Lexical Summary sapros: Rotten, corrupt, bad, worthless Original Word: σαπρός Strong's Exhaustive Concordance bad, corrupt. From sepo; rotten, i.e. Worthless (literally or morally) -- bad, corrupt. Compare poneros. see GREEK sepo see GREEK poneros HELPS Word-studies 4550 saprós – properly, rotten (putrid), over-ripe; (figuratively) over-done (ripened); hence, corrupt. "4550 (saprós) is (akin to sēpō, 'to rot'), primarily, of vegetable and animal substances, expresses what is of poor quality, unfit for use, putrid" (Vine, Unger, White, NT, 49); sapros – "of poor or bad quality" (L & N, 1, 65.28). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom sépó Definition rotten, worthless NASB Translation bad (7), unwholesome (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 4550: σαπρόςσαπρός, σαπρά, σαπρόν (σήπω, 2 aorist passive σαπῆναι); 1. rotten, putrid ((Hipponax), Hippcr., Aristophanes, others). 2. corrupted by age and no lounger fit for use, worn out (Aristophanes, Dio Chr., others); hence, in general, of poor quality, bad, unfit for use, worthless (A. V. corrupt) (πᾶν, ὁ μή τήν ἰδίαν χρείαν πληροι, σαπρόν λέγομεν, Chrysostom hom. 4 on 1 Timothy): δένδρον, καρπός, opposed to καλός, Matthew 7:17; Matthew 12:33; Luke 6:43; fishes, Matthew 13:48 (here A. V. bad); tropically, λόγος, Ephesians 4:29 (cf. Harless at the passage); δόγμα, Epictetus 3, 22, 61. Cf. Lob. ad Phryn., p. 377f. σαπρός conveys the idea of something that has suffered decay—fish gone putrid, fruit turned mushy, words rendered toxic. In the Greco-Roman marketplace the term marked produce unfit for consumption; in Scripture it marks lives, deeds and speech unfit for the kingdom. Occurrences in the Synoptic Gospels 1. Matthew 7:17-18; Luke 6:43. Jesus contrasts “good” and “bad” trees to expose the inner nature of prophets and disciples: “Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit” (Matthew 7:17). The metaphor insists that outward works inevitably disclose inward reality. Spiritual Metaphor: Moral Discernment Jesus’ repeated pairing of καλός and σαπρός equips disciples to test teachers, movements and personal habits. The opposition is qualitative, not merely quantitative: a saprós tree cannot produce intermittent good fruit; its essence corrupts every yield. Holiness, therefore, is not an optional extra but the very sap of the kingdom life. Ethics of Speech: Paul’s Development Ephesians 4:29 shifts the term from horticulture to conversation: “Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen.” Words may nourish or rot fellow believers. Paul frames speech as a stewardship: anything saprós is forbidden because it contradicts the new creation reality (Ephesians 4:24). Old Testament Echoes Though σαπρός is Greek, its moral resonance aligns with Proverbs’ warnings about crooked speech (Proverbs 4:24) and Israel’s regulations against offering blemished sacrifices (Leviticus 22:20-22). The covenant consistently rejects what is decayed or defiled in favor of what is whole and pleasing to the Lord. Christological Focus The Gospels portray Jesus as the perfectly “good tree” whose fruit—healing, teaching, atoning death—proves His identity. Conversely, the religious leaders’ saprós fruit unmasks hearts far from God despite external piety. The cross becomes the ultimate sorting, where the Sinless One absorbs humanity’s rot to impart His righteousness. Pastoral and Homiletical Implications • Discernment: Churches must evaluate ministries by fruit, not flair. Summary σαπρός functions as a vivid moral diagnostic across the New Testament. Whether describing fish, fruit or speech, it exposes corruption that cannot coexist with kingdom life. The remedy is not superficial adjustment but the new birth that produces truly καλός fruit to the glory of God. Englishman's Concordance Matthew 7:17 Adj-NNSGRK: τὸ δὲ σαπρὸν δένδρον καρποὺς NAS: good fruit, but the bad tree bears KJV: but a corrupt tree INT: and [the] bad tree fruits Matthew 7:18 Adj-NNS Matthew 12:33 Adj-ANS Matthew 12:33 Adj-AMS Matthew 13:48 Adj-ANP Luke 6:43 Adj-AMS Luke 6:43 Adj-NNS Ephesians 4:29 Adj-NMS Strong's Greek 4550 |
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