ἁλυκός
salty, saltine, bitter
Definition
The adjective ἁλυκός (alykos) means 'salty' or 'bitter.' In its primary sense, it describes something containing salt, like saltwater. In the New Testament, it is used metaphorically in James 3:12 to describe water that is 'bitter' or 'salty,' contrasting it with fresh, sweet water. This metaphorical usage emphasizes a fundamental incompatibility, illustrating that a single source cannot produce two opposing natures.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the New Testament, in James 3:12. Here, it describes water from a spring that is 'salty' or 'bitter' (ἁλυκόν), creating a rhetorical question about the impossibility of a fig tree bearing olives or a salt spring producing fresh water. The context is James's discourse on controlling the tongue, using this natural imagery to argue for consistency in moral character.
Etymology
Derived from ἅλς (hals, G217) meaning 'salt,' with the adjectival suffix -ικός (-ikos). It is not, as sometimes mistakenly parsed, from ἀ- (a-, 'not') and λύκος (lykos, 'wolf'). Its meaning is directly connected to the properties of salt, extending to the taste of bitterness.
Semantic Range
Though used only once, ἁλυκός is theologically significant in James's argument about speech and integrity. It underscores the biblical principle that a person's essential nature determines their output (Matthew 7:17-18). The word enriches the reading of James 3 by highlighting the stark, natural law of consistency that should govern Christian conduct, making hypocrisy or duplicity as unnatural as a salt spring producing fresh water.
In the ancient Near Eastern context, fresh water was a precious and sometimes scarce resource. A 'salt spring' (πηγὴ ἁλυκὴ) would have been understood as useless or even detrimental for drinking and agriculture. This cultural reality makes James's analogy powerfully clear: something fundamentally corrupt cannot produce what is pure and life-giving.
ἅλς (hals, G217) — The noun 'salt,' the substance itself, whereas ἁλυκός is the adjective describing something as salty. πικρός (pikros, G4089) — Means 'bitter' in a more general sense (e.g., bitter taste, bitter feelings), not specifically tied to saltiness.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Dodson Greek-English Lexicon, a concise public-domain resource suitable for introductory word study. Brief glosses are supplemented by STEPBible TBESG data (CC BY 4.0). For advanced research, standard scholarly references include BDAG (Danker, 3rd ed.) and LSJ.
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