σπέρμα

σπέρμα, ατος, τό (σπείρω; Hom.+)

① the source from which someth. is propagated, seed

ⓐ seed of plants pl. seeds 1 Cl 24:5; AcPlCor 2:26, 28 (Ath. 33, 1); (kinds of) seeds (ApcMos 29; Mel., P. 48, 341) Mt 13:32; Mk 4:31; 1 Cor 15:38 (MDahl, The Resurrection of the Body [1 Cor 15], ’62, 121–25). Sing., collective (POslo 32, 15 [1 A.D.] τὸ εἰς τ. γῆν σπέρμα) Mt 13:24, 27, 37f; 2 Cor 9:10 v.l. (Is 55:10). See Papias (1:3, Lat.).

ⓑ male seed or semen (Pind. et al.; ApcEsdr 5:12 p. 30, 7 Tdf.; Just., A I, 19, 1 al.; Ath. 21, 1; 22, 4), so perh. Hb 11:11 (s. καταβολή 2 and s. 2b below, also Cadbury [αἷμα 1a]) and J 7:42; Ro 1:3; 2 Ti 2:8; IEph 18:2; IRo 7:3 (s. also 2a below on these passages). Then, by metonymy

② the product of insemination, posterity, descendants

ⓐ descendants, children, posterity (in Pind. and Trag., but mostly of an individual descendant; Pla., Leg. 9, 853c ἄνθρωποί τε καὶ ἀνθρώπων σπέρμασιν νομοθετοῦμεν. The pl. also 4 Macc 18:1; Ps.-Phoc. 18; Jos., Ant. 8, 200) in our lit. (as well as Aeschyl.; Soph., Trach. 1147; Eur., Med. 669 and, above all, LXX; TestAbr A 8 p. 85, 21 [Stone 18, 21]; ApcEsdr 3:10 p. 27, 19 Tdf.; ApcMos 41; Just., A I, 32, 14 al.) collective τῷ Ἀβραὰμ καὶ τῷ σπέρματι αὐτοῦ Lk 1:55. See J 8:33, 37; Ac 7:5, 6 (Gen 15:13); 13:23; Ro 4:13; 11:1; 2 Cor 11:22; Hb 2:16; 11:18 (Gen 21:12); 1 Cl 10:4–6 (Gen 13:15f; 15:5); 16:11 (Is 53:10); 32:2 (cp. Gen 22:17); 56:14 (Job 5:25); B 3:3 (Is 58:7); Hv 2, 2, 2; Hs 9, 24. Of Salome σπ. εἰμὶ ʼ Αβραὰμ καὶ Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Ἰακώβ GJs 20:2.—ἀνιστάναι σπ. τινί raise up children for someone Mt 22:24 (s. ἀνίστημι 3 and Dt 25:5); GJs 1:3b. Also ἐξανιστάναι σπ. Mk 12:19; Lk 20:28 (s. ἐξανίστημι 2). ἔχειν σπ. Mt 22:25; ἀφιέναι σπ. Mk 12:20, 22; also καταλείπειν σπ. vs. 21. ποιεῖν σπ. (Is 37:31) GJs 1:2f. ὅπως εὐλογηθῇ τὸ σπ. σου so that your posterity may be blessed 15:4.—Hb 11:11 may belong here (s. καταβολή 1 and s. 1b above); ἐκ (τοῦ) σπέρματος Δαυίδ w. ref. to Jesus may be classed here (s. Ps 88:5 and s. 1b above) J 7:42; Ro 1:3; 2 Ti 2:8; IEph 18:2; IRo 7:3; AcPlCor 2:5.—In imagistic use of metonymy σπ. is also used w. ref. to Abraham’s spiritual descendants, i.e. those who have faith like his Ro 4:16, 18 (Gen 15:5); 9:8; cp. vs. 7ab (Gen 21:12); Gal 3:29.—It is contrary to normal OT usage (for, even if Gen 4:25; 1 Km 1:11 σπέρμα is used w. ref. to a single individual, he stands as the representative of all the descendants) when one person, i.e. the Messiah, is called σπέρμα and thus is exalted above the mass of Abraham’s descendants (s. MWilcox, JSNT 5, 79, 2–20 on Targumim and rabbinic sources for application to individuals). In Ac 3:25 the promise of Gen 22:18 is referred to him, and s. esp. Gal 3:16, 19 (EBurton, ICC Gal 1921, 505–10).—In Rv 12:17 the Christians are called οἱ λοιποὶ τοῦ σπέρματος αὐτῆς the rest (in addition to the son just born to her) of her (the heavenly woman’s) children.

ⓑ of a few survivors, fr. whom a new generation will arise (cp. Wsd 14:6; 1 Esdr 8:85; Jos., Ant. 11, 144; 12, 303; also Pla., Tim. 23c; Phlegon: 257 Fgm. 36 II, 3, 8 vs. 21 Jac. [p. 1174] ὅ τί που καὶ σπέρμα λίποιτο) Ro 9:29 (Is 1:9). Then

③ genetic character, nature, disposition, character, of the divine σπέρμα (acc. to BWeiss = the word of God; acc. to EHaupt, Westcott, HHoltzmann, OBaumgarten, OHoltzmann, HHWendt, FHauck = the beginning or germ of a new life, planted in us by the Spirit of God; acc. to HWindisch and THaering, who are uncertain, = word or spirit; acc. to WWrede = the grace that makes us holy; RSV et al. ‘nature’) that dwells in one who is γεγεννημένος ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ (γεννάω 1b) and makes it ‘impossible for such a pers. to sin’ 1J 3:9 (JPainter, NTS 32, ’86, 48–71). The imagery suggests a person of exceptional merit, in Greco-Roman circles a model citizen, possesser of ἀρετή (q.v.; on the importance of ancestral virtue s. Pind., O. 7, 90–92; P. 10, 11–14; N. 3, 40–42; 6, 8–16; cp. Epict. 1, 13, 3: the slave has, just as you do, τὸν Δία πρόγονον, ὥσπερ υἱὸς ἐκ τῶν αὐτῶν σπερμάτων γέγονεν; s. also Herm. Wr. 9, 3; 4a; 6 ἀπὸ τ. θεοῦ λαβὼν τὰ σπέρματα; Philo, Ebr. 30 τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ σπέρματα al.; Synes., Ep. 151 p. 289b τὸ σπ. τὸ θεῖον; Just. A I, 32, 8 τὸ παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ σπέρμα, ὁ λόγο.—Musonius p. 8, 1 ἀρετῆς σπ. Maximus Tyr. 10, 4g σπ. ψυχῆς.—Pind., P. 3, 15 σπέρμα θεοῦ καθαρόν refers to Asclepius, Apollo’s son by Coronis.).—B. 505. DELG s.v. σπείρω. M-M. EDNT. TW.