Seed

The English word "seed" occurs in the Holy Bible 254 times.  It's translated from the Hebrew word "zehrah" [Strong's #2233] 202 times and from the Greek words "sperma" [Strong's #4690] and "spora" [Strong's 4701] a total of 52 times.

We know from His discussion with the jews that Jesus made a distinction between the "seed" [read: sperma] of Abraham and the "children" [read: teknon] of Abraham.  He acknowledged that they were of the "seed" of abraham as they claimed, but He denied they were the "teknon" [read: children, or descendants] of Abraham:

Joh 8:37 I know^{1492 that3754 ye are2075 Abraham's11 seed;4690 but235 ye seek2212 to kill615 me,3165 because3754 my1699 word3056 hath no place5562, 3756 in1722 you.5213}

Joh 8:39 They answered^{611 and2532 said2036 unto him,846 Abraham11 is2076 our2257 father.3962 Jesus2424 saith3004 unto them,846 If1487 ye were2258 Abraham's11 children,5043 ye would do4160, 302 the3588 works2041 of Abraham.11}

Clearly, when jews ARE the "seed" but are NOT the "descendants", there's a major difference in the above between "sperma" and "teknon", or "seed" and "children", or "seed" and "descendants", which gives us an opportunity to more clearly understand the differences between these two seemingly similar Greek (and English) words.  The clue to the difference is in Strong's definition of "sperma" as being "remnant", which Webster's defines as:

REM'NANT, n. [contracted from remanent. See Remain.]

1. Residue; that which is left after the separation, removal or destruction of a part.

The remnant that are left of the captivity. Neh 1.

2. That which remains after a part is done, performed, told or passed.

The remnant of my tale is of a length to tire your patience.

Where I may think the remnant of my thoughts.

REM'NANT, a. Remaining; yet left.

And quiet dedicate her remnant life to the just duties of a humble wife. [Little used.]

"Remnant of my thoughts" is the sense that Jesus meant to apply to the jews' claim that they had a genealogical relationship with Abraham.  Jesus said their relationship to Abraham was as "remnants" and not as "descendants".

What we know about the Edomites who lived in Judaea at the time Jesus was there is that they were direct descendants of Esau who had miscegentated with "Canaanite women" and had been exiled from and continually warred with other descendants of Abraham [read: Israelites] for the past 40 generations.   Esau was a grandson of Abraham, but none of Esau's descendants intermarried with, socialized with, nor had any other contact with (other than wars) with Israelites.

What are "Canaanite women", why did everyone from Abraham to Esau's parents to Jesus have heartburn over the fact that Esau married them, and why did God "hate" Esau for it?

As it is written: "I loved Jacob but hated Esau", Romans 9:13

The Canaanite women were descendants of Cain--marrying them polluted the pure Hebrew and Semitic Races.

And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan,Genesis 28:1

To be a "seed" of someone requires only a genealogical relationship with them.  For an Israelite to be "children" or "descendants" not only requires this genealogical relationship, but that God's Law and Israelite Law regarding miscegenation not be violated.

A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the LORD, Deuteronomy 23:2

Had Esau not married Canaanite women, it's possible that we wouldn't be having the problems in the world with jews that are about to take us under.

H2233 zera

From H2232; seed; figuratively fruit, plant, sowing time, posterity: - X carnally, child, fruitful, seed (-time), sowing-time.

G4701 spora

From G4687; a sowing, that is, (by implication) parentage: - seed.

G5043 teknon

From the base of G5098; a child (as produced): - child, daughter, son.

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