Sometimes in the Bible seed is used the same way that we usually use the word seed, that what farmers and gardeners use to plant crops. The dictionary ( www.askjeeves.com ) defines seed as, "the grains or ripened ovules of plants used for sowing (2) : the fertilized ripened ovule of a flowering plant containing an embryo and capable normally of germination to produce a new plant; broadly : a propagative plant structure (as a spore or small dry fruit)." Seeds with this definition are the reproductive structures of plants. In nature the most common form of plant reproduction is by seed. There are some verses in the Bible that makes reference to this definition of seed where it actually means an agricultural seed. Some of my favorites are. Genesis 1:11-12 "And God said, "Let the earth put forth vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, upon the earth." And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good." These verses take place within the creation story of Genesis. God created everything that we have today in six days; these verses took place during the third day. God devoted the third day of creation to the separation of water and dry land, and to the development of plant life. It wasn't until the fifth and sixth days of creation that God created animal life. Since neither animals/man had been created, nor Christianity for that matter, the only possible meaning for seed in this verse is to mean seed, is seed from plants. In these two verses seed is only used in the form plants' reproductive structures. Genesis 47:24 "But when the crop comes in, give a fifth of it to Pharaoh. The other four-fifths you may keep as seed for the fields and as food for yourselves and your households and your children." This verse is using seed as the reproductive plant part. They are going to reproduce the plants that the seed came from in the fields, so that it will grow and be used for food to eat and for seed for the next growing season. This cycle is repeated year after year.
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