σπορά
sporá
G4701 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Act of sowing or the process of scattering seed; by extension, the thing sown (seed), or figuratively, descent, lineage, or offspring. While the core sense is agricultural, referring to the act or result of sowing seed, it can also be used metaphorically or analogically for origin or ancestry.
Semantic Range
sowing (the act of), sowing (the event/result), seed (in the sense of that which is sown), origin, descent, lineage, offspring, propagation
Root / Etymology
From the root σπερ- (as in σπείρω, ‘to sow’); the nominal derivative σπορά denotes the act or result of sowing.
Historical & Contextual Notes
σπορά appears infrequently in Greek literature, with its primary usage in classical and Koine sources denoting the act of sowing seed agriculturally. In the Septuagint and New Testament (notably in Romans 9:29), it carries a metaphorical sense, referencing progeny, descendants, or origin, drawing on the analogy of seed producing after its kind. The English tradition of rendering it as 'seed' at times narrows the word to physical descendants or offspring, but in Greek it retains the active nuance of 'scattering' or 'propagation.' In contrast to σπέρμα, which more directly refers to the material seed or offspring, σπορά emphasizes the act or event of sowing and its dynamic outcome. In Hellenistic usage and Stoic philosophical writings, the term can also refer to the notion of origin or first principles. The translation 'parentage' reflects the extended metaphor, but should not eclipse the primary meaning rooted in agriculture. Use in secular Koine often remains concrete, while biblical usage exploits its metaphorical range.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from σπείρω; a sowing, i.e. (by implication) parentage:--seed.
Root Family
σπερ- (speírō) — to sow, to scatter seed, to initiate growth
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4701-01 |
σπορᾶς | sporas | N GEN F SG |
seed | of sowing | sowing | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G4701-01 |
1 Peter 1:23 | σπορᾶς | sporas | N GEN F SG |
seed | of sowing | sowing |