νεόφυτος
neóphytos
G3504 predicate adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
Recently planted, newly introduced, or newly initiated; in figurative contexts, especially in the New Testament, denoting a person who is new to a community or role, particularly one who has recently joined the assembly or become a follower. In Christian texts, refers to one who is a recent adherent or proselyte, especially with regard to leadership suitability (as in 1 Timothy 3:6). Semantic range includes literal sense of a plant recently set into the ground and figurative application to a person new to a group or practice.
Semantic Range
newly planted (of a plant); recently established; newly initiated or admitted; recent convert; novice (especially in a religious or social context)
Root / Etymology
From νέος ('new, young, recent') and φύω ('to bring forth, produce, grow'); literally 'newly planted.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
The term νεόφυτος is well attested in Hellenistic and Koine Greek, used literally in agricultural contexts for plants recently set or transplanted. Its earliest literary uses (e.g., Theophrastus, botanical texts) refer to actual horticultural planting. In the New Testament and related early Christian literature, the shift to a figurative meaning—specifically of a recent convert or entrant to a religious assembly—is marked and reflects a common metaphor of growth and cultivation for communal formation. 1 Timothy 3:6 uses νεόφυτος to warn against elevating recent converts to leadership lest they fall into pride. In later patristic and ecclesiastical writings, νεόφυτος becomes a technical term for new community members or those newly baptized. Standard English translations use 'novice' or 'new convert,' but the original metaphor carries imagery of cultivation and formative growth, which may be underappreciated in translation.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from νέος and a derivative of φύω; newly planted, i.e. (figuratively) a young convert ("neophyte"):--novice.
Root Family
νεόφυτος (neophytos) — new, planted, grown, newly initiated
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3504-01 |
νεόφυτον | neophuton | ADJ.P ACC M SG |
a novice | a newly planted one | a newly planted one | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3504-01 |
1 Timothy 3:6 | νεόφυτον | neophuton | ADJ.P ACC M SG |
a novice | a newly planted one | a newly planted one |