What Is The Smallest Seed?

What is The Smallest Seed?

In the Gospels a parable is said by Jesus, in it, he claims a mustard seed in the smallest seed. As Matthew writes, "Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof," (Matthew 13:31-32 KJV). The parable's point was to show that the kingdom of God may start small, but one day it will become large as a mustard seed does, becoming a tree. However, skeptics claim Jesus claimed that a mustard seed is the smallest seed. Obviously, this would be a false claim as the mustard seed averages around 1-2.5 mm. (.04-.099 in.) and many seeds such as Orchid seeds which at their smallest can be around .05 mm. (.002 in.). So is there a contradiction?

Well, there are a few answers to this conundrum we find ourselves in. Firstly, some have said that it is the smallest seed, at least in a sort of way. Note that in the passage it speaks of fields(Matthew 13:31), so some have argued that it is indeed the smallest seed a farmer of the time would have planted. It is not like he was speaking to a group of botanists, but to normal farmers. Plants such as orchids were not normally planted by farmers; especially poor farmers who would likely desire to make crops of more profitable harvests. This is not to say orchids are not profitable, but they are not a plant that will be mass-produced as farmers do for it is not something one would normally eat. If Jesus had used something more unfamiliar to the men, it would be understandable if they raised some eyebrows, something Jesus would not want to occur.

Another simple explanation is that it was merely an exaggeration or idiom. In Jesus' parables, exaggeration does not seem to be uncommon so perhaps he used exaggeration to further his point.

Another possible answer is when Jesus states the mustard seed is the smallest or least of, he means it is the least important of the seeds. The mustard seed, compared to most crops, is cheap or considered worse than your average seed; however, when it develops it becomes something truly fantastic. The tree being tall among the other crops, a place where the birds can perch(Matthew 13:32).  So the mustard seed certainly is small, but is in a metaphorical sense.

Works Cited:

Arditti, Joseph, and Abdul Karim Abdul Ghani. “Tansley Review No. 110.: Numerical and physical properties of orchid seeds and their biological implications.” The New phytologist vol. 145,3 (2000): 367-421. doi:10.1046/j.1469-8137.2000.00587.

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "mustard". Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Jan. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/plant/mustard. Accessed 20 February 2023.

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