Word Study for G2559 (κακόω) | Strong's Concordance

kakóō /kak-o'-o/ Ask about this word

Meaningto injure; figuratively, to exasperate

KJV usagemake evil affected, entreat evil, harm, hurt, vex.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of kakóō — 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 kakóō, represented by G2559, means to injure or, figuratively, to exasperate. It appears 7 times across 6 unique verses in the Bible. The term encompasses a range of hostile actions, including to harm, hurt, vex, entreat evil, or to make someone evil affected.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the New Testament, G2559 frequently describes the affliction of God's people. In Stephen's historical account, it is used to describe how the Egyptians evil entreated the fathers of Israel Acts 7:19 and brought them into bondage where they would entreat them evil Acts 7:6. The term also characterizes the persecution of the early church, as when Herod sought to vex members of the church Acts 12:1. In another instance, unbelieving Jews made the minds of the Gentiles evil affected against the brethren Acts 14:2. Conversely, the word is used in the context of divine protection, with God promising that no one would hurt Paul in Corinth Acts 18:10 and Peter asking who can harm those who follow good 1 Peter 3:13.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the context and nature of the harm described by G2559:

G2686 katasophízomai (to be crafty against): This word describes the cunning method used to inflict harm, appearing in the context where the Egyptians dealt subtilly with Israel before they evil entreated them Acts 7:19.
G1402 doulóō (to enslave): This term is directly linked to the suffering described by G2559, as the Israelites were to be brought into bondage and entreat[ed] evil for four hundred years Acts 7:6.
G1892 epegeírō (to excite against): This verb shows the instigation that leads to the state of being evil affected. Unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, which in turn made their minds evil affected against the brethren Acts 14:2.
G1911 epibállō (to lay on): This word denotes the physical action taken to initiate the affliction, as when Herod stretched forth his hands to vex the church Acts 12:1.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G2559 is significant in understanding persecution and divine care.

Targeted Hostility: G2559 consistently illustrates malicious action directed specifically at God's people, from the "fathers" of Israel in Egypt Acts 7:19 to the "brethren" Acts 14:2 and "the church" in the New Testament Acts 12:1.
The Nature of Malicious Action: The harm described is not random but is often the result of deliberate incitement or cunning. It arises from those who dealt subtilly Acts 7:19 or who stirred up others to animosity Acts 14:2, and it can be psychological ("evil affected") as well as physical.
Sovereign Protection: The use of G2559 is often juxtaposed with God's power to protect His followers. God reassures Paul that no man will set on him to hurt him Acts 18:10, and Peter suggests that following what is good G18 is a defense against being harm[ed] 1 Peter 3:13.

Summary

In summary, G2559 provides a specific term for malicious harm directed against the faithful. It is broader than mere physical injury, encompassing psychological hostility, systematic oppression, and targeted persecution. The word appears in contexts that describe both the harsh reality of suffering experienced by God's people and the assurance of divine protection from such harm, making it a key term for understanding the biblical concept of persecution.

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 6 occurrences, inflected in 5 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it. These are this word’s own inflections, not words built from it — for those, see Related Words.

κακῶσαί
ἐκάκωσαν
ἐκάκωσεν
κακώσουσιν
κακώσων

Related Words

1 entry in Strong’s name this word as its origin. These are its derivatives — a different relationship from the inflected forms above, which are this same word bent by grammar.

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

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 6 verses across 2 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Acts (5 verses); never once in the other 25.

Acts

1 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, by grammatical form, 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.