Bible Dictionaries
Unprofitable, Unprofitableness

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

A — 1: ἀχρεῖος

(Strong's #888 — Adjective — achreios — akh-ri'-os )

"unless (chreia, "use"), "unprofitable," occurs in Matthew 25:30; Luke 17:10 . In the Sept., 2 Samuel 6:22 .

A — 2: ἄχρηστος

(Strong's #890 — Adjective — achrestos — akh'-race-tos )

"unprofitable, unserviceable" (chrestos, "serviceable"), is said of Onesimus, Philemon 1:11 , antithetically to euchrestos, "profitable," with a play on the name of the converted slave (from onesis, "profit").

Note: Achreios is more distinctly negative than achrestos, which suggests positively hurtful.

A — 3: ἀλυσιτελής

(Strong's #255 — Adjective — alusiteles — al-oo-sit-el-ace' )

"not advantageous, not making good the expense involved" (lusiteles, "useful"), occurs in Hebrews 13:17 .

A — 4: ἀνωφελής

(Strong's #512 — Adjective — anopheles — an-o-fel'-ace )

"not beneficial or serviceable" (a, negative, n, euphonic, opheleo, "to do good, to benefit"), is rendered "unprofitable" in Titus 3:9; in the neuter, used as a noun, "unprofitableness," Hebrews 7:18 , said of the Law as not accomplishing that which the "better hope" could alone bring. In the Sept., Proverbs 28:3; Isaiah 44:10; Jeremiah 2:8 .

B — 1: ἀχρειόω

(Strong's #889 — Verb — achreoo | achreioo — akh-ri-o'-o )

akin to A, No. 1, "to make useless," occurs in Romans 3:12 , in the Passive Voice, rendered "they have ... become unprofitable."

Bibliography Information
Vines, W. E., M. A. Entry for 'Unprofitable, Unprofitableness'. Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words. https://www.studylight.org/​dictionaries/​eng/​ved/​u/unprofitable-unprofitableness.html. 1940.