G4690 — σπέρμα (spérma)¶

Core Data¶

Strong's: G4690
Original: σπέρμα
Transliteration: spérma
Pronunciation: sper'-mah
Part of Speech: Neuter noun
Root: From σπείρω (speírō, G4687) — to sow
Occurrences: 41 unique verses (44 tokens) across 13 NT books
First Occurrence: Mat 13:24 — "The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed (spérma) in his field"
Hapax Legomenon: No

Lexicon Definition¶

From σπείρω (speírō); something sown, i.e. seed (including the male "sperm"); by implication offspring; specifically a remnant (figuratively, as if kept over for planting). KJV: issue, seed.

Louw-Nida Semantic Domain¶

Primary Domain: 023.003 — Physiological Processes: Birth, Procreation
Secondary Domain: 010.002 — Kinship Relations Involving Successive Generations
Tertiary Domain: 003.004 — Fruit Parts of Plants
Other words in birth/procreation subdomain: γεννάω (G1080), γένεσις (G1078), γέννημα (G1081), γαστήρ (G1064)

UBS Semantic Domains¶

[003] Plants
[010] Kinship Terms
[058] Nature, Class, Example
[023] Physiological Processes and States

Translation Distribution (KJV)¶

Translation	Verses	%
seed	30	73.2%
the seed	7	17.1%
seeds	2	4.9%
a seed	1	2.4%
any seed	1	2.4%
issue	1	2.4%

Distribution by Book¶

Book	Count	Per 100 Verses
Galatians	3	2.0
Romans	8	1.8
2 Timothy	1	1.2
Hebrews	3	1.0
1 John	1	1.0
2 Corinthians	2	0.8
Matthew	7	0.7
Mark	5	0.7
Acts	4	0.4
John	3	0.3
Luke	2	0.2
1 Corinthians	1	0.2
Revelation	1	0.2

Heaviest concentration in Paul's epistles (especially Romans and Galatians), where the theological argument about Abraham's "seed" is most developed. The synoptic Gospels carry the agricultural/parabolic usage.

Semantic Categories¶

1. Agricultural / Literal Seed¶

Used in parables and physical contexts for plant seed that is sown or grows.

Mat 13:24 — "The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field"
Mat 13:32 — "Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs"
Mark 4:31 — "like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth"
1 Cor 15:38 — "God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body"

2. Offspring / Progeny (Levirate and Physical)¶

Refers to biological children; especially in levirate-marriage contexts (Deut 25 law applied).

Mat 22:24–25 — "If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother"
Mark 12:20–22 — "the first took a wife, and dying left no seed... the second... died, neither left he any seed"
Heb 11:11 — "Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child"

3. Seed of Abraham (Covenant Lineage)¶

The patriarchal promise to Abraham that his descendants would inherit the land and bless the nations. Contested in John 8 between ethnic and spiritual senses.

Luke 1:55 — "As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever"
John 8:33, 37 — "We be Abraham's seed... I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me"
Acts 3:25 — "unto Abraham, saying, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed"
Rom 9:7–8 — "In Isaac shall thy seed be called... the children of the promise are counted for the seed"

4. Messianic Seed of David¶

Identifies Jesus as fulfilling the promise of a royal line from David (2 Sam 7:12 trajectory).

John 7:42 — "Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem"
Rom 1:3 — "his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh"
Acts 13:23 — "Of this man's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus"
2 Tim 2:8 — "Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead"

5. The Singular Seed as Christ (Gal 3)¶

Paul's exegetical argument that σπέρμα in Gen 12/17 is grammatically singular, pointing to Christ as the ultimate heir of the Abrahamic promise.

Gal 3:16 — "He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ"
Gal 3:19 — "It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made"
Gal 3:29 — "And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise"

6. Spiritual / Divine Seed¶

Metaphorical: God's word or nature implanted in believers; also the woman's seed in apocalyptic conflict.

1 John 3:9 — "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God"
Rev 12:17 — "the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God"
2 Cor 9:10 — "he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown"

Common Collocations¶

Word	Strong's	Co-occurrences	Typical Pattern
Ἀβραάμ (Abraám)	G11	12x (29%)	"Abraham's seed" — covenantal identity
θεός (theós)	G2316	8x (20%)	"God said / promised to the seed"
γυνή (gynḗ)	G1135	7x (17%)	"raise up seed unto his brother's wife" (levirate)
ἐπαγγελία (epangelía)	G1860	6x (15%)	"the promise made to the seed"
Χριστός (Christós)	G5547	6x (15%)	"seed, which is Christ" (Gal 3)
ἀποθνήσκω (apothnḗskō)	G599	6x (15%)	"dying left no seed" (levirate context)
σπείρω (speírō)	G4687	5x (12%)	"sow good seed" (parables)
τέκνον (téknon)	G5043	5x (12%)	"children of the seed / promise"
υἱός (huiŏs)	G5207	4x (10%)	"seed of David... his Son"

Word Family / Cognates¶

G4687 σπείρω (speírō) — the root verb: to sow, scatter seed
G4703 σπόρος (spóros) — act or material of sowing; seed (4× NT)
G4701 σπορά (sporá) — sowing, origin, parentage (1× NT, 1 Pet 1:23)
G4691 σπερμολόγος (spermológos) — "seed-picker," babbler (Acts 17:18; hapax)

Synonyms¶

G2590 καρπός — fruit / produce; overlaps in plant-generation imagery
G2836 κοιλία — womb / belly; linked by the relationship tool through birth/procreative usage

Antonyms¶

No antonyms were returned by search_relationships.py for G4690.

Easily Confused Words¶

Word	Strong's	Shared Translation	Key Difference
זֶרַע (zeraʻ)	H2233	both "seed"	Hebrew cognate (via LXX); spérma is NT Greek equivalent
σπόρος (spóros)	G4703	both "seed"	spóros = the act/material of sowing (process); spérma = what is sown (result/offspring)
σπορά (sporá)	G4701	both "seed"	sporá focuses on origin/generation (1 Pet 1:23: "not of corruptible seed"); spérma is broader

Hebrew Source (via LXX)¶

Hebrew Source	Strong's	LXX Co-occ	PMI Score	Notes
זֶרַע (zeraʻ)	H2233	170x	33.85	Primary; dominant alignment
זָרַע (zâraʻ)	H2232	16x	14.32	Verbal form: "to sow"
שְׁכָבָה (shᵉkâbâh)	H7902	7x	13.41	Seminal emission
צֶאֱצָא (tseʼĕtsâʼ)	H6631	5x	10.17	Offspring, issue

The near-exclusive alignment with H2233 (score 33.85 vs next-best 14.32) shows σπέρμα carries the full semantic range of Hebrew זֶרַע into Greek — both literal (plant seed) and figurative (offspring, covenant lineage).