ὀκνηρός (oknēros)
oknēros
lazy
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The adjective oknēros describes a state of sluggishness or backwardness that stems from hesitation. Rather than simple laziness, it carries the sense of shrinking back from duty due to timidity or reluctance. This nuance explains its use in Romans 12:11, where believers are urged not to be oknēroi but to burn with zeal, highlighting a failure to act decisively rather than a lack of energy.
In the Parable of the Talents, Jesus applies this term to the servant who buried his master’s money. The master calls him "wicked and oknēros" (Matthew 25:26), linking the slothful behavior directly to a fearful refusal to engage with the resources given. Here, the word captures the paralysis of inaction caused by an unwillingness to take risks.
The term also appears in Philippians 3:1, where Paul describes certain teachings as "irksome" or burdensome. In this context, oknēros shifts from describing a person’s character to describing an experience that causes one to shrink away. The root verb suggests a flinching motion, whether it is the soul recoiling from responsibility or the mind resisting difficult instruction.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word oknēros points to a specific kind of spiritual hesitation. It describes the tendency to shrink back from duty because fear or reluctance feels safer than taking action. This is not merely about being tired; it is about a paralysis that keeps us from using the gifts we have been given.
In Matthew 25, Jesus calls a servant both wicked and oknēros for burying his master’s money. The master did not want perfection; he wanted engagement. He wanted his servant to take the risk of investing what was entrusted to him. Fear kept the servant still, but stillness was actually disobedience.
Paul echoes this in Romans 12:11 by urging believers not to be oknēroi in their diligence. Instead, we are invited to burn with zeal and serve the Lord. This means stepping forward even when we feel unsure. God trusts us with resources, time, and talents because He wants to see us use them for good.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- troublesome,1×
- lazy!1×
- lagging,1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ὀκνηρόν,1×
- ὀκνηρέ,1×
- ὀκνηροί,1×
Key Verses
-
Matthew 25:26
“But his lord answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant. You knew that I reap where I didn’t sow, and gather where I didn’t scatter.
Jesus links the term directly to a fearful refusal to engage with the master’s resources, showing that inaction is treated as wickedness.
-
Romans 12:11
not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord,
Paul uses this word to urge believers to avoid spiritual lagging and instead serve the Lord with active zeal.
-
Philippians 3:1
Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not tiresome, but for you it is safe.
Paul shifts the meaning here to describe teaching that causes believers to shrink away, highlighting how difficult truths can trigger a reluctance to listen.