Topical Encyclopedia
In the Bible, seeds are frequently used as symbols and metaphors, representing various spiritual truths and principles. The concept of seeds is woven throughout Scripture, illustrating themes of growth, faith, and the Kingdom of God.
Creation and ProvisionThe Bible begins with the account of creation, where God establishes the natural order, including the provision of seeds. In
Genesis 1:11-12 , God commands the earth to bring forth vegetation: "Then God said, 'Let the earth bring forth vegetation, seed-bearing plants and fruit trees, each bearing fruit with seed according to its kind.' And it was so. The earth produced vegetation: seed-bearing plants according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good." This passage highlights God's design for reproduction and sustenance through seeds, ensuring the continuity of life.
Covenant and PromiseSeeds also symbolize God's promises and covenants. In
Genesis 22:17-18 , God promises Abraham that his descendants will be as numerous as the stars and the sand: "I will surely bless you, and I will multiply your descendants like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will possess the gates of their enemies. And through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice." Here, the "seed" of Abraham is both literal, referring to his physical descendants, and prophetic, pointing to the coming of Christ, through whom all nations would be blessed.
Parables and Teachings of JesusJesus frequently used seeds in His parables to convey spiritual truths about the Kingdom of God. In the Parable of the Sower (
Matthew 13:3-9), Jesus describes a sower scattering seeds on different types of soil, representing the varied responses to the Word of God. The seed that falls on good soil yields a fruitful harvest, illustrating the transformative power of the Gospel in receptive hearts.
Another significant parable is the Parable of the Mustard Seed (
Matthew 13:31-32), where Jesus compares the Kingdom of Heaven to a mustard seed: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man planted in his field. Although it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches." This parable emphasizes the Kingdom's humble beginnings and its expansive growth.
Faith and Spiritual GrowthSeeds are also used to illustrate the concept of faith. In
Matthew 17:20 , Jesus tells His disciples, "Truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." This teaching underscores the power of even the smallest measure of genuine faith to accomplish great things.
Resurrection and New LifeThe Apostle Paul uses the metaphor of seeds to explain the resurrection of the dead. In
1 Corinthians 15:36-38 , he writes, "You fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body that will be, but a bare seed, perhaps of wheat or something else. But God gives it a body as He has designed, and to each kind of seed He gives its own body." Paul illustrates that just as a seed must die to bring forth new life, so too must our mortal bodies be transformed through resurrection.
Moral and Ethical TeachingsThe principle of sowing and reaping is a moral and ethical teaching found in Scripture.
Galatians 6:7-8 warns, "Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return. The one who sows to please his flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; but the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life." This passage emphasizes the consequences of our actions and the importance of living according to the Spirit.
Throughout the Bible, seeds serve as powerful symbols of life, growth, faith, and the unfolding of God's redemptive plan. They remind believers of the potential for spiritual transformation and the fulfillment of God's promises.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
(
n.) Plural of Seed.
Greek
4615. sinapi -- mustard (a plant)... 4615 -- a mustard plant ("tree"), always used in connection with its (
of all Palestinian
seeds in use). [The mustard seed is the
...4691. spermologos -- a seed picker, fig. one who picks up scraps...
... spermologos Phonetic Spelling: (sper-mol-og'-os) Short Definition: a babbler Definition:
a babbler, gossiper, one who picks upseeds and trifles as does a bird...
4690. sperma -- that which is sown, ie seed
... speiro Definition that which is sown, ie seed NASB Word Usage children (7), conceive*
(1), descendant (4), descendants (16), posterity (1), seed (10),seeds (4...
Strong's Hebrew
6507. perudah -- grain... grain. Transliteration: perudah Phonetic Spelling: (per-oo-daw') Short Definition:
seeds. Word Origin from parad Definition grain NASB Word Usage
seeds (1). seed
...3610. kilayim -- two kinds
... diversseeds e kinds, mingled seed. Dual of kele' in the original sense of separation;
two heterogeneities -- diversseeds (-e kinds), mingled (seed)....
2785. chartsannim -- probably grape kernels, grape stones
... 2784, 2785. chartsannim. 2786 . probably grape kernels, grape stones.
Transliteration: chartsannim Phonetic Spelling: (kchar-tsan') Short Definition:...
6498. paqquoth -- gourds
... gourd. From the same as peqa'; the wild cucumber (from splitting open to shed its
seeds) -- gourd. see HEBREW peqa'. 6497, 6498. paqquoth. 6499 ....
4161. motsa -- a place or act of going forth, issue, export...
... exits (3), fountains (1), going (2), going forth (1), import (1), imported (1),
issuing (1), mine (1), outlet (1), proceeds (2), rising (1),seeds (1), spring...
Library
Germination ofSeeds.
... Book VIII. Chapter XXVI."Germination ofSeeds. "And what occasion is there
to mention more instances in which divine providence...
Seeds of Promise. CM
... 414Seeds of Promise. CM.... Oh, scatterseeds of loving deeds, Along the fertile field,
For grain will grow from what you sow, And fruitful harvest yield....
His Teaching PresentedSeeds and Stimulants of Thought.
... CHRIST'S MODE OF TEACHING IN REGARD TO ITS METHOD AND FORM. A. GENERAL PRINCIPLES.
Section 65. His Teaching presentedSeeds and Stimulants of Thought....
Concerning the Interpretations which Compose the Reason of the...
... They said, says Varro, that Saturn was wont to devour all that sprang from him,
becauseseeds returned to the earth from whence they sprang....
Power of Water.
... But to prove by facts and examples that nothing is imparted toseeds of the substance
of the earth, but that all depends upon the element of water, and the...
Whether There are any Seminal virtues in Corporeal Matter?
... iii, 8,9) says that demons produce certain results by employing with a hidden
movement certainseeds, which they know to exist in matter....
God Alone Creates those Things which are Changed by Magic Art.
... But, in truth, some hiddenseeds of all things that are born corporeally and
visibly, are concealed in the corporeal elements of this world....
The Sower and the Seed.
... our hope for the time to come, does not depend upon some body of doctrine, but on
our having received into the secret places of the heart theseeds of a new...
But Unbelievers Cry, "How Can the Flesh, which Has Been Putrified...
... some other seed: but God giveth it a body as seemeth good to Him." Did you not believe
that that which you see taking place every year in theseeds which you...
Of Repentance, the Immortality of the Soul, and of Providence.
... should either affirm that those things which exist have always existed, or were
produced of their own accord, or arose from a meeting together of minuteseeds....
Thesaurus
Seeds (24 Occurrences)... Multi-Version Concordance
Seeds (24 Occurrences).
... (BBE). Matthew 13:4 As he sowed,
some
seeds fell by the roadside, and the birds came and devoured them.
...Fitches (3 Occurrences)
... Mediterranean countries, and is cultivated in Egypt and Syria for its seed." It
is rendered in margin of the Revised Version "black cummin." Theseeds are used...
Anise (1 Occurrence)
... The Talmud requires that theseeds, leaves, and stem of dill shall pay tithes.... 2.
(n.) The fruit orseeds of this plant. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia....
Mustard (5 Occurrences)
... and also cultivated in gardens. The little roundseeds were an emblem
of any small insignificant object. It is not mentioned in...
Pomegranate (11 Occurrences)
... The fruit is as large as an orange, and has a hard rind containing many rather large
seeds, each one separately covered with crimson, acid pulp....
Ant (1 Occurrence)
... This ant gathers theseeds in the season of ripening, and stores them for future
use; a habit that has been observed in ants in Texas, India, and Italy....
Grain (413 Occurrences)
... 1. (v. & n.) See Groan. 2. (n.) A single small hard seed; a kernel, especially
of those plants, like wheat, whoseseeds are used for food....
Seed (337 Occurrences)
... 5. (n.) That from which anything springs; first principle; original; source; as,
theseeds of virtue or vice. 6. (n.) The principle of production....
Less (93 Occurrences)
... Matthew 13:32 which indeed is less than allseeds; but when it is grown, it is greater
than the herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the heaven...
Gin (10 Occurrences)
... 8. (n.) A machine for separating theseeds from cotton; a cotton gin. 9. (vt) To
catch in a trap. 10. (vt) To clear ofseeds by a machine; as, to gin cotton....
Resources
What is the meaning of “Cast your bread upon the waters” in Ecclesiastes 11:1? | GotQuestions.orgWhat are actuality and potentiality? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the significance of pomegranates in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgSeeds: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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