Lexical Summary purgos: Tower Original Word: πύργος Strong's Exhaustive Concordance tower. Apparently a primary word ("burgh"); a tower or castle -- tower. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. word Definition a tower NASB Translation tower (4). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4444: πύργοςπύργος, πύργου, ὁ (akin to German Burg, anciently Purg; (yet cf. Curtius, § 413)), as in Greek writings from Homer down, a tower; a fortified structure rising to a considerable height, to repel a hostile attack or to enable a watchman to see in every direction. The πύργος ἐν τῷ Σιλωάμ ((which see)) seems to designate a tower in the walls of Jerusalem near the fountain of Siloam, Luke 13:4; the tower occupied by the keepers of a vineyard is spoken of in Matthew 21:33; Mark 12:1 (after Isaiah 5:2); a tower-shaped building as a safe and convenient dwelling, Luke 14:28. Topical Lexicon Tower (Strong’s Greek 4444) Physical Setting and Everyday Function In first-century Judea a tower was a familiar rural structure, most commonly rising inside a vineyard or orchard. Constructed of fieldstones or sun-dried brick, it served multiple purposes: (1) elevated lookout for thieves and wild animals, (2) shelter for seasonal workers, and (3) storage of tools and produce. The presence of such towers signaled both investment and expectation: landowners did not raise them unless they meant to protect a crop that would one day be gathered. New Testament Occurrences Matthew 21:33 and Mark 12:1 set the tower inside a parable about a vineyard leased to tenant farmers. Luke 14:28 places the tower in the mouth of Jesus as an illustration of counting the cost of discipleship. Luke 13:4 recalls the historical collapse of the tower in Siloam, a local disaster used to press home the call to repentance. The four references together sketch a multi-faceted portrait: divine ownership and accountability, sober planning, and sudden judgment. Parable of the Wicked Tenants (Matthew 21:33; Mark 12:1) “There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a tower” (Matthew 21:33). The tower here underscores the owner’s thorough provision. The structure is the last element listed, implying completion and readiness. Its height symbolizes the owner’s right to survey and to call the laborers to account, foreshadowing the eventual arrival of the son. The tenants’ rebellion therefore occurs under a tower that silently testifies to the owner’s legitimate expectations. Theologically, the detail alludes to Isaiah 5:2, where the Lord similarly plants a vineyard and builds a watchtower; Jesus thus identifies Israel’s leaders with Isaiah’s disappointing vines. Tower and Cost of Discipleship (Luke 14:28) “Which of you, wishing to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost to see if he has the resources to complete it?”. The image moves from ownership to aspiration. Whereas Matthew and Mark stress stewardship of what is already in place, Luke’s saying highlights initiation of a project. A half-built tower would shame its builder and advertise folly. In kingdom terms, discipleship demands forethought, whole-hearted commitment, and the willingness to embrace hardship until the work is finished. Tower of Siloam (Luke 13:4) “Those eighteen who were killed when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more sinful than all the others living in Jerusalem?”. Jesus turns a well-known tragedy into a warning. Towers, symbols of protection, can suddenly collapse. Their failure exposes the uncertainty of earthly security and redirects the audience to urgent personal repentance. The verse also counters the common assumption that calamity is always proportional to personal sin, while still affirming universal need for repentance. Old Testament Background and Continuity Genesis 11:4’s tower of Babel represents hubristic self-reliance; Judges 9 twice records towers that became refuges but were burned or toppled; Isaiah 5:2’s vineyard tower anticipates the Synoptic parables. These antecedents establish a canonical thread: towers reveal either faith in God or in human strength. The New Testament usage inherits this vocabulary, never contradicting earlier revelation but deepening it through the person and teaching of Christ. Theological Themes 1. Ownership and Stewardship: The vineyard towers confront hearers with the fact that God entrusts resources and expects fruit (compare 1 Corinthians 4:2). Historical and Archaeological Notes Excavations in Judea and Galilee have uncovered square stone towers standing 10–15 feet high inside ancient vineyards. These finds corroborate the agricultural realism of Jesus’ parables. The Siloam tower likely stood near the southeastern corner of Jerusalem, close to the Pool of Siloam, an area characterized by stepped construction where a structural failure could readily prove fatal. Ministry and Discipleship Significance • Leadership Training: Teachers draw on Luke 14:28 to impress upon prospective servants that ministry demands perseverance, budgeting of time and resources, and intentionality. Christological Perspective Jesus embodies the rightful owner and chief watchman. In Matthew 21 His rejection anticipates the cross; yet He is also the stone the builders rejected, now elevated higher than any human tower (Psalm 118:22; Matthew 21:42). The tower motif thus converges on His lordship: He sees, He judges, He protects. Eschatological Overtones While the New Testament does not employ Strong’s 4444 in explicitly future-oriented passages, the themes it carries—accountability, vigilance, sudden calamity—mirror eschatological teaching elsewhere (Matthew 24:42-44). The completed tower of God’s kingdom will stand; all unfinished human projects will be exposed (1 Corinthians 3:13-15). Practical Questions for Reflection • What “tower” has God entrusted to my care, and am I producing the fruit He rightly expects? Summary Strong’s Greek 4444 evokes vigilance, accountability, and resolve. Whether standing guard over a vineyard, rising half-built on a hill, or lying in ruins after a collapse, every tower in the Gospels calls the reader to a life of fruitfulness, foresight, and faithful repentance under the watchful eye of the Lord who owns the vineyard and numbers our days. Forms and Transliterations πύργοι πύργοις πυργον πύργον πυργος πύργος πύργου πύργους πύργων πυρεία πυρείον purgon purgos pyrgon pýrgon pyrgos pýrgosLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Matthew 21:33 N-AMSGRK: καὶ ᾠκοδόμησεν πύργον καὶ ἐξέδετο NAS: IN IT, AND BUILT A TOWER, and rented KJV: and built a tower, and let INT: and built a tower and rented out Mark 12:1 N-AMS Luke 13:4 N-NMS Luke 14:28 N-AMS Strong's Greek 4444 |
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