Mustard Seed: a plant of the genus sinapis, a pod-bearing, shrub-like plant, growing wild, and also cultivated in gardens
The little round seeds were an emblem of any small insignificant object. It is not mentioned in the Old Testament; and in each of the three instances of its occurrence in the New Testament (Matt. 13:31-32; Mark 4:31-32; Luke 13:18-19) it is spoken of only with reference to the smallness of its seed. The common mustard of Palestine is the Sinapis nigra (= Brassica nigra). This garden herb sometimes grows to a considerable height, so as to be spoken of as “a tree” as compared with garden herbs.
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συκάμινος, ου f (feminine)—‘mulberry tree,’ a deciduous fruit tree growing to the height of some six meters (about twenty feet) and bearing black berries containing a sweet reddish juice. ἐλέγετε ἂν τῇ συκαμίνῳ ταύτῃ ‘if you should say to this mulberry tree’ Lk 17:6.
For languages which have no specific term for ‘mulberry tree,’ one can often employ a generic expression followed by a type of classifier, for example, ‘the tree called mulberry’ (in which case the term ‘mulberry’ may be borrowed from a dominant language of the area) or ‘a tree producing berries’; but in Lk 17:6 the focus is upon the tree as a large object and not upon the type of fruit which it produced. One can, therefore, say simply ‘this tree.’ 1
1Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Vol. 1: Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: Based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition.) (28). New York: United Bible Societies.
Sycamine tree mentioned only in Luke 17:6
It is rendered by Luther "mulberry tree" (q.v.), which is most probably the correct rendering. It is found of two species, the black mulberry (Morus nigra) and the white mulberry (Mourea), which are common in Palestine. The silk-worm feeds on their leaves. The rearing of them is one of the chief industries of the peasantry of Lebanon and of other parts of the land. It is of the order of the fig-tree. Some contend, however, that this name denotes the sycamore-fig of Luke 19:4.
WebBible Encyclopedia… a free service of Eden Communications (provider of ChristianAnswers.Net) / Copyright © 2000-2012, Eden Communications. All rights reserved.
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