Greek verb · G4687
σπείρω
speirospi'-ro
to sow
52 uses in the Greek text, one for each word STEP Bible has tagged with this key
Concordance spelling: speírō
Word page · Part of the concordance, one page for every word of the Hebrew and Greek text. Strong's G4687is this word's number in James Strong's 1890 index of the King James Bible.
- 8 of 27New Testament books
- 22spellings
The definition in full
Strong's key (1890) · G4687
to scatter, i.e. sow (literally or figuratively)
The King James renders it: sow(- er), receive seed.
James Strong, The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890), public domain. Strong indexed the King James text, and this site quotes his entry as that index.
Summary
speiro is rendered "to sow". It stands 52 times in the Greek text, across eight books.
- Seventeen of the uses stand in Matthew, more than in any other book.
- Its first use in canonical order opens the ledger below.Matthew 6:26Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns—and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
- The Greek text spells it twenty-two different ways.
The first use
Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns—and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
Matthew 6:26σπείρουσιν
The first use, in the order of the New Testament's books.
Where the word stands
Seventeen of the word's fifty-two uses are in Matthew.
What the word means
Each meaning, and the words it is translated by
How the Greek text is glossed, word by word
- sowing13
- having been sown6
- It is sown4
- having sown3
- sown3
- to sow3
- you sow3
- is sowing2
- is sown2
- it may be sown2
- sowed2
- they sow2
and 6 more, 52 uses in all
The words built on the same word-part
Each word below begins with the same letters this one begins with. A shared word-part shows a family. It does not settle what any one of them means, so each word carries its own uses on its own page. Scholars call that shared part the stem.
| Word | Written | Meaning | Uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| σπεῖρα | speira | band | Uses7 |
The words it stands beside
All 52, in canonical order
Every use, in order
Every use, grouped by book, with its verse.
22 spellings and their grammar
STEP Bible tags every word of the Hebrew and Greek text with its spelling and its grammar. Both lists below count the rows printed underneath, written out in English, with the code beside each one as it was tagged.
How it is spelled
- σπείρων11
- σπείρεται6
- σπαρείς4
- σπείρειν4
- σπείρεις3
- ἐσπαρμένον2
- ἔσπειρα2
- ἔσπειρας2
- σπαρῇ2
- σπεῖραι2
- σπειρόμενοι2
- σπείρουσιν2
and 10 more spellings in the ledger below.
The grammar of each form
- verb · present active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine singular11V-PAP-NSM
- verb · present passive, indicative · 3rd person singular6V-PPI-3S
- verb · aorist passive, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine singular4V-2APP-NSM
- verb · present active, infinitive (“to…”)4V-PAN
- verb · aorist active, indicative · 2nd person singular3V-AAI-2S
- verb · present active, indicative · 2nd person singular3V-PAI-2S
- verb · aorist passive, subjunctive · 3rd person singular2V-2APS-3S
- verb · aorist active, indicative · 1st person singular2V-AAI-1S
- verb · aorist active, infinitive (“to…”)2V-AAN
- verb · present active, indicative · 3rd person plural2V-PAI-3P
- verb · present passive, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine plural2V-PPP-NPM
- verb · aorist passive, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine plural1V-2APP-NPM
Matthew
seventeen uses
Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns—and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
- σπείρουσινspeirousinverb · present active, indicative · 3rd person pluraltagged: they sow
And He told them many things in parables, saying, “A farmer went out to sow his seed.
- σπείρωνspeironverb · present active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: sowing
- σπείρεινspeireinverb · present active, infinitive (“to…”)tagged: to sow
And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.
- σπείρεινspeireinverb · present active, infinitive (“to…”)tagged: sowing
Consider, then, the parable of the sower:
- σπείραντοςspeirantosverb · aorist active, participle · genitive (“of”) · masculine singulartagged: having sown
When anyone hears the message of the kingdom but does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path.
- ἐσπαρμένονesparmenonverb · perfect passive, participle · accusative (object) · neuter singulartagged: having been sown
- σπαρείςspareisverb · aorist passive, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: having been sown
The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.
- σπαρείςspareisverb · aorist passive, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: having been sown
The seed sown among the thorns is the one who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
- σπαρείςspareisverb · aorist passive, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: having been sown
But the seed sown on good soil is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and produces a crop—a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold.”
- σπαρείςspareisverb · aorist passive, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: having been sown
Jesus put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.
- σπείραντιspeirantiverb · aorist active, participle · dative (“to / for”) · masculine singulartagged: having sown
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?’
- ἔσπειραςespeirasverb · aorist active, indicative · 2nd person singulartagged: did you sow
He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man planted in his field.
- ἔσπειρενespeirenverb · aorist active, indicative · 3rd person singulartagged: sowed
He replied, “The One who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.
- σπείρωνspeironverb · present active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: sowing
and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
- σπείραςspeirasverb · aorist active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: having sown
Finally, the servant who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Master, I knew that you are a hard man, reaping where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.
- ἔσπειραςespeirasverb · aorist active, indicative · 2nd person singulartagged: you did sow
‘You wicked, lazy servant!’ replied his master. ‘You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed.
- ἔσπειραespeiraverb · aorist active, indicative · 1st person singulartagged: I sowed
Mark
twelve uses
“Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed.
- σπείρωνspeironverb · present active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: sowing
- σπεῖραιspeiraiverb · aorist active, infinitive (“to…”)tagged: to sow
And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.
- σπείρεινspeireinverb · present active, infinitive (“to…”)tagged: sowing
The farmer sows the word.
- σπείρωνspeironverb · present active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: sowing
- σπείρειspeireiverb · present active, indicative · 3rd person singulartagged: sows
Some are like the seeds along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.
- σπείρεταιspeiretaiverb · present passive, indicative · 3rd person singulartagged: is sown
- ἐσπαρμένονesparmenonverb · perfect passive, participle · accusative (object) · masculine singulartagged: sown
Some are like the seeds sown on rocky ground. They hear the word and at once receive it with joy.
- σπειρόμενοιspeiromenoiverb · present passive, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine pluraltagged: sown
Others are like the seeds sown among the thorns. They hear the word,
- σπειρόμενοιspeiromenoiverb · present passive, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine pluraltagged: sown
Still others are like the seeds sown on good soil. They hear the word, receive it, and produce a crop—thirtyfold, sixtyfold, or a hundredfold.”
- σπαρέντεςsparentesverb · aorist passive, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine pluraltagged: having been sown
It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds sown upon the earth.
- σπαρῇspareaverb · aorist passive, subjunctive · 3rd person singulartagged: it may be sown
But after it is planted, it grows to be the largest of all garden plants and puts forth great branches, so that the birds of the air nest in its shade.”
- σπαρῇspareaverb · aorist passive, subjunctive · 3rd person singulartagged: it may be sown
Luke
six uses
“A farmer went out to sow his seed. And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, where it was trampled, and the birds of the air devoured it.
- σπείρωνspeironverb · present active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: sowing
- σπεῖραιspeiraiverb · aorist active, infinitive (“to…”)tagged: to sow
- σπείρεινspeireinverb · present active, infinitive (“to…”)tagged: sowing
Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storehouse or barn; yet God feeds them. How much more valuable you are than the birds!
- σπείρουσινspeirousinverb · present active, indicative · 3rd person pluraltagged: they sow
For I was afraid of you, because you are a harsh man. You withdraw what you did not deposit and reap what you did not sow.’
- ἔσπειρας.¶espeirasverb · aorist active, indicative · 2nd person singulartagged: you did sow
His master replied, ‘You wicked servant, I will judge you by your own words. So you knew that I am a harsh man, withdrawing what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow?
- ἔσπειραespeiraverb · aorist active, indicative · 1st person singulartagged: I did sow
John
two uses
Already the reaper draws his wages and gathers a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may rejoice together.
- σπείρωνspeironverb · present active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: is sowing
For in this case the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true.
- σπείρωνspeironverb · present active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: is sowing
1 Corinthians
eight uses
If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much for us to reap a material harvest from you?
- ἐσπείραμενespeiramenverb · aorist active, indicative · 1st person pluraltagged: sowed
You fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies.
- σπείρειςspeireisverb · present active, indicative · 2nd person singulartagged: you sow
And what you sow is not the body that will be, but just a seed, perhaps of wheat or something else.
- σπείρειςspeireisverb · present active, indicative · 2nd person singulartagged: you sow
- σπείρειςspeireisverb · present active, indicative · 2nd person singulartagged: you sow
So will it be with the resurrection of the dead: What is sown is perishable; it is raised imperishable.
- σπείρεταιspeiretaiverb · present passive, indicative · 3rd person singulartagged: It is sown
It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.
- σπείρεταιspeiretaiverb · present passive, indicative · 3rd person singulartagged: It is sown
- σπείρεταιspeiretaiverb · present passive, indicative · 3rd person singulartagged: It is sown
It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.
- σπείρεταιspeiretaiverb · present passive, indicative · 3rd person singulartagged: It is sown
2 Corinthians
three uses
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
- σπείρωνspeironverb · present active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: sowing
- σπείρωνspeironverb · present active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: sowing
Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your store of seed and will increase the harvest of your righteousness.
- σπείροντιspeirontiverb · present active, participle · dative (“to / for”) · masculine singulartagged: sowing
Galatians
three uses
Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return.
- σπείρῃspeireverb · present active, subjunctive · 3rd person singulartagged: shall sow
The one who sows to please his flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; but the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
- σπείρωνspeironverb · present active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: sowing
- σπείρωνspeironverb · present active, participle · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: sowing
James
one use
Peacemakers who sow in peace reap the fruit of righteousness.
- σπείρεταιspeiretaiverb · present passive, indicative · 3rd person singulartagged: is sown
Where it leads
How the numbers are counted
Every count on this page comes from STEP Bible's tagged Hebrew and Greek text, the same text the ledger prints. A use is counted once each time the tagging marks a word with this key.
Spellings are counted as the Greek text spells them, with the sentence's own punctuation taken off the word first, so a form that ends a clause is not counted as a second spelling.
The words it stands beside are the nouns, verbs and adjectives immediately before or after it, counted in every verse where the word stands. The article, the conjunctions and the prepositions are left out, because they stand beside every word.
The family is read from the lexicon by the stem the two words share, with the accents off, and a person or a place named on the stem is left out.