Word Study for G2325 (θερίζω)

therízō /ther-id'-zo/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom θέρος (in the sense of the crop)

Meaningto harvest

KJV usagereap.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of therízō — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Greek word therízō, represented by G2325, means to reap or harvest. It appears 24 times across 17 unique verses in the Bible. While it literally refers to the gathering of crops, it is most often used metaphorically to illustrate the principle that actions have inevitable consequences, whether good or bad.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In scripture, G2325 is used to convey several key ideas. It establishes the agricultural law of cause and effect, as seen in the statement, "whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap" Galatians 6:7. The concept is also applied to God's provision, noting that He cares for the fowls of the air even though they do not reap or gather into barns Matthew 6:26. In the book of Revelation, it takes on an eschatological meaning, where an angel is commanded to reap the earth because its harvest is ripe, symbolizing final judgment Revelation 14:15.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words expand upon the concepts of sowing, harvesting, and reward:

G4687 speírō (to scatter, i.e. sow): As the direct precursor to reaping, this word is almost always used in conjunction with G2325 to establish the principle of cause and effect Galatians 6:7.
G2326 therismós (reaping, i.e. the crop): This noun refers to the harvest itself, the result of the reaping action. It is described as plenteous, though the labourers are few Matthew 9:37.
G1407 drépanon (a gathering hook (especially for harvesting):--sickle): This term identifies the instrument used for reaping, particularly in the context of the end-times harvest of the earth Revelation 14:16.
G3408 misthós (pay for service (literally or figuratively), good or bad): This word for wages or reward is connected to the outcome of reaping, as "he that reapeth receiveth wages" John 4:36.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G2325 is significant, highlighting principles of accountability and divine justice.

The Law of Consequence: The most central theme is that one reaps what one sows. This applies to personal conduct, as sowing to the flesh leads to reaping corruption G5356, while sowing to the Spirit leads to reaping life G2222 everlasting G166 Galatians 6:8.
Generosity and Blessings: The principle extends to giving. One who sows sparingly G5340 will also reap sparingly, but one who sows with bountifully G1909 G2129 will also reap bountifully 2 Corinthians 9:6.
Eschatological Judgment: Reaping is a powerful metaphor for the final judgment, where the earth is harvested by divine command, separating the righteous for reward and others for judgment Revelation 14:15.
Spiritual Labor: The work of spreading the gospel is depicted as a collective effort of sowing and reaping, where different workers contribute at different stages but rejoice together in the final harvest John 4:36.

Summary

In summary, G2325 transcends its simple agricultural definition to become a cornerstone of biblical ethics and eschatology. It encapsulates the unavoidable link between actions and outcomes, serving as a constant reminder of personal responsibility before God. From a farmer's field to the final judgment, therízō illustrates that the harvests of life and eternity are determined by the seeds sown.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Greek New Testament, this word appears as a verb across 21 occurrences, inflected in 11 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Future Active Indicative 3rd Singular 5×
Present Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine 5×
Future Active Indicative 1st Plural 2×
Present Active Indicative 3rd Plural 2×
Aorist Active Imperative 2nd Singular 1×
Aorist Active Infinitive 1×
Aorist Active Participle Genitive Plural Masculine 1×
Aorist Passive Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
Present Active Indicative 1st Singular 1×
Present Active Indicative 2nd Singular 1×
Present Active Infinitive 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Genitive: Possession or source — often "of".
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
1st: First person — the speaker ("I"/"we").
2nd: Second person — the one addressed ("you").
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Present: Action in progress or repeated — happening now or continually.
Future: Action yet to take place.
Aorist: Action viewed as a single whole — usually a simple past event.
Active: The subject performs the action.
Passive: The subject is acted upon.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
Imperative: A command or entreaty.
Infinitive: The verb as a noun — "to do".
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.

Related Words

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 17 verses across 8 of the 27 books. 4 books tie for most frequent (3 verses each); never once in the other 19.

Matthew

Luke

John

1 Corinthians

2 Corinthians

Galatians

James

Revelation

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.