εὐδοκία

εὐδοκία — eudokía

εὐδοκία, εὐδοκίας, ἡ (from εὐδοκέω, as εὐλογία from εὐλογέω), unknown to secular authors (Boeckh, Inscriptions 5960), found in the O. T. in some of the Psalms (for רָצון) and often in Sir.; on it cf. Fritzsche on Romans, ii., p. 371f; (especially Lightfoot on Php 1:15); properly,beneplacitum (Vulg. (edited by Clement.) Eph 1:9);

1. will, choice: Mat 11:26; Luk 10:21 (on both passages see ἔμπροσθεν, 2 b.); Sir 1:27;, etc.; in particular, good-will, kindly intent, benevolence: Eph 1:5; Eph 1:9; Php 2:13 (Psa 50:20; Sir 2:16 Sir 11:17 etc.); δἰ εὐδοκίαν, prompted by good will, Php 1:15.

2. delight, pleasure, satisfaction: with the genitive of the thing that pleases, 2Th 1:11; ἐν ἀνθρώποις εὐδοκία, either among men pleasure produced by salvation, or God's pleasure in men, Luk 2:14 R G Tr marginal reading WH marginal reading; ἄνθρωποι εὐδοκίας, men in whom God is well pleased (i. e. not a particular class of men (viz. believers), but the whole race, contemplated as blessed in Christ's birth), Luk 2:14. L T Tr text WH text (see WH's Appendix at the passage; Field, Otium Norv. iii. at the passage) (Psalm 144:16; Sir 9:12).

3. desire (for delight in any absent thing easily begets a longing for it): Rom 10:1; cf. Philippi and Tholuck at the passage.