BIBLE GREEK WORD STUDY
Karpos (G2590) — Fruit in the New Testament
καρπός (karpos) denotes fruit, used both literally for produce and figuratively for the visible results of a person's life, words, or faith.
Meaning of the word
The lexical entry defines καρπός as "fruit (as plucked), literally or figuratively." The term points to what is produced and gathered, whether a tangible crop or a visible outcome of an action or character.
In the Gospels the noun covers literal produce such as grapes and figs (Matthew 7:16) and the harvests that mark a tree as good or corrupt (Matthew 7:17–19). The implied image is one of identification: the fruit shows what the tree actually is.
The same word is then applied to human conduct and discipleship. Bearing fruit becomes a way of describing what emerges from a person's life, words, or union with Christ.
Usage in Scripture
In Matthew 7:16–20, Jesus uses καρπός in a sustained agricultural metaphor. Fruit is the criterion by which hearers identify true and false teachers, just as grapes cannot come from thorns or figs from thistles. The repeated refrain "by their fruits ye shall know them" (Matthew 7:16, 7:20) frames fruit as outward, observable evidence rather than inward profession.
In John 15, the vocabulary shifts from ethical discernment to abiding in Christ. Jesus speaks of branches that "bear not fruit" being removed, branches that bear fruit being pruned "that it may bear more fruit" (John 15:2), and disciples appointed to "go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should abide" (John 15:16). Here καρπός designates the ongoing result of remaining in Christ and answers the Father's glorification (John 15:8).
The word in detail
- G2590 καρπός covers both literal produce (grapes, figs) and the figurative outcomes of character, speech, and union with Christ. The supplied occurrences (19 total) cluster around Jesus' teaching on recognizable fruit (Matthew 7) and abiding fruit (John 15).
Example verses
- Matthew 7:16 Sets the governing principle: fruit is the diagnostic marker by which hearers judge a teacher, paralleling grapes from thorns and figs from thistles.
- Matthew 7:17 Connects tree quality directly to fruit quality, establishing καρπός as the outward evidence of an inner condition.
- John 15:2 Introduces the bearing-more-fruit image tied to pruning, locating fruit within the disciple's ongoing relationship with Christ.
- John 15:16 Frames fruit as the purpose of Christ's choosing and appointing the disciples, with the added note that the fruit should abide.
Common questions
Is καρπός always literal in the New Testament?
No. The lexicon allows both literal and figurative uses. The Matthew 7 examples involve literal grapes and figs, while John 15 uses fruit as a metaphor for the lasting outcomes of abiding in Christ.
Why does Jesus repeat 'by their fruits ye shall know them'?
The repetition reinforces that a teacher's profession is not enough; observable, consistent fruit is the test, just as a tree is known by what it actually produces (Matthew 7:16, 7:20).