γεώργιον

a tilled field

Definition

The Greek word γεώργιον refers to a cultivated field, a piece of land that has been tilled, planted, and prepared for growing crops. It signifies not just any plot of ground, but specifically land under active agricultural management. In its sole New Testament occurrence in 1 Corinthians 3:9, it is used metaphorically. The term carries the sense of a productive, worked-upon area that requires labor and yields a harvest, contrasting with wilderness or fallow ground.

Biblical Usage

This word is used only once in the New Testament, in 1 Corinthians 3:9. Here, the Apostle Paul employs it in a powerful metaphor: 'For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field (γεώργιον), God’s building.' Its usage is entirely figurative, describing the Corinthian church community as a cultivated plot under God's ownership and care, where Paul and Apollos are laborers.

Etymology

Γεώργιον is derived from the root γῆ (gē, Strong's G1093), meaning 'earth' or 'land,' and the verb ἐργάζομαι (ergazomai, Strong's G2038), meaning 'to work' or 'to labor.' It literally means 'a place of earth-working.' It is related to γεωργός (geōrgos, Strong's G1092), meaning 'a farmer' or 'vinedresser.' The word group centers on the concept of agricultural cultivation.

Semantic Range

In 1 Corinthians 3:9, this mundane agricultural term becomes theologically significant. It paints a picture of the church as God's cultivated possession, emphasizing divine ownership, purposeful cultivation, and the expectation of spiritual growth and fruitfulness. It highlights the role of Christian ministers as 'fellow workers' who labor in God's field, but the growth ultimately comes from God (1 Corinthians 3:6-7). Understanding this metaphor enriches the reading by emphasizing the church's organic, living nature and its dependence on God's nurturing work.

In the ancient agrarian society, a 'tilled field' represented investment, hope, sustenance, and the fruit of hard labor. It was a valuable, productive asset, unlike untamed land. This cultural understanding makes Paul's metaphor powerful: the Corinthian believers are not a wild, neglected plot but a precious, intentionally cultivated community where God expects a harvest of righteousness and spiritual maturity.

ἀγρός (agros, G68) — a general term for a field or countryside, not necessarily cultivated. χώρα (chōra, G5561) — a region, country, or land as a territory. σπείρω (speirō, G4687) — the verb 'to sow,' describing the action performed on a γεώργιον.

Word Details

Scripture References