Lexical Summary sukaminos: Sycamine tree Original Word: συκάμινος Strong's Exhaustive Concordance sycamine tree, mulberry treeOf Hebrew origin (shaqam) in imitation of sukomoraia; a sycamore-fig tree -- sycamine tree. see GREEK sukomoraia see HEBREW shaqam HELPS Word-studies 4807 sykáminos – a sycamine tree, most likely the black mulberry tree, known for its medicinal properties – hence, distinguished by Luke the physician (see WP at Lk 17:6). [4807 (sykáminos) then seems to be a distinct species from 4809 (sykomōraía).] 4807 /sykáminos ("mulberry tree") is deciduous, yields black berries, and grows about six meters high (roughly 20 feet). [Neither the 4809/sykomōraía nor the 4807/sykáminos are the same as the English "sycamore tree."] NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof Hebrew origin shiqmah Definition the mulberry tree, the sycamine NASB Translation mulberry tree (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4807: συκάμινοςσυκάμινος, συκαμινου, ἡ, Hebrew שִׁקְמָה (of which only the plural שִׁקְמִים is found in the O. T., 1 Kings 10:27; Isaiah 9:10; Amos 7:14; once שִׁקְמות), a sycamine, a tree having the form and foliage of the mulberry, but fruit resembling the fig (equivalent to συκομορέα, which see (but Tristram, Nat. Hist. of the Bible, 2nd edition, p. 396f; BB. DD., etc., regard the sycamine as the black-mulberry tree, and the sycomore as the fig-mulberry)): Luke 17:6. (Often in Theophrastus; Strabo 17, p. 823; Diodorus 1, 34; Dioscorid. 1, 22.) (Cf. Vanicek, Fremdwörter, p. 54; especially Löw, Aram. Pflanzennamen, § 332, cf. § 338; BB. DD., as above; 'Bible Educator' 4:343; Pickering, Chron. Hist. of Plants, pp. 106, 258.) Topical Lexicon Botanical Identity and Characteristics The sycamine tree mentioned by Jesus belongs to the mulberry family (genus Morus), most likely the black mulberry common in the Near East. It is a medium-sized, broad-canopied tree, noted for: Cultivation and Economic Importance in the Biblical World Sycamines thrived in the warm, semi-arid climate of Galilee and Judea. They were not usually planted in orchards like figs or olives but sprang up where seeds fell or roots spread. Their durable wood, abundant leaves, and multiple fruitings made them useful to carpenters, herdsmen seeking shade, and the poor who gathered free fruit. Rabbinic sources remark on the frequency with which sycamine roots invaded neighboring fields, an agricultural nuisance that highlights the tree’s vigorous hold on the soil. Unique New Testament Occurrence Luke 17:6 is the sole New Testament verse that names the sycamine: “And the Lord said, ‘If you have faith like a mustard seed, you can say to this sycamine tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea,” and it will obey you.’” Symbolic Resonance in Luke 17:6 1. Deep-rooted obstacles – The sycamine’s extensive root network pictures entrenched problems or sins that appear impossible to dislodge. Faith, Forgiveness, and the Uprooted Sycamine The immediate context centers on forgiving a brother who sins repeatedly (Luke 17:3-4). Uprooting the sycamine points to removing deep-seated bitterness: Comparative References: Sycamine, Mulberry, and Sycamore Old Testament passages speak of the “balsam” or “mulberry” trees where David heard the marching of God’s armies (2 Samuel 5:23-24; 1 Chronicles 14:14-15) and of “sycamore-figs” cultivated by Amos (Amos 7:14). While different species, all three share: Lessons for Contemporary Discipleship • Obstacles that seem permanent are subject to the authority of Christ when addressed in believing prayer. Forms and Transliterations συκαμίνους συκαμινω συκαμίνω συκαμίνῳ συκαμίνων sukamino sukaminō sykamino sykaminō sykamínoi sykamínōiLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
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