ἔμφυτος
émphytos
G1721 attributive adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
Innate, inborn, implanted by nature or by an external agent. In Hellenistic and Koine Greek, most often refers to something placed or established within a person or thing, either by natural growth (innate, natural) or by deliberate cultivation (implanted, engrafted; used in agricultural, moral, or spiritual metaphors).
Semantic Range
innate, inborn, natural, inherent; implanted, engrafted, set within, planted (literally or figuratively)
Root / Etymology
Formed from ἐν ('in') and the verbal root φυτ-, from φύω ('to grow, to produce'); literally 'grown in' or 'planted in'.
Historical & Contextual Notes
ἔμφυτος appears rarely in extant Greek, but classical and later usage shows two main senses: (1) 'innate, inborn,' often of characteristics, tendencies, or qualities believed to be present from birth or by nature; (2) 'implanted, engrafted,' especially in agricultural or metaphorical contexts (e.g., ideas or virtues 'implanted' in the mind, or metaphorically as a 'graft' in agriculture). In the New Testament (e.g., James 1:21), it is used of the 'implanted word', indicating something that takes root or is established within. In Septuagint or Hellenistic Jewish writings, usage is rare. English translations sometimes render the word as 'engrafted' or 'implanted', but this may obscure the nuance between something inherent by nature and something deliberately planted. The metaphor of grafting/implanting would have been understood in both agricultural and rhetorical/moral contexts in the period. Distinct from γεννητός (born, begotten) which stresses origin, ἔμφυτος emphasizes presence or effect within.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from ἐν and a derivative of φύω; implanted (figuratively):--engrafted.
Root Family
φυτ- (émphytos) — to grow, to produce
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1721-01 |
ἔμφυτον | emphuton | ADJ.A ACC M SG |
implanted | implanted | implanted | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1721-01 |
James 1:21 | ἔμφυτον | emphuton | ADJ.A ACC M SG |
implanted | implanted | implanted |