βλητέος

that ought to be put

Definition

βλητέος is a verbal adjective meaning 'that which must be put' or 'that which ought to be placed.' It expresses a sense of necessity or obligation regarding the act of putting something somewhere. In its two New Testament occurrences, it is used in the context of Jesus' parables about new wine and old wineskins (Mark 2:22, Luke 5:38). The word specifically describes the new wine that 'must be put' into fresh wineskins, emphasizing the required action to avoid the destructive consequence of putting new wine into old, brittle skins.

Biblical Usage

This word is used exclusively in the parallel accounts of Jesus' teaching on new wine and wineskins. In both Mark 2:22 and Luke 5:38, it appears in the phrase 'new wine must be put (βλητέον) into new wineskins.' The usage is instructional and parabolic, conveying a necessary practice within the agricultural metaphor to illustrate a spiritual principle about the incompatibility of the old covenant forms with the new reality of the gospel.

Etymology

Derived from the verb βάλλω (ballō, G906), meaning 'to throw' or 'to put.' The suffix -τέος forms a verbal adjective of necessity (a gerundive), indicating something that 'must be done.' Thus, βλητέος literally means 'that which must be thrown or put.' It is part of a small class of Greek adjectives that convey obligation.

Semantic Range

This word is theologically significant as it underscores the necessity and intentionality in Jesus' teaching about the new covenant. The verbal adjective 'must be put' highlights that the new life of the gospel cannot be contained within the old structures of the Mosaic law and tradition. It reinforces the doctrine that the coming of Christ necessitates a new form—a new covenant community—and that attempting to combine the old and new leads to loss (Mark 2:22). Understanding this Greek term enriches the reading by emphasizing the divine imperative behind the metaphor.

In the 1st-century context, the process of winemaking using animal-skin containers was common knowledge. New wine, still fermenting, would expand. Old wineskins became dry and brittle, losing their elasticity. Putting new wine into them would cause the skins to burst, ruining both. Jesus' listeners immediately understood the practical necessity (βλητέος) he described. This cultural reality gave force to his spiritual analogy about the incompatibility of old religious forms with the new work of God in Christ.

δεῖ (dei, G1163) — A more common verb meaning 'it is necessary,' expressing general necessity rather than the specific adjectival sense of 'that which must be put.'

Word Details

Scripture References