noun · neuter
spermem
Greekσπέρμα (sperma)
Strong’sG4690
seed, offspring
stem sperm-43 times in the New Testamentin 13 of 27 books5 of 6 forms occur
Translated as
What it means
σπέρμα, -τος, τό
(< σπείρω) [in LXX chiefly for זֶרַע;]
G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.
Strong’s G4690 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from
Saidsper'-mah
something sown, i.e. seed (including the male "sperm"); by implication, offspring; specially, a remnant (figuratively, as if kept over for planting)
Fromfrom G4687;
King Jamesissue, seed.
James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, 1890 — public domain. The numbers in it link to the entries here.
Every form
| Job in the sentence case | one singular | more than one plural |
|---|---|---|
| subject or object direct | spermem12×σπέρμα | spermeim |
| of, belonging to genitive | spermeu8×σπέρματος | spermeiu3×σπερμάτων |
| to, for dative | sperme7×σπέρματι | spermei1×σπέρμασιν |
Tinted cells are forms the New Testament never uses, so there is no Greek to show against them — but they are still correct Biblang, built from the slots below like any other.
Why these forms, and no others — the slots that make them
sperme is this word in every one of its forms. The slots after it make all the rest.
same in every form varies — every value shown
Where it appears
43 occurrences, every one of them listed
spermem“descendants”subject or objectdirect singular12×
Matthew 13:38“seed”tos de agros atō tos kosmos; tem de kalem spermem, houtois alō tois huiois tau basileiau; teim de zizanieim alō tois huiois tou ponērou,The field is the world, and the good seed represents the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one,
John 8:33“descendants”apokrinila pros auton; Spermem Abraam anō kai oudeno douleuanē pōpote; pōs sis legasō hoti Eleutherois ginevi?“We are Abraham’s descendants,” they answered. “We have never been slaves to anyone. How can You say we will be set free?”
John 8:37“descendants”oidamē hoti spermem Abraam avō; alla zētavō min apokteinara, hoti tos logos tos ēmos ouk chōratō en vi.I know you are Abraham’s descendants, but you are trying to kill Me because My word has no place within you.
Acts 7:6“descendants”lalata de houtōs tos theos hoti eti tem spermem autou paroikem en gēa allotria, kai doulali autem kai kakali eteim tetrakosioi;God told him that his descendants would be foreigners in a strange land, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years.
Romans 4:18“descendants”hos para elpian epi elpia pisteuata eis tem ginera auton patēron polleiu ethneiu kata tem legirētem; Houtōs eti tem spermem su;Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.”
Romans 9:7“descendants”oude hoti alō spermem Abraam, pantois tekneim, alla; En Isaak kaliti si spermem.Nor because they are Abraham’s descendants are they all his children. On the contrary, “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.”
Romans 9:7“offspring”oude hoti alō spermem Abraam, pantois tekneim, alla; En Isaak kaliti si spermem.Nor because they are Abraham’s descendants are they all his children. On the contrary, “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.”
2 Corinthians 11:22“descendants”Hebraiois alō? kamis. Israēlitois alō? kamis. spermem Abraam alō? kamis.Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.
Galatians 3:19“seed”Tinem oun tos nomos? taiu parabasiaiu charin prostithita, achris hou erchateia tem spermem he epangellitē, diatassiratos dia angeloiu en cheira mesitou;Why then was the law given? It was added because of transgressions, until the arrival of the seed to whom the promise referred. It was administered through angels by a mediator.
Galatians 3:29“seed”ei de vis Christou, ara tou Abraam spermem avō, kata epangelian klēronomois.And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.
Hebrews 11:18“offspring”pros hon lalita hoti En Isaak kaliti si spermem,even though God had said to him, “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.”
1 John 3:9“seed”pantos tos gennirētos ek tou theou hamartan ouk poiatō, hoti spermem autou en auto menatō, kai ouk dunetō hamartarō, hoti ek tou theou gennitē.Anyone born of God refuses to practice sin, because God’s seed abides in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.
spermeu“offspring”of, belonging togenitive singular8×
John 7:42“offspring”ouk tas grafas legata hoti ek teu spermeu David, kai apo Bēthleem tau kōmau hopou ate David, erchetō tos christos?Doesn’t the Scripture say that the Christ will come from the line of David and from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?”
Acts 13:23“descendants”houtou tos theos apo teu spermeu kata epangelian agata to Israēl sōtēron Iēsun,From the descendants of this man, God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as He promised.
Romans 1:3“descended”peri tou huiou autou, tou gineratou ek spermeu David kata sarxan,regarding His Son, who was a descendant of David according to the flesh,
Romans 11:1“descendant”Legamō oun, mē apōtheta tos theos ton laon autou? mē ginetoia; kai gar mis Israēlitos amō, ek spermeu Abraam, fulau Beniamin.I ask then, did God reject His people? Certainly not! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.
2 Timothy 2:8“descendant”Mnēmoneuasōr Iēsun Christon egeirirēton ek nekroiu, ek spermeu David, kata tem euangeliem mu;Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David, as proclaimed by my gospel,
Hebrews 2:16“descendants”ouk gar dēpou angeloiu epilambetō, alla spermeu Abraam epilambetō.For surely it is not the angels He helps, but the descendants of Abraham.
Hebrews 11:11“offspring”pistia kai auta Sarra dunamian eis katabolan spermeu lambata kai para kairon hēlikiau, epei piston hēgeta ton epangelleraton;By faith Sarah, even though she was barren and beyond the proper age, was enabled to conceive a child, because she considered Him faithful who had promised.
Revelation 12:17“offspring”kai orgizita tos drakōnos epi ta gunaika, kai aperchata poiara polemon meta toiu loipoiu teu spermeu autau, toiu tērarōtoiu tain entolain tou theou kai echarōtoiu tan marturian Iēsu;And the dragon was enraged at the woman and went to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea.
sperme“descendants”to, fordative singular7×
Luke 1:55“descendants”kathōs lalata pros toin patēroin nu, to Abraam kai te sperme autou eis ton aiōnon.as He promised to our fathers, to Abraham and his descendants forever.”
Acts 3:25“offspring”vis avō tois huiois toiu profētoiu kai tau diathēkau hau diatitheta tos theos pros toin patēroin vu, legarōtos pros Abraam Kai en te sperme su eneulogili pantais tais patriais tau gēau.And you are sons of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers when He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all the families of the earth will be blessed.’
Acts 7:5“descendants”kai ouk dōata auto klēronomian en auta oude bēmem podou, kai epangelleta dōara auto eis kataschesian autan kai te sperme autou meta auton, ouk arōteu auto tekneu.He gave him no inheritance here, not even a foot of ground. But God promised to give possession of the land to Abraham and his descendants, even though he did not yet have a child.
Romans 4:13“descendants”Ouk gar dia nomou tas epangelias to Abraam ē te sperme autou, tem klēronomon auton arō kosmou, alla dia dikaiosunau pistiau;For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world was not given through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.
Romans 4:16“descendants”Dia houtem ek pistiau, hina kata charian, eis tem arō bebaian tan epangelian pante te sperme, ouk te ek tou nomou monem alla kai te ek pistiau Abraam hos atō patēros pantoiu nu,Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may rest on grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring — not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.
Galatians 3:16“seed”to de Abraam legila tais epangeliais kai te sperme autou; ouk legatō; Kai tei spermei, hōs epi polleiu, alla hōs epi heneu; Kai te sperme su, hos atō Christos.The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say, “and to seeds,” meaning many, but “and to your seed,” meaning One, who is Christ.
Galatians 3:16“seed”to de Abraam legila tais epangeliais kai te sperme autou; ouk legatō; Kai tei spermei, hōs epi polleiu, alla hōs epi heneu; Kai te sperme su, hos atō Christos.The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say, “and to seeds,” meaning many, but “and to your seed,” meaning One, who is Christ.
spermeiu“seeds”of, belonging togenitive plural3×
Matthew 13:32“seeds”hem mikroterem men atō panteiu teiu spermeiu, hotan de auxaniteia megoterem teiu lachaneiu atō kai ginetō dendrem, hōste erchara teim peteineim tou ouranou kai kataskēnarō en toi kladoi auteu.Although it is the smallest of all seeds, yet it grows into the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”
Mark 4:31“seeds”hōs kokko sinapieu, hos hotan speiriteia epi tau gēau, mikroterem arōtem panteiu teiu spermeiu teiu epi tau gēauIt is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds sown upon the earth.
1 Corinthians 15:38“seed”tos de theos dōatō auto sōmem kathōs thelata, kai hekasto teiu spermeiu idiem sōmem.But God gives it a body as He has designed, and to each kind of seed He gives its own body.
spermei“seeds”to, fordative plural1×
Galatians 3:16“seeds”to de Abraam legila tais epangeliais kai te sperme autou; ouk legatō; Kai tei spermei, hōs epi polleiu, alla hōs epi heneu; Kai te sperme su, hos atō Christos.The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say, “and to seeds,” meaning many, but “and to your seed,” meaning One, who is Christ.
spermem12×
Matthew 13:24“seed”Allan parabolan paratithata autoi legarōtos; Homoiita tas basileias toiu ouranoiu anthrōpo speirarato kalem spermem en to agro autou.Jesus put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.
Matthew 13:27“seed”prosercharatois de tois doulois tou oikodespotou legala auto; Kurior, ouchi kalem spermem speirasa en to so agro? pothen oun echatō zizanieim?The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’
Matthew 13:37“seed”tos de apokriniratos legata; Tos speirarōtos tem kalem spermem atō tos huios tou anthrōpou;He replied, “The One who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.
Matthew 22:24“children”legarōtois; Didaskalor, Mōusos legata; Ean tinos apothnēskateia mē echarōtos tekneim, epigambreuati tos adelfos autou tan gunaikan autou kai anistanati spermem to adelfo autou.“Teacher,” they said, “Moses declared that if a man dies without having children, his brother is to marry the widow and raise up offspring for him.
Matthew 22:25“children”ale de para ni hepta adelfois; kai tos prōtos gamaratos teleutata, kai mē echarōtos spermem afiēkata tan gunaikan autou to adelfo autou;Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died without having children. So he left his wife to his brother.
Mark 12:19“offspring”Didaskalor, Mōusos grafata ni hoti ean tinou adelfos apothnēskateia kai kataleipateia gunaikan kai mē afiēkateia teknem, hina lambateia tos adelfos autou tan gunaikan kai exanistanateia spermem to adelfo autou.“Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man is to marry his brother’s widow and raise up offspring for him.
Mark 12:20“offspring”hepta adelfois ale; kai tos prōtos lambata gunaikan, kai apothnēskarōtos ouk afiēkata spermem;Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died, leaving no children.
Mark 12:21“offspring”kai tos deuteros lambata autan, kai apothnēskata mē kataleiparatos spermem, kai tos tritos hōsautōs;Then the second one married the widow, but he also died and left no children. And the third did likewise.
Mark 12:22“offspring”kai tois hepta ouk afiēkala spermem; eschatem panteiu kai tas gunaikas apothnēskata.In this way, none of the seven left any children. And last of all, the woman died.
Luke 20:28“offspring”legarōtois; Didaskalor, Mōusos grafata ni, ean tinou adelfos apothnēskateia echarōtos gunaikan, kai houtos ateknos ateiō, hina lambateia tos adelfos autou tan gunaikan kai exanistanateia spermem to adelfo autou.“Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man is to marry his brother’s widow and raise up offspring for him.
Romans 9:8“offspring”houtem atō, ouk teim tekneim tau sarxau houteim tekneim tou theou, alla teim tekneim tau epangeliau logizitō eis spermem;So it is not the children of the flesh who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as offspring.
Romans 9:29“descendants”kai kathōs prolegatē Ēsaios; Ei mē kurios Sabaōth enkataleipata ni spermem, hōs Sodomeim an ginina kai hōs Gomorras an homoiina.It is just as Isaiah foretold: “Unless the Lord of Hosts had left us descendants, we would have become like Sodom, we would have resembled Gomorrah.”