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"Sperma

The NAS New Testament Greek Lexicon

Strong's Number: 4690

Original Word Word Origin sperma from (4687) Transliterated Word TDNT Entry Sperma 7:536,1065 Phonetic Spelling Parts of Speech sper'-mah Noun Neuter " ?

24 Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed..." (Math 13:24 NAS/NIV)

Susan
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Hello
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  • Hello, and welcome to Biblical Hermeneutics! It isn't clear to me what you're asking. First, you've provided an odd assortment of words/numbers from an entry in a lexicon (?) but not actually defined the word. Please connect it directly to seed in the text quoted. Second, could you make explicit how you relate the text to the question in the title? Consider just asking what the meaning of the word seed/sperma in this passage is, since the concept of DNA is certainly foreign to its author and is not apparently attributed to God here.... – Susan Sep 20 '14 at 17:39
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    This question appears to be off-topic because it is about a problem that does not arise from the text quoted. The use of σπέρμα in the parable has nothing to do with the divine nature. – Dɑvïd Sep 20 '14 at 18:27
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    Look man first of all, loose the attitude. I know I'm coming on strong here but this was a mess going down hill fast and I don't have time to beat around the bush. If you want to ask a serious question about the proper interpretation of a word in a verse and get it answered by experts who know what to do with the verse, then lets cut the nonsense and just do that. If you're trying to make a point in spite of what answers you get and plan to argue with everyone that tries to help you get this straightened out then we're just going to shut it down. – Caleb Sep 20 '14 at 20:49
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    Now assuming the former would you please [edit] this to ask a question rather than make a statement about whether that word in that verse is referring to sperm or to something else? – Caleb Sep 20 '14 at 20:49
  • @Hello I'm a little hesitant to post here, not knowing the direction your inquiry is taking, but if you want an amazing answer to your 'innocent' question, look here. – Tau Sep 21 '14 at 11:17
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    This question appears to be off-topic because the question doesn't obviously arise from the text quoted. – Jack Douglas Sep 21 '14 at 13:13
  • The strongs number 4690/4687 applies to Mathew 13:24, to the word 'seed'. So Jack Douglas, (just above), yes this question can come from the text above – Hello Sep 21 '14 at 21:28
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    @Hello I rolled this back to the original and locked it to prevent further edits. You can’t completely change a question after it has an answer, and in this case the community has already decided that the question that was asked should be closed. As such, there is no reason to edit it further. If you have a new question, you can ask it. – Susan Nov 29 '14 at 02:50

1 Answers1

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The seed in the parable is the word of God, that is, the message. Compare this parable to the Parable of the Sower which occurs immediately above this parable in the same chapter (Matthew 13) and includes an explanation of the parable.

Matt 13:3-4 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

And now the explanation:

Matt 13:18-19 Hear ye therefore the [explanation of the] parable of the sower. When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

The seed is the word, as is even more explicitly stated in Luke's account of the parable, in

Luke 8:11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

The Parable of the Sower is the foundation, the key, for understanding the other parables, per

Mark 4:13 And he said unto them, Know [i.e. understand] ye not this parable? and how then will ye know [i.e. understand] all parables?

So then in the Parable of the Tares, the seed is still the word of God. The field is the world (as the explanation tells us) and the good seed is the word of God, while the bad seed is the word of the devil, and these two words produce children of God and children of the devil, when people believe them. So that those who believe God's word become children of God, and those who believe the devil's word become children of the devil.

This is explained in

Matthew 13:37-39 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.

One point of confusion that one might encounter is it sounds like he's calling the people the seed rather than the word which they believed. But this is easily overcome by comparing it to the Parable of the Sower. In other words, the phrase "the good seed are the children of the kingdom" means "that which is produced by the good seed is the children of the kingdom."

(All scripture quotations are from the KJV)

david brainerd
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  • I don't believe you answered his 'question', however, you answered it in the way that would dignify an answer. +1 – Tau Sep 21 '14 at 11:20
  • He answered my question exactly, from what the scripture does say about this very thing. The answer is Yes, God does indeed have His own DNA/SEED/Sperma(Greek). – Hello Sep 21 '14 at 22:19
  • @Hello, He's not comparing the word to sperm because he's not a pervert. He's comparing it to a seed as in some kind of grain, as both parables show. So the problem is your insistence on making it about sex and dna. – david brainerd Sep 21 '14 at 23:15
  • @davidb, I'm not making it about sex, but definitely about 'creating sons', I am pointing out God's method of, if you will, "reproduction". He creates all things by His Word/word, "and without (the Word) nothing was made that was made. Joh1:13. In the beginning God "said"- (spoke words to Create.)The parable in Mathew 13 Actually says the seed, the sower sows, is 'the Word of God.' I'm saying this is God's dna/sperma by which He 'creates sons'; our new births are as real as our first physical birth,-He calls Himself, our 'Father'; therefore, He admits we are his real progeny. – Hello Sep 22 '14 at 01:47