Evil Exposed: φαῦλος (Strong’s G5337: phaulos) Reveals Light’s Opposition

Strong’s G5337: An adjective meaning “worthless, evil, or base,” describing actions and character opposed to light and truth. Used in contexts contrasting divine light with human darkness. Represents moral deficiency and active opposition to goodness. Significant in discussions of moral choice.

U- Unveiling the Word

The adjective φαῦλος describes that which is morally worthless, evil, or base. In the New Testament, it appears particularly in contexts contrasting light and darkness, truth and falsehood. The word carries connotations not just of moral failing but of active opposition to what is good and true. In John’s Gospel, it describes those who avoid the light because their deeds are evil. The early church used this term to describe the moral quality opposing divine truth. Today, φαῦλος continues to help us understand the nature of evil as not merely the absence of good but active resistance to God’s light.

Save 20% with code – FOG20

N – Necessary Information

• Greek Word: φαῦλος, phaulos, fow’-los
• Pronunciation Guide: fow (as in “fowl”) + los (as in “loss”)
• Part of Speech: Adjective

Etymology:

• Primary root word
• No prefixes or suffixes
  A basic term expressing worthlessness or evil

D – Defining Meanings

• Evil
• Worthless
• Base
• Morally corrupt

For compound words:
This is not a compound word but a primary adjective

Translation Options:

• “Evil” – emphasizes moral corruption
• “Worthless” – stresses lack of value
• “Base” – captures both moral and qualitative deficiency

E – Exploring Similar Words

• πονηρός (ponēros, pon-ay-ros’) – wicked, evil See G4190
• κακός (kakos, kak-os’) – bad, evil See G2556
• σαπρός (sapros, sap-ros’) – worthless, corrupt See G4550

R – Reviewing the Word’s Morphology

Morphological features as an adjective:

• Case: Nominative, Genitive, Dative, Accusative
• Number: Singular, Plural
• Gender: Masculine, Feminine, Neuter
• Degree: Positive, Comparative, Superlative

Examples:

• Masculine singular: φαῦλος
• Feminine singular: φαύλη
• Neuter singular: φαῦλον
• Masculine plural: φαῦλοι

S – Studying Lexicon Insights

The lexicons provide comprehensive understanding of φαῦλος. BDAG emphasizes its use in ethical contexts, particularly regarding opposition to light. Thayer’s notes its progression from mean or common to morally evil. LSJ documents its classical usage ranging from worthless to actively evil. Vine’s particularly emphasizes its appearance in John’s light/darkness imagery. Strong’s connects it to the concept of moral worthlessness. Moulton and Milligan provide evidence of its use in moral discourse in everyday documents.

T – Tracing the Scriptures

First appearance:
John 3:20: “For everyone practicing evil [φαῦλος] hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.”

Additional References:
John 5:29, Romans 9:11, 2 Corinthians 5:10, Titus 2:8

A – Analyzing Classical Usage

N – Noteworthy Summary

The word φαῦλος powerfully illustrates the nature of evil as active opposition to divine light. It reminds us that darkness is not merely the absence of light but represents a choosing against truth. The good news is that King Jesus came as the Light of the world, exposing and overcoming this darkness. His light offers transformation to those willing to step out of darkness into His revealing presence.

D – Did You Know?

1. φαῦλος originally meant “slight” or “paltry” before developing moral connotations.
2. Early Christian writers used this term when discussing moral choice and free will.
3. The word influenced early Christian ethical discussions about human nature.

Strong’s G5337: An adjective meaning “worthless, evil, or base,” describing actions and character opposed to light and truth. Used in contexts contrasting divine light with human darkness. Represents moral deficiency and active opposition to goodness. Significant in discussions of moral choice.

Part of speech: Adjective

Tags: evil, worthlessness, darkness, light, moral-choice, opposition, truth, ethics, John’s-Gospel, judgment, character, moral-quality, human-nature, divine-light, transformation​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​