πονηρία (Ponēria): Wickedness and Moral Evil

Reformed Thinking · Mar 20, 2026 · 35m · transcript

Deep Dive into πονηρίαThe Greek terms poneros (an adjective) and poneria (a noun) trace their origins to a root meaning labor, care, or sorrow, initially describing someone who was unhappy or burdened. In classical Greek, the meaning gradually expanded to denote things that were defective, useless, or bringing disaster, such as poor craftsmanship or harmful weather. Socially and politically, the terms were used to describe plebeians or citizens deemed useless or parasitic to the state, standing in contrast to the educated aristocracy. Eventually, the terms developed a definitive moral…