure "to give you the kingdom" Luke 12:32.
G1342 díkaios (just): Meaning "equitable (in character or act); by implication, innocent, holy." God's pleasure is connected to righteousness, while His soul has "no pleasure" in the one who draws back from a life of faith lived by the just Hebrews 10:38.
G3472 mōría (foolishness): This word means "silliness, i.e. absurdity." It highlights the contrast between divine and worldly wisdom, as it pleased God to save believers through the "foolishness of preaching" 1 Corinthians 1:21.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G2106 is significant, revealing key aspects of God's character and plan.

Divine Approbation: The word establishes the Father's explicit and public approval of the Son. In the statement "in whom my soul is well pleased" Matthew 12:18, God validates Jesus's identity and Messianic mission.
Sovereign Will: God's "good pleasure" is not a mere emotion but an expression of His sovereign and effective will. It is what drives His actions, from separating Paul for His purpose Galatians 1:15 to ordaining that "in him should all fulness dwell" Colossians 1:19.
The Believer's Disposition: The term provides a model for Christian discipleship. Believers are called to find pleasure not in worldly things but in what aligns with God's will, even in hardships. Paul exemplifies this when he takes pleasure in infirmities and persecutions for Christ's sake 2 Corinthians 12:10.

Summary

In summary, G2106 moves beyond a simple feeling of happiness to denote a profound and decisive approval. It is a cornerstone for understanding the Father's disposition toward the Son, the sovereign nature of God's redemptive plan, and the reoriented affections of a true believer. The use of eudokéō illustrates how God's pleasure is the foundation for His greatest acts, from calling His people to saving them through Christ, in whom He is eternally well pleased.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Greek New Testament, this word appears as a verb across 21 occurrences, inflected in 10 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Aorist Active Indicative 3rd Singular 6×
Aorist Active Indicative 1st Singular 5×
Aorist Active Indicative 2nd Singular 2×
Aorist Active Indicative 3rd Plural 2×
Aorist Active Indicative 1st Plural 1×
Aorist Active Participle Nominative Plural Masculine 1×
Imperfect Active Indicative 1st Plural 1×
Present Active Indicative 1st Plural 1×
Present Active Indicative 1st Singular 1×
Present Active Indicative 3rd Singular 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
1st: First person — the speaker ("I"/"we").
2nd: Second person — the one addressed ("you").
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Present: Action in progress or repeated — happening now or continually.
Imperfect: Ongoing or repeated action in the past — "was doing".
Aorist: Action viewed as a single whole — usually a simple past event.
Active: The subject performs the action.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 21 verses across 12 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Matthew and Hebrews (3 verses each); never once in the other 15.

Matthew

Mark

Luke

Romans

1 Corinthians

2 Corinthians

Galatians

Colossians

1 Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians

Hebrews

2 Peter

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.