SEED

The Hebrew zeʹraʽ and the Greek sperʹma, both translated “seed,” appear many times in the Scriptures, with the following uses or applications: (a) agricultural and botanical, (b) physiological, and (c) figurative for “offspring.”

Agricultural, Botanical. Israel’s economy was primarily agricultural, hence much is said about sowing, planting, and harvesting, and “seed” is mentioned frequently, the first instance being in the record of earth’s third creative day. Jehovah commanded: “Let the earth cause grass to shoot forth, vegetation bearing seed, fruit trees yielding fruit according to their kinds, the seed of which is in it, upon the earth.” (Ge 1:11, 12, 29) Here the Creator revealed his purpose to clothe the earth with vegetation by reproduction through seed, keeping the various created kinds separate, so that each brings forth “according to its kind” through its own distinctive seed.

Physiological. The Hebrew term zeʹraʽ is used in a physiological sense at Leviticus 15:16-18; 18:20, with reference to an emission of semen. At Leviticus 12:2 the causative form of the verb za·raʽʹ (sow) is rendered in many translations by the English expressions “conceive” or “conceive seed.” At Numbers 5:28 a passive form of za·raʽʹ appears with zeʹraʽ and is rendered “made pregnant with semen” (NW), “sown with seed” (Yg), “conceive seed” (KJ).

Figurative Use. In the majority of instances in which the word zeʹraʽ appears in the Bible, it is used with reference to offspring, or posterity. Animal offspring are designated by this term at Genesis 7:3. Human offspring of Noah are referred to at Genesis 9:9; those of the woman Hagar at Genesis 16:10. God commanded Abram and his natural “seed” to be circumcised as a sign of the covenant God was making with them.​—Ge 17:7-11.

The Greek word sperʹma is used in the same applications as the Hebrew zeʹraʽ. (Compare Mt 13:24; 1Co 15:38; Heb 11:11; Joh 7:42.) Jesus Christ used the related word spoʹros (thing sown) to symbolize the word of God.​—Lu 8:11.

One person foretold. In speaking of the offspring of Abraham and others, the Hebrew and Greek terms used are in the singular form, usually referring to such offspring in a collective sense. There seems to be one strong reason why the collective term zeʹraʽ, “seed,” rather than the strictly plural word ba·nimʹ, “sons” (singular ben), was used so often with respect to Abraham’s posterity. The apostle Paul points to this fact in explaining that when God spoke of the blessings to come through Abraham’s seed, he had primary reference to one person, namely, Christ. Paul says: “Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. It [or, He] says, not: ‘And to seeds [Gr., sperʹma·sin],’ as in the case of many such, but as in the case of one: ‘And to your seed [Gr., sperʹma·tiʹ],’ who is Christ.”​—Ga 3:16, ftn.

Some scholars have objected to Paul’s statement regarding the singular and plural use of “seed.” They point out that in Hebrew the word for “seed” (zeʹraʽ), when used for posterity, never changes its form, in this use resembling the English word “sheep.” Also, the accompanying verbs and adjectives do not in themselves indicate the singularity or plurality intended by the word for “seed.” While this is so, there is another factor that demonstrates that Paul’s explanation was accurate grammatically as well as doctrinally. Explaining this factor, M’Clintock and Strong’s Cyclopædia (1894, Vol. IX, p. 506) states: “In connection with pronouns, the construction is entirely different from both the preceding [that is, the verbs and adjectives used with the word “seed”]. A singular pronoun [used with zeʹraʽ] marks an individual, an only one, or one out of many; while a plural pronoun represents all the descendants. This rule is followed invariably by the Sept[uagint] . . . Peter understood this construction, for we find him inferring a singular seed from Gen. xxii, 17, 18, when speaking to native Jews in the city of Jerusalem before Paul’s conversion (Acts iii, 26), as David had set the example a thousand years before (Psa. lxxii, 17).”

Additionally this reference work says: “The distinction made by Paul is not between one seed and another, but between the one seed and the many; and if we consider him quoting the same passage with Peter [cited earlier], his argument is fairly sustained by the pronoun ‘his [not their] enemies.’ Seed with a pronoun singular is exactly equivalent to son.”