ἁπᾰλός G0527
tender, soft; physically soft to touch, delicate, young and supple
This adjective describes what is tender or soft to the touch. Both Gospel occurrences appear in parallel parable teaching. Matthew 24:32 and Mark 13:28 both describe the fig tree's branch becoming tender as a sign that summer is near. Classical usage described delicate human bodies, young animals, soft-boiled eggs, and gentle character. The New Testament restricts it to this botanical tenderness indicating seasonal change. Spanish tierna, French tendre emphasize the tender, supple quality of new spring growth.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Jesus uses ἁπαλός to describe the fig tree's branch softening with new growth—a natural sign that summer approaches. The adjective captures the supple quality of fresh shoots emerging after winter dormancy. Both Matthew and Mark preserve this parable teaching about reading natural signs to discern spiritual times. The masculine nominative ἁπαλὸς describes the branch's state change—from winter hardness to spring tenderness, signaling seasonal transition and teaching eschatological readiness. 2×
AR["طَريًّا", "طَرِيًّا"]·ben["নরম"]·DE["ἁπαλὸς"]·EN["tender"]·FR["tendre"]·heb["רַךְ"]·HI["कोमल"]·ID["lunak"]·IT["apalos"]·jav["empuk"]·KO["부드러운", "연한"]·PT["tenro"]·RU["мягкой"]·ES["tierna"]·SW["laini", "na"]·TR["yumuşak"]·urd["نرم"]
Related Senses
G2309 1. want, desire (166×)G0025 1. to love actively (133×)H0157 1. love (verb, active Qal) (129×)H8055 1. Qal: rejoice, be glad (123×)H7453 1. neighbor, fellow man (120×)G0026 1. of love (115×)H1058 1. Qal: to weep, cry (112×)H0954 1. to be ashamed, feel shame (Qal) (95×)H8057 1. joy, gladness, delight (90×)H2781 1. disgrace, shame, dishonor (68×)G2307 1. will, desire, purpose (63×)G5463 1. rejoice, be glad (63×)G0027 1. beloved (61×)H8130 1. Qal: to hate, detest (60×)G5479 1. (59×)G1680 1. (53×)H8130 2. Qal ptcp: hater, enemy (53×)H0014 1. be willing, want (51×)H0157 2. lover, friend (Qal participle substantive) (51×)H1945 1. woe (50×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἁπᾰλός, ή, όν, soft to the touch, tender: in Refs 8th c.BC+ mostly of the human body, ἁπαλὴν ὑπὸ δειρήνRefs 8th c.BC+; ἁ. τέ σφ᾽ ἦτορ ἀπηύρα, i. e. the life of young animals,Refs 8th c.BC+; of persons, delicate, παῖδεςRefs 7th c.BC+; of flowers, ἄνθρυσκα Refs; rare in Trag., and only in Lyric poetry, παρειάRefs 5th c.BC+; so in Prose, ἁ. ψυχήRefs 5th c.BC+; of raw fruit, Refs 5th c.BC+; of tender…