verb
areskamō
Strong’sG700
I please, serve
stem aresk-17 times in the New Testamentin 8 of 27 books10 forms occur
What it means
A plain-English reading of the word, with the lexicons it draws on — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, and Liddell-Scott-Jones — right below it, in full.
AI Summary
Ἀρέσκω means, in its main sense, to please or be agreeable to someone 1234 — to be the kind of person or behave in the kind of way that satisfies or gratifies another. It is regularly used with the person pleased in the dative case ("to please someone") 13, and can also describe conforming to someone's ways or habits 3. Strong's adds that by implication it can also mean to seek to please, to try to be agreeable 2.
In later Greek, including some New Testament uses, the word takes on the further sense of to render service to someone — to serve their interests rather than simply to gratify their feelings 14.
Sources: 1 Abbott-Smith 2 Strong's 3 LSJ 4 Dodson. Condensed by anthropic/claude-sonnet-5 on 2026-09-23 — it may still misstate what these say; check them yourself if it matters to you.
The lexicons it was drawn from, in full:
Abbott-Smith — the 1922 lexicon entry, in full
ἀρέσκω,
[in LXX chiefly for טוֹב;]
G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.
Strong’s G700 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from
Saidar-es'-ko
to be agreeable (or by implication, to seek to be so)
Fromprobably from G142 (through the idea of exciting emotion);
King Jamesplease.
James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, 1890 — public domain. The numbers in it link to the entries here.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — the classical dictionary this word appears in
imperfect ἤρεσκονRefs 5th c.BC+: future ἀρέσωRefs 4th c.BC+ (συν-) Refs 3rd c.BC+: aorist ἤρεσαRefs 5th c.BC+., etc., Epic dialect ἄρεσσαRefs 3rd c.BC+, infinitive ἀρέσαιRefs 8th c.BC+: perfect ἀρήρεκαRefs 1st c.AD+:—middle, future ἀρέσομαιRefs 4th c.BC+, Epic dialect ἀρέσσομαιRefs 8th c.BC+aorist ἠρεσάμην, Epic dialect ἀρ-Refs 8th c.BC+, Epic dialect participle ἀρεσσάμενοςRefs 8th c.BC+: aorist passive in middle sense, Refs 5th c.BC+:—passive, aorist ἠρέσθηνRefs 1st c.AD+
I of person only, make good, make amends, ἂψ ἐθέλω ἀρέσαιRefs 8th c.BC+:—middle, ταῦτα δ᾽ ὄπισθεν ἀρεσσόμεθ᾽ εἴ τι κακὸν νῦν εἴρηταιRefs 8th c.BC+; σπονδὰς θεοῖς ἀρέσασθαι make full drink-offerings to the gods, Refs 6th c.BC+
I.2 in Refs 8th c.BC+ also frequently in middle, with accusative person et dative modi, appease, conciliate, αὐτὸν ἀρεσσάσθω ἐπέεσσι καὶ δώρῳRefs 8th c.BC+; τὸν ξεῖνον ἀρέσσομαι ὡς σὺ κελεύειςRefs 8th c.BC+: with genitive _of things_, ἀρέσαντο φρένας αἵματος they sated their heart with blood, Refs 8th c.BC+
I.3 after Refs 8th c.BC+, with dative person, please, satisfy, οὔτε γάρ μοι Πολυκράτης ἤρεσκε δεσπόζων.. Refs 5th c.BC+; ἀεὶ δ᾽ ἀρέσκειν τοῖς κρατοῦσιν to be obsequious to them, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἀ. τρόποις τινός conform to his ways, NT+4th c.BC+:—middle, μάλιστα ἠρέσκοντό [οἱ] οἱ ἀπ᾽ Ἀθηνέων pleased him most, Refs 5th c.BC+
II of things, with dative person, please, εἴ τοι ἀρέσκει τὰ ἐγὼ λέγωRefs 5th c.BC+; τοῖς.. πρέσβεσιν ἤρεσκεν [the proposal] pleased them, Refs 5th c.BC+aorist passive, μηδ᾽ ἀρεσθείη ποτέ (i.e. μηδὲν τῶν σῶν λόγων) Refs 5th c.BC+
III with accusative person, οὐ γάρ μ᾽ ἀρέσκει γλῶσσά σου τεθηγμένηRefs 5th c.BC+: hence in passive, to be pleased, satisfied, οὐκ ἠρέσκετο λειπομένου Μαρδονίου ὑπὸ βασιλέοςRefs 5th c.BC+; τῇ κρίσι with the decision, Refs 5th c.BC+; later in aorist, ἠρέσθη τῇ γνώμῃRefs 1st c.AD+
IV ἀρέσκει is used impersonal to express the opinion or resolution of a public body, ταῦτα ἤρεσέ σφι ποιέεινRefs 5th c.BC+; ἀρέσκει.. εἶναι Δελφῶν it is resolved that.., Refs; also of prevailing opinions, ἀρέσκει περὶ τρίψεως παραγγέλλοντας.. writers on massage lay down the rule that.., Refs 2nd c.AD+; τὰ ἀρέσκοντα the dogmas of philosophers, Refs 1st c.AD+:—middle, ἐξεῖναι παρ᾽ ὁποτέρους ἂν ἀρέσκηται ἐλθεῖνRefs 5th c.BC+
V participle ἀρέσκων, ουσα, ον, grateful, acceptable, ὅσοις τάδ᾽ ἔστ᾽ ἀρέσκονθ᾽Refs 5th c.BC+
V.2 of persons, acceptable, τὸν ἀρέσκοντα αὑτῷ προσλαμβάνεινRefs 5th c.BC+
H. G. Liddell, R. Scott, H. S. Jones, A Greek-English Lexicon (9th ed., 1925–1940) — digitised by the Perseus Digital Library and corrected and expanded by Tyndale House, Cambridge, via STEPBible-Data's TFLSJ table, CC BY 4.0. Covers all of Greek literature, not just the Bible.
Translated as
Every occurrence, sorted by the English it was actually given — the evidence for what the word means, not a gloss of it.
Berean Standard Bible (BSB), dedicated to the public domain — berean.bible.
Biblang forms
What the New Testament actually uses, first — the whole system this verb is built from is one click further down.
| Form and the Greek behind it | What it is | Usually | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| areskamōἀρέσκω | happening now · Ipresent active indicative 1st person singular | please | 1× |
| areskameἤρεσκον | was happening · Iimperfect active indicative 1st person singular | please | 1× |
| areskataἤρεσεν | happened · he/she/itaorist active indicative 3rd person singular | pleased | 3× |
| areskateiaἀρέσῃ | happened · he/she/itaorist active subjunctive 3rd person singular | please | 4× |
| areskatōrἀρεσκέτω | happening now · he/she/itpresent active imperative 3rd person singular | please | 1× |
| areskarōἀρέσκειν | happening now · the “to …” formpresent active infinitive | please | 3× |
| areskaraἀρέσαι | happened · the “to …” formaorist active infinitive | please | 1× |
| areskarōntoisἀρέσκοντες | happening now · subjectpresent active participle nominative plural masculine | please | 1× |
| areskarōntoiuἀρεσκόντων | happening now · of, belonging topresent active participle genitive plural masculine | pleasing | 1× |
| areskarantauἀρεσάσης | happened · of, belonging toaorist active participle genitive singular feminine | having pleased | 1× |
Every form the New Testament uses, in paradigm order. What the system can build beyond them — the whole of this verb, whether the text happens to use it or not — is in the tables below.
Every form the system can build — all 86, by mood, including the ones the New Testament never uses
Statements — indicative mood, 5 occurrences
| Who person | happening now present | was happening imperfect | will happen future | happened aorist | has happened perfect | had happened pluperfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | areskamō1×ἀρέσκω | areskame1×ἤρεσκον | areskami | areskama | areskamē | areskamelē |
| you 2nd person singular | areskasō | areskase | areskasi | areskasa | areskasē | areskaselē |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | areskatō | areskate | areskati | areskata3×ἤρεσεν | areskatē | areskatelē |
| we 1st person plural | areskanō | areskane | areskani | areskana | areskanē | areskanelē |
| ye 2nd person plural | areskavō | areskave | areskavi | areskava | areskavē | areskavelē |
| they 3rd person plural | areskalō | areskale | areskali | areskala | areskalē | areskalelē |
May, might — subjunctive mood, 4 occurrences
| Who person | happening now present | happened aorist | has happened perfect |
|---|---|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | areskameiō | areskameia | areskameiē |
| you 2nd person singular | areskaseiō | areskaseia | areskaseiē |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | areskateiō | areskateia4×ἀρέσῃ | areskateiē |
| we 1st person plural | areskaneiō | areskaneia | areskaneiē |
| ye 2nd person plural | areskaveiō | areskaveia | areskaveiē |
| they 3rd person plural | areskaleiō | areskaleia | areskaleiē |
Commands — imperative mood, 1 occurrence
| Who person | happening now present | happened aorist | has happened perfect |
|---|---|---|---|
| you 2nd person singular | areskasōr | areskasar | areskasēr |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | areskatōr1×ἀρεσκέτω | areskatar | areskatēr |
| ye 2nd person plural | areskavōr | areskavar | areskavēr |
| they 3rd person plural | areskalōr | areskalar | areskalēr |
Wishes — optative mood, no occurrences
| Who person | happening now present | happened aorist |
|---|---|---|
| I 1st person singular | areskamoiō | areskamoia |
| you 2nd person singular | areskasoiō | areskasoia |
| he/she/it 3rd person singular | areskatoiō | areskatoia |
| we 1st person plural | areskanoiō | areskanoia |
| ye 2nd person plural | areskavoiō | areskavoia |
| they 3rd person plural | areskaloiō | areskaloia |
The “to …” form — infinitive, 4 occurrences
| Who is acting voice | happening now present | will happen future | happened aorist | has happened perfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| the subject acts active voice | areskarō3×ἀρέσκειν | areskari | areskara1×ἀρέσαι | areskarē |
Used as an adjective — participle, 3 occurrences
| Who is acting voice | happening now present | will happen future | happened aorist | has happened perfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| the subject acts active voice | areskarōntos2× | areskarintos | areskarantos1× | areskarēntos |
Each is given in the form it takes as a subject. From there a participle carries the ordinary noun endings, in every case, number and gender — so these four columns are the whole of what the verb contributes.
How every form is built — the slots that make them
aresk is this word in every one of its forms. The slots after it make all the rest.
same in every form varies — every value shown
Where it appears
Every verse the word appears in, filed under the form it takes there.
17 occurrences, every one of them listed
areskamō“please”happening now · Ipresent active indicative 1st person singular1×
1 Corinthians 10:33kathōs kamis panteim pantoi areskamō, mē zētarōntos tem miautou sumforem alla …as I also try to please everyone in all I do. For …
areskame“please”was happening · Iimperfect active indicative 1st person singular1×
Galatians 1:10… zētamō anthrōpoi areskarō? ei ēti anthrōpoi areskame, Christou doulos ouk an ome.… If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a …
areskata“pleased”happened · he/she/itaorist active indicative 3rd person singular3×
Matthew 14:6… tau Hērōdiadau en te mese kai areskata to Hērōdo,… of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod
Acts 6:5kai areskata tos logos enōpion panteu teu plētheu, …This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen …
Romans 15:3kai gar tos Christos ouk heauto areskata; alla kathōs grafotē; Tois oneidismois toiu …For even Christ did not please Himself, but as it is written …
areskateia“please”happened · he/she/itaorist active subjunctive 3rd person singular4×
1 Corinthians 7:32… agamos merimnatō teim tou kuriou, pōs areskateia to kurio;… of the Lord, how he can please the Lord.
1 Corinthians 7:33… gamarantos merimnatō teim tou kosmou, pōs areskateia ta gunaika,… of this world, how he can please his wife,
1 Corinthians 7:34… gamarantas merimnatō teim tou kosmou, pōs areskateia to andro.… of this world, how she can please her husband.
2 Timothy 2:4… tou biou pragmateiai, hina to stratologaranto areskateia;… in civilian affairs, in order to please the one who enlisted him.
areskatōr“please”happening now · he/she/itpresent active imperative 3rd person singular1×
Romans 15:2hekastos nu to plēsion areskatōr eis tem agathem pros oikodoman;Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to …
areskarō“please”happening now · the “to …” formpresent active infinitive3×
Romans 15:1… toiu adunatoiu bastazarō, kai mē heautoi areskarō.… of the weak and not to please ourselves.
Galatians 1:10… ē ton theon? ē zētamō anthrōpoi areskarō? ei ēti anthrōpoi areskame, Christou doulos …… God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying …
1 Thessalonians 4:1“please”… tem pōs datō vin peripatarō kai areskarō theo, kathōs kai peripatavō, hina perisseuaveiō …… pleasing to God, just as you have received from us. This is how you already live, so you …
areskara“please”happened · the “to …” formaorist active infinitive1×
Romans 8:8tois de en sarka arōntois theo areskara ouk dunolō.Those controlled by the flesh cannot please God.
areskarōntois“please”happening now · subjectpresent active participle nominative plural masculine1×
1 Thessalonians 2:4… euangeliem houtōs lalanō, ouk hōs anthrōpoi areskarōntois alla theo to dokimazarōnto tain kardiain …… the gospel, not in order to please men but God, who examines our …
areskarōntoiu“pleasing”happening now · of, belonging topresent active participle genitive plural masculine1×
1 Thessalonians 2:15“pleasing”… kai nin ekdiōkarantoiu, kai theo mē areskarōntoiu, kai pantoi anthrōpoi enantioiu,… own prophets and drove us out as well. They are displeasing to God and hostile to all men,
areskarantau“having pleased”happened · of, belonging toaorist active participle genitive singular feminine1×
Mark 6:22“having pleased”… autau tau Hērōdiadau kai orcherantau kai areskarantau to Hērōdo kai toi sunanakeiorōntoi, legata …… daughter of Herodias came and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests, and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will …