Lexical Summary sukomorea: Sycamore-fig tree Original Word: συκομορέα Strong's Exhaustive Concordance sycamore tree. From sukon and moron (the mulberry); the "sycamore"-fig tree -- sycamore tree. Compare sukaminos. see GREEK sukon see GREEK sukaminos HELPS Word-studies 4809 sykomōraía (from 4810 /sýkon, "fig" and moron, "mulberry") – the fig-mulberry tree or "white mulberry" tree. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom sukon and moron (the black mulberry) Definition the fig-mulberry tree, sycamore fig NASB Translation sycamore tree (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4809: συκομορέασυκομορέα (Lachmann συκομωρεα (Rec.st bez συκομωραία, cf. Tdf.s note on Luke as below; WH's Appendix, pp. I52 and 151)), συκομορεας, ἡ (from σῦκον and μορεα the mulberry tree), equivalent to συκάμινος (but see the word, and references), a sycomore-tree: Luke 19:4. (Geoponica 10,3, 7.) Topical Lexicon Definition and Botanical Identity The συκομορέα is the sycomore fig (Ficus sycomorus), a broad, low–branched tree native to the warmer districts of the Near East. Its soft wood, abundant milky sap, and multiple annual crops of small figs made it economically valuable. Unlike the American “sycamore,” it belongs to the mulberry family, closer to the common fig. The trunk is easily climbed, and its wide canopy offers both shade and vantage. Biblical Context and Occurrence Luke 19:4 provides the sole New Testament appearance: “So he ran on ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see Him, since Jesus was about to pass that way”. In the narrative, Zacchaeus uses the tree’s natural structure to overcome crowd and stature, positioning himself for a transforming encounter with the Lord. Historical and Cultural Background Sycomores thrived in the Shephelah and Jordan Valley, where the climate favored year-round fruiting. Wood from these trees furnished coffins in Egypt and beams in Israel, while the fruit, though inferior to the true fig, served the poor. Amos, “a shepherd and a dresser of sycomore figs” (Amos 7:14), testifies to a specialized occupation of nipping the young fruit to induce ripening. Symbolic and Theological Themes 1. Accessibility of Grace: Zacchaeus, a marginalized tax collector, finds a readily climbable tree—suggesting that means of approach to Christ are near at hand for any earnest seeker (Jeremiah 29:13). Sycomore Fig Husbandry in Scripture • 1 Kings 10:27; 2 Chronicles 1:15; 9:27 – Solomon makes sycomores as plentiful as cedars in the lowlands, a marker of prosperity. Together these passages frame the tree as a barometer: flourishing under obedience, felled under pride. Lessons for Christian Life and Ministry • Seekers may need only a small assist—like a limb of a sycomore—to gain sight of Christ; ministries should provide that lift by removing obstacles, not erecting them (Romans 15:7). See Also Fig Tree; Trees in Scripture; Zacchaeus; Amos; Humility; Divine Providence Forms and Transliterations συκομορεαν συκομορέαν συκομωραίαν sukomorean sykomorean sykomoréanLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts |
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