STRONGS G703:
ἀρετή,
-ῆς,
ἡ, [see
ἄρα at the beginning], a word of very wide signification in Greek writings;
any excellence of a person (in body or mind) or
of a thing, an eminent endowment, property or
quality. Used of the human mind and in an ethical sense, it denotes:
1. a virtuous course of thought, feeling and action; virtue, moral goodness (Wis. 4:1; Wis. 5:13; often in 4 Macc. and in Greek writings):
2 Peter 1:5 [others take it here specifically, namely moral
vigor; cf. next entry].
2. any particular moral excellence, as modesty, purity; hence (plural
αἱ ἀρεταί, Wis. 8:7; often in 4 Macc. and in the Greek philosophers)
τὶς ἀρετή,
Philippians 4:8. Used of God, it denotes
a. his
power:
2 Peter 1:3.
b. in the plural his excellences, perfections, 'which shine forth in our gratuitous calling and in the whole work of our salvation' (John Gerhard):
1 Peter 2:9. (In the
Sept. for
הוד splendor, glory,
Habakkuk 3:3, of God;
Zechariah 6:13, of the Messiah; in plural for
תְּהִלּות praises, of God,
Isaiah 43:21;
Isaiah 42:12;
Isaiah 63:7.)
THAYER’S GREEK LEXICON, Electronic Database.
Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2006, 2011 by Biblesoft, Inc.
All rights reserved. Used by permission. BibleSoft.com
BLB Scripture Index of Thayer's
-
Isaiah
-
42:12; 43:21; 63:7
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Habakkuk
-
3:3
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Zechariah
-
6:13
-
Philippians
-
4:8
-
1 Peter
-
2:9
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2 Peter
-
1:3; 1:5