ἔμφυτος (emphutos)
emphutos
implanted/ingrafted
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The adjective emphutos describes something that is naturally grown or deeply rooted, carrying the sense of being innate or ingrained. Its literal meaning points to a plant that has taken hold in the soil, suggesting stability and organic development rather than something superficially attached.
In the New Testament, this word appears only once, in James 1:21. Here it modifies "the implanted word," describing the message of faith as something that is received and allowed to take root within a person’s character. The image suggests that true belief is not merely an external idea but a truth that grows from the inside out.
The term combines a prefix meaning "in" with a root related to planting or growing. This etymology highlights the biological metaphor James uses: just as a seed becomes part of the earth, the word becomes part of the believer’s life. Translators often render this as "implanted" or "ingrafted," emphasizing that the faith is meant to be an integral, living part of one’s nature.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word emphutos paints a picture of something that has taken deep root, like a tree whose branches are supported by an unseen network in the soil. In James 1:21, this term describes the message of faith not as a temporary feeling or a surface-level idea, but as a living truth that grows from within. It suggests that genuine belief is organic and stable, shaped by the environment it inhabits.
When you receive this word with humility, you are allowing it to settle into your character. This process requires patience and care, much like tending to a young plant. The promise is that what takes root in this way becomes a source of strength and salvation, anchoring your soul against the shifting winds of circumstance.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- implanted1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἔμφυτον1×
Key Verses
-
James 1:21
Therefore, putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with humility the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
This verse uniquely uses emphutos to describe the word as an internal, living force capable of saving souls, rather than merely external information.