φυτεία (phuteia)
phuteia
plant
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun phuteia refers simply to a plant or something that has been planted. It appears only once in the New Testament, in Matthew 15:13, where Jesus uses it to describe those who are not of divine origin. The word derives from the verb for planting, linking the object directly to the act of cultivation.
In this specific context, Jesus says that every plant his heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted. The term highlights the source of life and growth; a phuteia exists only because someone placed it in the ground. It serves as a concrete image for spiritual origin, distinguishing between what grows by natural or human design and what is established by God.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word phuteia simply means a plant or something that has been planted. In Matthew 15:13, Jesus uses this image to explain spiritual origins. He notes that every plant His heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted. This reminds us that true life and growth come from God alone.
Your faith is like a garden tended by the Creator. When you feel uncertain about your roots, remember that God places what endures. Human efforts may wither, but what He establishes remains firm. Trust in His care for your spiritual growth.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- plant1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- φυτεία1×
Key Verses
-
Matthew 15:13
But he answered, “Every plant which my heavenly Father didn’t plant will be uprooted.
Jesus uses this term to distinguish between human traditions and divine origin, warning that only what God plants will endure.