Greek word · G175

ἄκαρπος

akarpos

unfruitful

Without fruit: barren land, a tree that bears nothing, and by extension anything useless or unproductive.

Appears 7 times in 7 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

ἄ-καρπος, -ον,

[in LXX: Jeremiah 2:6 (צַלְמָוֶת), Wisdom of Solomon 15:4, 4Ma.16:7 ;]

unfruitful, barren: figuratively, Matthew 13:22, Mark 4:19, 1 Corinthians 14:14, Ephesians 5:11, Titus 3:14, 2 Peter 1:8, Jude 1:12.†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Ephesians 5:11

Range of meaning

Without fruit: barren land, a tree that bears nothing, and by extension anything useless or unproductive.

Against the English

"Unfruitful" (KJV, WEB, NASB), "fruitless" (BSB, ESV, NIV) and "worthless" (NLT). NLT's choice gives the meaning but loses the farming picture and the contrast with "fruit of the light" in verse 9.

Used elsewhere in the period

Matthew 13:22 (the word choked and "unfruitful"); 1 Corinthians 14:14 ("my mind is unfruitful"); Titus 3:14; 2 Peter 1:8; Jude 12 ("fruitless trees… twice dead"). Wisdom of Solomon 15:4 calls idol-making "fruitless labour."

From the study of Matthew 13:22

Range of meaning

Without fruit, barren, unproductive. Used of plants, of land, and figuratively of lives and works.

Against the English

'Unfruitful' (KJV, BSB, NIV, ESV, NASB, WEB, YLT) is accurate. KJV 'he becometh' makes the person barren. BSB, NIV, ESV and YLT make the word barren. The Greek leaves the subject unstated.

Used elsewhere in the period

Jude 12 ('fruitless trees in late autumn'); Titus 3:14; Ephesians 5:11 ('unfruitful works of darkness'). In Matthew, fruit is the decisive test: 'bear fruit worthy of repentance' (3:8); 'by their fruits you will know them' and 'every tree not bearing good fruit is cut down' (7:16–20); the kingdom 'given to a people producing its fruits' (21:43).

From the study of 2 Peter 1:8

Range of meaning

Without fruit: used of a barren tree, field or seed. Figuratively, producing no result or benefit.

Against the English

'Unfruitful' (KJV, ESV, NASB, WEB) is accurate. 'Unproductive' (NIV, BSB) keeps the sense but drops the farming image that links this verse to the Jesus tradition.

Used elsewhere in the period

In Jesus' parable of the sower, the word choked by worries and wealth 'becomes unfruitful' (Mark 4:19; Matt 13:22). Paul speaks of 'unfruitful works of darkness' (Eph 5:11) and tells believers to do good works 'so that they will not be unfruitful' (Titus 3:14). Jude 12, which 2 Peter 2 closely parallels, calls the false teachers 'fruitless trees in autumn'. Wisdom 15:4 has 'fruitless labor'.

Where it appears

Matthew · 1

  1. Matthew 13:22 ἄκαρπος unfruitful

    The seed sown among the thorns is the one who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

    Here: 'Fruitless', yielding no grain. The plant grows but never produces a crop. In Matthew, 'fruit' means the changed life and deeds the kingdom calls for (3:8; 7:16–20; 21:43).

Mark · 1

  1. Mark 4:19 ἄκαρπος unfruitful

    but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

    Here: Without fruit, meaning no grain. The plant does not wither (contrast the rocky soil, 4:6). It grows, but it never yields the harvest the sowing was for.

1 Corinthians · 1

  1. 1 Corinthians 14:14 ἄκαρπός unfruitful

    For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.

Ephesians · 1

  1. Ephesians 5:11 ἀκάρποις unfruitful

    Have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.

    Here: "Producing no fruit." A deliberate contrast with verse 9, "the fruit of the light is in all goodness, righteousness and truth." Light grows a harvest; darkness grows nothing worth having.

Titus · 1

  1. Titus 3:14 ἄκαρποι.¶ unfruitful.

    And our people must also learn to devote themselves to good works in order to meet the pressing needs of others, so that they will not be unfruitful.

    Here: Without fruit, like a tree or field that produces nothing to eat. Here it means lives that yield no practical benefit to anyone.

2 Peter · 1

  1. 2 Peter 1:8 ἀκάρπους unfruitful

    For if you possess these qualities and continue to grow in them, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

    Here: A tree or field that yields no crop. The farming picture sits alongside the 'idle worker' picture: no work done, no harvest produced.

Jude · 1

  1. Jude 1:12 ἄκαρπα, without fruit,

    These men are hidden reefs in your love feasts, shamelessly feasting with you but shepherding only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried along by the wind; fruitless trees in autumn, twice dead after being uprooted.

    Here: No fruit at the moment fruit should be there. That is the failure the owner comes looking for (compare Luke 13:6–9).

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.