### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Greek word **elaía**, represented by `{{G1636}}`, refers to **an olive**, encompassing both the **tree** and its **fruit**. It appears **15 times** in **15 unique verses** in the Bible. This term is used both literally to describe the plant and its produce, and geographically as part of a significant location name.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In the biblical narrative, `{{G1636}}` is frequently used to identify a specific location: the **Mount of Olives**. This site is mentioned repeatedly in the Gospels as a place Jesus and his disciples went to, particularly during the events leading up to his crucifixion ([[Matthew 21:1]], [[Mark 14:26]], [[Luke 22:39]], [[John 8:1]]). The term is also used metaphorically. In Romans, the **olive tree** symbolizes a body of believers, with natural branches and wild branches being grafted in [[Romans 11:17]]. In a different context, James uses the term to illustrate a point of nature, questioning if a fig tree can bear **olive berries** [[James 3:12]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words expand upon the agricultural and metaphorical contexts of the olive tree:
* `{{G65}}` **agriélaios** (an oleaster): This specifies a **wild olive tree**, used in the grafting analogy to represent those brought into the covenant [[Romans 11:17]].
* `{{G2565}}` **kalliélaios** (a cultivated olive tree): As the counterpart to the wild olive, this refers to the **good olive tree**, representing the natural or original body of believers [[Romans 11:24]].
* `{{G2798}}` **kládos** (branch): This word is essential to the grafting metaphor, referring to the **branches** that are broken off or grafted into the olive tree [[Romans 11:17]].
* `{{G4808}}` **sykē** (fig-tree): This term is often used in agricultural parables and is set in contrast to the olive, as when James asks if a **fig tree** can bear olive berries [[James 3:12]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{G1636}}` is most profoundly illustrated in Romans 11. It serves as a powerful symbol for understanding God's relationship with His people.
* **Covenant and Inclusion:** The **olive tree** is used as a metaphor for the body of God's people. The act of grafting branches from a **wild olive tree** `{{G65}}` into a cultivated one `{{G1636}}` symbolizes the inclusion of new believers into the covenant community ([[Romans 11:17]], [[Romans 11:24]]).
* **The Root's Support:** The analogy emphasizes that believers are supported by the **root** `{{G4491}}` of the olive tree, not the other way around, serving as a warning against pride [[Romans 11:17-18]].
* **Prophetic Witness:** In Revelation, the image is used prophetically, where "the two **olive** trees" are identified as two witnesses standing before God, linking the olive tree to divine representation and testimony [[Revelation 11:4]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{G1636}}` **elaía** carries significance beyond its simple definition of an **olive**. It functions as a key geographical marker in the life of Jesus as the Mount of **Olives** [[Matthew 24:3]] and as a complex theological symbol for God's covenant people. The detailed metaphor in Romans, contrasting the wild and cultivated **olive tree** [[Romans 11:24]], provides a foundational illustration of inclusion in faith, while its use in Revelation points to a role in prophetic witness [[Revelation 11:4]].
TRV