Lexical Summary elaión: Olive oil Original Word: ἔλαιον Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Olivet. From elaia; an olive-orchard, i.e. (specially) the Mount of Olives -- Olivet. see GREEK elaia HELPS Word-studies Cognate: 1638 elaiṓn (from 1636elaia, "an olive tree") – properly, the place of olive trees (an olive orchard), referring to the Mount of Olives (J. Thayer) – the mountain-ridge that runs parallel to Jerusalem and separated from it by the Kidron Valley. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom elaia Definition an olive orchard, i.e. spec. the Mt. of Olives NASB Translation Olivet (3). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 1638: ἐλαιῶνἐλαιῶν, Ἐλαιῶνος, ὁ (the ending ὤν in derivative nouns indicating a place set with trees of the kind designated by the primitive, as δαφνων, ἰτεων, δρυμῶν κέδρων, cf. Alexander Buttmann (1873) Ausf. Spr. ii., p. 422ff: Kühner, i., p. 711; (Jelf, § 335 d.)); an olive-orchard, a place planted with olive trees, i. e. the Mount of Olives (A. V. Olivet) (see ἐλαία, 1): Acts 1:12 (διά τοῦ Ἐλαιῶνος ὄρους, Josephus, Antiquities 7, 9, 2). In Luke 19:29; Luke 21:37 also we should write τό ὄρος τό καλούμενον ἐλαιῶν (so L T Tr (but WH with R G ἐλααιων)); likewise in Josephus, Antiquities 20, 8, 6 πρός ὄρος τό προσαγορευόμενον ἐλαιῶν; b. j. 2, 13, 5 and 5, 2, 3 εἰς (κατά) ἐλαιῶν καλούμενον ὄρος; 6, 2, 8 κατά τό ἐλαιῶν ὄρος; (but in Josephus the passages cited; Bekker editions, ἐλαιῶν). Cf. Fritzsche on Mark, p. 794f; Buttmann, 22 (19f); Winers Grammar, 182 (171) n. 1; (but see WHs Appendix, p. 158b). (The Sept. sometimes render זַיִת freely by ἐλαιῶν, as Exodus 23:11; Deuteronomy 6:11; 1 Samuel 8:14, etc.; not found in Greek writings.) Topical Lexicon Biblical Geography and Setting The term denotes the ridge immediately east of Jerusalem that rises above the Kidron Valley. From its crest, the Temple area and the whole city are in full view. The mount is divided today into three summits, but Scripture treats it as a single landmark associated with olive groves and gardens. In New Testament times it lay only “a Sabbath day’s journey away” from the city (Acts 1:12). Old Testament Background • David wept his way up the slope when fleeing Absalom (2 Samuel 15:30). Jesus’ Public Ministry • From the mount He began His triumphal entry (Matthew 21:1). The Olivet Discourse While seated on the mount, the Lord delivered His longest prophetic sermon concerning the end of the age (Matthew 24–25; Mark 13; Luke 21). The setting underscores the continuity between Zechariah’s prophecy and Jesus’ authoritative interpretation of the future. Gethsemane and the Passion Within its western slope lay the olive press of Gethsemane. There, Jesus prayed in agony and submitted to the Father’s will before His arrest (Matthew 26:36–46). The mount therefore becomes a place of both divine revelation and holy surrender. The Ascension (Acts 1:12) After the Resurrection, Jesus led His disciples out “as far as Bethany” (Luke 24:50)—the eastern shoulder of the hill—then ascended from the mount (Acts 1:9–12). The narrative notes, “Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away” (Acts 1:12). The unique use of the term here (Strong’s 1638) ties the site to three pivotal realities: the finished work of Christ, the present age of witness, and the pledge of His return. Prophetic Significance Acts 1:11 unites the Ascension with the promise of the Second Advent: “This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.” The location intertwines with Zechariah 14:4, indicating that the mount which received the risen Christ will also receive the returning King. Thus the place stands as a physical reminder of the reliability of prophetic Scripture. Symbolic Themes 1. Olive imagery—peace, anointing, and fruitfulness—surrounds the ridge, reflecting the ministry of the Messiah who was anointed “with the oil of joy” (Hebrews 1:9). Lessons for the Church • Prayerful Watchfulness: The mount witnesses both Christ’s night vigils and His call to “keep watch” (Matthew 26:41). Historical Remembrance Early believers gathered here for prayer, and fourth-century pilgrims built commemorative churches on its summit. Though structures have risen and fallen, the hill’s testimony endures: God’s redemptive plan is rooted in real places, unfolding through real events, and pressing believers toward real hope. Devotional Application Stand spiritually where the disciples once stood: beholding the cross behind, the mission before, and the clouds of glory ahead. The Mount of Olives beckons every generation to trust the Lord who prays, who saves, who ascends, and who will surely come again. Forms and Transliterations ελαιώνά ελαιώνας Ελαιωνος ελαιώνος Ἐλαιῶνος ελαιώνων Elaionos Elaiônos Elaiōnos Elaiō̂nosLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
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