Lexical Summary keration: Pod, Carob pod Original Word: κεράτιον Strong's Exhaustive Concordance husk. Neuter of a presumed derivative of keras; something horned, i.e. (specially) the pod of the carob-tree -- husk. see GREEK keras NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origindim. of keras Definition a carob pod NASB Translation pods (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 2769: κεράτιονκεράτιον, κερατιου, τό (diminutive of κέρας); 1. a little horn. 2. the name of the fruit of the κερατέα or κερατεια (or κερατια), the Ceratonia sillqua (Linn.) or carob tree (called also St. John's Bread (from the notion that its pods, which resemble those of the 'locust', constituted the food of the Baptist)). This fruit is shaped like a horn and has a sweet taste; it was (and is) used not only in fattening swine, but as an article of food by the lower classes: Luke 15:16 (A. V. husks); cf. Winers RWB, under the word Johannisbrodbaum; (B. D. (especially American edition) under the word The κεράτιον (keration) was the pod of the carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua), a hardy evergreen common throughout the Mediterranean basin. Carob pods were valued as inexpensive fodder for livestock, especially swine, because the hard, sugary husks required little cultivation. Among poor rural communities they were also eaten in times of scarcity, though never esteemed as a desirable human food. Carob seeds were remarkably uniform in weight, giving rise to their use as a unit of measure. From this practice the modern term “carat” derives, linking the humble pod to the valuation of gold and precious stones. Thus the word carried simultaneous associations of poverty (feed for unclean animals) and precise economic calculation (a standard of weight). Use in the Parable of the Prodigal Son Luke 15:16 records the only New Testament occurrence: “For he longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one would give him a thing.” By choosing κεράτια as the pig-feed in the story, Jesus pinpointed the younger son’s degradation. For a Jewish listener, laboring among swine already signified ceremonial defilement (Leviticus 11:7). Craving their food pressed the picture further, portraying a man so destitute that he envied what was both ritually unclean and nutritionally meager. The Lord’s audience would hear the double humiliation: economic ruin and spiritual uncleanness. The detail therefore heightens the pathos that prepares the way for the father’s lavish grace in the verses that follow. Economic Significance In Greco-Roman trade a κεράτιον also denoted roughly 0.2 grams, one-twenty-fourth of an ounce of gold. This precise fractional value underscores the irony of the prodigal’s condition: the same item that functioned as a standard for precious commodities now appears as refuse for swine. The parable subtly contrasts the world’s estimate of worth with the Father’s economy of grace; true wealth is measured not in κεράτια of gold but in restored sonship. Symbolism of Spiritual Famine Throughout Scripture, physical hunger often mirrors spiritual want (Amos 8:11; Haggai 1:6). The prodigal’s longing for carob pods exemplifies the emptiness that results when a person abandons the Father’s house. His scarcity is self-inflicted; the land is suffering a famine (Luke 15:14), yet the real drought lies in his soul. By recollecting the abundance even the hired servants enjoy back home (Luke 15:17), he awakens to repentance. The keration thus becomes a literary threshold: the moment when desperation turns to humility and return. Ministry Applications 1. Counseling repentance: When discipling those ensnared by sin, Luke 15 underscores that genuine turning often begins at a “keration moment,” where worldly resources fail and the emptiness of life apart from God becomes undeniable. 2. Stewardship and generosity: The prodigal squandered his inheritance and ended with pig fodder. Believers are warned against prodigality and encouraged to steward resources for eternal purposes (1 Timothy 6:17-19). 3. Compassion toward prodigals: Just as the father waited with open arms, the church is called to receive repentant sinners without hesitation or reproach (Galatians 6:1). Historical Reception Early Christian writers consistently read the keration as emblematic of sin’s degrading power. Augustine spoke of the “husks of vanity” that fail to satisfy the human heart. Cyril of Alexandria highlighted the contrast between the empty pods and the “fatted calf” of reconciliation, illustrating the lavishness of divine mercy. Theological Summary The single New Testament occurrence of κεράτιον carries rich theological weight. It exposes the degrading consequences of rebellion, illustrates the poverty of self-reliance, and magnifies the restorative grace of the Father. From the farmyard of Gentile swine to the banquet of family fellowship, the journey measured by a carob pod testifies that the Lord “raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap” (Psalm 113:7, cf. Luke 15:22-24). |
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