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βότρυς

bótrys

G1009 substantive adjective

SILEX Entry

Definition

A cluster, especially a cluster of grapes; in broader usage, a cluster or bunch of fruit or flowers attached at a single stem. The term most frequently denotes a cluster of grapes, but its sense can extend to clusters of other fruits or flowers arranged in a similar way.

Semantic Range

cluster of grapes, bunch of fruit, bunch of flowers, cluster (esp. of vines)

Root / Etymology

Etymology uncertain; the word does not appear to derive directly from any securely attested Greek root. Some have proposed connections to non-Indo-European substrata or borrowed terms, but no clear lineage is established.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical and Hellenistic Greek, βότρυς is attested as referring most commonly to a cluster of grapes, the most graphic and frequent image in ancient viticulture. The word appears in literature (e.g., Homeric hymns, medical texts) and in inscriptions, often evoking abundance, fertility, or the products of the vine. In the Septuagint, βότρυς translates the Hebrew אֶשְׁכּוֹל (’eshkol), again with reference to clusters of grapes—such as the famous cluster carried from the land of Canaan (Num 13:23). In New Testament usage, βότρυς occurs rarely but consistently retains the sense of a grape cluster. English translations typically render the word as “cluster of grapes” or simply “cluster,” which closely matches its Greek referent. No significant shift in meaning is attested between classical, Hellenistic, and later Koine; the term does not acquire metaphorical senses in biblical contexts, remaining focused on agricultural and horticultural reference. The word can be contrasted with terms like σταφυλή (staphylē), which also means 'grape' but more specifically the fruit itself, not the cluster.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of uncertain derivation; a bunch (of grapes):--(vine) cluster (of the vine).

Root Family

βότρυς (botrys) — cluster, bunch, group (especially of grapes)

Root uncertain cluster, bunch, group (especially of grapes)

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G1009-01 βότρυας botruas ADJ.S ACC M PL clusters clusters clusters 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G1009-01 Revelation 14:18 βότρυας botruas ADJ.S ACC M PL clusters clusters clusters
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