ἀροτριάω (arotriaō)
arotriaō
to plow
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb arotrioō means to plow, describing the agricultural act of turning over soil with a plow. It appears in only two New Testament verses, Luke 17:7 and 1 Corinthians 9:10, serving as a concrete image for spiritual labor.
In these passages, Jesus and Paul use farming metaphors to explain discipleship and ministry. The word highlights the physical effort and anticipation involved in planting, suggesting that the worker expects to share in the harvest. This usage connects daily toil with divine reward, emphasizing that spiritual work is not abstract but grounded in tangible, earthly realities.
Its rarity in Scripture makes each occurrence significant. By choosing this specific term, the biblical authors ground their teachings in the familiar experience of rural life, reminding readers that faithfulness in small, physical tasks has eternal weight.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word arotrioō simply means to plow. In Luke 17:7, Jesus uses this image to correct a servant’s attitude. A plowman has just finished hard work in the field. He does not expect immediate comfort or praise. Instead, he serves his master first. This reminds us that faithful service often looks like quiet obedience rather than public recognition.
Paul expands on this idea in 1 Corinthians 9:10. He writes that a plowman must work in hope. The effort is real, but the expectation of harvest gives it purpose. Spiritual labor follows the same pattern. We plant seeds of truth and love, trusting God for the growth. Our daily tasks matter because they are part of His larger plan.
When you feel tired from unseen efforts, remember the plowman. Your work is not wasted. It contributes to a harvest you may never see in this life. Trust that God values your faithful toil and will bring reward in due time.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- plowing2×
- to plow,1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἀροτριῶντα1×
- ἀροτριῶν1×
- ἀροτριᾶν,1×
Key Verses
-
Luke 17:7
But who is there among you, having a servant plowing or keeping sheep, that will say when he comes in from the field, ‘Come immediately and sit down at the table’?
This verse uses plowing to illustrate the humility required of a servant who serves his master before resting.
-
I Corinthians 9:10
or does he say it assuredly for our sake? Yes, it was written for our sake, because he who plows ought to plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should partake of his hope.
Here Paul connects the physical act of plowing directly to the spiritual principle of working with hopeful expectation of reward.