2565. kallielaios
Lexical Summary
kallielaios: Olive tree

Original Word: καλλιέλαιος
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: kallielaios
Pronunciation: kal-lee-EL-ah-yos
Phonetic Spelling: (kal-le-el'-ah-yos)
KJV: good olive tree
NASB: cultivated olive tree
Word Origin: [from the base of G2566 (καλλίον - Better) and G1636 (ἐλαῖα - olives)]

1. a cultivated olive tree, i.e. a domesticated or improved one

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
a cultivated olive tree

From the base of kallion and elaia; a cultivated olive tree, i.e. A domesticated or improved one -- good olive tree.

see GREEK kallion

see GREEK elaia

HELPS Word-studies

2565 kalliélaios (from kallos, "desirable" and 1636 /elaía, "an olive tree") – a cultivated olive-tree – especially a healthy, properly cultivated olive tree. 2565 /kalliélaios ("a cultivated olive tree") is only used in Ro 11:24 where it refers to believing Israel (OT believers).

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from the comp. of kalos and elaia
Definition
a cultivated olive (tree)
NASB Translation
cultivated olive tree (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 2565: καλλιέλαιος

καλλιέλαιος, καλλιελαιου, (from κάλλος and ἐλαία), the garden olive (A. V. good olive tree) (opposed to ἀγριέλαιος the wild olive): Romans 11:24. Aristotle, de plant. 1, 6, p. 820{b}, 40.

Topical Lexicon
Form and Immediate Context

The single New Testament occurrence of the term appears in Romans 11:24, describing a “cultivated olive tree” (Berean Standard Bible). The apostle Paul uses the expression within an extended metaphor that contrasts the cultivated olive with the wild olive to illustrate the place of Israel and Gentiles in God’s redemptive plan.

Background in Ancient Horticulture

In the Mediterranean world, two broad categories of olive trees were recognized: the hardy, uncultivated variety that grew spontaneously, and the carefully tended, fruit-bearing cultivated tree prized for oil production. Ancient grafting practices sometimes placed wild branches into cultivated stock to invigorate a declining tree, but the reverse—cultivated branches grafted into a wild tree—was considered “contrary to nature” (Romans 11:24). Paul leverages that horticultural surprise to underscore the grace extended to Gentiles and to heighten anticipation of Israel’s future restoration.

Paul’s Argument in Romans 9–11

1. God’s sovereign mercy (Romans 9)
2. Israel’s present stumbling (Romans 10)
3. The olive-tree parable (Romans 11)

Within this flow, the cultivated olive tree represents the historic covenant privileges entrusted to Israel—“the adoption, the divine glory, the covenants, the giving of the Law, the temple service, and the promises” (Romans 9:4). Wild olive branches symbolize Gentile believers now sharing in that rich root. The cultivated stock therefore serves as a living metaphor for continuity in God’s redemptive purposes.

Prophetic and Covenantal Overtones

Paul’s imagery echoes Old Testament passages that liken Israel to a green olive tree:
Jeremiah 11:16 – “The Lord called you a thriving olive tree with beautiful, well-formed fruit.”
Hosea 14:6 – “His splendor will be like an olive tree.”

These prophetic portraits anticipate both judgment and renewal. By invoking the cultivated olive, Paul affirms that God has not abandoned His covenant people; rather, the current hardening is partial and temporary, pointing toward a future ingathering “when the fullness of the Gentiles has come in” (Romans 11:25).

Spiritual and Pastoral Implications

1. Humility for grafted Gentiles: “Do not be arrogant, but be afraid” (Romans 11:20).
2. Hope for hardened Israel: “God is able to graft them in again” (Romans 11:23).
3. Assurance of covenant faithfulness: The unchanging root sustains every grafted branch, underscoring the reliability of God’s promises (Hebrews 10:23).

Related Olive Imagery in Scripture

Psalm 52:8 – The righteous as a green olive in God’s house.
Zechariah 4:11–14 – Two olive trees feeding the golden lampstand, foreshadowing Spirit-empowered witness.
Revelation 11:4 – The two witnesses likened to olive trees, continuing the motif of testimony and divine provision.

Ministry Applications

• Evangelism: The metaphor motivates outreach to Israel, anticipating their future acceptance.
• Discipleship: Believers, though grafted by grace, must abide in faith lest they be “cut off” (Romans 11:22).
• Unity: The single cultivated tree points to one redeemed people of God, obliterating ethnic superiority.
• Worship: The picture culminates in doxology—“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!” (Romans 11:33).

Devotional Reflection

Contemplate the gardener’s patience: every pruning, grafting, and nourishing act testifies to a steadfast commitment to fruitfulness. The cultivated olive tree invites believers to rest in the root, bear the fruit of the Spirit, and anticipate the day when “all Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:26).

Summary

Strong’s Greek 2565, though occurring only once, anchors one of Paul’s most far-reaching metaphors. The cultivated olive tree encapsulates the faithfulness of God to His covenants, the inclusion of the nations, and the certainty of Israel’s ultimate restoration—all converging in a single, living symbol that calls the church to humility, hope, and worship.

Forms and Transliterations
καλλιελαιον καλλιέλαιον kallielaion kalliélaion
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Romans 11:24 N-AFS
GRK: ἐνεκεντρίσθης εἰς καλλιέλαιον πόσῳ μᾶλλον
NAS: to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much
KJV: into a good olive tree: how much
INT: were grafted in to a cultivated olive tree how much more

Strong's Greek 2565
1 Occurrence


καλλιέλαιον — 1 Occ.

2564
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