Word Study for G5166 (τρυγάω)

trygáō /troo-gah'-o/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom a derivative of (to dry) meaning ripe fruit (as if dry)

Meaningto collect the vintage

KJV usagegather.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of trygáō — 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 trygáō, represented by G5166, means to gather or to collect the vintage. It is derived from a word meaning ripe fruit. Appearing 3 times across 3 unique verses, its usage is focused on the act of harvesting, particularly grapes.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical contexts, G5166 is used both illustratively and prophetically. In Luke's Gospel, it serves a metaphorical purpose to explain that a source is known by its fruit; one does not gather G5166 grapes G4718 from a bramble bush G942, but from a vine Luke 6:44. In Revelation, the term is central to a vision of divine judgment. An angel is commanded to gather G5166 the clusters G1009 of the vine of the earth because its grapes are fully ripe G187 for harvest Revelation 14:18. This action culminates when the angel gathered G5166 the vine of the earth and cast it into the great winepress of God's wrath Revelation 14:19.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words provide a fuller picture of this harvest imagery:

G288 ámpelos (a vine): This word identifies the source of the harvest. In the apocalyptic vision, an angel is instructed to gather the vine of the earth for judgment Revelation 14:19.
G4718 staphylḗ (grapes): This refers to the fruit being harvested. The word is used metaphorically in Luke to teach discernment Luke 6:44 and in Revelation to describe what is "fully ripe" G187 for judgment Revelation 14:18.
G3025 lēnós (winepress): This is the final destination for the gathered vintage. The harvest gathered by the angel is cast into the great winepress of the wrath of God, linking the gathering directly to judgment Revelation 14:19.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G5166 is significant, moving from a simple analogy to a symbol of eschatological reckoning.

Fruit and Source: Its use in Luke 6:44 establishes a foundational spiritual principle: the nature of a source is revealed by the fruit that can be gathered from it. Good fruit cannot come from a corrupt source.
Ripeness for Judgment: In Revelation, the command to gather G5166 is given precisely because the grapes of the earth are "fully ripe" G187, indicating that a time of patience has ended and the moment for judgment has arrived Revelation 14:18.
Harvest of Wrath: The act of gathering is explicitly tied to divine wrath. The vintage is not collected for blessing but is gathered G5166 only to be cast into the "great G3173 winepress G3025 of the wrath G2372 of God G2316" Revelation 14:19.

Summary

In summary, G5166 is far more than a simple term for harvesting. It serves as a powerful biblical metaphor for spiritual discernment and, more importantly, for the final, decisive judgment of the earth. The word illustrates a progression from a natural principle of reaping what is sown to a solemn, apocalyptic act where humanity is gathered to face the consequences of its ripened state before God.

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 3 occurrences, inflected in 3 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Aorist Active Imperative 2nd Singular 1×
Aorist Active Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
Present Active Indicative 3rd Plural 1×

Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
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.
Aorist: Action viewed as a single whole — usually a simple past event.
Active: The subject performs the action.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
Imperative: A command or entreaty.

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 3 verses across 2 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Revelation (2 verses); never once in the other 25.

Luke

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.