πανοῦργος (panourgos)
panourgos
crafty
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The adjective panourgos describes someone who is highly skilled or clever in their actions. Its literal sense combines "all" and "work," suggesting a person capable of undertaking any task with dexterity. In classical Greek, it often carried a negative connotation of being knavish or deceitful, implying a cunning that serves self-interest.
In the New Testament, this word appears only once, in 2 Corinthians 12:16. Paul uses it to address accusations that he was crafty in his dealings with the Corinthian church. He denies using such manipulative tactics, clarifying that his motives were not driven by hidden agendas or deceitful strategy.
The term highlights a tension between skill and integrity. While cleverness can be a virtue, the biblical usage here warns against allowing ingenuity to become a tool for manipulation. Paul’s rejection of the label underscores that genuine ministry relies on transparency rather than calculated cunning.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word panourgos paints a picture of someone who is clever in every way, yet uses that skill to deceive. In 2 Corinthians 12:16, Paul faces accusations that he was crafty with the church. He firmly denies this, showing that true ministry does not rely on hidden tricks or manipulative strategies.
For your daily life, this word serves as a gentle reminder to value honesty over cleverness. It is easy to think that being smart means finding ways around rules or people. But Paul teaches us that integrity is far more important than ingenuity when it comes to how we treat others.
God calls us to be transparent in our relationships. Instead of trying to outsmart those we love, we can choose the simpler path of truth. This approach builds trust and reflects the character of Christ, who never used deceit to save His people.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- crafty1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- πανοῦργος1×
Key Verses
-
II Corinthians 12:16
Even so, I myself didn’t burden you. But you might say that being crafty, I caught you with deception.
Paul uses this term to deny accusations that he manipulated the Corinthian believers for personal gain.