ἄκανθα, (ης, ἡ (ἀκή a point (but see in ἀκμή)); a. a thorn bramble-bush, brier: Mat_7:16; Luk_6:44; Heb_6:8; εἰς τάς ἀκάνθας i. e. among the seeds of thorns, Mat_13:22; Mar_4:7 (L margin: ἐπί), 18 (Tdf. ἐπί); Luk_8:14 (Luk_8:7 ἐν μέσῳ τῶν ἀκανθῶν); ἐπί τάς ἀκάνθας, i. e. upon ground in which seeds of thorns were lying hidden, Mat_13:7. b. a thorny plant: στέφανον ἐξ ἀκανθῶν, Mat_27:29; Joh_19:2 for bare thorns might have caused delirium or even death; what species of plant is referred to, is not clear. Some boldly read ἀκανθῶν, from ἄκανθος, acanthus, bear's foot; but the meaning of ἄκανθα is somewhat comprehensive even in secular writings cf. the classical Greek Lexicons under the word (On the see BB. DD. under the word, and for references McClintock and Strong's Cyclopaedia.)

ἄκανθα akantha 14x a thorn, thornbush, Mat_7:16 ; Mat_13:7 ; Mat_27:29 thorn.

ἄκανθα , -ης , ἡ ( <ἀκή , a point ), [in LXX chiefly for H6975 , also f o r H5518 , H7898 , etc.;] a prickly plant, thorn, brier; in NT always pl .: Mat_7:16 Mat_13:7 ; Mat_13:22 Mat_27:29 , Mar_4:7 ; Mar_4:18 , Luk_6:44 ; Luk_8:7 ; Luk_8:14 Joh_19:2 , Heb_6:8 ( v . MM , VGT , s.v. ).†

ἄκανθα [page 17] In P Oxy III. 646 (time of Hadrian) a legacy includes κλείνη ἀκανθίνη , i.e. a couch made of acantha-wood (Herod. ii. 96, Strabo 175). Sir F. G. Kenyon (P Lond I. p. 140), calls it the Egyptian acacia from which gum arabic is obtained, and whose branches were in early times used for boat-building. Its pods are mentioned in P Leid X (iii/iv A.D.), a long list of chemical prescriptions : xii. 35 (p. 237) ἀκάνθης κεράτια . The name, or derivatives of it, may be seen in P Lond 214 .13 ff. (A.D. 270 5) ( = II. p. 162), ib. 1177 177 (A.D. 113) ( = III. p. 186), P Oxy I. 121 .4 (iii/A.D.), ib. VI. 909 .17 (A.D. 225), ib. VIII. 1112 .5 (A.D. 188), P Flor I. 50 .72 (A.D. 268), etc. This evidence isolates further the word as used in Mark and John ( Isa_34:13 ); but the meaning there is not shaken. We need not discuss the identification of ἄκανθα , ἄκανθος (so MGr ἀγκάθι , Pontic ἀχάντι , thorn ), and the derived adjective, as occurring in Egypt : in the NT the exact nature of the thorny plant indicated is indeterminate : see Enc. Bibl. 5059 f.

ἄκανθα [Etym: ἀκή I] "a thorn, prickle", Theocr. , etc. "a prickly plant, thistle"; in pl. "thistledown", Od. :—also "a kind of acacia", Hdt. "the backbone or spine" of animals, id=Hdt. , etc. metaph., ἄκανθαι, "thorny" questions, Luc.

ἄκανθα, -ης, ἡ (ἀκή, a point), [in LXX chiefly for קוֹץ, also for סִיר, שַׁיִת, etc. ;] a prickly plant, thorn, brier; in NT always pl.: Mat.7:16 13:7,22 27:29, Mrk.4:7,18, Luk.6:44 8:7,14, Jhn.19:2, Heb.6:8 (see MM, VGT, see word).† (AS)