Lexical Summary kathairó: To cleanse, to purify, to prune Original Word: καθαίρω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance purge. From katharos; to cleanse, i.e. (specially) to prune; figuratively, to expiate -- purge. see GREEK katharos HELPS Word-studies Cognate: 2508 kathaírō – make clean by purging (removing undesirable elements); hence, "pruned (purged)"; eliminating what is fruitless by purifying (making unmixed). See 2513 (katharos). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom katharos Definition to cleanse NASB Translation prunes (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 2508: καθαίρωκαθαίρω; perfect passive participle κεκαθαρμενος; (καθαρός); to cleanse, properly, from filth, impurity, etc.; trees and vines (from useless shoots), to prune, John 15:2 (δένδρα ... ὑποτεμνομενα καθαίρεται, Philo de agric. § 2 (cf. de somniis ii. § 9 middle)); metaphorically, from guilt, to expiate: passive Hebrews 10:2 R G (see καθαρίζω, at the beginning) (Jeremiah 13:27; and so in Greek writings from Herodotus down). (Compare: διακαθαίρω, ἐκκαθαίρω.) Topical Lexicon Viticultural Background In first-century Judea, vineyard management demanded yearly pruning. Vinedressers removed dead or fruitless canes before the sap began to flow, and then trimmed fruitful shoots to channel nourishment into developing clusters. Mishandling the knife meant a stunted crop; skilful pruning yielded a vintage of remarkable sweetness. The term translated “prunes” in John 15:2 draws directly from this agricultural reality, linking the Father’s precise work in believers to a familiar rural image. New Testament Occurrence: John 15:2 “Every branch in Me that bears no fruit, He takes away; and every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes, that it may bear even more fruit” (John 15:2). Spoken on the eve of the crucifixion, the statement anchors the Farewell Discourse. Jesus identifies Himself as the vine, His disciples as branches, and the Father as the vinedresser. The singular appearance of the verb underscores its deliberate placement: pruning is not incidental but integral to the life of every fruitful disciple. Theological Significance 1. Purposeful Discipline 2. Fruitfulness over Leafiness 3. Union and Abiding Connections with Other Biblical Images of Cleansing While other Greek terms relate to ritual or moral purification (for example, the cleansing of lepers in Luke 5:13), the verb in John 15:2 highlights internal refinement rather than external washings. Psalm 51, Isaiah 6, and Malachi 3 describe God’s purifying fire and fuller’s soap—figurative cousins to pruning—stressing that holiness is produced through God-initiated intervention. Pastoral and Devotional Implications • Expectation: Believers should anticipate seasons of divine trimming—losses, convictions, redirections—that strip away hindrances to growth. Historical and Literary Context Beyond Scripture Classical agronomic writers such as Theophrastus treat pruning as a life-giving necessity, not an act of harm—background that clarifies Jesus’ metaphor. The Septuagint occasionally employs the same verb for clearing land or purifying worship (for example, Leviticus 14:48), reinforcing the dual idea of removal and refinement. Summary Strong’s Greek 2508 portrays the Father’s precise, benevolent action that frees believers from impediments and channels life into true spiritual productivity. The lone Johannine usage, framed by vineyard imagery familiar to ancient hearers, supplies the church with a rich model for understanding divine discipline, personal sanctification, and enduring fruitfulness. Forms and Transliterations εκάθαιρε καθαιρει καθαίρει καθαιρείται κεκαθαρμένους kathairei kathaíreiLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
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