τίλλω (tillō)
tillō
to pluck
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb tillō means to pluck or pull off something by hand. In the New Testament, it appears only three times, all within the Synoptic Gospels. The word describes the physical act of gathering grain heads from a field.
This action is central to the controversy recorded in Matthew 12:1, Mark 2:23, and Luke 6:1. Jesus’ disciples are described as tillōing the ears of grain as they walked through the fields on the Sabbath. The term highlights the manual labor involved, which the Pharisees viewed as harvesting work prohibited by their strict interpretation of the law.
The sources note that this word is rare in biblical Greek but appears in the Septuagint with similar meanings. Its usage here grounds a theological debate in a simple, everyday agricultural activity. The physical detail emphasizes the humanity of Jesus and his followers engaging in necessary sustenance.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word tillō describes a simple, physical act: plucking grain with your fingers. In the Gospels, this small motion becomes the center of a heated debate. Jesus’ disciples were hungry and gathered food on the Sabbath, an action the religious leaders condemned as work. By using such a plain verb, the text reminds us that faith is lived out in everyday moments—walking through fields, feeling hunger, and meeting basic needs.
This story invites us to look at how we view rules and compassion. The Pharisees focused on strict boundaries, but Jesus highlighted the human need behind the action. It shows that God cares about our daily struggles and does not want legalism to overshadow mercy. When life feels heavy with expectations, this passage offers a gentle reminder that grace often meets us in the simplest acts of sustenance.
For your own walk, consider how you balance duty with kindness. Do you allow room for human need in your spiritual practices? This word encourages a faith that is grounded in reality, where compassion guides our actions rather than rigid adherence to tradition alone.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- were plucking1×
- to pluck [the]1×
- plucking1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἔτιλλον1×
- τίλλοντες1×
- τίλλειν1×
Key Verses
-
Matthew 12:1
At that time, Jesus went on the Sabbath day through the grain fields. His disciples were hungry and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat.
This verse sets the scene by explicitly linking the act of plucking grain to hunger and the Sabbath, establishing the immediate conflict.
-
Mark 2:23
He was going on the Sabbath day through the grain fields; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of grain.
Mark emphasizes the casual nature of the action as they walked, showing it was not a deliberate harvest but a spontaneous response to need.
-
Luke 6:1
Now on the second Sabbath after the first, he was going through the grain fields. His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate, rubbing them in their hands.
Luke adds the detail of rubbing the grain in their hands, illustrating the full process of preparing food for immediate consumption.