173. akantha
Strong's Lexicon
akantha: Thorn

Original Word: ἄκανθα
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: akantha
Pronunciation: ä'-kan-thä
Phonetic Spelling: (ak'-an-thah)
Definition: Thorn
Meaning: a thorn-bush, prickly plant; a thorn.

Word Origin: From the Greek word "ake" meaning "a point" or "spike."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: - H5518 (סִיר, sir) - thorn, brier

- H6975 (קוֹץ, qots) - thorn, thornbush

Usage: The term "akantha" refers to a thorn or thornbush. In the New Testament, it is often used metaphorically to describe obstacles, difficulties, or things that cause pain and suffering. Thorns are frequently associated with the consequences of sin and the fallen state of the world.

Cultural and Historical Background: In the ancient Near East, thorns were a common part of the landscape and were often used symbolically in literature and speech. Thorns were seen as a curse, stemming from the Genesis account where thorns and thistles were part of the curse upon the ground after the Fall (Genesis 3:18). In the Greco-Roman world, thorns were also used in the construction of crowns, such as the crown of thorns placed on Jesus' head during His crucifixion, symbolizing mockery and suffering.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from aké (a point, edge)
Definition
a prickly plant, thorn
NASB Translation
thorn (1), thorns (13).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 173: ἄκανθα

ἄκανθα, (ης, (ἀκή a point (but see in ἀκμή));

a. a thorn bramble-bush, brier: Matthew 7:16; Luke 6:44; Hebrews 6:8; εἰς τάς ἀκάνθας i. e. among the seeds of thorns, Matthew 13:22; Mark 4:7 (L margin: ἐπί), 18 (Tdf. ἐπί); Luke 8:14 (Luke 8:7 ἐν μέσῳ τῶν ἀκανθῶν); ἐπί τάς ἀκάνθας, i. e. upon ground in which seeds of thorns were lying hidden, Matthew 13:7.

b. a thorny plant: στέφανον ἐξ ἀκανθῶν, Matthew 27:29; John 19:2 — for bare thorns might have caused delirium or even death; what species of plant is referred to, is not clear. Some boldly read ἀκανθῶν, from ἄκανθος, acanthus, bear's foot; but the meaning of ἄκανθα is somewhat comprehensive even in secular writings cf. the classical Greek Lexicons under the word (On the see BB. DD. under the word, and for references McClintock and Strong's Cyclopaedia.)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
thorn.

Probably from the same as akmen; a thorn -- thorn.

see GREEK akmen

Forms and Transliterations
άκανθα ακανθαι άκανθαι ἄκανθαι ακάνθαις άκανθαν ακανθας ακάνθας ἀκάνθας ακάνθης ακανθων ακανθών ἀκανθῶν akanthai ákanthai akanthas akánthas akanthon akanthôn akanthōn akanthō̂n
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Matthew 7:16 N-GFP
GRK: συλλέγουσιν ἀπὸ ἀκανθῶν σταφυλὰς ἢ
NAS: are not gathered from thorn [bushes] nor
KJV: grapes of thorns, or figs
INT: Do they gather from thorns grapes or

Matthew 13:7 N-AFP
GRK: ἐπὶ τὰς ἀκάνθας καὶ ἀνέβησαν
NAS: among the thorns, and the thorns
KJV: fell among thorns; and the thorns
INT: upon the thorns and grew up

Matthew 13:7 N-NFP
GRK: ἀνέβησαν αἱ ἄκανθαι καὶ ἔπνιξαν
NAS: the thorns, and the thorns came
KJV: thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and
INT: grew up the thorns and choked

Matthew 13:22 N-AFP
GRK: εἰς τὰς ἀκάνθας σπαρείς οὗτός
NAS: among the thorns, this
KJV: among the thorns is
INT: among the thorns having been sown this

Matthew 27:29 N-GFP
GRK: στέφανον ἐξ ἀκανθῶν ἐπέθηκαν ἐπὶ
NAS: together a crown of thorns, they put
KJV: a crown of thorns, they put [it] upon
INT: a crown of thorns they put [it] on

Mark 4:7 N-AFP
GRK: εἰς τὰς ἀκάνθας καὶ ἀνέβησαν
NAS: among the thorns, and the thorns
KJV: fell among thorns, and the thorns
INT: among the thorns and grew up

Mark 4:7 N-NFP
GRK: ἀνέβησαν αἱ ἄκανθαι καὶ συνέπνιξαν
NAS: the thorns, and the thorns came
KJV: thorns, and the thorns grew up, and
INT: grew up the thorns and choked

Mark 4:18 N-AFP
GRK: εἰς τὰς ἀκάνθας σπειρόμενοι οὗτοί
NAS: among the thorns; these
KJV: sown among thorns; such as hear
INT: among the thorns are sown these

Luke 6:44 N-GFP
GRK: γὰρ ἐξ ἀκανθῶν συλλέγουσιν σῦκα
NAS: figs from thorns, nor
KJV: For of thorns men do not gather
INT: indeed from thorns do they gather figs

Luke 8:7 N-GFP
GRK: μέσῳ τῶν ἀκανθῶν καὶ συμφυεῖσαι
NAS: among the thorns; and the thorns
KJV: fell among thorns; and the thorns
INT: [the] midst of the thorns and having sprung up together

Luke 8:7 N-NFP
GRK: συμφυεῖσαι αἱ ἄκανθαι ἀπέπνιξαν αὐτό
NAS: the thorns; and the thorns grew
KJV: and the thorns sprang up with it,
INT: having sprung up together the thorns choked it

Luke 8:14 N-AFP
GRK: εἰς τὰς ἀκάνθας πεσόν οὗτοί
NAS: among the thorns, these
KJV: that which fell among thorns are they,
INT: into the thorns has fallen these

John 19:2 N-GFP
GRK: στέφανον ἐξ ἀκανθῶν ἐπέθηκαν αὐτοῦ
NAS: together a crown of thorns and put
KJV: a crown of thorns, and put [it] on his
INT: a crown of thorns put [it] on of him

Hebrews 6:8 N-AFP
GRK: ἐκφέρουσα δὲ ἀκάνθας καὶ τριβόλους
NAS: but if it yields thorns and thistles,
KJV: that which beareth thorns and
INT: bringing forth however thorns and thistles

Strong's Greek 173
14 Occurrences


ἄκανθαι — 3 Occ.
ἀκάνθας — 6 Occ.
ἀκανθῶν — 5 Occ.















172
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