In biblical literature, the term "weed" is often used metaphorically to represent undesirable elements or influences that can corrupt or hinder spiritual growth. The imagery of weeds is primarily found in the context of agricultural parables and teachings, where they symbolize the presence of evil or sin among the righteous.

Parable of the Weeds (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43): One of the most notable references to weeds in the Bible is found in the Parable of the Weeds, also known as the Parable of the Tares, in the Gospel of Matthew. Jesus tells the account of a man who sows good seed in his field, but while everyone is sleeping, an enemy comes and sows weeds among the wheat. When the wheat sprouts and forms heads, the weeds also appear. The servants ask the owner if they should pull up the weeds, but he instructs them to let both grow together until the harvest. At that time, the weeds will be collected and burned, while the wheat will be gathered into the barn.

This parable is explained by Jesus as an illustration of the kingdom of heaven. The field represents the world, the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom, and the weeds symbolize the sons of the evil one. The enemy who sows the weeds is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age. The reapers are angels who will separate the righteous from the wicked. This parable emphasizes the coexistence of good and evil in the world and the ultimate judgment that will distinguish between the two.

Symbolism of Weeds: Weeds in the Bible often symbolize sin, false teachings, or corrupt influences that can infiltrate and disrupt the community of believers. They represent the challenges and temptations that Christians face in maintaining their faith and purity. The presence of weeds among the wheat serves as a reminder of the ongoing spiritual battle and the need for vigilance and discernment.

Old Testament References: While the specific term "weed" is not frequently used in the Old Testament, the concept of undesirable plants or growths is present. For example, in Isaiah 5:6, God speaks of laying waste to a vineyard, allowing briers and thorns to grow as a consequence of Israel's unfaithfulness. Similarly, in Jeremiah 12:13, the prophet laments that the people have sown wheat but reaped thorns, highlighting the futility of their efforts due to their disobedience.

Spiritual Lessons: The biblical imagery of weeds serves as a powerful metaphor for the Christian life. Believers are called to be vigilant in their spiritual walk, recognizing and resisting the influences that can lead them astray. The parable encourages patience and trust in God's ultimate justice, as He will separate the righteous from the wicked at the appointed time.

Practical Application: Christians are encouraged to examine their lives for any "weeds" that may hinder their spiritual growth. This involves regular self-reflection, prayer, and engagement with Scripture to discern and remove sinful habits or influences. The community of believers is also called to support one another in this process, fostering an environment where spiritual growth can flourish.

In summary, the concept of weeds in the Bible serves as a vivid illustration of the presence of evil and the challenges faced by believers in their pursuit of righteousness. Through the teachings of Jesus and the prophetic writings, the imagery of weeds underscores the importance of vigilance, discernment, and reliance on God's ultimate judgment.1. (n.) A garment; clothing; especially, an upper or outer garment.

2. (n.) An article of dress worn in token of grief; a mourning garment or badge; as, he wore a weed on his hat; especially, in the plural, mourning garb, as of a woman; as, a widow's weeds.

3. (n.) A sudden illness or relapse, often attended with fever, which attacks women in childbed.

4. (n.) Underbrush; low shrubs.

5. (n.) Any plant growing in cultivated ground to the injury of the crop or desired vegetation, or to the disfigurement of the place; an unsightly, useless, or injurious plant.

6. (n.) Fig.: Something unprofitable or troublesome; anything useless.

7. (n.) An animal unfit to breed from.

8. (n.) Tobacco, or a cigar.

9. (v. t.) To free from noxious plants; to clear of weeds; as, to weed corn or onions; to weed a garden.

10. (v. t.) To take away, as noxious plants; to remove, as something hurtful; to extirpate.

11. (v. t.) To free from anything hurtful or offensive.

12. (v. t.) To reject as unfit for breeding purposes.

2738. charul -- (a kind of weed), perhaps chickpea
... 2737, 2738. charul. 2739 . (a kind of weed), perhaps chickpea. Transliteration:
charul Phonetic Spelling: (khaw-rool') Short Definition: nettles. ...
/hebrew/2738.htm - 6k

5488. suph -- reeds, rushes
... flag, Red sea, weed. Probably of Egyptian origin; a reed, especially the papyrus --
flag, Red (sea), weed. Compare Cuwph. see HEBREW Cuwph. 5487, 5488. ...
/hebrew/5488.htm - 6k

890. boshah -- stinking or noxious weeds
... cockle. Feminine of b'osh; stink-weed or any other noxious or useless plant -- cockle.
see HEBREW b'osh. 889, 890. boshah. 891 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/890.htm - 6k

Outward Bound
... round aloft like an eagle, was hailed as an event in the day; and, on the 9th of
December, the appearance of the first fragments of gulf-weed caused quite a ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter i outward bound.htm

A Letter from a West Indian Cottage Ornee
... That one happens to be, as you may see by its little green mouse-tails, a
pepper-weed, {77} first cousin to the great black pepper-bush in the gardens near ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/at last/chapter v a letter from.htm

Involution
... and in many countries, and from the strange way in which it ramified through the
clay it was supposed to be some extinct variety of a gigantic water-weed. ...
/.../drummond/the lowell lectures on the ascent of man/chapter x involution.htm

The Child Heroine of New Brunswick
... keep them warm. She then started off to gather dry sea-weed, and whatever
else she could find, to cover them with. Having tenderly ...
/.../the child heroine of new.htm

Elegiacs
... Sweep the dry sand on, thou wild wind, to drift o'er the shell and the sea- weed;
Sea-weed and shell, like my dreams, swept down the pitiless tide. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/andromeda and other poems/elegiacs.htm

The Crowded Life
... Care is the weed that chokes plain people, and money is the weed that chokes
rich people. Sometimes a poor man wonders how a rich man feels. ...
/.../peabody/mornings in the college chapel/xlviii the crowded life.htm

Tobacco.
... Whoever heard of a first-class loafer who did not eat the weed or burn it, or both? ...
His leisure moments are absorbed in the sense-gratification of the weed. ...
/.../judy/questionable amusements and worthy substitutes/i tobacco.htm

Ignorance of the Seed Makes no Difference.
... It will take bitter toil to uproot them. An old divine said that when a
good farmer sees a weed in his field he has it pulled up. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/moody/sowing and reaping/chapter vi ignorance of the.htm

Another Wonderful Record of 25.
... 'Send and see if there be any jimson weed in the yard,' he cried. His order was
obeyed; the poisonous weed was found. The remedies were instantly changed. ...
/.../various/the wonders of prayer/another wonderful record of 25 00.htm

Concerning Free-Will
... Vex sudden, all around, the sable flood. High curled, flings forth the salt weed
on the shore;"". So it seemed to me to have happened yesterday. ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/methodius/concerning free-will/concerning free-will.htm

Weed (3 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) An article of dress worn in token of grief; a mourning garment or badge;
as, he wore a weed on his hat; especially, in the plural, mourning garb, as of ...
/w/weed.htm - 8k

Cockle (1 Occurrence)
... noisome weeds"), where it is the rendering of a Hebrew word (b'oshah) which means
"offensive," "having a bad smell," referring to some weed perhaps which has ...
/c/cockle.htm - 8k

Weeds (14 Occurrences)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia WEEDS. wedz (cuph, "a weed" (Jonah 2:5)). See FLAG;
COCKLE; RED SEA. Multi-Version Concordance Weeds (14 Occurrences). ...
/w/weeds.htm - 10k

Nettle (2 Occurrences)
... It may probably be a species of mustard, the Sinapis arvensis, which is
a pernicious weed abounding in corn-fields. Tristram thinks ...
/n/nettle.htm - 8k

Wedlock (1 Occurrence)

/w/wedlock.htm - 6k

Thistle (3 Occurrences)
... This was probably the star-thistle, called by botanists Centaurea calcitropa,
or "caltrops," a weed common in corn-fields. (see THORNS.). ...
/t/thistle.htm - 9k

Tare (4 Occurrences)
... 1. (imp.) Tore. 2. (n.) A weed that grows among wheat and other grain; -- alleged
by modern naturalists to be the Lolium temulentum, or darnel. ...
/t/tare.htm - 8k

Red (124 Occurrences)
... is Yam Suph. This word suph means a woolly kind of sea-weed, which the sea
casts up in great abundance on its shores. In these passages ...
/r/red.htm - 77k

Marshy (1 Occurrence)
... 1. (a.) Resembling a marsh; wet; boggy; fenny. 2. (a.) Pertaining to, or produced
in, marshes; as, a marshy weed. Multi-Version Concordance ...
/m/marshy.htm - 6k

Cheat (5 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) One who cheats or deceives; an impostor; a deceiver; a cheater. 3. (n.)
A troublesome grass, growing as a weed in grain fields; -- called also chess. ...
/c/cheat.htm - 8k

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