ἀχρεῖος, ἀχρεῖον (χρεῖος useful), useless, good for nothing: Mat_25:30 (δοῦλος, cf. Plato, Alc. 1:17, p. 122 b. τῶν οἰκετῶν τόν ἀχρειοτατον); by an hyperbole of pious modesty in Luk_17:10 'the servant' calls himself ἀχρεῖον, because, although he has done all, yet he has done nothing except what he ought to have done; accordingly he possesses no merit, and could only claim to be called 'profitable,' should he do more than what he is bound to do; cf. Bengel, at the passage. (Often in Greek writings from Homer down; Xenophon, mem. 1, 2, 54 ἀχρεῖον καί ἀνωφελές. The Sept. 2Sa_6:22 equivalent to ωΘΡτΘμ low, base.) (Synonyms: cf. Tittmann ii., p. 11f; Ellicott on Phm_1:11.)

ἀχρεῖος achreios 2x useless, unprofitable, worthless, Mat_25:30 ; unmeritorious, Luk_17:10

ἀ -χρεῖος , -ον ( < χρεῖος , useful ), [in LXX : 2Sa_6:22 ( H8217 ), Ep . Jer_17:1-27 * ;] useless, unprofitable: Mat_25:30 , Luk_17:10 ( MM , s.v. ).†

ἀχρεῖος [page 99] With Luk_17:10 may be compared the fragmentary P Par 68 .54 ἀχρείους δούλους : see also P Magd 29 .6 (B.C. 217) τόπ [ον ] ὄντα̣ κα̣ί μοι ἀχρεῖον καὶ στενὸν ἐπὶ μῆκος δέδωκεν . The one occurrence of the adj. in NT may quite possibly be a mistaken gloss : the Lewis Syriac presumes simply δοῦλοί ἐσμεν , a very plausible reading. Herwerden cites the abnormal feminine ἀχρεία from IG Sept 303 .10 (iii/B.C.) φιάλην . . . ἀχρείαν .

ἀχρεῖος "useless, unprofitable, good for nothing", Hes. , Soph. , etc. esp. "unserviceable, unfit for war", Hdt. ; τὸ ἄχρ. τοῦ στρατοῦ "the unserviceable part" of an army, id=Hdt. , Thuc. , etc. in Hom. neut. ἀχρεῖον as adv., ἀχρεῖον ἰδών giving a "helpless" look, looking "foolish", of Thersites after being beaten, Il. ; ἀχρεῖον ἐγέλασσε laughing "without cause or meaning", laughed with a "forced" laugh, Od. ; so, ἀχρεῖον κλάζειν to bark "without cause", Theocr.

ἀ-χρεῖος, -ον (χρεῖος, useful), [in LXX: 2Ki.6:22 (שָׁפָל), Ep. Jer.17:1-27 * ;] useless, unprofitable: Mat.25:30, Luk.17:10 (MM, see word).† (AS)