Greek word · G4491

ῥίζα

riza

root

Root, literally. By extension it means source or origin, and in Jewish idiom it can mean a founding ancestor or line ("root of Jesse," Isa 11:10, quoted in Rom 15:12). In this metaphor it is what anchors and feeds the tree.

Appears 17 times in 16 verses of the Greek New Testament. · Updated October 31, 2026

What it means

ῥίζα, -ης, ἡ

[in LXX chiefly for שָׁרַשׁ ;]

a root: Matthew 3:10, Luke 3:9; ἐκ ῥιζῶν, Mark 11:20; ῥ. ἔχειν, Matthew 13:6, Mark 4:6; id. before ἐν ἑαυτῷ, figuratively, Matthew 13:21, Mark 4:17, Luke 8:13. Metaphorical (as in various senses in cl.), of cause, origin, source, etc.;

(a) of things, ῥ. πάντων τ. κακῶν (Eur.), 1 Timothy 6:10;

(b) of persons: of ancestors, Romans 11:16-18; ῥ. πικρίας, Hebrews 12:15. Of that which springs from a root, a shoot; metaphorically, of offspring, Romans 15:12 (LXX) Revelation 5:5 22:16.†

(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 Romans 11:17

Range of meaning: Root, literally. By extension it means source or origin, and in Jewish idiom it can mean a founding ancestor or line ("root of Jesse," Isa 11:10, quoted in Rom 15:12). In this metaphor it is what anchors and feeds the tree.
Against the English: English "root" fits. The disagreement is over what the root stands for, and some English versions settle that inside the translation. One example is a paraphrase that ties the root explicitly to the promises made to Abraham.
Used elsewhere in the period: Jewish writings of the period describe Israel's patriarchs and the righteous as a planted root or a "plant of righteousness": 1 Enoch 93:5, 8, 10; Jubilees 1:16 and 16:26; the Dead Sea Community Rule (1QS 8:5, "an everlasting planting"); Psalms of Solomon 14:3–4. Verse 28, "beloved for the sake of the fathers," points the same way.

From the study of Romans 15:12

Range of meaning: Literally a plant's root. Figuratively (1) the source or cause of something ("the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil," 1 Tim 6:10); (2) what grows up from a root: a shoot, offspring, descendant (BDAG s.v. ῥίζα 2). In biblical Hebrew, shoresh (root) has the same double sense, and in Isaiah 11 the plant picture covers both the root-stock and the new growth coming out of it.
Against the English: Every major English version says "root," and that is the right word. In modern English, though, "root" mostly means origin or ancestor ("my roots are in Ireland"). A reader can easily take "Root of Jesse" to mean someone who comes before Jesse or is his source. NLT's "heir to David's throne" goes the other way: it explains the meaning correctly but loses the picture.
How it drifted: In English, "root" now mostly means "origin." The older sense of a root sending up new growth, a family line springing up again, has faded. Some later Christian readings of Revelation 22:16 ("the root and the offspring of David"), which take "root" as Christ being David's source, add to the slide.
Used elsewhere in the period: Isaiah 11:1 sets the picture: "a shoot from the stump of Jesse, a branch from his roots," which follows the felling of the 'forest' in 10:33–34, the cut-down Davidic dynasty. Isaiah 53:2 LXX: the servant grows up "like a root (ῥίζα) out of dry ground," where 'root' means a sprouting plant. Sirach 47:22 LXX: God gave "to David a root from him (ἐξ αὐτοῦ ῥίζαν)," which plainly means descendants. 1 Maccabees 1:10 calls Antiochus Epiphanes "a sinful root" (ῥίζα ἁμαρτωλός), an offshoot of Alexander's successors. Revelation 5:5 calls Jesus "the Root of David." Paul himself used ῥίζα in Romans 11:16–18 for the stock of Israel that Gentile branches are grafted onto.

From the study of Matthew 3:10

Range of meaning: 'Root' of a plant; by extension the source or origin of something; a descendant or offshoot ('root of Jesse', Isa 11:10; Rom 15:12; Rev 5:5) (BDAG s.v. ῥίζα).
Against the English: All versions say 'root'. NLT's 'sever the roots' suggests digging out or cutting the root system, which goes beyond the Greek. The Greek simply places the axe 'at the root', the base of the tree.
How it drifted: Through the English idiom (see κεῖμαι), 'root' is often heard as 'root cause' or 'the hidden inner source of sin'. The verse uses root in the plain woodcutting sense.
Used elsewhere in the period: Malachi 4:1 (3:19 in Hebrew and Greek): the coming day 'burns like an oven' and will leave the arrogant 'neither root nor branch', the closest prophetic parallel, from the book that also promises Elijah's return (Mal 4:5), whose role Matthew gives to John (11:14). Job 14:7–9 and Dan 4:15, 23 show a stump or root left in the ground as a sign of hope. Here no such hope for a remnant is mentioned for the barren tree.

Where it appears

Matthew · 3

Matthew 3:10 ῥίζαν root

The axe lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

Here: The base of the tree where it meets the ground. A woodsman fells a tree there; striking at the root means the whole tree comes down, not just a branch.
Matthew 13:6 ῥίζαν root

But when the sun rose, the seedlings were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.

Here: A root, with no article: 'root' in general, any real root at all. This is the deciding detail of the scene. Verse 5 named the cause (no depth of soil) and this word names the result in the plant. In 13:21 Jesus applies it to the hearer who 'has no root in himself'.
Matthew 13:21 ῥίζαν root

But since he has no root, he remains for only a season. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.

Here: Picks up the parable word for word (v. 6, 'because it had no root, it withered'). The root is the hidden part that anchors a plant and draws water from deep down.

Mark · 3

Mark 4:6 ῥίζαν root

But when the sun rose, the seedlings were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.
Mark 4:17 ῥίζαν root

But they themselves have no root, and they remain for only a season. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.

Here: This picks up the parable directly (v.6, 'because it had no root, it withered'). A root anchors the plant and draws moisture from deep down. Without one, a plant has nothing to live on once the surface dries.
Mark 11:20 ῥιζῶν. roots.

As they were walking back in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from its roots.

Luke · 2

Luke 3:9 ῥίζαν root

The axe lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

Here: The root, meaning the base of the tree where it meets the ground. Cutting there kills the tree outright, with no regrowth from the branches.
Luke 8:13 ῥίζαν a root

The seeds on rocky ground are those who hear the word and receive it with joy, but they have no root. They believe for a season, but in the time of testing, they fall away.

Here: "Root." The word comes first in its clause for emphasis: "a root they do not have." A root is hidden depth that anchors a plant and draws up water. In the parable the plant withered "because it had no moisture" (8:6).

Romans · 5

Romans 11:16 ῥίζα root

If the first part of the dough is holy, so is the whole batch; if the root is holy, so are the branches.

Here: The root system that feeds and carries the tree. It stands for Israel's origin, most likely the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob) and God's promises to them. Verse 18 says the root carries the branches, not the other way round.
Romans 11:17 ῥίζης root

Now if some branches have been broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others to share in the nourishment of the olive root,

Here: The root named in verse 16 as "holy" and in verse 18 as what "supports you." It is most likely the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob) and God's promises to them. See Debates.
Romans 11:18 ῥίζαν ῥίζα root

do not boast over those branches. If you do, remember this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.
Romans 15:12 ῥίζα root

And once more, Isaiah says: “The Root of Jesse will appear, One who will arise to rule over the Gentiles; in Him the Gentiles will put their hope.”

Here: Here it means what grows up from Jesse's root, his descendant, the new shoot from the cut-down stump of Isaiah 11:1. It does not mean Jesse's ancestor or the source of his line.

1 Timothy · 1

1 Timothy 6:10 ῥίζα A root

For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

Here: Placed first for emphasis and without 'the'. A root is where growth starts and what feeds it: greed is a source from which many evils sprout. The image fits v.9, where wanting to be rich leads into a trap.

Hebrews · 1

Hebrews 12:15 ῥίζα root

See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God, and that no root of bitterness springs up to cause trouble and defile many.

Here: In Deuteronomy the 'root' is a person, family or tribe hidden among God's people who turns to other gods. So the image is of someone or something inside the community that will grow and poison it, not only a feeling inside one person.

Revelation · 2

Revelation 5:5 ῥίζα root

Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

Here: Taken from Isaiah 11:1, 10 ("root of Jesse"). There it means the new growth springing from David's cut-down family tree, the promised Davidic king.
Revelation 22:16 ῥίζα root

“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the bright Morning Star.”

Here: Taken from Isaiah 11:10, 'the root of Jesse', the promised king who sprouts from David's cut-down family line. It may also hint that he is David's source as well as his descendant.

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