ἀγριέλαιος
agriélaios
G65 substantive adjective
SILEX Entry
Definition
A wild olive tree or shoot (oleaster), specifically referring to the uncultivated form of the olive tree, in contrast to the domesticated or cultivated olive tree. Also used metaphorically to denote something or someone 'wild' or outside the bounds of cultivation or tradition, especially in distinction to the domesticated variety.
Semantic Range
wild olive tree, oleaster, uncultivated olive, metaphor for something or someone uncultivated or outside tradition
Root / Etymology
From ἄγριος ('wild, uncultivated') and ἐλαία ('olive tree'), thus literally meaning 'wild olive.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
The term ἀγριέλαιος appears rarely in extant Greek literature and is notably used in the New Testament (Romans 11:17, 24), including in discussions distinguishing between cultivated and uncultivated olive trees. In the agricultural context of the Greco-Roman world, the wild olive (oleaster) was known for its hardiness but lack of fruitfulness compared to the cultivated olive tree. In metaphorical use—as in Romans—ἀγριέλαιος indicates something or someone considered outside established lineage, privilege, or refinement, being 'grafted in' to the cultivated stock. Classical usage also attests to the distinction between cultivated olive (ἐλαία/καλλιέλαιος) and wild olive (ἀγριέλαιος). Later translation traditions render the term simply as 'wild olive' or 'wild olive tree,' though the precise cultural associations may be lost in simplified English renderings.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from ἄγριος and ἐλαία; an oleaster:--olive tree (which is) wild.
Root Family
ἀγριέλαιος (agrielaios) — olive tree, wild, uncultivated
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G65-02 |
ἀγριελαίου | agrielaiou | ADJ.S GEN F SG |
wild olive tree | of a wild olive tree | of a wild olive tree | 1 |
G65-01 |
ἀγριέλαιος | agrielaios | ADJ.S NOM F SG |
wild olive | wild olive tree | wild olive tree | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G65-01 |
Romans 11:17 | ἀγριέλαιος | agrielaios | ADJ.S NOM F SG |
wild olive | wild olive tree | wild olive tree |
G65-02 |
Romans 11:24 | ἀγριελαίου | agrielaiou | ADJ.S GEN F SG |
wild olive tree | of a wild olive tree | of a wild olive tree |