Lexical Summary agrielaios: Wild olive tree Original Word: ἀγριέλαιος Strong's Exhaustive Concordance wild olive tree. From agrios and elaia; an oleaster -- olive tree (which is) wild. see GREEK agrios see GREEK elaia HELPS Word-studies 65 agriélaios (from 66 /ágrios, "wild, uncultivated" and 1636 /elaía, "olive tree") – properly, a wild (uncultivated) olive tree. [The Jews are the natural, cultivated branches in Scripture; believing NT Gentiles are represented as the wild, uncultivated branches.] 65 /agriélaios ("wild olive") occurs twice in the NT (Ro 11:17,24) – both times of "the nations" (believing Gentiles) as now part of the one people of God. See also 1484 /éthnos ("Gentile") and 2565 /kalliélaios ("a cultivated olive tree"). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom agrios and elaia Definition of the wild olive NASB Translation what (1), wild olive (1), wild olive tree (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 65: ἀγριέλαιοςἀγριέλαιος, (ἄγριος and ἔλαιος or ἐλαία, like ἀγριάμπελος); 1. of or belonging to the oleaster, or wild olive (σκυτάλην ἀγριέλαιον, Anthol. 9, 237, 4; (cf. Lob. Paralip., p. 376)); spoken of a scion, Romans 11:17. 2. As a substantive ἡ ἀγριέλαιος the oleaster, the wild olive; (opposed to καλλιέλαιος (cf. Aristotle, plant. 1, 6)), also called by the Greeks κότινος, Romans 11:24; cf. Fritzsche on Romans, vol. ii. 495ff (See B. D. under the word In the Mediterranean world the cultivated olive tree (Olea europaea) was prized for its fruit, oil, and wood, while its uncultivated counterpart, the wild olive, grew untended on rocky hillsides and produced scant, inferior fruit. Ancient horticulturists sometimes grafted a scion from the cultivated tree into a wild stock to improve its yield, but the reverse procedure—grafting wild wood into a good tree—was contrary to ordinary practice. Paul deliberately chooses this unexpected image to emphasize the gracious, sovereign initiative of God. Occurrences in Scripture The term appears twice in the Greek New Testament, both in Romans 11. Theological Themes 1. Grace That Reverses Nature – Paul’s metaphor highlights salvation as an act “contrary to nature.” The inclusion of the Gentiles rests not on merit but on divine mercy, showcasing the freedom of God to bless whom He wills (Romans 9:15-18; 11:33-36). Biblical Theology of the Olive Tree Old Testament writers liken Israel to a flourishing olive tree chosen by God (Jeremiah 11:16; Hosea 14:6; Psalm 52:8). The symbolism communicates vitality, covenant blessing, and the indwelling presence of the Spirit (oil). Paul’s wild-olive imagery builds on that heritage while expanding it to encompass redeemed nations, thereby harmonizing prophetic expectation with apostolic proclamation. Historical Context of Grafting First-century agricultural manuals note that grafting usually proceeds from cultivated to wild, never the reverse, because the poorer sap of the wild can weaken the good tree. Paul inverts the procedure to magnify the wonder of Gentile salvation. His audience in Rome—situated within an empire famed for its olive groves—would immediately grasp the unnatural character of the operation and feel the weight of the theological point. Practical and Pastoral Implications • Humility – Awareness of being a “wild” branch curbs spiritual pride and fosters gratitude. Missionary Outlook The grafting of wild branches signals the global outreach of the gospel. Paul’s ministry strategy—“to provoke my own people to jealousy and save some of them” (Romans 11:14)—encourages the church to proclaim Christ among the nations while cherishing Israel’s ultimate restoration. Eschatological Hope Romans 11 culminates in a vision where the fullness of the Gentiles and the re-grafting of Israel converge in the consummation of God’s redemptive plan. The metaphor anticipates a unified olive tree flourishing in the coming kingdom, every branch alive in the root who is Christ, to the glory of the God “from whom and through whom and to whom are all things” (Romans 11:36). Englishman's Concordance Romans 11:17 N-NFSGRK: σὺ δὲ ἀγριέλαιος ὢν ἐνεκεντρίσθης NAS: and you, being a wild olive, were grafted KJV: being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in INT: you moreover a wild olive tree being were grafted in Romans 11:24 N-GFS Strong's Greek 65 |
    |