2239. éthos
Lexical Summary
éthos: Custom, habit, manner, character

Original Word: ἦθος
Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: éthos
Pronunciation: AY-thos
Phonetic Spelling: (ay'-thos)
KJV: manners
NASB: morals
Word Origin: [a strengthened form of G1485 (ἔθος - custom)]

1. usage
2. (plural) moral habits

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
manners.

A strengthened form of ethos; usage, i.e. (plural) moral habits -- manners.

see GREEK ethos

HELPS Word-studies

2239 ēthos (from 1485 /éthos, "habit, custom") – "familiar morals," referring to daily life-style (moral habits, behavioral patterns). 2239 /ēthos ("habits, morally regarded") only occurs in 1 Cor 15:33.

[The English term "ethics" is derived from 2239 /ēthos.]

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
prol. form of ethos
Definition
custom
NASB Translation
morals (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 2239: ἦθος

ἦθος, ᾔθεος (ἐθους), τό (akin to ἔθος, probably from ἘΩ, whence ἧμαι, έ῾ζω (cf. Vanicek, p. 379));

1. a customary abode, dwelling-place, haunt, customary state (Homer, Hesiod, Herodotus, others).

2. custom, usage (cf. German Sitzen,Sitte); plural τά ἤθη morals, character (Latinmores) 1 Corinthians 15:33 from Menander; cf. Menander fragment, Meineke edition, p. 75. (Sir. 20:26 (25); 4 Macc. 1:29; 2:7, 21.)

Topical Lexicon
Semantic Emphasis in Scripture

The word translated “morals” in 1 Corinthians 15:33 appears nowhere else in the New Testament, yet its single use is strategic. Paul quotes a well-known Greek maxim, “Bad company corrupts good morals”, to expose the corrosive effect of false teaching that denied bodily resurrection. The term denotes the settled moral habits or ethical character that shape a person’s life, underscoring that the gospel reaches beyond mental assent to form the very patterns of daily behavior.

Greco-Roman Background

In classical literature ἤθη often referred to the ethical fabric of a citizen or city. Philosophers such as Aristotle linked it to virtue formation through repeated practice. Paul imports the word, not to baptize pagan ethics, but to contrast the church’s distinctively Christian ethos with the corrupting influence of worldly associations. By borrowing the proverb, he acknowledges the cultural insight that conduct is contagious while simultaneously re-orienting it under the lordship of Christ.

Theological Significance

1. Human nature and sanctification: Scripture teaches that believers receive a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26) yet must “put on the new self” (Ephesians 4:24). The term in 1 Corinthians 15:33 captures this tension—new creation life must crystallize into steadfast habits.
2. Community impact: Paul’s warning is corporate. Holiness is cultivated or compromised in fellowship (Hebrews 10:24–25). The integrity of a congregation’s collective ἤθη safeguards its witness (Philippians 2:15).
3. Eschatological motivation: The immediate context (1 Corinthians 15:12–34) anchors ethics in resurrection hope. Because future glory is bodily and concrete, present moral formation matters.

Old Testament Parallels

Proverbs repeatedly links companionship and character: “He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm” (Proverbs 13:20). The covenant people were warned, “Do not follow the practices of the nation I am driving out before you” (Leviticus 18:3). These texts anticipate Paul’s use of ἤθη—God’s people are to cultivate distinct moral habits grounded in covenant fidelity.

Practical Ministry Applications

• Discipleship: Pastors and mentors should aim not only at doctrinal accuracy but at fostering gospel-shaped habits—prayer, generosity, purity, truth-telling—that embody resurrection life.
• Church discipline: Tolerance of unrepentant sin erodes communal ἤθη (1 Corinthians 5:6–8). Loving correction protects the flock from moral contagion.
• Cultural engagement: Believers live amid philosophies and entertainments that can “corrupt good morals.” Wise engagement recognizes the formative power of media, friendships, and ideologies.
• Youth and family ministry: Parents and teachers must emphasize that peer influence shapes moral trajectories. Encouraging godly friendships and modeling holy habits lays foundations for lifelong faithfulness.

Summary

Though ἤθη appears only once, it crystallizes a biblical principle: moral character is forged in community and must align with the resurrection reality. The church, grounded in the gospel, is called to embody an ethos that reflects the life of the Risen Christ and resists corruption by falsehood and ungodly alliances.

Forms and Transliterations
ηθη ήθη ἤθη ethe ēthē ḗthe ḗthē
Links
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Englishman's Concordance
1 Corinthians 15:33 N-ANP
GRK: πλανᾶσθε φθείρουσιν ἤθη χρηστὰ ὁμιλίαι
NAS: corrupts good morals.
KJV: corrupt good manners.
INT: Be misled corrupts character good companionships

Strong's Greek 2239
1 Occurrence


ἤθη — 1 Occ.

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