Ἀβιληνή [WH Ἀβειλ. (see s. v. ει)], -ῆς, η, (sc. χώρα, the district belonging to the city Abila), Abilene, the name of a region lying between Lebanon and Hermon towards Phoenicia, 18 miles distant from Damascus and 37 [acc. to the Itin. Anton. 38] from Heliopolis: Lk. iii. 1. Cf. Λυσανίας [and B.D. s. v.].*
Ἀβιούδ, ὁ, indecl. prop. name, אְַבִיהוּד (father of the Jews [al. of glory]), Abiud, son of Zorobabel or Zerubbabel: Mt. i. 13.*
Ἀβραάμ [Rec.st Ἀβρ.; cf. Tdf. Proleg. p. 106] (Joseph. Ἄβραμος, -ου), אַבְרָהָם (father of a multitude, cf. Gen. xvii. 5), Abraham, the renowned founder of the Jewish nation: Mt. i. 1 sq.; xxii. 32; Lk. xix. 9; Jn. viii. 33; Acts iii. 25; Heb. vii. 1 sqq., and elsewhere. He is extolled by the apostle Paul as a pattern of faith, Ro. iv. 1 sqq. 17 sqq.; Gal. iii. 6 (cf. Heb. xi. 8), on which account all believers in Christ have a claim to the title sons or posterity of Abraham, Gal. iii. 7, 29; cf. Ro. iv. 11.
ἄ-βυσσος, in classic Greek an adj., -ος, -ον, (fr. ὁ βυσσός i. q. βυθός), bottomless (so perhaps in Sap. x. 19), unbounded (πλοῦτος ἄβυσσος, Aeschyl. Sept. (931) 950). In the Scriptures ἡ ἄβυσσος (Sept. for תְּהוֺם) sc. χώρα, the pit, the immeasurable depth, the abyss. Hence of ‘the deep’ sea: Gen. i. 2; vii. 11; Deut. viii. 7; Sir. i. 3; xvi. 18, etc.; of Orcus (a very deep gulf or chasm in the lowest parts of the earth: Ps. lxx. (lxxi.) 21 ἐκ τῶν ἀβύσσων τῆ γῆς, Eur. Phoen. 1632 (1605) ταρτάρου ἄβυσσα χάσματα, Clem. Rom. 1 Cor. 20, 5 ἀβύσσων ἀνεξιχνίαστα κλίματα, ibid. 59, 3 ὁ ἐπιβλέπων ἐν ταῖς ἀβύσσοις, of God; [Act. Thom. 32 ὁ τὴν ἄβυσσον τοῦ ταρτάρου οἰκῶν, of the dragon]), both as the common receptacle of the dead, Ro. x. 7, and especially as the abode of demons, Lk. viii. 31; Rev. ix. 1 sq. 11; xi. 7; xvii. 8; xx. 1, 3. Among prof. auth. used as a subst. only by Diog. Laërt. 4, (5,) 27 κατῆλθες εἰς μέλαιναν Πλουτέως ἄβυσσον. Cf. Knapp, Scripta var. Arg. p. 554 sq.; [J. G. Müller, Philo’s Lehre von der Weltschöpfung, p. 173 sq.; B. D. Am. ed. s. v. Deep].*
Ἄγαβος (on the breathing see WH. Intr. § 408], -ου, ὁ, the name of a Christian prophet, Agabus: Acts xi. 28; xxi. 10. (Perhaps from עָגַב) to love [cf. B. D. s. v.].)*
ἀγαθοεργέω, -ῶ; (fr. the unused ΕΡΓΩ—equiv. to ἔρδω, ἐργάζομαι—and ἀγαθόν); to be ἀγαθοεργός, beneficent (towards the poor, the needy): 1 Tim. vi. 18 [A. V. do good]. Cf. ἀγαθουργέω. Found besides only in eccl. writ., but in the sense to do well, act rightly.*
ἀγαθο-ποιέω, -ῶ; 1 aor. inf. ἀγαθοποιῆσαι; (fr. ἄγαθο-ποιόσ; 1. to do good, do something which profits others: Mk. iii. 4 [Tdf. ἀγαθὸν ποιῆσαι; Lk. vi. 9]; to show one’s self beneficent, Acts xiv. 17 Rec.; τινά, to do some one a favor, to benefit, Lk. vi. 33, 35, (equiv. to הֵיטִיב), Zeph. i. 12; Num. x. 32; Tob. xii. 13, etc.). 2. to do well, do right: 1 Pet. ii. 15, 20 (opp. to ἁμαρτάνω); iii. 6, 17; 3 Jn. 11. (Not found in secular authors, except in a few of the later in an astrological sense, to furnish a good omen.)*
ἀγαθοποιΐα [WH -ποιία (see Ι, ι], -ας, ἡ, a course of right action, well-doing: ἐν ἀγαθοποιΐᾳ, 1 Pet. iv. 19 i. q. ἀγαθοποιοῦντες acting uprightly (cf. xii. Patr. Jos. § 18]; if we read here with L Tr mrg. ἐν ἀγαθοποιΐαις we must understand it of single acts of rectitude [cf. W. § 27, 3; B. § 123, 2]. (In eccl. writ. ἀγαθοπ. denotes beneficence.)*
ἀγαθοποιός, -όν, acting rightly, doing well: 1 Pet. ii. 14. [Sir. xlii. 14; Plut. de Is. et Osir. § 42.]*
ἀγαθός, -ή, -όν, (akin to ἄγαμαι to wonder at, think highly of, ἀγαστός admirable, as explained by Plato, Crat. p. 412 c. [al. al.; cf. Donaldson, New Crat. § 323]), in general denotes “perfectus, . . . qui habet in se ac facit omnia quae habere et facere debet pro notione nominis, officio ac lege” (Irmisch ad Hdian. 1, 4, p. 134), excelling in any respect, distinguished, good. It can be predicated of persons, things, conditions, qualities and affections of the soul, deeds, times and seasons. To this general signif. can be traced back all those senses which the word gathers fr. the connection in which it stands; 1. of a good constitution or nature: γῆ, Lk. viii. 8; δένδρον, Mt. vii. 18, in sense equiv. to ‘fertile soil,’ ‘a fruitful tree,’ (Xen. oec. 16, 7 γῆ ἀγαθή, . . . γῆ κακή, an. 2, 4, 22 χώρας πολλῆς κ. ἀγαθῆς οὔσης). In Lk. viii. 15 ἀγαθὴ καρδία corresponds to the fig. expression “good ground”, and denotes a soul inclined to goodness, and accordingly eager to learn saving truth and ready to bear the fruits (καρποὺς ἀγαθούς, Jas. iii. 17) of a Christian life. 2. useful, salutary: δόσις ἀγαθή (joined to δώρημα τέλειον) a gift which is truly a gift, salutary, Jas. i. 17; δόματα ἀγαθά, Mt. vii. 11; ἐντολὴ ἀγ. a commandment profitable to those who keep it, Ro. vii. 12, acc. to a Grk. scholium equiv. to εἰς τὸ συμφέρον εἰσηγουμένη, hence the question in vs. 13: τὸ οὖν ἀγαθὸν ἐμοὶ γέγονε θάνατος; ἀγ. μερίς the ‘good part,’ which insures salvation to him who chooses it, Lk. x. 42; ἔργον ἀγ. (differently in Ro. ii. 7, etc.) the saving work of God, i. e. substantially, the Christian life, due to divine efficiency, Phil. i. 6 [cf. the Comm. ad loc.]; εἰς ἀγαθόν for good, to advantage, Ro. viii. 28 (Sir. vii. 13; πάντα τοῖς εὐσεβέσι εἰς ἀγαθά, . . . τοῖς ἅμαρτωλοῖς εἰς κακά, Sir. xxxix. 27; τὸ κακὸν . . . γίγνεται εἰς ἀγαθόν, Theognis 162); good for, suited to something: πρὸς οἰκοδομήν, Eph. iv. 29 [cf. W. 363 (340)] (Xen. mem. 4, 6, 10). 3. of the feeling awakened by what is good, pleasant, agreeable, joyful, happy: ἡμέραι ἀγ. 1 Pet. iii. 10 (Ps. xxxiii. (xxxiv.) 13; Sir. xiv. 14; 1 Macc. x. 55); ἐλπίς, 2 Th. ii. 16 (μακαρία ἐλπίς, Tit. ii. 13); συνείδησις, a peaceful conscience, i. q. consciousness of rectitude, Acts xxiii. 1; 1 Tim. i. 5, 19; 1 Pet. iii. 16; reconciled to God, vs. 21. 4. excellent, distinguished: so τὶ ἀγαθόν, Jn. i. 46 (47). 5. upright, honorable: Mt. xii. 34; xix. 16; Lk. vi. 45; Acts xi. 24; 1 Pet. iii. 11, etc.; πονηροὶ κ. ἀγαθοί, Mt. v. 45; xxii. 10; ἀγαθ. καὶ δίκαιος, Lk. xxiii. 50; καρδία ἀγαθὴ κ. καλή, Lk. viii. 15 (see καλός, b.); fulfilling the duty or service demanded, δοῦλε ἀγαθὲ κ. πιστέ, Mt. xxv. 21, 23; upright, free from guile, particularly from a desire to corrupt the people, Jn. vii. 12; pre-eminently of God, as consummately and essentially good, Mt. xix. 17 (Mk. x. 18; Lk. xviii. 19); ἀγ. θησαυρός in Mt. xii. 35; Lk. vi. 45
