ἀρετή, -ῆς, ἡ, [see ἄρα init.], a word of very wide signification in Grk. writ.; any excellence of a person (in body or mind) or of a thing, an eminent endowment, property or quality. Used of the human ;-nind and in an ethical sense, itdenotes 1. a virtuous course of thought, feeling and action; virtue, moral goodness, (Sap. iv. 1; ν. 13; often in 4 Mace. and in Grk. writ.): 2 Pet. i. 5 [al. take it here specifically, viz. moral vigor; οἵ. next head]. 2. any particular moral excellence, as modesty, purity; hence (plur. ai ἀρεταί, Sap. viii. 7; often in 4 Mace. and in the Grk. philosophers) τὶς ἀρετή, Phil. iv. 8. Used of God, it denotes a. his power: 2 Pet. i. 3. b. in the plur. his excellences, perfections, ‘ which shine forth in our gratuitous calling and in the whole work of our salvation’ (Jn. Gerhard): 1 Pet. ii. 9. (In Sept. for Wn splendor, glory, Hab. iii. 3, of God; Zech. vi. 13, of the Messiah; in plur. for nibgnn praises, of God, Is. xliii. 51. xii, 12. xiii.) 7)" :

ἀρετή aretē 5x

goodness, good quality of any kind; a gracious act of God, 1 Pet. 2:9; 2 Pet. 1:3; virtue, uprightness, Phil. 4:8; 2 Pet. 1:5*

ἀρετή, -ῆς, ἡ,

[in LXX, in sing.: Hb 3:3, Za 6:13 (הוֹד), in pl.: Is 42:8, 12 43:21 63:7 (תְּהִלָּה), Es 14:10, Wi 4:1 5:13 8:7, II-IV Mac22*;]

prop., whatever procures pre-eminent estimation for a person or thing, in Hom. any kind of conspicuous advantage. Later confined by philos. writers to intrinsic eminence—moral goodness, virtue; of God: II Pe 1:3;

of men: Phl 4:8, II Pe 1:5; pl. (Is 42:8, 12 43:21 63:7, Es 14:10), excellencies: I Pe 2:9 (the usage appears to be a survival of an early comprehensive sense in which the original idea is blended with the impression which it makes on others, i.e. praise, renown; v. Hort, I Pe., 129. Deiss., BS, 95 f., thinks it means manifestations of divine power, as in current Gk. speech; cf. also MM, s.v.)†

ἀρετή. The limitation of this word to four occurrences in NT— and two of them in 2 Pet—may possibly be connected with the very width of its significance in non-Christian ethics : it had not precision enough for large use in Christian language. If Brugmann is right in connecting it with ἀρέ-σκω Kurzgef. vergl. Gr. p. 519), this vagueness was there from the first. Our ‘“‘ virtue” is too narrow for a word which had nearly all the forces of our adj. ‘‘ good”’: cf. Prof. G. Murray, Greek Epic, p. 57. Some ΚΚοινή instances may be quoted. P Hib I. 1585 8. (a rhetorical exercise, about B.c. 280-40) : the younger men are exhorted to employ their hodies εὐκαίρως τὴν ἀπόδειξιν ποιησαμένους τῆς αὐτῶν ἀρετῆς, “in a timely display of their prowess” (Edd.) In the ordinance of Ptolemy Euergetes II., P. Tebt I. 516° (8.6. 118), certain officials are warned not τὴν ἐν ἀρετῆι κειμένην βα(σιλικὴν) γῆν παραιρεῖσθαι τῶν γει. ἱργῶν) μηδὲ ἐπὶ ἐγλογῆι γεωργεῖν, “to take the richest Crown land from the cultivators by fraud or cultivate it at choice.” The editors quote Hesychius ἀρετῶσιν " ἀρεταίνωσιν, εὐδαιμονῶσιν, ἐν ἀρετῇ ὦσιν. It is thus possible that we have here earlier evidence for ἀρεταί = /audes in the LXX (see Deissmann BS p. 95f., Hort 7 Pet p. 128 f.), as if “land in esteem.” The other new meaning brought out by Deissmann (zéé sepa) ‘‘ manifestation of power” (as 2 Pet 18) may also be further illustrated. Thus in Sy// 784? (iv/B.c.) ᾿Αθηνάαι Μένεια ἀνέθηκεν ὄψιν ἰδοῦσα ἀρετὴν τῆς θεοῦ, Dittenberger quotes with approval Foucart’s definition of ἀρετή as signifying ‘‘ vim divinam ἀρὴν ͵ quae mirabilem in modum hominibus laborantibus salutem afferret.” Cf. 2, 806% (Crete, early Empire) πλείονας Gpeta[s τοῦ θεοῦ] and 74. 807° (c. ii/A.D.) where after a miraculous restoration of a blind man the people rejoice ὅτι ζῶσαι ἀρεταὶ ἐγένοντο ἐπὶ τοῦ Σεβαστοῦ ἡμῶν ᾿Αντωνείνου. There is suggestive force in this rejoicing of the pagan crowd to find that *‘ powers” of Asclepios were still ‘‘alive” in those dark days. A few miscellaneous references may be added. With the list of virtues in 2 Pet 1°f, cf. OGZS 438®® (i/B.c.) ἄνδρα ἀγαθὸν γενόμενον καὶ διενένκαντα πίστει καὶ ἀρετῇ Kal δ[ικ]αιοσύνῃ καὶ εὐσεβείαι καὶ περὶ το(ῦ κ)ο(ι)ν[οὔἹ] συνφέροντος τὴν πλείστ[η]ν εἰσενηνεγμένον σπουδήν (see BS p- 360ff, ZLAZ p. 322). In the invitation to celebrate Hadrian’s accession to the Imperial throne, the new Emperor is described as one ὧι πάντα δοῦλα [δι ἀρετὴν κ[αὶ] πατρὸς τύχην θεοῦ (Ρ Giss I. 357). A sepulchral epigram from Hermupolis (PSI 17%, iii/A.p.) begins—[O]¥ yap ἐν ἀνθρώποισιν ἐὼν ἐβάδιζεν ἐκείνην τὴν ὁδὸν ἣν ἀρετῆς οὐκ ἐκάθηρε θέμις. And in the later papyri the word is frequent as a title of courtesy, e.g. P Oxy I. 604 (A.D. 323) ἀκολούθως τοῖς κελευσθῖσι ὑπὸ τῆς ἀρετῆς τοῦ κυρίου pov διασημοτάτου ἡγεμόνος Σιαβινιανοῦ, 74, 7111.18 (A.p. 303) εἴ σου δόξειεν τῇ ἀρετῇ : cf. P Lips I. goii-2.iii 918 ‘iv/y a.p.), P Grenf II. go" (vi/A.D.) a’. The same usage is found in Jos. Av/t. xii. 53: cf. our “ Excellency.

ἀρετή (aretē) — virtue. ἀρετή [ᾰ], ἡ, goodness, excellence, of any kind, in [Refs 8th c.BC+] especially of manly qualities, ποδῶν ἀρετὴν ἀναφαίνων[Refs 8th c.BC+]; so of the gods, τῶν περ καὶ μείζων ἀ. τιμή τε βίη τε[Refs]; also of women, [Refs 8th c.BC+]; ἀ. εἵνεκα for valour, [Refs 5th c.BC+] displayed brave deeds, [Refs] __b later, of the gods, chiefly in plural, glorious deeds, wonders, miracles, [NT+1st c.BC+]: also in singular, ὄψιν ἰδοῦσα ἀρετὴν τῆς θεοῦ[Refs 3rd c.BC+]

2. generally, excellence, ἡ ἀ. τελείωσίς τις[Refs 4th c.BC+]; of persons, ἄνδρα πὺξ ἀρετὰν εὑρόντα[Refs 5th c.BC+]: in plural, forms of excellence, μυρίαι ἀνδρῶν ἀ.[Refs 5th c.BC+]; especially moral virtue, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; opposed to κακία, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; good nature, kindness, etc., [Refs 5th c.BC+]

2. b of animals, things, as land, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἡ ἐν ἀρετῇ κειμένη γῆ productive land, [Refs 2nd c.BC+]; ἵππου[Refs 5th c.BC+]; κυνῶν, ἵππων, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; [ἀστακοῦ] [Refs 5th c.BC+]

3. prosperity, [Refs 8th c.BC+]

II. ἀ. εἴς τινα active merit, good service done him, ἐς τοὺς Ἕλληνας[Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἀρετῆς ἕνεκα, frequently in honorary Inscrr., [Refs]

III. reward of excellence, distinction, fame, πλούτῳ δ᾽ ἀρετὴ καὶ κῦδος ὀπηδεῖ[Refs 8th c.BC+]; of God, δόξα καὶ ἀ.[NT]: in plural, glories, [LXX+6th c.BC+] frequently of the praises of God, [Refs 4th c.BC+]

IV. Ἀρετή personified, [Refs 5th c.BC+]

V. ἡ ἀ. σου as a title, Your worship, [Refs]

VI. an engine of war, [Refs 2nd c.BC+]

VII. a plaster, [Refs 1st c.AD+]