### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Greek word **ágrios**, represented by `{{G66}}`, denotes that which is **wild** or **raging**. Based on its root, it pertains to the country or wilderness. It appears **3 times** across **3 unique verses** in the Bible. The term carries both a literal sense of something natural and uncultivated, and a figurative sense of something fierce and untamed.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In scripture, `{{G66}}` is used to illustrate two distinct concepts. In the Gospels, it describes the diet of John the Baptist, which included locusts and **wild** honey ([[Matthew 3:4]]; [[Mark 1:6]]). This usage points to the natural, uncultivated aspect of the wilderness. In contrast, the Epistle of Jude employs the word figuratively to describe false teachers as **raging** waves of the sea that foam out their own shame [[Jude 1:13]], highlighting a chaotic and destructive force.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words provide context for the literal and figurative meanings of `{{G66}}`:
* `{{G3192}}` **méli** (honey): This word is directly qualified by `{{G66}}` in the Gospels, describing the **honey** that was a natural part of John the Baptist's diet in the wilderness ([[Matthew 3:4]]; [[Mark 1:6]]).
* `{{G2949}}` **kŷma** (wave): In Jude, `{{G66}}` modifies this word to create the image of "raging **waves**," a metaphor for the turbulent and destructive nature of false teachers [[Jude 1:13]].
* `{{G152}}` **aischýnē** (shame): This is the consequence produced by the "raging waves" in Jude's analogy, as they are described as "foaming out their own **shame**," linking the fierceness of `{{G66}}` to disgrace [[Jude 1:13]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{G66}}` is found in its dual application, contrasting the natural world with uncontrolled, destructive forces.
* **Wilderness Provision:** The "wild honey" eaten by John the Baptist signifies a life set apart from society and sustained by what the natural land provides. It connects the "wild" to a state of purity and reliance on God's direct provision ([[Matthew 3:4]]; [[Mark 1:6]]).
* **Figurative Chaos:** The depiction of "raging waves" serves as a powerful warning against false teachers. Their nature is not just untamed but violently chaotic, producing nothing of substance and only revealing their own disgrace [[Jude 1:13]].
* **Destructive Force:** When used figuratively, `{{G66}}` characterizes the instability and danger of those who oppose divine truth. They are like a fierce, uncontrolled element of nature that threatens to overwhelm, ultimately destined for "the blackness of darkness" [[Jude 1:13]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{G66}}` provides a sharp contrast between two kinds of wildness. It can describe the untamed but life-sustaining provisions of nature, as with the **wild** honey of the wilderness. It can also, however, describe the fierce and **raging** chaos of forces that are destructive and shameful. The word's usage illustrates how that which is outside of cultivated order can be either a mark of divine separation or a sign of dangerous, empty turmoil.
TRV