ἀχρεῖος (achreios)
achreios
worthless
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The adjective achreios describes something as useless or unprofitable, literally meaning "not useful." It is formed from a negative prefix attached to a root related to benefit or need. In the New Testament, this word appears only twice, both in the teachings of Jesus, to characterize people who have failed to fulfill their expected role.
In Matthew 25:30, it describes the "worthless" servant who buried his master’s money out of fear rather than investing it. The master casts him into outer darkness, calling him achreios because he produced no return on the trust given to him. Similarly, in Luke 17:10, Jesus uses the term to describe disciples who have done their duty. They are not "unworthy" in a moral sense of being evil, but they are "unprofitable" because they owe God everything they do; even after doing all commanded, they remain servants with no special claim on reward.
This distinction clarifies the theological weight of the term. It does not suggest that the individuals are inherently bad or rejected by God’s love, but rather that they have failed to generate the fruitfulness expected in their station. Translators often render it as "worthless," which can sound harsh, but the original sense is more functional: these agents did not prove useful for the purpose intended.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word achreios reminds us that our value before God is not measured by what we can claim as a right, but by how faithfully we use what He has entrusted to us. In Matthew 25:30, the servant who buried his talent out of fear is called worthless because he failed to bring forth any fruit from the gift given to him. This is not a statement about his eternal destiny in isolation, but a clear picture of what happens when we let fear paralyze the resources God has placed in our hands.
Yet there is comfort here for those who feel they have done little or nothing special. In Luke 17:10, Jesus tells us that even after doing everything commanded, we should say, 'We are unworthy servants.' This does not mean we are hated or rejected. It means we recognize that every good thing we do is a response to grace, not a wage we have earned. We are simply fulfilling our role as beloved children.
This perspective frees us from the exhausting need to prove our worth through performance. Instead of striving to earn God’s love, we can rest in the fact that He has already called us His own. Our task is simply to stay connected to Him, allowing His life to flow through us naturally. When we do this, we find that our service becomes a joy rather than a burden.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- worthless1×
- unworthy1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἀχρεῖοί1×
- ἀχρεῖον1×
Key Verses
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Matthew 25:30
Throw out the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
This verse shows the consequence of inaction, where the servant is labeled achreios for failing to invest the trust given to him.
-
Luke 17:10
Even so you also, when you have done all the things that are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy servants. We have done our duty.’”
Here Jesus redefines the term to describe humble obedience, reminding disciples that even perfect duty does not create a debt God owes them.