Lexical Summary klados: Branch, bough Original Word: κλάδος Strong's Exhaustive Concordance branch. From klao; a twig or bough (as if broken off) -- branch. see GREEK klao NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom klaó Definition a branch NASB Translation branch (2), branches (9). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 2798: κλάδοςκλάδος, κλαδου, ὁ (κλάω); a. properly, a young, tender shoot, broken off for grafting. b. universally, a branch: Matthew 13:32; Matthew 21:8; Matthew 24:32; Mark 4:32; Mark 13:28; Luke 13:19; as the Jewish patriarchs are likened to a root., so their posterity are likened to branches, Romans 11:16-19, 21; cf. Sir. 23:25 Sir. 40:15; Menander fragment, Meineke edition, p. 247 (fragment 182, vol. iv. 274 (Ber. 1841)). (Tragg., Aristophanes, Theophrastus, Geoponica, others.) The Greek noun translated “branch” (Strong’s 2798) surfaces eleven times in the New Testament, scattered through the Synoptic Gospels and concentrated in Paul’s extended olive-tree illustration in Romans 11. In every setting the term carries the natural image of a living offshoot yet is pressed into service to illuminate profound spiritual truths: the growth of God’s kingdom, the imminence of prophetic milestones, and the organic relationship between Israel, the Gentiles, and the people of God in Christ. Old Testament Background From Genesis onward, branches symbolize vitality, covenant continuity, and messianic hope. The patriarchal narratives mention fruitful branches (Genesis 49:22), while prophetic texts speak of “a Shoot” sprouting from Jesse’s stump (Isaiah 11:1) and “a righteous Branch” for David (Jeremiah 23:5). These promises supply the conceptual soil into which the New Testament writers plant their references. By building on imagery already familiar to Jewish readers, the evangelists and Paul can invoke centuries of redemptive anticipation with a single botanical term. Usage in the Gospels 1. Parables of Organic Expansion In the mustard-seed parables Jesus contrasts a minuscule seed with a full-grown plant whose branches become refuge for “the birds of the air.” The picture communicates two realities: the unexpected magnitude of the kingdom’s growth and its hospitable embrace of all nations. The progression from seed to sheltering limbs counters any contemporary expectation that the Messiah’s reign would arrive fully formed and exclusively ethnic. 2. Messianic Procession As Jesus enters Jerusalem, “a very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.” Their spontaneous homage evokes royal enthronement practices and echoes Psalm 118’s festal procession, suggesting messianic recognition even if politically misdirected. The dramatic use of branches foreshadows the true coronation that will occur on Calvary and at the empty tomb. 3. The Fig-Tree Sign “‘When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near.’” Jesus leverages agrarian common sense to teach eschatological discernment. Just as seasonal change is obvious, so the convergence of end-time indicators will be unmistakable. The branch’s softening signals both comfort for the watchful and warning for the complacent. Pauline Theology: The Olive Tree (Romans 11:16-21) Paul devotes five tightly-packed occurrences of the term to illustrate divine prerogative and covenant continuity. Natural branches represent ethnic Israel; wild branches picture believing Gentiles grafted in. • Romans 11:17: “If some of the branches were broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap of the olive root, do not boast over those branches.” Key theological points arise: Paul’s horticultural metaphor highlights both continuity (one cultivated tree) and discontinuity (some branches severed, others grafted), offering a balanced ecclesiology in which diversity flourishes without erasing identity. Christological Significance Although Strong’s 2798 does not appear in John 15, that chapter’s “I am the vine; you are the branches” resonates thematically. Jesus is the ultimate life-source; every branch draws sustenance from Him or withers. The cumulative testimony of the branch motif, from prophetic “Sprout” to Pauline olive tree, culminates in Christ as the nexus of fulfillment, growth, and fruitfulness. Ecclesiological Implications For local congregations the branch imagery urges: Practical Ministry Applications • Teaching: Use the mustard-seed and fig-tree analogies to cultivate patient faith and eschatological vigilance. Historical and Theological Insights Early church fathers (e.g., Irenaeus, Tertullian) cited the olive-tree passage to defend the unity of the Old and New Testaments. Reformation expositors stressed sovereign grace in the grafting process, while modern missions movements have claimed the mustard-tree promise as a warrant for global evangelization. Concluding Reflection The New Testament’s eleven occurrences of this modest horticultural term open windows onto the grandeur of God’s redemptive plan. From parabolic seedlings to eschatological fig trees and grafted olives, every branch testifies that the Creator-Redeemer is faithfully cultivating His kingdom, guaranteeing that the tree He planted in Abraham will one day stand laden with fruit from “every tribe and tongue and people and nation.” Englishman's Concordance Matthew 13:32 N-DMPGRK: ἐν τοῖς κλάδοις αὐτοῦ NAS: come and NEST IN ITS BRANCHES. KJV: lodge in the branches thereof. INT: in the branches of it Matthew 21:8 N-AMP Matthew 24:32 N-NMS Mark 4:32 N-AMP Mark 13:28 N-NMS Luke 13:19 N-DMP Romans 11:16 N-NMP Romans 11:17 N-GMP Romans 11:18 N-GMP Romans 11:19 N-NMP Romans 11:21 N-GMP Strong's Greek 2798 |
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