Greek word · G4810
σῦκον
sykon
fig
σῦκον: the fig fruit. σταφυλή: a bunch or cluster of grapes.
Appears 4 times in 4 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·
What it means
From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).
In depth
- Range of meaning
σῦκον: the fig fruit. σταφυλή: a bunch or cluster of grapes.
- Against the English
These are rendered accurately everywhere. What English readers miss is the weight the pair carried.
- Used elsewhere in the period
'Every man under his vine and under his fig tree' was the standard picture of peace and covenant blessing (1 Kgs 4:25; Mic 4:4; Zech 3:10). Vine and fig tree also stood for Israel itself (Hos 9:10; Jer 8:13; Isa 5). In Luke, Jesus tells a parable about a barren fig tree (13:6–9).
Where it appears
Matthew · 1
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Matthew 7:16 σῦκα; figs?
By their fruit you will recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
Here: The fruit of the fig tree, a staple of daily diet in the land. The rhetorical question ends here: nobody looks for figs on a thistle.
Mark · 1
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Mark 11:13 σύκων. of figs.
Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if there was any fruit on it. But when He reached it, He found nothing on it except leaves, since it was not the season for figs.
Luke · 1
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Luke 6:44 σῦκα figs
For each tree is known by its own fruit. Indeed, figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor grapes from brambles.
Here: Figs were one of the most prized and common foods in the land, and in Scripture the fig is a symbol of peace and blessing.
James · 1
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James 3:12 σῦκα; figs?
My brothers, can a fig tree grow olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
Here: "Figs." The examples swap around: fig tree → olives, vine → figs. The point is that no plant crosses over into another plant's fruit.
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.