4615. sinapi
Lexical Summary
sinapi: Mustard

Original Word: σίναπι
Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: sinapi
Pronunciation: see'-nah-pee
Phonetic Spelling: (sin'-ap-ee)
KJV: mustard
NASB: mustard
Word Origin: [perhaps from sinomai "to hurt, i.e. sting"]

1. mustard (the plant)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
mustard.

Perhaps from sinomai (to hurt, i.e. Sting); mustard (the plant) -- mustard.

HELPS Word-studies

4615 sínapi – a mustard plant ("tree"), always used in connection with its seed (the smallest of all Palestinian seeds in common use).

[The mustard seed is the smallest of all seeds that a Palestinian farmer would sow in his field. A mustard plant reaches a height of three meters (about ten feet). This is a huge plant when fully matured and bears very tiny seeds.]

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
of Eg. origin
Definition
mustard (a plant)
NASB Translation
mustard (5).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 4615: σίναπι

σίναπι (also σινηπι (but not in the N. T.), both later for the Attic νᾶπυ (so accented in late authors, better νᾶπυ), see Lob. ad Phryn., p. 288) (thought to be of Egyptian origin; cf. Vanicek, Fremdwörter, under the word νᾶπυ), σινάπεως (Buttmann, 14 (13)), τό, mustard, the name of a plant which in oriental countries grows from a very small seed and attains to the height of 'a tree' — ten feet and more; hence, a very small quantity of a thing is likened to a κόκκος σινάπεως (A. V. a grain of mustard seed), Matthew 17:20; Luke 17:6; and also a thing which grows to a remarkable size, Matthew 13:31; Mark 4:31; Luke 13:19. (Cf. B. D., under the word ; Löw, Aram. Pflanzennamen, § 134; Carruthers in the 'Bible Educator' vol. i., p. 119f; Tristram, Nat. Hist. of the Bible, p. 472f; Thomson, The Land and the Book, ii., 100f.)

Topical Lexicon
Overview

Strong’s Greek 4615 designates the mustard plant and, by metonymy, its seed. In the Gospels the imagery of the mustard seed serves Jesus’ preaching on the kingdom of God and on authentic faith. Because the seed is among the tiniest sown in first-century Galilee yet produces a conspicuously large plant, it became an apt emblem of seemingly insignificant beginnings yielding extraordinary results in God’s economy.

Occurrences in Scripture

Matthew 13:31

Matthew 17:20

Mark 4:31

Luke 13:19

Luke 17:6

Agricultural background

Mustard (probably Brassica nigra) was common in Palestinian fields. A single seed is roughly one millimeter in diameter, but the mature shrub can reach two to three meters, large enough for small birds to perch. Rabbis used the seed proverbially for smallness, so Jesus’ audience readily grasped the contrast between minimal size and notable outcome.

Kingdom of God imagery

In Matthew 13:31-32 Jesus declares: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Although it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches”. The parable highlights:
• Modest inception—Jesus and His few disciples.
• Dynamic growth—expansion through the Spirit-empowered proclamation of the gospel.
• Universal shelter—“birds of the air” echo Ezekiel 17:23 and 31:6, foretelling that nations will find refuge in the Messianic reign.

Luke 13:19 repeats the picture, reinforcing the certainty that God’s redemptive plan, though inconspicuous at first, will culminate in a worldwide, hospitable kingdom.

Faith and the mustard seed

Jesus applies the same seed to personal trust in God: “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20; cf. Luke 17:6). The focus is not on quantitative measurement but on the presence of genuine, God-directed faith. Even the slightest authentic reliance on the Lord summons His omnipotence, making obstacles—whether demonic oppression, stubborn unbelief, or seemingly immovable circumstances—subject to divine authority.

Historical resonance in early Christian mission

Early believers saw themselves in the mustard-seed pattern: a persecuted minority eventually permeating the Roman Empire. Patristic writers such as Tertullian alluded to Christ’s mustard-seed promise when marveling at the church’s expansion despite opposition. The image therefore fortified missionary resolve, encouraging evangelists that small house churches could mature into vibrant centers of gospel witness.

Theological reflections

1. Providence: God delights to magnify His glory through humble beginnings, echoing Judges 6:15 and 1 Corinthians 1:27-29.
2. Eschatology: The seed grows continually until harvest; the kingdom is present yet not consummated, awaiting Christ’s return.
3. Discipleship: Followers are called to sow “seeds” of the Word (Mark 4:14), trusting the Lord for growth rather than measuring immediate results.

Practical application for ministry

• Church planting: Planters labor confidently, knowing numerical smallness does not preclude eventual flourishing.
• Personal sanctification: Believers nurture seemingly minor acts of obedience, assured that the Spirit can cultivate them into substantial fruit.
• Intercession: Prayer offered in mustard-seed faith can remove “mountains” of resistance to the gospel.

Conclusion

Strong’s 4615 continually reminds the church that God’s method is multiplication from smallness to greatness. Whether advancing the kingdom globally or deepening faith individually, the mustard seed assures Christians that what begins imperceptibly in divine hands will, by His sovereign power, achieve results far beyond human expectation.

Forms and Transliterations
σιναπεως σινάπεως sinapeos sinapeōs sinápeos sinápeōs
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Matthew 13:31 N-GNS
GRK: οὐρανῶν κόκκῳ σινάπεως ὃν λαβὼν
NAS: is like a mustard seed,
KJV: to a grain of mustard seed, which
INT: heavens to a grain of mustard which having taken

Matthew 17:20 N-GNS
GRK: ὡς κόκκον σινάπεως ἐρεῖτε τῷ
NAS: the size of a mustard seed,
KJV: a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say
INT: as a seed of mustard you will say to the

Mark 4:31 N-GNS
GRK: ὡς κόκκῳ σινάπεως ὃς ὅταν
NAS: [It is] like a mustard seed, which,
KJV: a grain of mustard seed, which,
INT: As to a grain of mustard which when

Luke 13:19 N-GNS
GRK: ἐστὶν κόκκῳ σινάπεως ὃν λαβὼν
NAS: It is like a mustard seed, which
KJV: a grain of mustard seed, which
INT: it is to a grain of mustard which having taken

Luke 17:6 N-GNS
GRK: ὡς κόκκον σινάπεως ἐλέγετε ἂν
NAS: like a mustard seed,
KJV: a grain of mustard seed, ye might
INT: as a grain of mustard you might say anyhow

Strong's Greek 4615
5 Occurrences


σινάπεως — 5 Occ.

4614
Top of Page
Top of Page