What does ξηραίνω (xēraínō) mean in the Bible?
G3583 means to dry up or wither. In John 15 Jesus uses it in the vine-and-branches discourse: the one who does not remain in Him is like a branch thrown away and withered.
Greek · G3583
ξηραίνω
To desiccate; by implication, to shrivel, to mature
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ξηραίνω G3583
Pronunciation xēraínō
What does ξηραίνω (xēraínō) mean in the Bible?
G3583 means to dry up or wither. In John 15 Jesus uses it in the vine-and-branches discourse: the one who does not remain in Him is like a branch thrown away and withered.
Reader summary
Full entry for ξηραίνω (G3583) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G3583?
The BSB source-word alignment has 15 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include withered (3), withers (3), they withered (2), [the seedlings] withered (1), becomes rigid (1).
Where does ξηραίνω (xēraínō) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 13:6. Its strongest book concentrations include Mark (6), Matthew (3), Revelation (2), 1 Peter (1).
What This Word Actually Means
G3583 means to dry up or wither. In John 15 Jesus uses it in the vine-and-branches discourse: the one who does not remain in Him is like a branch thrown away and withered. This word is serious because the passage is serious. It helps teachers speak about the necessity of abiding in Christ and the danger of fruitless separation from Him. The word should not be isolated from the whole discourse, where Jesus also speaks of cleansing, fruit, love, obedience, joy, and His words remaining in His disciples.
Do not use it for casual discouragement or to diagnose every struggling believer as cut off. Let Jesus' abiding language set the claim.
How the Bible Uses It
G3583 is the withering word in John 15's vine-and-branches warning. It must be taught inside Jesus' wider call to abide, bear fruit, receive His words, and remain in His love.
- John.15.6
If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers. Such branches are gathered up, thrown into the fire, and burned.
Jesus says the one who does not remain in Him is like a branch thrown away and withered. The word belongs to the warning side of the vine discourse.
Passage context
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It withered 3× Matthew 21:19, Mark 3:1, Mark 11:20
withers 3× John 15:6, James 1:11, 1 Peter 1:24
they withered 2× Matthew 13:6, Mark 4:6
[the seedlings] withered 1× Luke 8:6
becomes rigid 1× Mark 9:18
has withered 1× Mark 11:21
is ripe 1× Revelation 14:15
stopped 1× Mark 5:29
was dried up 1× Revelation 16:12
wither 1× Matthew 21:20
Show sample aligned rows
Matthew 13:6 ἐξηράνθη to they withered Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular Matthew 21:19 ἐξηράνθη to withered Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular Matthew 21:20 ἐξηράνθη to wither Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular Mark 3:1 ἐξηραμμένην to withered Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Feminine Singular Mark 4:6 ἐξηράνθη to they withered Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular Mark 5:29 ἐξηράνθη to stopped Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular Mark 9:18 ξηραίνεται to becomes rigid Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular Mark 11:20 ἐξηραμμένην to withered Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Feminine Singular Mark 11:21 ἐξήρανται to has withered Verb - Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular Luke 8:6 ἐξηράνθη to [the seedlings] withered Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Matthew 13:6
Aligned rows 15
Books represented 7
Matthew 3 Mark 6 Luke 1 John 1 James 1 1 Peter 1 Revelation 2
Source forms
ἐξηράνθη 10x exēranthē Matthew 13:6, Matthew 21:19, Matthew 21:20, Mark 4:6
ἐξηραμμένην 2x exērammenēn Mark 3:1, Mark 11:20
ἐξήρανεν 1x exēranen James 1:11
ἐξήρανται 1x exērantai Mark 11:21
ξηραίνεται 1x xērainetai Mark 9:18
Parsing patterns
Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular 10x Matthew 13:6, Matthew 21:19, Matthew 21:20, Mark 4:6
Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Feminine Singular 2x Mark 3:1, Mark 11:20
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular 1x James 1:11
Verb - Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular 1x Mark 11:21
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular 1x Mark 9:18
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Teach the warning with the whole vine discourse in view.
- Distinguish struggling faith from settled refusal to remain in Christ.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not use G3583 to pronounce every struggling believer cut off from Christ.
- Do not soften Jesus' warning so much that withering and judgment disappear.
Pastoral applicationPassage context
Evidence Summary
Greek word. To dry up, wither, or waste away; often describing spiritual fruitlessness or physical deterioration in NT.
Strong's G3583
Lexical occurrences 15 verses Greek text appearances 16 times Word forms 2 forms 15 references Verse guides 0 guides
Source Gloss
to desiccate; by implication, to shrivel, to mature
Extended definition Source: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith
To dry up, wither, or waste away; often describing spiritual fruitlessness or physical deterioration in NT.
(ξηρός), [in LXX chiefly for יָבֵשׁ ;] to dry up, parch, wither. with accusative, τ. χόρτον, Jas.1:11; pass., to become or be dry or withered. of plants, Mat.13:6 21:19-20, Mrk.4:6 11:20-21, Luk.8:6, Jhn.15:6, 1Pe.1:24; of ripened crops, Rev.14:15; of liquids, Mrk.5:20, Rev.16:12; of members of the body, to waste away, Mrk.3:1 (cf. 3Ki.13:4) Mrk.9:18.
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
16 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Matthew 13:6 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Passive Indicative
ἐξηράνθη. exhranqh
I dry up, parch, ripen
Read verse Matthew 21:19 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Passive Indicative
ἐξηράνθη exhranqh
I dry up, parch, ripen
Read verse Matthew 21:20 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Passive Indicative
ἐξηράνθη exhranqh
I dry up, parch, ripen
Read verse Mark 3:1 Verb Perfect Passive Participle Accusative Singular Feminine
ἐξηραμμένην exhrammenhn
I dry up, parch, ripen
Read verse Mark 3:3 Verb Perfect Passive Participle Accusative Singular Feminine
ἐξηραμμένην exhrammenhn
I dry up, parch, ripen
Read verse Mark 4:6 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Passive Indicative
ἐξηράνθη. exhranqh
I dry up, parch, ripen
Read verse Mark 5:29 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Passive Indicative
ἐξηράνθη exhranqh
I dry up, parch, ripen
Read verse Mark 9:18 Verb Third Person Singular Present Passive Indicative
ξηραίνεται· xhrainetai
I dry up, parch, ripen
Read verse Mark 11:20 Verb Perfect Passive Participle Accusative Singular Feminine
ἐξηραμμένην exhrammenhn
I dry up, parch, ripen
Read verse Mark 11:21 Verb Third Person Singular Perfect Passive Indicative
ἐξήρανται. exhrantai
I dry up, parch, ripen
Read verse Luke 8:6 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Passive Indicative
ἐξηράνθη, exhranqh
I dry up, parch, ripen
Read verse John 15:6 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Passive Indicative
ἐξηράνθη, exhranqh
I dry up, parch, ripen
Read verse James 1:11 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Active Indicative
ἐξήρανε exhranen
I dry up, parch, ripen
Read verse 1 Peter 1:24 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Passive Indicative
ἐξηράνθη exhranqh
I dry up, parch, ripen
Read verse Revelation 14:15 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Passive Indicative
ἐξηράνθη exhranqh
I dry up, parch, ripen
Read verse Revelation 16:12 Verb Third Person Singular Aorist Passive Indicative
ἐξηράνθη exhranqh
I dry up, parch, ripen
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
Grammatical Forms
How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 2 Aligned forms 15 Tenses Aorist, Perfect, Present Voices Passive, Active
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Tenses
Voices
Indicative states a fact or reality 13×
Aorist Passive Matt 13:6 · Matt 21:19 · Matt 21:20 · Mark 4:6 · Mark 5:29 · Luke 8:6 · John 15:6 · 1 Pet 1:24 · Rev 14:15 · Rev 16:12 10×
Present Passive Mark 9:18 1×
Perfect Passive Mark 11:21 1×
Aorist Active Jas 1:11 1×
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 2×
Perfect Passive Mark 3:1 · Mark 11:20 2×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 15 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect
Tense
aorist 11 perfect 3 present 1
Voice
passive 14 active 1
Mood
indicative 13 participle 2
NT Occurrences
Matthew 13:6 ἐξηράνθη aorist passive indicative completed Matthew 21:19 ἐξηράνθη aorist passive indicative completed Matthew 21:20 ἐξηράνθη aorist passive indicative completed Mark 3:1 ἐξηραμμένην perfect passive participle participle Mark 4:6 ἐξηράνθη aorist passive indicative completed Mark 5:29 ἐξηράνθη aorist passive indicative completed Mark 9:18 ξηραίνεται present passive indicative ongoing Mark 11:20 ἐξηραμμένην perfect passive participle participle Mark 11:21 ἐξήρανται perfect passive indicative resultant Luke 8:6 ἐξηράνθη aorist passive indicative completed John 15:6 ἐξηράνθη aorist passive indicative completed James 1:11 ἐξήρανεν aorist active indicative completed 1 Peter 1:24 ἐξηράνθη aorist passive indicative completed Revelation 14:15 ἐξηράνθη aorist passive indicative completed Revelation 16:12 ἐξηράνθη aorist passive indicative completed
Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.
Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Witnesses
Luke 6:6–11 ἐξήρανεν xēraínō
Withered, dried up
Showing 1 selected witness from 15 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
ξηραίνω is built from this root:
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
For the Preacher and Teacher
G3583 appears in one of John 15's most sober lines. Jesus says that the one who does not remain in Him is like a branch thrown away and withered. The word supports the warning, but the warning belongs inside the full discourse. Jesus speaks about the true vine, the Father's pruning, fruitfulness, His words, love, obedience, joy, and remaining in Him. Teachers should not use the word to crush tender consciences or to diagnose every struggle as final separation.
At the same time, the warning should not be softened away. Abiding in Christ is necessary, living, and fruitful.
Anchor passage
John.15.6
Doctrinal connections
- John.15.6 - Jesus says the one who does not remain in Him is like a branch thrown away and withered. The word belongs to the warning side of the vine discourse.
To dry up or wither is a reviewed display gloss for G3583. In this John-focused companion, the local discourse foregrounding data shows 1 John use(s), with tense patterns summarized as Aorist 1. Use these grammar signals as support for reading the passage, not as a replacement for context.
From Old to New Testament
The broader Scripture connection should remain modest: abiding, fruitlessness, and warning is visible in the cited passages, while the full theological claim must come from each passage's context rather than from the word alone.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain