σπείρω (G4687) — Greek Lexicon

σπείρω

speírō

G4687 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To sow, specifically to place seed in the ground for the purpose of cultivation. The term primarily denotes the agricultural act of planting seed by scattering or inserting it into soil. By extension, it is used metaphorically for initiating an action that will produce results in the future, such as teaching or promulgating a message, or causing something to develop. It can refer either to literal seed sowing or to figurative acts of seeding or initiating outcomes.

Semantic Range

to sow seed (literal), to plant by scattering, to disseminate (figurative, such as teaching or ideas), to cause something to begin as if by planting seed

Root / Etymology

From the Greek root σπερ- (sper-), related to seed, sowing. The word σπείρω may be strengthened by association with σπάω (to draw, pull), but its primary connection is to the act of sowing. The root is widely attested in Greek with meanings relating to scattering or sowing seed.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In classical Greek, σπείρω refers primarily to the agricultural act of spreading or planting seed in the ground. In the Septuagint, it often translates various Hebrew terms for sowing, especially in legal or agricultural contexts. In the New Testament, the term can bear both a literal and a metaphorical sense. For example, in the parables of Jesus (e.g., the Parable of the Sower), σπείρω refers not just to physical sowing but also symbolically represents disseminating teachings, messages, or behaviors that will eventually yield results. English translations usually render the term as “sow” or “sower”; however, these do not always fully capture the metaphorical force in some contexts. The verb is distinct from φυτεύω (phuteuō, to plant), which typically refers to planting established young plants or trees rather than seed. In post-biblical and Hellenistic Greek, the word retains its agricultural meaning but increasingly acquires a figurative use in various rhetorical and philosophical contexts. There is no direct evidence that σπείρω means 'scatter' in a general, non-agricultural sense; its core association is always with sowing seed or analogous acts.

Translation Consistency

primary "sow" 33 occurrences

σπείρω primarily denotes the agricultural act of scattering or placing seed and is commonly rendered in English as 'sow.' 'Sow' naturally covers both the literal planting sense and the frequent figurative uses (sowing ideas, teaching, initiating outcomes). It is more precise than 'plant' for the sense of scattering seed and is the most idiomatic single-word choice for consistent rendering across all forms.

Alternatives (17 occurrences):

"having been sown" (6x) "sown" (6x) "having sown" (2x) "those being sown" (2x) "those having been sown" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

probably strengthened from σπάω (through the idea of extending); to scatter, i.e. sow (literally or figuratively):--sow(- er), receive seed.

Root Family

σπείρω (speirō) — to sow, to scatter seed, to initiate growth

Root σπερ- to sow, to scatter seed, to initiate growth

Word Forms

21 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`G4687-19`	σπείρων	speiron	`V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG`	sower	the one sowing	the one sowing	11
`G4687-17`	σπείρεται	speiretai	`V PRS PASS IND 3P SG`	It is sown	is being sown	is being sown	6
`G4687-07`	σπαρείς	spareis	`V AOR PASS PTCP NOM M SG`	sown	having been sown	having been sown	4
`G4687-15`	σπείρειν	speirein	`V PRS ACT INF`	he sowed	to sow seed	to sow seed	4
`G4687-04`	ἔσπειρας	espeiras	`V AOR ACT IND 2P SG`	you sowed	you sowed seed	you sowed seed	3
`G4687-16`	σπείρεις	speireis	`V PRS ACT IND 2P SG`	you sow	you are sowing	you are sowing	3
`G4687-21`	σπείρουσιν	speirousin	`V PRS ACT IND 3P PL`	sow	they are sowing	they are sowing	2
`G4687-18`	σπειρόμενοι	speiromenoi	`V PRS PASS PTCP NOM M PL`	being sown	those being sown	those being sown	2
`G4687-06`	σπαρῇ	spare	`V AOR PASS SUBJ 3P SG`	it is sown	it may be sown	it may be sown	2
`G4687-02`	ἔσπειρα	espeira	`V AOR ACT IND 1P SG`	I sowed	I sowed seed	I sowed seed	2
`G4687-01`	ἐσπαρμένον	esparmenon	`V PRF PASS PTCP ACC N SG`	has been sown	having been sown	having been sown	2
`G4687-09`	σπεῖραι	speirai	`V AOR ACT INF`	sow	to sow seed	to sow seed	2
`G4687-20`	σπείροντι	speironti	`V PRS ACT PTCP DAT M SG`	sower	to the one sowing	to the one sowing	1
`G4687-05`	ἔσπειρεν	espeiren	`V AOR ACT IND 3P SG`	sowed	he sowed	he sowed	1
`G4687-03`	ἐσπείραμεν	espeiramen	`V AOR ACT IND 1P PL`	have sown	we sowed	we sowed	1
`G4687-13`	σπείρῃ	speire	`V PRS ACT SUBJ 3P SG`	sows	he/she may sow	he/she may sow	1
`G4687-10`	σπείραντι	speiranti	`V AOR ACT PTCP DAT M SG`	who sowed	to the one having sown	having sown	1
`G4687-11`	σπείραντος	speirantos	`V AOR ACT PTCP GEN M SG`	sower	of the one who sowed	one who sowed	1
`G4687-08`	σπαρέντες	sparentes	`V AOR PASS PTCP NOM M PL`	sown	those having been sown	those having been sown	1
`G4687-12`	σπείρας	speiras	`V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M SG`	who-sowed	having sown	having sown	1
`G4687-14`	σπείρει	speirei	`V PRS ACT IND 3P SG`	sows	sows seed	sows	1

Occurrences in Scripture

52 occurrences

Filter by SIDANCE:

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`G4687-21`	Matthew 6:26	σπείρουσιν	speirousin	`V PRS ACT IND 3P PL`	they sow	they are sowing	they are sowing
`G4687-19`	Matthew 13:3	σπείρων	speiron	`V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG`	sower	the one sowing	the one sowing
`G4687-15`	Matthew 13:3	σπείρειν	speirein	`V PRS ACT INF`	sow	to sow seed	to sow seed
`G4687-15`	Matthew 13:4	σπείρειν	speirein	`V PRS ACT INF`	he sowed	to sow seed	to sow seed
`G4687-11`	Matthew 13:18	σπείραντος	speirantos	`V AOR ACT PTCP GEN M SG`	sower	of the one who sowed	one who sowed
`G4687-01`	Matthew 13:19	ἐσπαρμένον	esparmenon	`V PRF PASS PTCP ACC N SG`	has been sown	having been sown	having been sown
`G4687-07`	Matthew 13:19	σπαρείς	spareis	`V AOR PASS PTCP NOM M SG`	was sown	having been sown	having been sown
`G4687-07`	Matthew 13:20	σπαρείς	spareis	`V AOR PASS PTCP NOM M SG`	who received seed	having been sown	having been sown
`G4687-07`	Matthew 13:22	σπαρείς	spareis	`V AOR PASS PTCP NOM M SG`	sown	having been sown	having been sown
`G4687-07`	Matthew 13:23	σπαρείς	spareis	`V AOR PASS PTCP NOM M SG`	sown	having been sown	having been sown
`G4687-10`	Matthew 13:24	σπείραντι	speiranti	`V AOR ACT PTCP DAT M SG`	who sowed	to the one having sown	having sown
`G4687-04`	Matthew 13:27	ἔσπειρας	espeiras	`V AOR ACT IND 2P SG`	did-you-sow	you sowed seed	you sowed seed
`G4687-05`	Matthew 13:31	ἔσπειρεν	espeiren	`V AOR ACT IND 3P SG`	sowed	he sowed	he sowed
`G4687-19`	Matthew 13:37	σπείρων	speiron	`V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG`	sows	the one sowing	the one sowing
`G4687-12`	Matthew 13:39	σπείρας	speiras	`V AOR ACT PTCP NOM M SG`	who-sowed	having sown	having sown
`G4687-04`	Matthew 25:24	ἔσπειρας	espeiras	`V AOR ACT IND 2P SG`	you sowed	you sowed seed	you sowed seed
`G4687-02`	Matthew 25:26	ἔσπειρα	espeira	`V AOR ACT IND 1P SG`	I sowed	I sowed seed	I sowed seed
`G4687-19`	Mark 4:3	σπείρων	speiron	`V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG`	sower	the one sowing	the one sowing
`G4687-09`	Mark 4:3	σπεῖραι	speirai	`V AOR ACT INF`	to sow	to sow seed	to sow seed
`G4687-15`	Mark 4:4	σπείρειν	speirein	`V PRS ACT INF`	sowing	to sow seed	to sow seed
`G4687-19`	Mark 4:14	σπείρων	speiron	`V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG`	sower	the one sowing	the one sowing
`G4687-14`	Mark 4:14	σπείρει	speirei	`V PRS ACT IND 3P SG`	sows	sows seed	sows
`G4687-17`	Mark 4:15	σπείρεται	speiretai	`V PRS PASS IND 3P SG`	is sown	is being sown	is being sown
`G4687-01`	Mark 4:15	ἐσπαρμένον	esparmenon	`V PRF PASS PTCP ACC M SG`	having been sown	having been sown	having been sown
`G4687-18`	Mark 4:16	σπειρόμενοι	speiromenoi	`V PRS PASS PTCP NOM M PL`	being sown	those being sown	those being sown
`G4687-18`	Mark 4:18	σπειρόμενοι	speiromenoi	`V PRS PASS PTCP NOM M PL`	sown	those being sown	those being sown
`G4687-08`	Mark 4:20	σπαρέντες	sparentes	`V AOR PASS PTCP NOM M PL`	sown	those having been sown	those having been sown
`G4687-06`	Mark 4:31	σπαρῇ	spare	`V AOR PASS SUBJ 3P SG`	it is sown	it may be sown	it may be sown
`G4687-06`	Mark 4:32	σπαρῇ	spare	`V AOR PASS SUBJ 3P SG`	it is sown	it may be sown	it may be sown
`G4687-19`	Luke 8:5	σπείρων	speiron	`V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG`	sower	the one sowing	the one sowing
`G4687-09`	Luke 8:5	σπεῖραι	speirai	`V AOR ACT INF`	sow	to sow seed	to sow seed
`G4687-15`	Luke 8:5	σπείρειν	speirein	`V PRS ACT INF`	was sowing	to sow seed	to sow seed
`G4687-21`	Luke 12:24	σπείρουσιν	speirousin	`V PRS ACT IND 3P PL`	sow	they are sowing	they are sowing
`G4687-04`	Luke 19:21	ἔσπειρας	espeiras	`V AOR ACT IND 2P SG`	you sowed	you sowed seed	you sowed seed
`G4687-02`	Luke 19:22	ἔσπειρα	espeira	`V AOR ACT IND 1P SG`	I sowed	I sowed seed	I sowed seed
`G4687-19`	John 4:36	σπείρων	speiron	`V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG`	sower	the one sowing	the one sowing
`G4687-19`	John 4:37	σπείρων	speiron	`V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG`	sowing	the one sowing	the one sowing
`G4687-03`	1 Corinthians 9:11	ἐσπείραμεν	espeiramen	`V AOR ACT IND 1P PL`	have sown	we sowed	we sowed
`G4687-16`	1 Corinthians 15:36	σπείρεις	speireis	`V PRS ACT IND 2P SG`	you sow	you are sowing	you are sowing
`G4687-16`	1 Corinthians 15:37	σπείρεις	speireis	`V PRS ACT IND 2P SG`	you sow	you are sowing	you are sowing
`G4687-16`	1 Corinthians 15:37	σπείρεις	speireis-2	`V PRS ACT IND 2P SG`	you sow	you are sowing	you are sowing
`G4687-17`	1 Corinthians 15:42	σπείρεται	speiretai	`V PRS PASS IND 3P SG`	It is sown	is being sown	is being sown
`G4687-17`	1 Corinthians 15:43	σπείρεται	speiretai	`V PRS PASS IND 3P SG`	It is sown	is being sown
`G4687-17`	1 Corinthians 15:43	σπείρεται	speiretai-2	`V PRS PASS IND 3P SG`	It is sown	is being sown
`G4687-17`	1 Corinthians 15:44	σπείρεται	speiretai	`V PRS PASS IND 3P SG`	It is sown	is being sown	is being sown
`G4687-19`	2 Corinthians 9:6	σπείρων	speiron	`V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG`	sowing	the one sowing	the one sowing
`G4687-19`	2 Corinthians 9:6	σπείρων	speiron-2	`V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG`	sowing	the one sowing	the one sowing
`G4687-20`	2 Corinthians 9:10	σπείροντι	speironti	`V PRS ACT PTCP DAT M SG`	sower	to the one sowing	to the one sowing
`G4687-13`	Galatians 6:7	σπείρῃ	speire	`V PRS ACT SUBJ 3P SG`	sows	he/she may sow	he/she may sow
`G4687-19`	Galatians 6:8	σπείρων	speiron	`V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG`	sows	the one sowing	the one sowing
`G4687-19`	Galatians 6:8	σπείρων	speiron-2	`V PRS ACT PTCP NOM M SG`	sows	the one sowing	the one sowing
`G4687-17`	James 3:18	σπείρεται	speiretai	`V PRS PASS IND 3P SG`	is sown	is being sown	is being sown

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