2120. eukairia

Lexical Summary

eukairia: Opportunity, favorable time, occasion

Original Word: εὐκαιρία
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: eukairia
Pronunciation: yoo-kah-REE-ah
Phonetic Spelling: (yoo-kahee-ree'-ah)
KJV: opportunity
NASB: good opportunity
Word Origin: [from G2121 (εὔκαιρος - strategic)]

1. a favorable occasion

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

opportunity.

From eukairos; a favorable occasion -- opportunity.

see GREEK eukairos

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from eukairos
Definition
fitting time
NASB Translation
good opportunity (2).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon

STRONGS NT 2120: εὐκαιρία

εὐκαιρία, εὐκαιρίας, ἡ (εὔκαιρος), seasonable time, opportunity: ζητεῖν εὐκαιρίαν, followed by (ἵνα Buttmann, 237 (205)), Matthew 26:16; (Luke 22:6 Lachmann marginal reading); by τοῦ with an infinitive Luke 22:6. (the Sept.; in Greek writings first in Plato, Phaedr., p. 272 a.)

Topical Lexicon

Overview

A divinely arranged window of time that may be seized either for obedience or for evil. Appearing only twice, the term frames Judas Iscariot’s search for the right “moment” to betray Jesus, emphasizing that nothing in the Passion occurred by accident, yet human responsibility remained intact.

Occurrences in the New Testament

Matthew 26:16 and Luke 22:6 portray Judas negotiating with the chief priests until such an εὐκαιρία surfaced, “apart from the crowd.”

“From then on Judas looked for an opportunity to betray Him” (Matthew 26:16).

Theological Themes

1. Sovereignty and Responsibility—God ordains the times; humans answer for how they use them (Acts 2:23).
2. Moral Neutrality—An opportunity becomes good or evil through motive (Ephesians 5:16).
3. Hiddenness and Exposure—Judas plots in secret; God ultimately exposes all (Luke 8:17).

Old Testament Background

Ecclesiastes 3:1: “For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.” The Septuagint’s use of καιρός echoes the decisive moment sought by Judas. Proverbs 1:11 anticipates sinners lying in wait for such a time.

Christological Significance

Earlier arrests failed because “His hour had not yet come” (John 7:30). Only when Jesus consented to the Father’s plan did the betrayer’s moment arrive, displaying Christ’s mastery over events leading to the cross.

Contrasting Uses of Opportunity

• Sin: Judas (Matthew 26:16; Luke 22:6)
• Ministry: Colossians 4:3—“open to us a door for the word”
• Generosity: Galatians 6:10—“as we have opportunity, let us do good”
• Evangelism: 2 Timothy 4:2—“in season and out of season”

Pastoral and Ministry Implications

1. Vigilance—The enemy seeks opportune times to tempt (Luke 4:13).
2. Stewardship—Redeem each moment for Christ (Ephesians 5:16).
3. Warfare—Expose works of darkness just as Judas exploited secrecy (Ephesians 5:11).

Historical Exegesis

Augustine linked Judas’s opportunity to covetousness; Chrysostom warned that sin matures in stages; Reformers stressed providence over even the timing of wicked acts.

Summary

Strong’s 2120 underscores the critical nature of time in God’s redemptive plan. Judas’s calculated moment propels Jesus to the cross, warning believers not to squander moments that could serve sin and urging them to seize every God-given occasion for faith, witness, and obedience.

Forms and Transliterations

ευκαιρία ευκαιρίαις ευκαιριαν ευκαιρίαν εὐκαιρίαν eukairian eukairían

Englishman's Concordance

Matthew 26:16 N-AFS
GRK: τότε ἐζήτει εὐκαιρίαν ἵνα αὐτὸν
NAS: on he [began] looking for a good opportunity to betray
KJV: he sought opportunity to
INT: that time he sought an opportunity that him

Luke 22:6 N-AFS
GRK: καὶ ἐζήτει εὐκαιρίαν τοῦ παραδοῦναι
NAS: and [began] seeking a good opportunity to betray
KJV: and sought opportunity to betray him
INT: and sought opportunity to betray

Strong's Greek 2120
2 Occurrences

εὐκαιρίαν — 2 Occ.