σπέρμ-α G4690
seed, offspring, descendant(s); seeds (literal, plural agricultural)
2. seeds (literal, plural agricultural) — Literal seeds in the plural, used in agricultural or botanical contexts and in Paul's theological argument contrasting plural 'seeds' (σπέρμασιν) with singular 'seed' (σπέρματι) in Gal 3:16 to identify Christ as the promised Seed. Also used of the variety of seeds/grains sown in the ground (1 Cor 15:38). Spanish 'semillas/descendencias' reflects the plural; Hindi 'बेएजोन' is plural seeds; Arabic 'بُذُورِ' (budur) is the broken plural of بذرة specifically denoting literal seeds, distinct from نَسْل (progeny); Korean '씨앗들/씨들' uses the explicit plural marker 들; Swahili 'mbegu' (plural context) denotes plant seeds. The consistent use of the plural form and the deliberate semantic contrast with singular 'offspring' in Galatians marks this as a distinct sense from the figurative progeny meaning. 4×
AR["الأنسالِ","البُذورِ","بُذورِ","بُذُورِ"]·ben["বংশগুলিকে,","বীজের","বীজের,"]·DE["Same"]·EN["seeds"]·FR["semence"]·heb["זְרָעִים"]·HI["बीजों","बेएजोन-से","वनशजोन,"]·ID["benih","benih,","keturunan-keturunan"]·IT["seme"]·jav["-wiji-wiji","turun-turun,","wiji-wiji","wiji;"]·KO["씨들","씨들-보다","씨들에게,","씨앗들-의"]·PT["sementes","sementes,"]·RU["семенам","семян"]·ES["descendencias","semillas"]·SW["-za-mbegu","mbegu"]·TR["kendi-","soylara","tohumların","tohumlarının"]·urd["بیجوں-سے","بیجوں-کے","نسلوں"]
▼ 1 more sense below
Senses
1. seed, offspring, descendant(s) — Used figuratively of human progeny, descendants, or posterity — the dominant NT sense (33 of 43 occurrences). Refers to Abraham's seed/offspring (Jn 8:33, 37; Rom 4:13, 16, 18; 9:7-8, 29; 11:1; 2 Cor 11:22; Gal 3:16, 19, 29; Heb 2:16; 11:11, 18), David's seed (Jn 7:42; Rom 1:3; 2 Tim 2:8), and the messianic Seed (Gal 3:16, 19). Spanish 'descendencia/simiente' denote lineage; Hindi 'वंश' means clan/lineage; Arabic 'نَسْل' is progeny; Korean '씨' serves as both seed and offspring; Swahili 'uzao' means posterity. This sense encompasses the singular 'Seed' (= Christ, Gal 3:16) and collective 'offspring' as one figurative extension of the agricultural term to human reproduction and descent. 39×
AR["النَّسلِ","نَسل","نَسلًا","نَسلٌ","نَسلُكَ","نَسلِ","نَسلِهِ","نَسْلٌ","نَسْلُ","نَسْلِ","نَسْلِكَ","نَسْلِهِ"]·ben["তার","বংশ","বংশকে","বংশকে,","বংশে","বংশের"]·DE["Same"]·EN["offspring","seed"]·FR["semence"]·heb["הִשְׁאִיר","זֶרַע","זַרְעוֹ","יָקִים"]·HI["वंश","वंश-को"]·ID["benih","itu","keturunan","keturunan,"]·IT["seme"]·jav["turun","turun,","turunan","turunanipun","turunanipun,","turunipun","wiji","wiji."]·KO["너-의","씨","씨-가","씨-를","씨-에게","씨가","씨를","씨에서","자손-에게","자손을"]·PT["descendência","descendência,","semente","semente."]·RU["потомства,","потомство","семени","семя"]·ES["descendencia","simiente"]·SW["-","uzao","uzao,"]·TR["-o","soy","soyu","soyuna","soyunda","tohum","tohumu","tohumun","tohumuna","tohumundan"]·urd["اولاد-کو","نسل","نسل-کو","نسل۔"]
Matt 13:24, Matt 13:27, Matt 13:37, Matt 13:38, Matt 22:24, Matt 22:25, Mark 12:19, Mark 12:20, Mark 12:21, Mark 12:22, Luke 1:55, Luke 20:28 (+27 more)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
σπέρμ-α, ατος, τό, (σπείρω) seed, only once in Refs 8th c.BC+ __I mostly, seed of plants, σ. ἀνιέναι, κρύπτειν, Refs 8th c.BC+; σ. τῇ γῇ διδόναι, ἐμβαλεῖν, Refs 5th c.BC+; of fruit, Refs 4th c.BC+; τοῖς γαίης σπέρμασι with the products of earth, of corn-stalks, Refs 1st c.AD+ __I.2 metaphorically, germ, origin of anything, σ. πυρός Refs 8th c.BC+; σπέρματα, ={στοιχεῖα}, elements, Refs 5th…