Gentleness: A Greek Word Case Study

Ann King

Fortunately we do not have to learn Greek to read and understand the Bible. But there are times when better understanding a New Testament Greek word can lead to better understanding and application. I am not a Greek scholar, but the study of certain Greek words has changed my thinking and life.

This Bible study goes through one such word study. Please have a Bible handy for the last part since the verses are not included.

1. Starting out: choosing a word to study

 Every translation of the Bible is an interpretation. Translators weigh their choices of words depending on several factors. For example, the meaning of a word can change over time, and concepts are expressed differently in different languages.

Take the word gentleness. Does it mean exactly the same thing in English (or other modern languages) as in the Koine Greek of the New Testament?

There came a time when I realized I needed to understand this word better because of these verses:

1 Peter 3:3-4 “Don’t let your beauty consist of outward things like elaborate hairstyles and wearing gold jewelry or fine clothes, but rather what is inside the heart—the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” (CSB)

What do these verses bring to mind for you in your heart of hearts?

My reaction used to run along these lines: verse 3 was easy enough to put into practice since I did not consider myself physically beautiful anyway. On the other hand, verse 4 – the gentle and quiet spirit – was another thing.

Is gentle a positive word for you? Negative? Some of both?

Growing up, I was a tomboy. I didn’t have a Barbie doll since my mother did not want to promote that female image of the 1960s. I wanted to be a strong, smart, successful professional as an adult. A gentle spirit did not fit with that aspiration. In older English translations of the Bible, the word used in verse 4 is “meek”. Meek = mild = bland = soft = passive = weak = yuck.

After several years of being a Christian, I realized I had to deal with this instruction about having a gentle spirit since it is of “great worth in God’s sight”. If God thinks gentleness is of great worth, I needed to figure out how to bring my values into line with God’s values. Hence the choice to study gentleness.

2. Dictionaries and Greek Interlinear Bibles: refining the search

 Dictionaries are useful for checking the literal meaning of a word, which can help clear up some misconceptions. Perhaps the literal meaning of gentle could help me clear up the negative ideas I associated with it.

The Oxford English dictionary defines gentle as “having or showing a mild, kind or tender temperament or character” or “moderate in action, effect or degree; not strong or violent”. The definition is neutral, but it reinforced my negative impressions. While it was a good place to start, an English dictionary had not helped me change my perception.

A Bible concordance contains the occurrences where translators have chosen to use gentle for a specific translation. That means that they might have decided that several Greek words could be translated as gentle. I wanted the Greek word used in 1 Peter 3:4, so that took me to a Greek Interlinear Bible, which revealed a form of praus. Now it was time to check Greek dictionaries.

Online Greek dictionaries offer several definitions for praus. Thayer’s full definition focuses on the equivalent Hebrew word for meek in the Old Testament, which did not seem to fit its use in 1 Peter 3:4. Strong’s definition using synonyms – mild, humble and meek – led me in a circle.

The Danker-Bauer Greek-English Lexicon defines praus and prautes as “the quality of not being overly impressed by a sense of one’s self-importance, gentleness, humility, courtesy, considerateness, meekness in the older favorable sense”. This helped some, but the different synonyms and the “older favorable sense” of meek and meekness still made it hard for me to grasp.

Despite the use of meek, Mounce’s online definition seems the easiest to understand: “gentle, meek, the positive moral quality of dealing with people in a kind manner, with humility and consideration”.

Vine’s Expository Dictionary comments: “The meaning of prautes is not readily expressed in English, for the terms meekness, mildness, commonly used, suggest weakness …”. I was glad to see recognition of the negative connotations that translations of this word can have.

Greek dictionaries as well as a concordance such as Zondervan’s Greek-English Concordance to the New Testament pinpoint where praus and prautes occur in the New Testament.

3. Translations: the more the merrier

It was now time to look at how praus and prautes are translated in different versions of the Bible.

In English, the adjective praus is often translated gentle, humble or meek in its four occurrences in the New Testament: Matthew 5:5, 11:29, 21:5; and 1 Peter 3:4.

The noun prautes is often translated gentleness, humility, meekness, gently and humbly in its 11 occurrences in the New Testament: 1 Corinthians 4:21; 2 Corinthians 10:1, Galatians 5:23 and 6:1; Ephesians 4:2; Colossians 3:12; 2 Timothy 2:25; Titus 3:2; James 1:21 and 3:13; and 1 Peter 3:15-16.

In a dictionary or thesaurus, humble and gentle are not listed as synonyms, so why would translators translate praus and prautes as humble and humility in certain verses? What exactly does this word mean if it is so difficult to express in English?

 4. Context: deepening understanding through the text

After looking at the above verses in chronological order, I found it helpful to group them by common elements. Here is the part where you need your Bible.

Take a look at these verses.

Matthew 11:29

Matthew 21:5

2 Corinthians 10:1

•    Who is described as gentle?

•    How does that change your understanding of the word?

For me, these three verses alone were game changers for my idea of gentle. It always helps me to know that God is not asking me to do or be something that he is not. Jesus, the King and Lord of all, was known for being gentle. Vine’s Expository Dictionary comments: “It must be clearly understood, therefore, that the meekness manifested by the Lord and commended to the believer is the fruit of power.” Was Jesus weak, bland or passive? Far from it.

“The fruit of power”. For me, the most helpful illustration I found for understanding praus comes from the way it was used in classical (non-biblical) Greek. It described horses that had been tamed and bridled: strength under control. So praus is not weak at all. Keeping Jesus’s example and this illustration in mind, consider the rest of these verses.

Look at Matthew 5:5. What does Jesus say about this quality?

Look at James 1:21.

•    What are we supposed to get rid of?

•    What are we supposed to replace it with?

•    What attitude are we to have towards the word? (cf Isaiah 66:2)

By far the largest grouping of verses with prautes applies to our relationships with other people.

Take a look at these verses.

Ephesians 4:1-3

Colossians 3:12

•    What other qualities are closely associated with prautes?

•    How can “strength under control” be applied to our relationships: spiritual brothers and sisters, spouse, children, parents, employer, etc.?

Now take a look at these verses.

1 Corinthians 4:21

Galatians 6:1

2 Timothy 2:25

1 Peter 3:15-16

Titus 3:1-2

•    These are verses dealing with situations of correction, conflict or differing opinions.

•    What makes prautes, strength under control, a key quality for these situations?

•    Think of a specific situation of correction, conflict or differing opinion that you are currently involved in. How can this quality help you deal with it?

N. T. Wright, an English theologian, comments that “gentleness is the effect of meek humility on one’s approach to other people”. This is anything but passive and weak.

Look at James 3:13.

•    What is the connection between wisdom and gentleness?

•    If I think I am wise, what does this verse say is the proof of being wise?

Bringing strong emotions, strong opinions and strong character under control can seem impossible to do, so it is timely to look at Galatians 5:23.

•    What does the Spirit have to do with prautes?

•    What encouragement does this verse give about being able to grow in prautes?

5. Conclusion: changing

Understanding this quality better has particularly changed the way I deal with situations involving correction, conflict and differing opinions. Being forceful, aggressive, “right”, wanting to be heard more than wanting to listen – these attitudes and actions can seem strong, but they are not “strength under control”. They are more hurtful than helpful.

Coming back to the connection between gentleness and humility, while the words are not synonymous, it takes a letting go of a “sense of [my] self-importance” to be gentle. Humility underlies this quality.

Let us take one more look at 1 Peter 3:3-4: “Don’t let your beauty consist of outward things …, but rather what is inside the heart—the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” (CSB)

While this passage is specifically addressed to wives, women are not singled out in the New Testament as needing to be gentle. The above verses make it clear that prautes is for all Christians.

Prautes comes from inside. An inner attitude that influences the outer actions. An inner way of thinking and being. Jesus is gentle. Gentleness is a fruit of the Spirit. No wonder gentleness is of “great worth in God’s sight”!