Gentle
Reading a lexicon entry
What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
Strong's number: The Strong's code (H- or G-) is the standard reference number for this word. It connects this entry to chapter and passage language tabs.
Where it appears: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
This lexicon entry is part of our ongoing editorial review. If you notice missing content, unclear wording, or a possible correction, please send us a note through theConnect page. Screenshots are helpful.
Epieikēs means gentle, reasonable, considerate, forbearing, or willing not to insist on every possible claim. Paul tells the Philippians to let their reasonableness be known to everyone because the Lord is near.
Reader summary
Full entry for ἐπιεικής (G1933) · Open the biblical lexicon
Epieikēs means gentle, reasonable, considerate, forbearing, or willing not to insist on every possible claim. Paul tells the Philippians to let their reasonableness be known to everyone because the Lord is near.
The BSB source-word alignment has 5 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include gentle (3), [and] gentle (1), gentleness (1).
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Philippians 4:5. Its strongest book concentrations include 1 Peter (1), 1 Timothy (1), James (1), Philippians (1).
Epieikēs means gentle, reasonable, considerate, forbearing, or willing not to insist on every possible claim. Paul tells the Philippians to let their reasonableness be known to everyone because the Lord is near. An overseer must be gentle rather than violent or quarrelsome. James describes wisdom from above as pure, peaceable, gentle, open to reason, merciful, and fruitful.
Titus commands believers to show gentleness toward all people. The adjective does not mean moral compromise, conflict avoidance, or surrendering protection and justice. It describes strength that considers people and circumstances without harsh self-assertion. Such gentleness listens carefully and yields personal advantage while remaining ready to protect neighbors, tell the truth, and pursue what is right.
Epieikēs names considerate reasonableness in public life, church leadership, wisdom, and relationships. It refuses violence and quarrels while remaining pure, truthful, merciful, and open to reason.
Let your gentleness be apparent to all. The Lord is near.
Philippians 4:5 says believers' gentleness or reasonableness should be known to everyone, for the Lord is near. The posture stands beside rejoicing, prayer, and freedom from anxious self-defense.
Not dependent on wine, not violent but gentle, peaceable, and free of the love of money.
First Timothy 3:3 requires an overseer to be gentle, not violent, quarrelsome, or money-loving. Forbearance is a non-negotiable leadership qualification.
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peace-loving, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere.
James 3:17 says wisdom from above is pure, peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. Considerateness belongs to a larger moral whole.
To malign no one, and to be peaceable and gentle, showing full consideration to everyone.
Titus 3:2 places the adjective within a cluster of public virtues: believers are to avoid slander and quarrels, act considerately, and show gentleness to everyone. Remembered salvation replaces contempt for outsiders.
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders ItA compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
Greek word. Gentle fairness that yields to what is reasonable rather than rigidly insisting on strict rules.
Textus Receptus witness, full corpusGreek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
5 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
gentle, mild, forbearing, fair, reasonable
Read versegentle, mild, forbearing, fair, reasonable
Read versegentle, mild, forbearing, fair, reasonable
Read versegentle, mild, forbearing, fair, reasonable
Read versegentle, mild, forbearing, fair, reasonable
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
This word appears as a noun across 5 case and number patterns. The form changes show how the word functions in a sentence; they do not change the basic lexical meaning by themselves.
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Showing 1 selected witness from 5 lexical occurrence verses.
ἐπιεικής is built from these roots:
Describes visible Christlike demeanor.Philippians 4:4–7
Epieikēs is the refusal to make personal insistence the measure of strength. The Lord's nearness frees believers from anxious self-defense and enables a public reputation for reasonableness. Overseers must embody this quality because violent, quarrelsome leadership contradicts the office. James joins gentleness to wisdom that is pure, merciful, impartial, and open to persuasion, so consideration never means careless relativism.
Titus grounds the same posture in remembered grace toward formerly foolish sinners. Churches should expect powerful people to listen, reconsider, explain, and yield when truth permits. They should also protect boundaries and pursue justice. Forbearance is not asking harmed people to absorb more harm; it is power restrained for the genuine good of others.
Jas.3.17
Epieikēs can mean gentle, reasonable, considerate, forbearing, or equitable. It often describes a person who does not press strict personal rights harshly and who responds fittingly to circumstances.
Wisdom praises patience, listening, and restrained power, while rulers are judged for harshness and violence. The Messiah's gentle rule joins justice with mercy.