The Greek adjective entimos means honored, precious, esteemed, or held in high regard. It describes both human dignity bestowed through God's valuing and the precious nature of Christ Himself as the cornerstone.
Entimos reveals how God revalues what the world dismisses. In Luke 7:2, the centurion's slave who is sick is described as 'entimos' to his master — highly valued, precious. The centurion's love for his slave contrasts with the social norm that slaves were property; Luke highlights this love with entimos. In 1 Peter 2:4, Christ is the 'entimos' cornerstone — chosen and precious to God, even though rejected by men. The same verse extends this to believers: we too are 'entimos' in God's sight (1 Peter 2:6). Philippians 2:29 instructs believers to hold faithful servants of the gospel in high regard (entimos). Theologically, entimos inverts the world's value system: what God calls precious, the world dismisses; what the world exalts, God may regard as worthless.