Lexical Definition

‎καλός‎ kalós (kal-os') good ^G:A
of uncertain affinity; properly, beautiful, but chiefly (figuratively) good (literally or morally), i.e. valuable or virtuous (for appearance or use, and thus distinguished from ‎ἀγαθός‎, which is properly intrinsic)

X better, fair, good(-ly), honest, meet, well, worthy.

Abbott-Smith

καλός, -ή, -όν, [in LXX chiefly for טוֹב, טוֹבָה, also for יָפֶה, etc.;]

1. primarily, of outward form ("related to . . . ἀγαθός as the appearance to the essence," Cremer, 339), fair, beautiful: λίθοι (EV, goodly), Lk 21:5.
2. In reference to use, of that which is well adapted to its ends, good, excellent: of fish, τ. καλά (opp. to σαπρά), Mt 13:48; σπέρμα, Mt 13:24, 27, 37, 38; καρπός, Mt 3:10 7:17-19 12:33, Lk 3:9 [WH] 6:43; δένδρον (opp. to σαρπόν), Mt 12:33, Lk 6:43; γῆ, Mt 13:8, 23, Mk 4:8, 20, Lk 8:15; τ. ἅλας, Mk 9:50, Lk 14:34; ὁ νόμος, Ro 7:16, I Ti 1:8; διδασκαλία, I Ti 4:6; καρδία κ. καὶ ἀγαθή, Lk 8:15; παραθήκη, II Ti 1:14; μέτρον, Lk 6:38; βαθμός, I Ti 3:13; θεμέλιος, I Ti 6:19; τὸ κ., I Th 5:21; μαργαρίται, Mt 13:45; οἶνος, Jo 2:10; ποιμήν, Jo 10:11, 14; διάκονος, I Ti 4:6; οἰκονόμος, I Pe 4:10; στρατιώτης, II Ti 2:3; στρατεία, I Ti 1:18; ἀγών, I Ti 6:12, II Ti 4:7; ὁμολογία, I Ti 6:12, 13; ἔργον, Mt 26:10, Mk 14:6, Jo 10:33, I Ti 3:1; pl., Jo 10:32; καλόν ἐστιν, c. inf. et dat., Mt 18:8, 9, I Co 7:1, 26 9:15; id. c. acc. et inf., Mt 17:4, Mk 9:5, 43, 45, 47, Lk 9:33, He 13:9; seq. εἰ, Mt 26:24, Mk 9:42 14:21; ἐάν, I Co 7:8.
3. Ethically, good, in the sense of right, fair, noble, honourable: Ga 4:18, He 5:14; ἔργα, Mt 5:16, I Ti 5:10, 25 6:18, Tit 2:7, 14 3:8, 14 (Field, Notes, 223 f.), He 10:24, I Pe 2:12; ἀναστροφή, Ja 3:13, I Pe 2:12; συνείδησις, He 13:18; seq. ἐνώπιον, Ro 12:17, II Co 8:21, I Ti 2:3; τὸ κ. ποιεῖν (κατεργάζεσθαι), Ro 7:18, 21, II Co 13:7, Ga 6:9, Ja 4:17; καλόν ἐστιν, c. inf., Mt 15:26 (T, ἔξεστιν), Mk 7:27, Ro 14:21, Ga 4:18; μαρτυρία, I Ti 3:7; ὄνομα, Ja 2:7; καύχημα, I Co 5:6 (neg.); θεοῦ ῥῆμα, He 6:5. κ. does not occur in Re.†
SYN.: v.s. ἀγαθός.

Abbott-Smith References

Liddell-Scott-Jones

καλός, ή, όν,

Aeolic dialect κάλος (see. below), α, ον, Boeotian dialect καλϝός [Refs 6th c.BC+]:—

__A beautiful, of outward form, frequently of persons, κάλλιστος ἀνὴρ ὑπὸ Ἴλιον ἦλθεν [Refs 8th c.BC+] usually in the phrase κ. τε μέγας τε [Refs 8th c.BC+]; μέγας καὶ κ. [Refs 8th c.BC+]; καλὸς δέμας beautiful of form,[Refs 5th c.BC+]; Χορῷ καλή beauteous in the dance, [Refs 8th c.BC+]: with infinitive, καλλίονες καὶ μείζονες εἰσοράασθαι [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἐσορᾶν κ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]: frequently of parts of the body, fair, shapely, κ. πρόσωπα, ὅμματα, παρήϊα, σφυρά, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; of clothes, εἵματα, φάρεα, Χιτών, Χλαῖνα, πέδιλα, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; of arms and armour, κνημῖδες, ἀσπίς, σάκος, κόρυς, φάσγανα, ἔντεα, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; of buildings, manufactured articles, etc., αὐλὴ κ. τε μεγάλη τε [Refs]; κ. δώματα, τεῖχος, πόλιες,[Refs 8th c.BC+]; also τέμενος, ἀγρός, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἐέρσα κ. ead.[Refs]
__A.2 in Attic dialect added to a name in token of love or admiration, as Ἀρίσημος κ. [Refs]; ἐν τοῖσι τοίχοις ἔγραφ᾽ Ἀθηναῖοι καλοί” [Refs 5th c.BC+]; Ἀλκιβιάδης ὁ καλός, Σαπφὼ ἡ καλή, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__A.2.b ἡ Καλή or Καλλίστη, as epithet, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
__A.2.c Καλοί, οἱ, divinities worshipped in childbirth, [Refs 2nd c.BC+]
__A.3 τὸ καλόν beauty, [Refs 7th c.BC+], etc.; τὰ καλά the proprieties or elegancies of life, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__A.II with reference to use, good, of fine quality, κ. λιμήν [Refs 8th c.BC+]; Βορέῃ ἀνέμῳ.. καλῷ fair, [Refs]; κ. ἀργύριον, opposed to κίβδηλον, genuine silver, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; opposed to ἀποτετριμμένον, good silver currency, [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; ἐλαῖαι [Refs 3rd c.BC+]; γῆ [NT+4th c.AD+]; στρατόπεδον κάλλιστον [LXX+5th c.BC+]: with infinitive, λόφος κάλλιστος τρέχειν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐν καλῷ [τόπῳ] in a good place, καθίζεσθαι, ὁρμεῖν, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐν καλῷ under favourable circumstances, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐν κ. (i.e. Χρόνῳ) in good time, in season, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐν οὐ κ. [Refs]; ἐν καλῷ [ἐστι] with infinitive, [Refs 5th c.BC+] with infinitive, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τί γὰρ ἐμοὶ ζῆν καλό; what is the good of life to me? [Refs 1st c.AD+]; καλῇ πίστει, = Latin bona fide, [Refs 3rd c.AD+]
__A.II.2 of sacrifices, auspicious, σφάγια [Refs 5th c.BC+]: with infinitive, ἰέναι.. κ. ἡμῖν τὰ ἱερὰ ἦν [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__A.III in a moral sense, beautiful, noble, honourable, in [Refs 8th c.BC+] only in neuter, οὐ καλὸν ἔειπες [Refs 8th c.BC+]; frequently καλόν [ἐστι] with infinitive, κ. τοι σὺν ἐμοὶ τὸν κήδειν ὅς κ᾽ ἐμὲ κήδῃ [Refs 8th c.BC+]; οὐ γὰρ ἔμοιγε κ. (i.e. ἄρχειν)[Refs 8th c.BC+]; so in Trag., καλόν μοι τοῦτο ποιούσῃ θανεῖν [LXX+5th c.BC+]: comparative, οὐ μέν τοι τόδε κάλλιον οὐδὲ ἔοικε [Refs 8th c.BC+]; κ. ἔργματα noble deeds, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἀναστροφὴ κ. [NT]: in plural, excellences, πλῆθος καλῶν [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὰ τοῦ παιδὸς κ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__A.III.2 τὸ κ. moral beauty, virtue, honour, opposed to τὸ αἰσχρόν, [Refs 6th c.BC+]; τοὐμὸν κ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__A.III.3 of persons, in early writers coupled with ἀγαθός, see at {καλοκἀγαθός}; later κ. ποιμήν [NT]; κ. στρατιώτης [NT]
__A.IV in Attic dialect and Trag. frequently ironically, fine, specious, γέρας κ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__B Degrees of comparative: comparative καλλίων, ον, [Refs 8th c.BC+]: superlative κάλλιστος, η, ον, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; late καλλιώτερος or -ότερος, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__C adverb:—Poets frequently use neuter καλόν as adverb, κ. ἀείδειν [Refs 8th c.BC+]; later τὸ κ. [Refs 3rd c.BC+]
__C.II regular adverb καλῶς (Doric dialect καλώς [Refs 5th c.BC+], well, rightly, οὐδ᾽ ἔτι κ. οἶκος ἐμὸς διόλωλε [Refs 8th c.BC+]; κ. ζῆν, τεθνηκέναι, etc., [Refs 5th c.BC+]; κ. φρονεῖν to be in one's right mind, [Refs]; κ. ἀγωνιεῖσθαι fairly, on the merits of the case, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; Χρήματα δατῆθθαι κ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__C.II.2 of good fortune, well, happily, κ. πράσσειν, ={εὖ π}., [Refs 5th c.BC+]; κ. ἔχειν to be well, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; κ. ἔχει with infinitive, 'tis well to.., [Refs 5th c.BC+] to be well off in respect to a thing, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__C.II.3 καλῶς, ={πάνυ}, thoroughly, altogether, τὸν κ. εὐδαίμονα [Refs 5th c.BC+]: comparative, κάλλιον εἰδέναι [Refs 5th c.BC+]; κάλλιον ἐοικέναι to be just like, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__C.II.4 κ. ἀκούειν to be well spoken of, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
__C.II.5 κ. ποιῶν rightly, deservedly, κ. ποιῶν ἀπόλλυται [Refs 5th c.BC+]; in requests, κ. ποιήσεις πριάμενος, etc., [Refs 3rd c.BC+], etc.; also with infinitive, κ. π. γράψαι [Refs 1st c.BC+]
__C.II.6 in answers, to approve the words of the former speaker, well said! [Refs 5th c.BC+]; also, to decline an offer courteously, no, thank you! [Refs 5th c.BC+]; πάνυ κ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__C.II.7 ironically, finely, καλῶς ἐρήμης γ᾽ ἂν σὺ γῆς ἄρχοις μόνος [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__C.II.8 κ. ὁ ἱερεύς hurrah for the priest! [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
__C.II.9 repeated with the adjective, καλὴ καλῶς [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__C.II.10 comparative καλλιόνως [Refs 5th c.BC+]: superlative καλλίστως [Refs 5th c.BC+]
__D for compounds, see at {καλλι-, καλο-}.
__E Quantity: ᾱ in Epic dialect and early [Refs 8th c.BC+]: ᾰ in Lyric poetry (except κᾱλῶς [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὰ μὴ κᾰλὰ κᾱλὰ πέφανται [Refs 3rd c.BC+].--In comparative, ῐ in [Refs 8th c.BC+]

_{LSJ Scripture Refs: Luke.8.15 ☩ LXX.Gen.44.4 ☩ LXX.Isa.1.17 ☩ 1Pet.2.12 ☩ John.10.11 ☩ 2Tim.2.3}