What does σπόρος (spóros) mean in the Bible?
Seed is what a sower places in the ground with the hope of a crop. The Greek noun sporos names that seed in Jesus' parables and in Paul's account of generous provision.
Greek · G4703
σπόρος
Seed is what a sower places in the ground with the hope of a crop. The Greek noun sporos names that seed in Jesus' parables and in Paul's account of generous provision.
Reading a lexicon entry
What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
Strong's number: The Strong's code (H- or G-) is the standard reference number for this word. It connects this entry to chapter and passage language tabs.
Where it appears: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
This lexicon entry is part of our ongoing editorial review. If you notice missing content, unclear wording, or a possible correction, please send us a note through theConnect page. Screenshots are helpful.
σπόροςG4703
Pronunciationspóros
What does σπόρος (spóros) mean in the Bible?
Reader summary
Full entry for σπόρος (G4703) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G4703?
The BSB source-word alignment has 6 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include seed (5), store of seed (1).
Where does σπόρος (spóros) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Mark 4:26. Its strongest book concentrations include 2 Corinthians (2), Luke (2), Mark (2).
What This Word Actually Means
Seed is what a sower places in the ground with the hope of a crop. The Greek noun sporos names that seed in Jesus' parables and in Paul's account of generous provision. Luke identifies the seed in one parable as God's word, making the hearer's reception central to the explanation. Mark shows seed sprouting and growing while the farmer lacks complete knowledge of the process.
Paul describes God supplying seed and increasing a harvest of righteousness in a passage about meeting others' needs. The image's meaning is therefore given by each argument, not by a hidden rule that every seed means money or every harvest means personal wealth. It helps readers see proclamation, patient dependence and generosity distinctly. The sower acts, yet neither controls God's work nor uses the image to demand a profitable return.
How the Bible Uses It
Jesus uses ordinary sowing to explain receptive hearing and the kingdom's growth. Paul draws on God's provision for sowing to encourage generous service, extending the image toward a harvest of righteousness.
- Luke.8.5
“A farmer went out to sow his seed. And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, where it was trampled, and the birds of the air devoured it.
The farmer's sowing begins a story in which the seed encounters several conditions. The first losses introduce the question of reception that Jesus later explains, rather than a formula guaranteeing identical outcomes for every hearer.
- Luke.8.11
Now this is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God.
Jesus explicitly identifies the seed as God's word in this parable. The explanation that follows concerns hearing, belief, testing, competing concerns and persevering fruit, so this identification governs the story's application.
- Mark.4.26
Jesus also said, “The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed on the ground.
Jesus compares God's kingdom to a person scattering seed on the ground. The ordinary beginning prepares the account of growth and harvest, without identifying the farmer as the creator of the seed's life.
- Mark.4.27
Night and day he sleeps and wakes, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he knows not how.
The farmer sleeps and wakes while the seed develops in a way he cannot fully explain. The parable joins meaningful sowing with humility about growth, followed by a harvest when the crop is ready.
- 2Cor.9.10
Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your store of seed and will increase the harvest of your righteousness.
God supplies what the sower needs and increases a harvest of righteousness. The surrounding collection and thanksgiving identify generous service to the saints as the purpose, preventing the seed image from becoming a promise of private enrichment.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Itseed5×Mark 4:26, Mark 4:27, Luke 8:5, Luke 8:11
store of seed1×2 Corinthians 9:10
Show sample aligned rows
Mark 4:26σπόρονtoseedNoun - Accusative Masculine SingularMark 4:27σπόροςtoseedNoun - Nominative Masculine SingularLuke 8:5σπόρονtoseedNoun - Accusative Masculine SingularLuke 8:11σπόροςtoseedNoun - Nominative Masculine Singular2 Corinthians 9:10σπόρον*toseedNoun - Accusative Masculine Singular2 Corinthians 9:10σπόρονtostore of seedNoun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowMark 4:26
Aligned rows6
Books represented3
Mark2Luke22 Corinthians2
Source forms
σπόρον3xsporonMark 4:26, Luke 8:5, 2 Corinthians 9:10
σπόρος2xsporosMark 4:27, Luke 8:11
σπόρον*1xsporon2 Corinthians 9:10
Parsing patterns
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular4xMark 4:26, Luke 8:5, 2 Corinthians 9:10
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular2xMark 4:27, Luke 8:11
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Encourage a hearer to receive and persevere with God's word without equating a delayed visible response with proof of deliberate rejection.
- Let generosity respond to real needs freely; do not pressure vulnerable people to give through promises of a guaranteed return.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that every mention of seed is a financial offering; Luke 8:11 expressly identifies the seed as God's word.
- Do not claim that money given to a ministry guarantees wealth to the giver; Paul's stated harvest serves righteousness, generosity and thanksgiving.
Evidence Summary
Revelation
Greek word. Seed as the sown material itself rather than the act of sowing, emphasizing the physical agent of growth
Strong'sG4703
Lexical occurrences6 versesGreek text appearances5 timesWord forms2 forms6 referencesVerse guides0 guides
Study linkLuke 8:4–15Source Gloss
seed
Extended definitionSource: STEPBible TBESG + Abbott-Smith
Seed as the sown material itself rather than the act of sowing, emphasizing the physical agent of growth
(σπείρω), [in LXX chiefly for זֶרַע ;] = σπορά,
1sowing or seedtime.
2seed sown (so usually in late Gk.): Mrk.4:26-27, Luk.8:5, 11, 2Co.9:10 a (LTr.); metaphorically, of almsgiving, 2Co.9:10 b.
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpusGreek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
5 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Mark 4:26Noun Accusative Singular Masculine
σπόρονsporon
seed for sowing
Read verseMark 4:27Noun Nominative Singular Masculine
σπόροςsporov
seed for sowing
Read verseLuke 8:5Noun Accusative Singular Masculine
σπόρονsporon
seed for sowing
Read verseLuke 8:11Noun Nominative Singular Masculine
σπόροςsporov
seed for sowing
Read verse2 Corinthians 9:10Noun Accusative Singular Masculine
σπόρονsporon
seed for sowing
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
This word appears as a noun across 2 case and number patterns. The form changes show how the word functions in a sentence; they do not change the basic lexical meaning by themselves.
Form patterns2Aligned forms6Case patternAccusative (4)Number patternSingular (6)
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Nominative · Singular · MasculineMark 4:27 · Luke 8:112×
Accusative · Singular · MasculineMark 4:26 · Luke 8:5 · 2 Cor 9:104×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Additional Occurrences
Luke 8:4–15σπόροςspóros
Seed
New Testament Witnesses
seed
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 6 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
σπόρος is built from this root:
Why This Word Matters
Represents the word of God that brings life.
Canonical Themes
Revelation
For the Preacher and Teacher
These passages give the sower responsibility without giving the sower mastery. Luke makes the word of God the seed and shows that receiving it must endure beyond a first response. Mark portrays growth that continues while the farmer follows ordinary daily rhythms, though he cannot explain its hidden development. Paul identifies God as the supplier and directs the resulting abundance into generous service.
Together, the contexts support diligent teaching, patient trust and openhanded use of resources. They do not authorize indifference toward hearers, numerical predictions of conversion or financial bargaining with God. The image is especially useful when a teacher has spoken faithfully but cannot immediately see fruit: the task remains real, while the outcome cannot be manufactured.
In the collection passage, visible needs and thanksgiving keep the teaching concrete rather than speculative.
Anchor passage
Luke.8.11
Doctrinal connections
- Luke 8:11 makes God's word the seed, placing the authority of the message before the hearer's preferences.
- Luke 8:12-15 connects hearing with belief, endurance and persevering fruit rather than a momentary enthusiastic reaction alone.
- Mark 4:26-29 portrays the kingdom's development through ordinary sowing and growth that exceeds the farmer's understanding.
- Second Corinthians 9:10 identifies God as the provider of seed and sustenance, directing trust toward Him rather than a fundraising technique.
- The harvest of righteousness in Paul's collection argument expresses generosity toward others and thanksgiving for God's grace.
- Psalm 112:9, quoted in 2 Corinthians 9:9, grounds the seed discussion in righteous giving to the poor.
The witnesses use sporon for seed as the object of sowing or provision and sporos as the seed that grows or is identified in a parable. A related sowing verb helps the agricultural picture, but a passage's explanation determines whether seed refers to God's word or supplied resources.
From Old to New Testament
Isaiah 55:10-11 compares the fruitful action of God's word with rain that supplies seed and food. Paul also cites Psalm 112:9's generous scattering before speaking of supplied seed. These textual links illuminate effective divine speech and righteous generosity without making every agricultural image interchangeable.