σπέρμα, σπέρματος, τό (σπείρω, which see), from Homer down, Hebrew ζΖψΗς , the seed (from which anything springs); a. from which a plant germinates; α. properly, the seed i. e. the grain or kernel which contains within itself the germ of the future plant: plural, Mat_13:32; Mar_4:31; 1Co_15:38 (Exo_16:31; 1Sa_8:15); the singular is used collectively of the grains or kernels sown: Mat_13:24; Mat_13:27; Mat_13:37; 2Co_9:10 (here L Tr σπόρος). β. metaphorically, a seed i. e. a residue. or a few survivors reserved as the germ of a new race (just as seed is kept from the harvest for the sowing), Rom_9:29 after Isa_1:9, where the Sept. for ωΗ�ψΔιγ (so also Wis_14:6; 1Es_8:85 (87); Josephus, Antiquities 11, 5, 3; 12, 7, 8; Plato, Tim., p. 23{c} ). b. the semen virile; α. properly: Lev_15:16-18; Lev_18:20 f, etc.; (probably also Heb_11:11, cf. καταβολή 1, and see below); often in secular writings. By metonymy the product of this semen, seed, children, offspring, progeny; family, race, posterity (so in Greek chiefly in the tragic poets, cf. Passow, under the word, 2 b. ii., p. 1498 (Liddell and Scott, under the word, II. 3); and ζΖψΗς very often in the O. T. (cf. Winer's Grammar, 17, 30)); so in the singular, either of one, or collectively of many: Rom_9:7 f; εἰς καταβολήν σπέρματος (see (above, and) καταβολή, 2) Heb_11:11; ἀνισταναι and ἐξανισταναι σπέρμα τίνι, Mat_22:24; Mar_12:19; Luk_20:28 (Gen_38:8); ἔχειν σπέρμα, Mat_22:25; ἀφιέναι σπέρμα τίνι, Mar_12:20-22; τό σπέρμα τίνος, Luk_1:55; Joh_7:42; Joh_8:33; Joh_8:37; Act_3:25; Act_7:5; Act_13:23; Rom_1:3; (); ; 2Co_11:22; 2Ti_2:8; Heb_2:16; Heb_11:18; in plural: παῖς ἐκ βαιλικων σπερμάτων, of royal descent, Josephus, Antiquities 8, 7, 6; τῶν Αβραμιαίων σπερμάτων ἀπόγονοι, 4Ma_18:1; equivalent to tribes, races, ἄνθρωποι τέ καί ἀνθρώπων σπερμασι νομοθετουμεν τά νῦν, Plato, legg. 9, p. 853 c. By a rabbinical method of interpreting, opposed to the usage of the Hebrew ζΖψΗς , which signifies the offspring whether consisting of one person or many, Paul lays such stress on the singular number in Gen_13:15; Gen_17:8 as to make it denote but one of Abraham's posterity, and that the Messiah: Gal_3:16, also Gal_3:19; and yet, that the way in which Pard presses the singular here is not utterly at variance with the genius of the Jewish-Greek language is evident from Αβραμιαίων σπερμάτων ἀπόγονοι, 4Ma_18:1, where the plural is used of many descendants ((cf. Delitzsch, Br. a. d. Röm., p. 16 note 2; Lightfoot on Galatians, the passage cited)). τό σπέρμα (Ἀβραάμ) τό ἐκ τοῦ νόμου, the seed which is such according to the decision of the law, physical offspring (see νόμος, 2, p. 428{a} ), τό ἐκ πίστεως Ἀβραάμ, those who are called Abraham's posterity on account of the faith by which they are akin to him (see πίστις, 1 b. ἆ., p. 513{b} and ἐκ, II. 7), Rom_4:16; add, ; ; Gal_3:29; similarly, Christians are called, in Rev_12:17, the σπέρμα of the church (which is likened to a mother, Gal_4:26). β. whatever possesses vital force or life-giving power: τό σπέρμα τοῦ Θεοῦ ((but anarthrous)), the Holy Spirit, the divine energy operating within the soul by which we are regenerated or made the τέκνα τοῦ Θεοῦ, 1Jn_3:9.

σπέρμα sperma 43x seed, Mat_13:24 ; Mat_13:27 ; Mat_13:37-38 ; semen virile, Heb_11:11 ; offspring, posterity, Mat_22:24-25 ; Joh_7:42 ; a seed of future generations, Rom_9:29 ; in NT met. a seed or principle of spiritual life, 1Jn_3:9 descendant; seed.

σπέρμα , -τος , τό ( < σπείρω ), [in LXX chiefly for H2233 ;] seed; (a) of plants: Mat_13:24 ; Mat_13:27 ; Mat_13:37-38 , 2Co_9:10 ; pl ., Mat_13:32 , Mar_4:31 , 1Co_15:33 ; metaph ., of an escaping remnant ( H8300 , Isa_1:9 ; cf. Wis_14:6 ; Plat ., Tim., 23c; FlJ , Ant., xi, 5, 3), Rom_9:29 ; (b) of men (as γονή ; Lat. semen genitale; so in cl .; cf. in LXX , Lev_15:16 , al. ): Heb_11:11 ; metaph ., of the divine influence, 1Jn_3:9 ; by meton . (as freq . in poets), seed, offspring, posterity: Mat_22:24-25 , Mar_12:19-22 , Luk_1:55 ; Luk_20:28 ( LXX ) Joh_7:42 ; Joh_8:33 ; Joh_8:37 Act_3:25 ; Act_7:5-6 ; Act_13:23 , Rom_1:3 ; Rom_4:13 ; Rom_4:18 ; Rom_9:7-8 ; Rom_11:1 , 2Co_11:22 , Gal_3:16 ; Gal_3:19 , 2Ti_2:8 , Heb_2:16 ; Heb_11:18 ; pl . ( FlJ , Ant., viii, 7, 6; Flat., Leg., ix, 853 c ; 4Ma_18:1 ; in Ga, l.c ., contrasted with sing., v. Lft ., in l ; Milligan , NTD , 105 f .), Gal_3:16 ; of spiritual offspring, Rom_4:16 ; Rom_4:18 ; Rom_9:8 , Gal_3:29 , Rev_12:17 .†

σπέρμα [page 583] seed : P Cairo Zen I. 59097 .10 (B.C. 257) χόρτου σπέρμα , P Par 63 .110 (B.C. 165) (= P Petr III. p. 28) τὰ σπέρματα κατενεγκεῖν εἰς τοὺς ἀγρούς , to carry the seed to the fields, BGU II. 597 .11 (A.D. 75) ἀλλαξέτω σε αὐτὸν ( sc. σάκκον ) Πασίων καλοῖς σπέρμασει (= σι ), P Tebt II. 341 .5 (A.D. 140 1) δεήσι ἐπισταλῆναι εἰς δάνε [ι ]α σπέρματα ( l. σπερμάτων ) κατασπ [ο ]ρᾶς τοῦ ἐνεστῶτος δ̄ (ἔτους ) Ἀντωνίνου Καίσαρος . . ., it will be necessary to send on account of loans of seed-corn for the sowing of the present 4 th year of Antoninus Caesar . . . (Edd.), and P Oxy I. 117 .11 (ii/iii A.D.) σπέρματα σικυδίων σπουδαῖα ἔπεμψα ὑμεῖν , I send you some good melon seeds (Edd.). For σπέρμα in the singular in Gal_3:16 , see Milligan Documents , p. 105; and for the subst. σπερματισμός see P Lond 604 .3 (A.D. 47) (= III. p. 71). We may note the proverb Kaibel 1038 .8 εῖς ] πέλαγος σπέρμα βα [λεῖν , of vain and empty toil, and Musonius p. 8 .1 πρὸς καλοκἀγαθίαν καὶ σπέρμα ἀρετῆς . On the use of ἄτεκνος in Luk_20:29 as compared with οὐκ ἀφῆκεν σπέρμα in the parallel Mar_12:20 (cf. Mat_22:25 ), see H. Pernot La Langue des Ιvangiles (Paris, 1927), p. 17.

σπέρμα σπέρμα, ατος, τό, [Etym: σπείρω] "that which is sown": "the seed" of plants, Hes. , Hdt. , attic:—also of animals, Pind. , Eur. metaph. of "the germ, origin, element" of anything, σπ. πυρός Od. ; φλογός Pind. ; κακῶν Dem. "seed, offspring, issue", Trag. , etc. "race, origin, descent", id=Trag.

σπέρμα, -τος, τό (σπείρω) [in LXX chiefly for זֶרַע ;] seed; __(a) of plants: Mat.13:24, 27 13:37-38, 2Co.9:10; pl., Mat.13:32, Mrk.4:31, 1Co.15:33; metaphorically, of an escaping remnant (שָׂרִיד, Isa.1:9; cf. Wis.14:6; Plat., Tim., 23c; FlJ, Ant., xi, 5, 3), Rom.9:29; __(b) of men (as γονή; Lat. semen genitale; so in cl.; cf. in LXX, Lev.15:16, al.): Heb.11:11; metaphorically, of the divine influence, 1Jn.3:9; by meton. (as frequently in poets), seed, offspring, posterity: Mat.22:24-25, Mrk.12:19-22, Luk.1:55 20:28" (LXX) Jhn.7:42 8:33, 37 Act.3:25 7:5-6 13:23, Rom.1:3 4:13, 18 9:7-8 11:1, 2Co.11:22, Gal.3:16, 19, 2Ti.2:8, Heb.2:16 11:18; pl. (FlJ, Ant., viii, 7, 6; Flat., Leg., ix, 853 with; 4Ma.18:1; in Ga, l.with, contrasted with sing., see Lft., in l; Milligan, NTD, 105 f.), Gal.3:16; of spiritual offspring, Rom.4:16, 18 9:8, Gal.3:29, Rev.12:17.† (AS)