Gardener
Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words [1]
lit., "a garden-keeper" (from kepos, see above, and ouros, "a watcher"), occurs in John 20:15 .
King James Dictionary [2]
G`ARDENER, n. One whose occupation is to make, tend and dress a garden.
Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature [3]
( Κηποῦρος ), a class of workmen alluded to in Job 27:18, and mentioned in John 20:15; but how far the art of gardening was carried among the Hebrews we have few means of ascertaining. That they were acquainted with the process of grafting is evident from Romans 11:17; Romans 11:24, as well as from the minute prohibitions of thee Mishna; and the method of propagating' plants by layers or cuttings was not unknown ( Isaiah 17:10). Buxtorf says that אריסין Arisin (Mishna, Bikkurim, 1:2) [or, rather, בעל אריסות , were gardeners who tended and looked after gardens on consideration of receiving some portion of the fruit ( Lex. Talm . s.v.); but that gardening was a special means of livelihood is clear from a proverb which contains a warning against rash speculations: " Who hires, a garden eats the birds; who hires gardens, him the birds eat" (Dukes Rabbis. Blumenlese, page 141). (See Garden).
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia [4]
gar´d ' n - ẽr ( κῆπουρος , kḗpouros ): "Gardener" occurs once in the English Versions of the Bible ( John 20:15 ), the translation of kḗpos and oúros , "warden" or "keeper." It is likely that the man referred to was the watchman or keeper (Arabic naṭûr ; Hebrew nōcēr ), corresponding to those mentioned in 2 Kings 17:9; 2 Kings 18:8; Job 27:18 , etc., and not one who did the manual labor. It is the common practice in Palestine today to set a watchman over a garden during its productive season. See Watchman .
