Lexical Summary
areskó: To please, to be pleasing, to seek to please
Original Word: ἀρέσκω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: areskó
Pronunciation: ah-RES-ko
Phonetic Spelling: (ar-es'-ko)
KJV: please
NASB: please, pleased, pleasing, found approval
Word Origin: [probably from G142 (αἴρω - take) (through the idea of exciting emotion)]
1. to be agreeable
2. (by implication) to seek to be agreeable
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
to please
Probably from airo (through the idea of exciting emotion); to be agreeable (or by implication, to seek to be so) -- please.
see GREEK airo
HELPS Word-studies
700 aréskō – properly, satisfy (make good on something, LS); hence to please, winning someone's favor (affection, approval) because meeting their expectation (especially by being in moral agreement).
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom a prim. root ar- (fit together)
Definitionto please
NASB Translationfound approval (1), please (12), pleased (2), pleasing (2).
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 700: ἀρέσκωἀρέσκω; imperfect
ἤρεσκον; future
ἀρέσω; 1 aorist
ἤρεσα; (
ἈΡΩ (see
ἄρα at the beginning)); (from
Homer down);
a. to please: τίνι, Matthew 14:6; Mark 6:22; Romans 8:8; Romans 15:2; 1 Thessalonians 2:15; 1 Thessalonians 4:1; 1 Corinthians 7:32-34; Galatians 1:10; 2 Timothy 2:4; ἐνώπιον τίνος, after the Hebrew בְּעֵינֵי, Acts 6:5 (1 Kings 3:10; Genesis 34:18, etc.).
b. to strive to please; to accommodate oneself to the opinions, desires, interests of others: τίνι, 1 Corinthians 10:33 (πάντα πᾶσιν ἀρέσκω); 1 Thessalonians 2:4. ἀρέσκειν ἑαυτῷ, to please oneself and therefore to have an eye to one's own interests: Romans 15:1, 3.
Topical Lexicon
Semantic Range and Emphases The verb expresses the idea of gaining approval, satisfying expectations, or acting in a manner agreeable to another. In the New Testament the object of this “pleasing” is either God or human beings, and the spiritual health of the action is determined by that object. Pleasing God is presented as a mark of true discipleship, whereas seeking to please people at the expense of truth is condemned.
Distribution in the New Testament
Seventeen occurrences span the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew 14:6; Mark 6:22), Acts (Acts 6:5), and predominantly the Pauline corpus (Romans, 1 Corinthians, Galatians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Timothy). Fourteen of the seventeen appear in contexts of instruction to the churches, underscoring its pastoral weight.
Pleasing God versus Pleasing Humans
Galatians 1:10 sharply distinguishes the two pursuits: “If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Paul echoes this in 1 Thessalonians 2:4, reminding believers that gospel ministry is performed “not to please men, but God, who examines our hearts.” Romans 8:8 grounds the discussion theologically: “Those controlled by the flesh cannot please God,” teaching that only life in the Spirit satisfies divine standards.
Pastoral and Ministerial Applications
1 Thessalonians 4:1 exhorts continual growth: “We ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus to live in order to please God.” This establishes an ongoing, progressive sanctification rather than a one-time achievement. In 1 Corinthians 10:33 Paul models cultural sensitivity that never surrenders gospel fidelity: “I try to please everyone in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.” Genuine Christian leadership balances God-centered motives with self-denying service to people.
Marriage and Undivided Devotion
In 1 Corinthians 7:32-34 the term appears four times to illustrate the divided interests of the married believer who “seeks to please his spouse.” Paul is not devaluing marriage but highlighting the practical reality that marital responsibilities limit exclusive focus on ministry. The passage helps couples steward their commitments while prioritizing the Lord.
Spiritual Warfare and Soldier Analogy
2 Timothy 2:4 applies the word to military imagery: “No soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, since he wants to please the one who enlisted him.” Single-minded obedience becomes the guiding principle for Christian service, warning against distractions that dilute effectiveness.
Selfless Edification within the Body
Romans 15:2 commands, “Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.” The aim is not flattery but constructive benefit. The pattern derives from Christ Himself, for “even Christ did not please Himself” (Romans 15:3). Pleasing others is legitimate when it advances their spiritual welfare and imitates the self-sacrificing example of Jesus.
Contrasting Examples in the Gospels
Matthew 14:6 and Mark 6:22 record Herodias’s daughter whose dance “pleased Herod,” leading to John the Baptist’s unjust execution. These narratives warn that the desire to gratify human appetites can precipitate grievous sin and opposition to God’s prophetic voice.
Historical Context in the Early Church
Acts 6:5 notes that the selection of the Seven “pleased the whole group,” illustrating Spirit-led consensus in administrative decisions. The early believers valued unity and approval of the congregation when such approval aligned with godly wisdom and prayer.
Summary of Doctrinal Significance
1. Pleasing God is incompatible with fleshly living (Romans 8:8) and people-pleasing compromise (Galatians 1:10).
2. Yet believers are called to act for the genuine benefit of others (Romans 15:2), following Christ’s model.
3. Ministry effectiveness demands single-hearted loyalty (2 Timothy 2:4) and integrity before the God who “examines our hearts” (1 Thessalonians 2:4).
4. Proper understanding of the term safeguards against legalistic rigor on one hand and shallow popularity on the other, anchoring Christian ethics in the character and pleasure of God.
Forms and Transliterations
αρεσαι αρέσαι ἀρέσαι αρεσάσης αρεσάτω αρέσει αρεση αρέση ἀρέσῃ αρέσκει αρεσκειν αρέσκειν ἀρέσκειν αρεσκετω αρεσκέτω ἀρεσκέτω αρέσκη αρέσκοι αρεσκοντες αρέσκοντες ἀρέσκοντες αρεσκοντων αρεσκόντων ἀρεσκόντων αρεσκω αρέσκω ἀρέσκω ήρεσαν ήρεσε ηρεσεν ήρεσεν ἤρεσεν ήρεσκεν ηρεσκον ήρεσκον ἤρεσκον aresai arésai arese aresē arései arésēi areskein aréskein aresketo aresketō areskéto areskétō aresko areskō arésko aréskō areskontes aréskontes areskonton areskontōn areskónton areskóntōn eresen ēresen ḗresen ereskon ēreskon ḗreskon
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