εὐκοπώτερον

easier

Definition

The word εὐκοπώτερον is the comparative form of εὔκοπος, meaning 'easier' or 'more easily.' It is used in the New Testament to create striking, hyperbolic comparisons that highlight the impossibility or extreme difficulty of one action relative to another. For example, Jesus declares it is 'easier' for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God (Matthew 19:24, Mark 10:25, Luke 18:25). In other contexts, He contrasts the 'easier' act of saying 'Your sins are forgiven' with the command 'Get up and walk' to demonstrate His authority (Matthew 9:5, Mark 2:9, Luke 5:23). In Luke 16:17, it is used to state that it is 'easier' for heaven and earth to disappear than for the smallest part of the Law to fail.

Biblical Usage

This word is used exclusively in the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) and appears seven times. Its usage follows a consistent rhetorical pattern: Jesus employs it to introduce a vivid, seemingly impossible comparison that underscores a profound spiritual truth. It is always used in a comparative construction ('it is easier for X than for Y') to emphasize the relative difficulty or impossibility of a situation, often challenging human assumptions about what is possible with God.

Etymology

Derived from the adjective εὔκοπος (eukopos), which combines εὖ (eu, 'well, good') and κόπος (kopos, 'labor, toil'). Literally, it means 'with good labor' or 'easy toil.' The comparative suffix -τερον (-teron) creates the meaning 'easier' or 'more easily.' The root κόπος conveys the idea of wearisome effort, so the word fundamentally means something requiring less strenuous effort.

Semantic Range

This word is theologically significant because Jesus uses it to redefine possibility and highlight the absolute nature of God's demands and the supremacy of His authority. The 'easier' comparisons—like a camel passing through a needle's eye—forcefully teach human inability and the necessity of divine grace for salvation (Matthew 19:26). In the healing accounts (e.g., Mark 2:9), it underscores that Jesus's power to forgive sins is the ultimate, foundational miracle, making physical healing seem 'easier' by comparison. It thus points to the core of Christ's identity and the radical nature of the kingdom of God.

The imagery Jesus uses with this word, particularly the camel and needle's eye, would have been shockingly absurd to a 1st-century audience. A camel was the largest common animal in Palestine, and a needle's eye was the smallest of openings. This hyperbolic contrast made the spiritual point unforgettable, emphasizing that salvation for those trusting in wealth is humanly impossible, a concept that challenged cultural assumptions about wealth being a sign of God's favor.

ῥᾴων (rhaion, G2123b) — A more common synonym for 'easier' or 'lighter,' but not used in the same hyperbolic, theological comparisons as εὐκοπώτερον.

Word Details

Scripture References