Lexical Summary dendron: Tree Original Word: δένδρον Strong's Exhaustive Concordance tree. Probably from drus (an oak); a tree -- tree. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof uncertain origin Definition a tree NASB Translation tree (17), trees (8). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1186: δένδρονδένδρον, δένδρου, τό, a tree: Matthew 7:17, etc.; γίνεσθαι δένδρον or εἰς δένδρον, to grow to the shape and size of a tree, Matthew 13:32; Luke 13:19. ((Homer, Herodotus), Aristophanes, Thucydides down.) STRONGS NT 1186a: δεξιοβόλοςδεξιοβόλος, δεξιοβολου, ὁ (from δεξιός and βάλλω), throwing with the right hand, a slinger, an archer: Acts 23:23 in Lachmann edition min.; cf. the following word. Strong’s Greek 1186 (dendron) appears twenty-five times in the New Testament as the ordinary word for “tree.” Although generic, it carries rich theological weight. A tree stands rooted between heaven and earth, silently declaring the Creator’s power (Genesis 1–2 echoes) and inviting reflection on life, growth, fruitfulness, and judgment. When the New Testament writers select dendron, they tap into this panoramic biblical backdrop to illuminate the message of repentance, authentic discipleship, kingdom expansion, and final judgment. Botanical and Cultural Background In first-century Judea and Galilee, hillsides were dotted with olive, fig, date-palm, sycamore, oak, and cedar. Trees furnished timber, fuel, medicine, oil, fruit, shade, and landmarks for travelers. Their steady annual cycles made them ideal teaching aids. The itinerant Rabbi from Nazareth could point to nearby groves, and his audience grasped the lesson instantly. Trees and the Call to Repentance John the Baptist harnesses dendron to confront complacent religion: “The axe already lies at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Matthew 3:10; Luke 3:9) Repentance, therefore, is not optional trimming of outer branches but a decisive turn before impending judgment. Genuine change must bear tangible fruit, or divine felling is sure. Trees, Fruit, and Genuine Discipleship Jesus extends John’s imagery in the Sermon on the Mount: “Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.” (Matthew 7:17) This refrain recurs (Matthew 7:18-19; 12:33; Luke 6:43-44). The test of faith is not profession but production. Orthodoxy sealed to the heart yields orthopraxy visible to the world. The Lord’s repetition underscores the consistency of revelation: from Eden onward, fruit reveals nature. The Expansive Kingdom and the Shelter of Trees In parables of the mustard seed (Matthew 13:32; Luke 13:19) Jesus pictures surprising kingdom growth: “Although it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.” The image evokes Old Testament royal trees (Ezekiel 17:23; Daniel 4:12) and portrays a messianic dominion that welcomes nations into its shade. Sight Restored and Spiritual Perception When the blind man of Bethsaida blurts, “I see men like trees walking” (Mark 8:24), dendron becomes a marker of incomplete vision. The account mirrors the disciples’ partial understanding: clarity comes only through further touch of the Savior. Ministry today still requires that second touch, moving hearers from blurred religious shapes to sharp Christ-centered sight. Trees and Messianic Reception At the triumphal entry crowds “cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road” (Matthew 21:8). The gesture proclaims Jesus as the Davidic King. Trees here donate their limbs for royal homage, reinforcing that all creation serves God’s redemptive plan. Eschatological Protection and Judgment Revelation floods the sensorium with tree imagery: “Do not harm the land or sea or trees until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” (Revelation 7:3) Under the first trumpet “a third of the trees were burned up” (Revelation 8:7), while demonic locusts are later forbidden to harm “any plant or tree” (Revelation 9:4). Trees, vital to earthly life, become barometers of cosmic upheaval. God sovereignly pauses destruction for the sake of His sealed remnant, then unleashes selective judgment that vindicates holiness and warns the unrepentant. False Teachers as Fruitless Trees Jude exposes infiltrators: “They are autumn trees without fruit, twice dead after being uprooted.” (Jude 12) The seasonal marker (“autumn”) heightens the tragedy: harvest time has come, yet no yield appears. Empty profession and moral barrenness betray their inner death, forecasting eternal uprooting. Pastoral and Missional Implications 1. Shepherds must cultivate discernment—examining fruit rather than foliage. Related New Testament Terms While dendron is the generic “tree,” the writers also employ: Comparison enriches the picture: Christ’s followers are both fruitful vines and sound trees, rooted in grace and destined for glory. Englishman's Concordance Matthew 3:10 N-GNPGRK: ῥίζαν τῶν δένδρων κεῖται πᾶν NAS: at the root of the trees; therefore KJV: the root of the trees: therefore INT: root of the trees is applied every Matthew 3:10 N-NNS Matthew 7:17 N-NNS Matthew 7:17 N-NNS Matthew 7:18 N-NNS Matthew 7:18 N-NNS Matthew 7:19 N-NNS Matthew 12:33 N-ANS Matthew 12:33 N-ANS Matthew 12:33 N-NNS Matthew 13:32 N-NNS Matthew 21:8 N-GNP Mark 8:24 N-ANP Luke 3:9 N-GNP Luke 3:9 N-NNS Luke 6:43 N-NNS Luke 6:43 N-NNS Luke 6:44 N-NNS Luke 13:19 N-ANS Luke 21:29 N-ANP Jude 1:12 N-NNP Revelation 7:1 N-ANS Revelation 7:3 N-ANP Revelation 8:7 N-GNP Revelation 9:4 N-ANS Strong's Greek 1186 |
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