UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament

Sense 1: grapevine

Semantic entry: 3.27

Semantic domains: Plants

Subdomains: Plants That Are Not Trees

Definition: creeping plant that develops a woody stem when it matures; Vitis vinifera; grows along the ground until it finds a tree or other object to climb, using tendrils; bears bunches of small round fruit that are sweet and juicy; symbol of blessing, prosperity, and happiness

Notes: A rendering of ἄμπελος as ‘vine’ rather than as ‘grapevine’ in RV JHN 15:1 · LV JHN 15:1 · Read together JHN 15:1 may cause serious misunderstanding, since it might refer merely to a vine which does not produce fruit. Accordingly, if there is no particular expression for ‘grapevine,’ it may be more satisfactory in RV JHN 15:1 · LV JHN 15:1 · Read together JHN 15:1 to speak of ‘fruit bush’ or ‘fruit plant.’ A term in RV JHN 15:1 · LV JHN 15:1 · Read together JHN 15:1 which would indicate only jungle vines would also result in complete misunderstanding of the function of pruning (see 43.12: καθαίρω), since such jungle vines are never pruned and in fact are only useful when they have been cut down and used for building purposes.|In some languages a grapevine may be referred to as ‘a bush producing grapes,’ and in certain other languages it is called ‘the wine plant.’

Further resources: flora:2.12