Lexical Summary agros: Field, countryside Original Word: ἀγρός Strong's Exhaustive Concordance field, farm, piece of land. From ago; a field (as a drive for cattle); genitive case, the country; specially, a farm, i.e. Hamlet -- country, farm, piece of ground, land. see GREEK ago NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. word Definition a field, the country NASB Translation country (5), countryside (3), farm (1), farms (3), field (21), fields (2), piece of land (1), tract of land (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 68: ἀγρόςἀγρός, (οῦ, ὁ (from ἄγω; properly, a drove or driving-place, then, pasturage; cf. Latinager, German Acker, English acre; Fick, Part i., p. 8); a. a field, the country: Matthew 6:28; Matthew 24:18; Luke 15:15; (Mark 11:8 T Tr WH), etc. b. equivalent to χωρίον, a piece of land, bit of tillage: Acts 4:37; Mark 10:29; Matthew 13:24, 27, etc. c. οἱ ἀγροί the farms, country-seats, neighboring hamlets: Mark 5:14 (opposed to πόλις); Mark 6:36; Luke 9:12. ((From Homer on.)) Topical Lexicon The Field as Domain of Everyday LifeThe word rendered “field” (Greek ἀγρός, Strong’s 68) consistently designates cultivated, rural land. In the Gospels and Acts it evokes the ordinary setting in which first-century men sowed, reaped, pastured animals, hired laborers, and made their living. Because agriculture was central to the economic and social fabric of Judea and Galilee, the field provides an ideal canvas on which Jesus paints both kingdom truths and practical admonitions. A disciple who pictures grain, vines, fig trees, or grazing flocks standing in the open countryside is immediately grounded in the concreteness of everyday stewardship under God’s rule. Parabolic Teaching 1. Parable of the Weeds (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43). “The field is the world” (Matthew 13:38). Jesus employs the field to reveal the present mixture of good and evil until the final harvest. The imagery underscores patience: premature weeding would harm the crop, so the servants must wait for the Son of Man’s angels to separate righteous from wicked. Moral and Discipleship Applications • Single-minded devotion: In Luke 14:18 one excuse to reject the great banquet is “I have bought a field and must go out to see it.” Earthly responsibilities can become stumbling blocks when they eclipse the call of grace. Images of Judgment and Mercy • The field as stage of sudden separation (Matthew 24:40; Luke 17:36). Two men labor side by side; one is taken, the other left. Daily work cannot inoculate against divine scrutiny. Pastoral and Evangelistic Resonance • Compassion for workers: In Luke 15:25 the elder son returns “from the field” and hears music for the prodigal’s restoration. Gospel celebration meets labor’s fatigue, reminding Christian communities to welcome sinners without neglecting faithful servants. Historical and Cultural Backdrop First-century fields were narrow strips bordered by stone walls or paths, tilled with wooden plows drawn by oxen. Ownership was a primary measure of wealth. A family’s field could be mortgaged, lost through debt, or divided among heirs, explaining both the worry of “fields” and the allure of their value in Jesus’s teaching. Rabbinic sources warn against letting weeds overrun a neighbor’s plot, paralleling Jesus’s emphasis on vigilance. Implications for Contemporary Ministry 1. Stewardship: Fields call leaders to shepherd resources—time, land, finance—for kingdom advance, recognizing that all acreage ultimately belongs to the Creator. Key New Testament References Matthew 6:28-30; Matthew 13:24-31, 36-44; Matthew 19:29; Matthew 22:5; Matthew 24:18, 40; Matthew 27:7-10; Mark 5:14; Mark 6:36, 56; Mark 10:29-30; Mark 13:16; Luke 12:28; Luke 14:18; Luke 15:15, 25; Luke 17:31, 36; Acts 4:37. Summary Throughout Scripture, the field serves as a vivid metaphor for the world God owns, cultivates, and will finally harvest. Whether picturing the hidden progress of the kingdom, the demands of discipleship, or the inevitability of judgment, the New Testament’s treatment of ἀγρός summons believers to faithful labor, generous surrender, and confident expectation of the Lord who “gives growth” (compare 1 Corinthians 3:7). Forms and Transliterations άγρια αγροί αγροίς αγρον αγρόν άγρον ἀγρόν ἀγρὸν αγρος αγρός ἀγρός ἀγρὸς αγρου αγρού άγρου ἀγροῦ αγρους αγρούς ἀγρούς ἀγροὺς αγρω αγρώ ἀγρῷ αγρων αγρών ἀγρῶν agro agrō agrôi agrō̂i agron agrón agròn agrôn agrōn agrō̂n agros agrós agròs agrou agroû agrous agroús agroùsLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Matthew 6:28 N-GMSGRK: κρίνα τοῦ ἀγροῦ πῶς αὐξάνουσιν NAS: the lilies of the field grow; KJV: the lilies of the field, how INT: lilies of the field how they grow Matthew 6:30 N-GMS Matthew 13:24 N-DMS Matthew 13:27 N-DMS Matthew 13:31 N-DMS Matthew 13:36 N-GMS Matthew 13:38 N-NMS Matthew 13:44 N-DMS Matthew 13:44 N-AMS Matthew 19:29 N-AMP Matthew 22:5 N-AMS Matthew 24:18 N-DMS Matthew 24:40 N-DMS Matthew 27:7 N-AMS Matthew 27:8 N-NMS Matthew 27:8 N-NMS Matthew 27:10 N-AMS Mark 5:14 N-AMP Mark 6:36 N-AMP Mark 6:56 N-AMP Mark 10:29 N-AMP Mark 10:30 N-AMP Mark 11:8 N-GMP Mark 13:16 N-AMS Mark 15:21 N-GMS Strong's Greek 68 |
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