kalos · good, beautiful

What it means

kalos (καλός) is a Greek word of the Bible that means “good, beautiful”.

Noble.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. Lovely to look at.
2. Good, fit for its purpose.
3. Good at heart, worthy: "the good shepherd".

From Abbott-Smith (1922) · Thayer (1889)

Word study

Good, in the sense of what is well made, beautiful or noble; what is as it should be. Thayer: beautiful; good, excellent, fit for its purpose; noble, praiseworthy. Of the same family is the adverb καλῶς, “well”.

• Good for its purpose: the tree, the soil, the seed Matthew 7:17Matthew 13:8
• “Your good works” Matthew 5:16
• “I am the good shepherd” John 10:11
• “It is good” or “better” to do something Mark 9:5Matthew 18:8
• Beautiful: “beautiful stones” Luke 21:5

How we translate it

“Good” 86 times, “better” 7, “beautiful” 3, “fine” 1, “noble” 1, “right” 1… “Beautiful” when beauty is meant (Luke 21:5); “fine” of pearls (Matthew 13:45). For ἀγαθός (G18), almost a synonym, “good” is also said.

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• good ×86
• better ×7
• beautiful ×3
• Fair ×1
• fine ×1
• noble ×1
• right ×1
• very well ×1
• what is honorable ×1

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Matthew×21
• Mark×11
• Luke×9
• John×7
• Acts×2
• Romans×5
• 1 Corinthians×6
• 2 Corinthians×2
• Galatians×3
• 1 Thessalonians×1
• 1 Timothy×16
• 2 Timothy×3
• Titus×5
• Hebrews×5
• James×3
• 1 Peter×3

• Matthew 3:10

  And already the ax is laid at the root of the trees; so every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

• Matthew 5:16

  In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

• Matthew 7:17

  So every good tree produces good fruit, but the rotten tree produces bad fruit.

• Matthew 7:18

  A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree produce good fruit.

• Matthew 7:19

  Every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

• Matthew 12:33

  Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree rotten and its fruit rotten; for by its fruit the tree is known.

• Matthew 13:8

  And other seeds fell on the good soil and were producing fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

• Matthew 13:23

  And the one sown on the good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.”

• Matthew 13:24

  He put before them another parable, saying, “The kingdom of heaven has become like a man who sowed good seed in his field.

• Matthew 13:27

  And the slaves of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Then where does it get darnel?’

• Matthew 13:37

  He answered and said, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man;

• Matthew 13:38

  and the field is the world; and the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the darnel are the sons of the evil one;

• Matthew 13:45

  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls;

• Matthew 13:48

  when it was full, they hauled it up onto the shore and sat down and gathered the good ones into containers, but threw the bad ones away.

• Matthew 15:26

  But he answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”

• Matthew 17:4

  And Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you want, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

• Matthew 18:8

  And if your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter into life maimed or lame than having two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire.

• Matthew 18:9

  And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter into life with one eye than having two eyes to be thrown into fiery Gehenna.

• Matthew 26:10

  But Jesus, knowing it, said to them, “Why do you cause trouble for the woman? For she has done a beautiful work for me.

• Matthew 26:24

  The Son of Man goes as it is written about him, but woe to that man through whom the Son of Man is handed over! It would have been good for him if that man had not been born.”

• Mark 4:8

  And other seeds fell into the good soil and were giving fruit, growing up and increasing, and were bearing, one thirty, and one sixty, and one a hundred.”

• Mark 4:20

  And those are the ones sown on the good soil, who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, one thirty, and one sixty, and one a hundred.”

• Mark 7:27

  And he was saying to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”

• Mark 9:5

  And Peter responds and says to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

• Mark 9:42

  And whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be far better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.

• Mark 9:43

  And if your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter into life maimed than having the two hands to go away into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire.

• Mark 9:45

  And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter into life lame than having the two feet to be thrown into Gehenna.

• Mark 9:47

  And if your eye causes you to stumble, throw it out; it is better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than having two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna,

• Mark 9:50

  Salt is good; but if the salt becomes saltless, with what will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

• Mark 14:6

  But Jesus said, “Leave her alone; why do you cause her trouble? She has done a beautiful thing to me.

• Mark 14:21

  For the Son of Man goes as it is written about him, but woe to that man through whom the Son of Man is handed over! It would have been good for him if that man had not been born.”

• Luke 3:9

  And even now the ax is laid at the root of the trees; so every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

• Luke 6:38

  Give, and it will be given to you: a good measure, pressed down, shaken, running over, they will put into your lap; for with the measure with which you measure, it will be measured back to you.”

• Luke 6:43

  For there is no good tree that produces rotten fruit, nor again a rotten tree that produces good fruit.

• Luke 8:15

  But that in the good soil, these are the ones who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, hold it fast and bear fruit with perseverance.

• Luke 9:33

  And it happened, as they were parting from him, that Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”— not knowing what he was saying.

• Luke 14:34

  Salt then is good; but if even the salt becomes tasteless, with what will it be seasoned?

• Luke 21:5

  And as some were speaking about the temple, that it was adorned with beautiful stones and votive offerings, he said,

• John 2:10

  and says to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, the poorer wine; you have kept the good wine until now.”

• John 10:11

  I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

And 62 more times.