σῖτος (sitos)
sitos
grain
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 14 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The Greek word sitos refers to grain or wheat, the fundamental staple that sustains life. In the New Testament, it appears fourteen times, most frequently in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, as well as in Revelation. It denotes the raw agricultural product before it is processed into flour or baked.
While the singular form specifically identifies the grain itself, the plural form sita often shifts meaning to refer to bread, food, or provisions. This distinction highlights how the word bridges the gap between the field and the table. For instance, in Luke 12:18, a rich man stores his sita, referring to his harvest of grain, while in Acts 7:12, Jacob sends for his family to bring back sita, implying provisions or food supplies for their journey.
The word carries significant theological weight in Jesus’ parables. In Matthew 13:24-30, sitos describes the good seed sown by the farmer, contrasting with weeds that appear among it. Similarly, John 12:24 uses the image of a grain of sitos falling into the ground and dying to produce many seeds, illustrating the principle that life comes through death. This agricultural metaphor relies on the reader’s understanding of sitos as something small yet potent, capable of generating abundant new life when it undergoes transformation.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word sitos refers to grain, the basic food that sustains life. In Scripture, it often points to something small yet powerful. Jesus used this image in John 12:24 to show how a single seed must fall into the ground and die to produce a harvest. This teaches us that true life often comes through surrender and loss.
When we face seasons of waiting or uncertainty, sitos reminds us of God’s patience. Just as grain grows quietly in the earth, our faith develops even when we cannot see immediate results. We trust that God is at work beneath the surface, preparing a future that reflects His care and provision.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 14 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- wheat5×
- of wheat3×
- wheat.2×
- grain2×
- the wheat1×
- of wheat.1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- σῖτον7×
- σίτου4×
- σῖτον.2×
- σίτου.1×
Key Verses
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John 12:24
Most certainly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit.
Jesus uses the image of a single grain falling into the ground to illustrate how death leads to abundant new life.
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Matthew 13:30
Let both grow together until the harvest, and in the harvest time I will tell the reapers, “First, gather up the darnel weeds, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”
The master instructs his workers to let both wheat and weeds grow together until harvest, showing God’s patience in allowing time for growth.
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Luke 22:31
The Lord said, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have all of you, that he might sift you as wheat,
Jesus tells Simon that Satan wants to sift him as wheat, highlighting the intense testing believers may face before refinement.
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Revelation of John 6:6
I heard a voice in the middle of the four living creatures saying, “A choenix of wheat for a denarius, and three choenix of barley for a denarius! Don’t damage the oil and the wine!”
A voice declares high prices for wheat during famine, illustrating the severe consequences of judgment and scarcity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does sitos mean in the New Testament?
How is sitos different from artos?
Why does Jesus use grain as an image in John 12:24?
Every Occurrence (14 verses across 7 books)
Matthew 4 verses
His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing floor. He will gather his wheat into…
Matthew 13:25but while people slept, his enemy came and sowed darnel weeds also among the wheat, and went away.
Matthew 13:29“But he said, ‘No, lest perhaps while you gather up the darnel weeds, you root up the wheat with them.
Matthew 13:30Let both grow together until the harvest, and in the harvest time I will tell the reapers, “First, gather up the darnel…