The concept of Seed in Christianity
Synonyms: Grain, Kernel, Pit, Embryo, Sowing, Origin, Germ, Nucleus, Core, Stone.
In German: Samen; In Dutch: Zaad; In Finnish: Siemen; In Spanish: Semilla; In Malay: Benih; In Swedish: ±«³Ù²õä»å±ð; In French: Graine
The below excerpts are indicatory and do represent direct quotations or translations. It is your responsibility to fact check each reference.
Christian concept of 'Seed'
From: Ante-nicene Fathers
(1) The seed is mentioned in the context of how heresies come from the grain of truth, but have only wild leaves to show.[1] (2) The substance which is a cause of all existent things, and which the Naasseni affirm is not any of the things, but which produces and forms all things.[2] (3) This is the seed of the world, from which all things have been produced, according to the Basilidians, and this comprises in itself all things, as it were those that as yet are non-existent.[3] (4) This term is associated with Canaan, and not of Judah, whose beauty has deceived, and lust perverted the heart, according to the prophet Daniel.[4] (5) The seed is the seed of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and Salome asked God to remember that she was the seed.[5]
From: Gospel of Thomas Commentary
(1) This is mentioned in the text as something that a man should cast upon the earth, and it should sprout and grow, eventually bearing fruit.[6] (2) This represents the teachings and the understanding of the Lord, and it can be interpreted as the word of God, which can be received or rejected depending on the conditions of the ground.[7] (3) This is the kernel of one's innate self; prepare the ground by becoming aware of one's repressed emotions and the innate self will flourish and shelter the lost fragments of onesself.[8]
From: Expositions of Holy Scripture
(1) The text uses the metaphor of sowing and reaping to illustrate the long-term consequences of actions, emphasizing that the seeds sown in youth will determine the harvest in the future.[9] (2) This is a metaphor for the Gospel message, which must be shared to bring spiritual growth, and it emphasizes the importance of spreading the word to cultivate faith in the hearts of others.[10] (3) The text mentions 'the seed' to emphasize the act of sowing, which represents the beginning of works done in God's name, and the importance of seeking His blessings.[11] (4) This refers to the tiny, living nucleus of force that is thrown broadcast and must sink underground in order to grow, representing the truth.[12] (5) This is sown to grow in spite of bad weather and a poor soil and many weeds, and though it is destined to overcome all these, it may to-day only be able to show on the surface a little patch of pale and struggling growth, and this will be the case.[13]
From: Bible cyclopedia, critical and expository
(1) The text explains that the early rain fell from about the September equinox to sowing time in November or December, to revive the parched soil that this might germinate.[14] (2) The seed refers to a promise of descendants, which is related to the lineage of Jacob and is connected to the Messianic promise, which highlights the importance of the covenant and the future blessings.[15] (3) The promise to Abraham that his seed's inheritance should reach the Euphrates, which received a partial fulfillment, reflects the significance of the river.[16] (4) The seed refers to the spiritual seed of the Saviour, and eternal satisfaction in seeing them.[17]
From: Hymns for Christian Devotion
(1) The item is provided by God, and it is a critical component in the process, which will be blessed and is essential for the subsequent harvest.[18] (2) Seed is something that can be bestowed sparingly, and the amount one gives affects what they will also harvest.[19] (3) The provided text mentions this as a metaphor for potential; there is something that awaits its moment of emergence, similar to the natural process of seed dispersal.[20]
From: A Cyclopedia of Biblical literature
(1) On his arrival in Corinth, Apollos was very useful in watering the seed which Paul had sown, as mentioned in the provided text.[21] (2) Seeds are mentioned as being possibly white and having a remarkable appearance when the seed-covering first bursts, in the context of the white poplar.[22] (3) This word refers to offspring, and is used in the context of a promise that enmity will be put between the serpent and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed.[23]
From: A Dictionary of the Bible (Hastings)
(1) The law forbidding the sowing of a field with two kinds of this, is one of the provisions of the legislative codes, as mentioned in the text.[24] (2) Seed, in the context provided, can refer to both a literal and metaphorical meaning within the text's discussion, encompassing various interpretations across different contexts.[25]
From: The Complete Sayings of Jesus
(1) This is a metaphor used to represent the word of God, and the different outcomes based on where it is planted are described in the text.[26]
From: The Kebra Nagast
(1) This group were called Edomites, indicating a lineage.[27] (2) The seed is what the kingdom belongs to.[28] (3) The kingdom would not remain to this person, according to the provided text.[29] (4) This is a reference to the offspring from which the appointed time will come and the Pearl will be born.[30] (5) The seed of a specific individual would reign, and their descendants would continue the rule, as per the Queen's decree.[31]
From: The Book of the Cave of Treasures
(1) The descendants of a person, representing the continuation of their lineage.[32] (2) The future descendants, where three measures of the wheat of blessings shall be kneaded into, and into the seed of their children, that is to say Royalty, Priesthood, and Prophecy.[33]
From: The city of God
(1) This refers to the sperm that the man would sow.[34] (2) The seed is what shall possess by inheritance the cities of the adversaries, and in this seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, and it is multiplied as the stars of heaven.[35] (3) Seeds are a significant element, associated with Saturn, Jupiter, Ceres, Liber, and are linked to the world's fertility and agriculture.[36]
From: The Existence and Attributes of God
(1) The seed is the means by which the devil's ruin was resolved upon, and it was to be brought about was a mystery kept secret from the malicious devils.[37] (2) The small seed that God protects from the rapine of animals, and that is nourished in the womb of the earth.[38]
Gnostic concept of 'Seed'
From: Pistis Sophia
(1) The seed of wickedness is an element used in the cup of forgetfulness, mixed with desires and forgetfulness, and is given to the old soul by the rulers of the head.[39] (2) This is what was to be extinguished after someone was set up above the serpent's root.[40]
From: The Gnostics and Their Remains
(1) A philosophical concept within Ophite thought representing the essential cause of all existence and generation.[41]
From: Fragments of a Faith Forgotten
(1) This is one of the attributes of the divine, and is spoken of, and glorified.[42]
The concept of Seed in local and regional sources
The keyphrase "Seed" relates to the initial stage of sin, indicating it symbolizes the beginning or origin of sinful actions as per regional interpretations.
From: The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda
(1) The seed is mentioned to describe the tree. The seed grows into the tree, patiently and gently; we must direct our energies towards the truth and fulfil the truth that exists, not try to make new truths.[43] (2) The author uses this word metaphorically to describe their work in a location, implying the beginning of something.[44]
From: History of Science in South Asia
(1) The seed, or semen, is associated with divine illumination and is presented as a source of prolonged life in Monsur’s text, replacing the vital flame.[45]
From: Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England
(1) This term refers to the start of the sin.[46]