Simple
Simple
simp’l: In the Old Testament the uniform tranlation of the Hebrew word peth (root pathah, be open). Like the English word simple (etymologically of one fold), the Hebrew peth is used sometimes in a good sense, i.e. open-minded (Psa 19:7; Psa 116:6; Psa 119:130, possibly in all three cases the sense is neutral rather than positively good), and sometimes in a bad sense (Pro 7:7, parallel to destitute of understanding; Pro 8:5, parallel to fools (blockheads); Pro 14:15, opposed to prudent). The fundamental idea of peth seems to be open to influence, i.e. easily influenced. That one open to influence should as a rule be classed with the irreligious is one of many instances in which language is an unwilling witness to the miasmatic moral atmosphere in which we live. The line between moral weakness and moral turpitude, between negative goodness (if indeed such a thing be conceivable) and positive badness, is soon passed.
In the New Testament the word simple is found only in Rom 16:18, Rom 16:19 the King James Version. In the first of these passages it is used to translate akakos (the Revised Version (British and American) innocent). In Heb 7:26 the King James Version the same word is rendered harmless, the rendering of the Revised Version (British and American) in this instance being guileless. This would suit Rom 16:18 better than innocent. Guilelessness is not a synonym for gullibility; but the guileless are frequently the prey of designing men. In Rom 16:19 the word translated simple is akeraios, literally, unmixed, sincere (Trench and Godet; Young, erroneously hornless and so harmless). Uncontaminated seems to be the idea of the apostle. He would have those to whom he wrote wise as regards good and not ignorant as regards evil – for that would be impossible, even if desirable – but without that kind of knowledge of evil that comes from engaging in it, as we say, mixing themselves up with it, unalloyed with evil.
Fuente: International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Simple
* For SIMPLE see GUILELESS No. 2, and HARMLESS