Original Word: σπόρος
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: sporos
Pronunciation: SPO-ros
Phonetic Spelling: (spro'-os)
KJV: seed (X sown)
NASB: seed
Word Origin: [from G4687 (σπείρω - sown)]

1. a scattering (of seed)
2. (concretely) seed (as sown)

seed sown.

From speiro; a scattering (of seed), i.e. (concretely) seed (as sown) -- seed (X sown).

see GREEK speiro

Word Origin
from speiró
Definition
a sowing, i.e. seed (sown)
NASB Translation
seed (5).

STRONGS NT 4703: σπόρος

σπόρος, σπόρου, ὁ (σπείρω, 2 perfect ἐσπορα);

1. a sowing (Herodotus, Xenophon, Theophrastus, others).

2. seed (used in sowing): Mark 4:26; Luke 8:5, 11; 2 Corinthians 9:10a (L Tr, 10b) (Deuteronomy 11:10; Theocr, Plutarch, others).

Overview

Strong’s Greek 4703 speaks of “seed” in the literal sense of grain and, by inspired extension, the spiritual realities it represents. Across its six New Testament uses the term anchors Jesus’ parables and Paul’s teaching on generosity, drawing a seamless line from everyday agriculture to eternal kingdom truths.

Occurrences and Narrative Context

• Mark 4:26-27 presents the kingdom of God as seed silently sprouting after a farmer’s scattering.
• Luke 8:5 introduces seed that encounters varied soils, and Luke 8:11 identifies that seed as “the word of God.”
• 2 Corinthians 9:10 employs the image twice, promising that God “will supply and multiply your store of seed and will increase the harvest of your righteousness.”

Though the vocabulary alternates between nominative and accusative forms, each scene stresses divine action hidden within ordinary sowing.

Symbolism of Seed in Scriptural Revelation

1. Word of God: Luke 8:11 explicitly equates seed with the proclaimed message of Scripture. The germ of life lies in the Word itself, not in the skill of the sower.
2. Kingdom Growth: Mark 4:26-27 highlights a process that is both mysterious and inevitable—once planted, the kingdom advances apart from human manipulation.
3. Righteous Harvest: Paul in 2 Corinthians applies the same image to charitable giving, portraying acts of generosity as seed that God multiplies into righteousness.

Kingdom Dynamics Illustrated

Jesus’ twin parables in Mark and Luke underscore two complementary truths: human responsibility to scatter and divine sovereignty to give growth. The farmer must sow; yet, “the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how” (Mark 4:27). Thus the believer labors confidently, trusting the Lord of the harvest for results.

Sowing and Reaping in Christian Generosity

Paul’s use in 2 Corinthians 9:10 extends the metaphor into stewardship. Monetary gifts are seed capital in God’s economy; the Lord both supplies the initial resources and produces an expansive harvest. The promise is not materialistic gain but an “increase [in] the harvest of your righteousness,” aligning practical giving with spiritual fruitfulness.

Pastoral and Missional Applications

• Preaching and Teaching: Confidence rests in the inherent potency of Scripture; faithful exposition is effective sowing.
• Evangelism: Results are ultimately God’s, freeing witnesses from anxiety over visible success.
• Discipleship: Growth may be unseen for a season; patience honors the organic nature of spiritual maturation.
• Giving: Contributions to gospel work are eternal investments, assured of divine multiplication.

Historical and Cultural Background

First-century hearers lived by agrarian rhythms. Seed represented both daily bread and next year’s hope. Losing it meant famine; planting it required faith. Jesus and Paul leveraged this shared experience, making theological concepts instantly graspable to Galilean farmers and Corinthian merchants alike.

Intertextual Echoes with the Old Testament

Genesis introduces the principle that “seed-bearing plants” reproduce “according to their kinds” (Genesis 1:11-12). Isaiah 55:10-11 likens rain and seed to the Word accomplishing God’s purpose, prefiguring Luke 8:11. The Psalmist celebrates the one who “scatters abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever” (Psalm 112:9), a verse Paul quotes in 2 Corinthians 9:9 to frame his teaching on generous sowing.

Doctrinal Implications

• Divine Initiative: Life resides in the seed; likewise spiritual regeneration originates with God’s Word and Spirit.
• Human Instrumentality: Sowers participate meaningfully yet dependently, illustrating cooperative grace.
• Eschatological Certainty: Harvest is assured; what begins as hidden seed will culminate in visible glory when the kingdom is fully revealed.

Summary

Strong’s 4703 gathers the everyday act of scattering seed into a rich tapestry of gospel proclamation, kingdom growth, and charitable giving. Whether on Galilean hillsides or in Corinthian assemblies, the Spirit employs this humble image to call believers to faithful sowing, confident that God will bring forth an abundant, righteous harvest.

σπορον σπόρον σπορος σπόρος σπόρω sporon spóron sporos spórosInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts