[Greek] ἄκαρπος (akarpos), [Latin] sin fructu effictur, [Latin] sin fruct est , [Latin] infructuosis operibus: without fruit, unfruitful, barren, useless, unproductive, fruitless; Mt.13:22, Mk.4:19, Eph.5:11, Tit.3:14, 2Pet,1:8, Jud 12
The Parable of the Sower: painting by Peter Bruegel (1552)
Background information:
Parable of the Sower: Peter Bruegel was famous for his ability to hide deeper spiritual meanings in everyday scenes in his paintings. The sower himself is seen spreading seeds on good soil, stony soil, and soil choked by thorns. The seeds were also partly devoured by birds. To the right, down the hill, the seed has fallen on good soil. The sower, distracted, looks to his left. On the right bank of the river, Jesus is seen preaching the parable to the crowd.
Greek Hellenism: This term means without fruit, barren, fruitless, and unprofitable. Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus 254 states “And I order you to make all these words good, for my sake, the sake of the god, and for the sake of our land, thus rendered unfruitful and ungodly.” Plato’s Timaus 91c states “And if women again, owing to the same causes, whenever the matrix or womb, as it is called,–which is and indwelling creature desirous of child-bearing,–remains without fruit long beyond the due season, it is vexed and takes ill.” Plato’s Phaedrus 276e states “When one employs the dialectic method (conversation) and plants and sows in a fitting soul intelligent words which are able to help themselves and him who planted them, which are not fruitless, yield seed from which there spring up in other minds other words capable of continuing the process for ever.”
Old Testament: This term means death-shadow, shadow of death, deep darkness, and place of the dead. Interestingly, all scriptures essentially refer to a region of darkness. This pertains to a region of death, evil, and distress where one must go through in the human experience. This essentially is a Hebrew idiom for a very dangerous place. This is a region where a shepherd would sometimes lead his sheep through to get to new or better pastures. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and staff, they comfort me (Psa.23:4). Let darkness and black gloom claim it (Job 3:5). I shall not return to the land of darkness and deep shadow (Job 10:21). And deep darkness is on my eyelids (Job 16:16). Those who live in a dark land, the light will shine upon them (Isa.9:2). He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death (Psa.107:14). Yet You have crushed us in a place of jackals and cover us with the shadow of death (Psa.44:19).
New Testament: This term means unfruitable (without fruit, useless, idle, unproductive, and false teachers. In the Parable of the Sower, the seed, sown among thorns, bears no fruit. This seed is likened to the one who later loses faith because of world anxiety and the lure of riches. Paul states that the mind must be fruitful (active) along with the spirit in prophecy. One must be fruitful if one seeks to be righteous. The works of darkness are unfruitful. The fruits of the Christian virtues is knowledge of Christ. The false teachers are fruitless trees, dead, dried up, and rooted up.
Scripture:
“The seed sown among the thorns is the one who hears the Word, but then world anxiety and the lure of riches choke the Word and it bears no fruit.” Mt.13:22
This is the person who does not have a solid foundation of faith. He loses his faith when anxiety and riches come. This person becomes distracted and loses his faith.
“If these are yours and increase in abundance, they will keep you from being idle and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2Pet.1:8
The Christian virtues can build up one’s faith in the knowledge of the Lord.
“These are blemishes on your love feasts, as they carouse fearlessly and look after themselves. They are waterless clouds blown about by winds, fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead and uprooted.” Jud 12
These false teachers engage in scandalous conduct disrupting the love feasts. These false teachers are fruitless trees, dead and dried up.
Etymology: It is curious to note that the Latin translations for this term seem complex or complicated. However, it is also interesting to note that the Latin word verb fruere means to enjoy. So this is where we get the ‘fruits’ of these modern words below.
Conclusion
Fruit, fructose, fruitful, fruitless, unfruitful
The Dutch painter Peter Bruegel presents a captivating image of the parable of the sower. The distracted sower provides an iconic image of a person with a short lived faith.
In the Greek Hellenistic era, Plato interestingly refers to the womb as a matrix. Being fruitful means being with child. Plato posits that a productive dialogue will produce fruitful words and conversation. Sophocles also states that effective words are fruitful.
In the Old Testament, this term takes on a much darker sense of distress, darkness, and death. The shadow of death can be used literally and metaphorically. The shepherd leading his sheep through this dark valley to newer pastures provides a vivid picture of this term.
In the New Testament, this term means unfruitful, idle, useless, and temporary. Unfruitful can mean evil works, working against God. The false teachers were unfruitful dead trees.
WARNING—USELESS WORDS ALERT–
Infructuous: pointless or unnecessary
Infructescence: an aggregate fruit
Infructuose: not yielding fruit
To be honest, I have to say that Peter Bruegel’s painting was very ‘fruitful’ in illustrating the meaning of Parable of the Sower. It is my hope that this post may help to plant some seeds of faith for each of us fellow sowers.