δρέπανον (drepanon)
drepanon
sickle
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 7 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The Greek word drepanon refers to a sickle, specifically a short, curved blade used for harvesting grain or pruning vines. Its root meaning connects to "plucking," highlighting its function as a tool for gathering what has ripened. In the New Testament, it appears only seven times, with significant occurrences in Mark’s Gospel and the Book of Revelation.
In Mark 4:29, Jesus uses the image of reapers wielding the sickle to describe the natural progression of growth toward harvest, illustrating a process that unfolds according to divine timing. This agricultural context grounds the term in everyday life, portraying it as an instrument of collection rather than destruction in this instance.
However, the word takes on a more intense theological weight in Revelation 14:14-19. Here, the sickle becomes a symbol of judgment, wielded by figures representing divine authority to reap the earth. The contrast between Mark’s gentle harvest and Revelation’s decisive reaping shows how the same tool can signify both provision and finality, depending on who holds it and why.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
A sickle is a simple tool, yet it carries deep meaning in Scripture. In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus describes a farmer waiting patiently for the grain to ripen before using his sickle. This image reminds us that God’s work often unfolds in its own good time, requiring trust rather than haste. The harvest represents the gathering of what has grown well, pointing to provision and care.
However, the same word appears in Revelation with a sharper edge. There, the sickle signals a decisive end to an age, separating the ripe from the unready. While this sounds severe, it reflects a divine justice that ensures wrongs are righted. Christians have understood these passages to show that God’s timing balances both mercy and truth.
Whether you see the sickle as a sign of gentle provision or final judgment, it invites us to examine our own lives. Are we ready for what comes next? The text encourages vigilance and hope, trusting that whatever harvest is gathered, it serves a purpose beyond our immediate sight.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 7 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- sickle6×
- a sickle2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- δρέπανον7×
- δρέπανόν1×
Key Verses
-
Mark 4:29
But when the fruit is ripe, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
This verse uses the sickle to illustrate patient obedience, showing that the harvest happens immediately once the fruit is truly ripe.
-
Revelation of John 14:14
I looked, and saw a white cloud, and on the cloud one sitting like a son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.
Here the figure on the cloud holds a sharp sickle, establishing the tool as an instrument of divine authority rather than ordinary farming.
-
Revelation of John 14:18
Another angel came out from the altar, he who has power over fire, and he called with a great voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Send your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for the earth’s grapes are fully ripe!”
The angel calls for the gathering of grapes specifically because they are fully ripe, linking the word to a moment of completed judgment.