Darnel or false grain
Reading a lexicon entry
What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
Strong's number: The Strong's code (H- or G-) is the standard reference number for this word. It connects this entry to chapter and passage language tabs.
Where it appears: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
This lexicon entry is part of our ongoing editorial review. If you notice missing content, unclear wording, or a possible correction, please send us a note through theConnect page. Screenshots are helpful.
The Greek noun zizánion names a weed, commonly understood as darnel or false grain, that resembles wheat during early growth. It occurs only in Matthew 13's parable of the weeds and in Jesus' explanation of that parable.
Reader summary
Full entry for ζιζάνιον (G2215) · Open the biblical lexicon
The Greek noun zizánion names a weed, commonly understood as darnel or false grain, that resembles wheat during early growth. It occurs only in Matthew 13's parable of the weeds and in Jesus' explanation of that parable.
The BSB source-word alignment has 8 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include weeds (5), [The] weeds (1), [the] weeds {come from} (1), weeds [now] (1).
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 13:25. Its strongest book concentrations include Matthew (8).
The Greek noun zizánion names a weed, commonly understood as darnel or false grain, that resembles wheat during early growth. It occurs only in Matthew 13's parable of the weeds and in Jesus' explanation of that parable. An enemy sows the weeds among good wheat. When both become visible, the servants want to remove the weeds, but the master refuses immediate uprooting because the wheat could be harmed.
He reserves separation for the harvest. In the private explanation, the Son of Man is the sower, the field is the world, the good seed represents the sons of the kingdom, the weeds represent the sons of the evil one, the enemy is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. The noun therefore belongs to Jesus' own interpreted story of patient divine judgment.
It does not authorize a church, state, leader, or individual to label disliked people as weeds, investigate hearts, expel whole classes of neighbors, or enact final judgment. Faithful teaching centers the Son of Man, protects people from premature uprooting, takes evil seriously, and leaves final separation to the agents Jesus names.
Zizánion stays within one Matthean parable. The weed's deceptive resemblance, delayed separation, danger of uprooting wheat, and final harvest all serve Jesus' teaching about evil, patience, protection, and divine judgment.
But while everyone was asleep, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and slipped away.
The enemy secretly introduces weeds into a field already sown with good seed, locating the corruption in hostile action rather than in the sower.
When the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the weeds also appeared.
The weeds become visible alongside grain only after growth, underscoring resemblance and delayed recognition rather than offering readers instant discernment of persons.
The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’
The servants question the source of weeds because they know the owner sowed good seed, and the parable directs blame toward an enemy.
‘No,’ he said, ‘if you pull the weeds now, you might uproot the wheat with them.
The master refuses immediate pulling because uprooting weeds could also uproot wheat, making protection from mistaken or destructive action central to the command.
Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat into my barn.’”
Both grow until harvest, when the master directs harvesters to separate them; timing and authority remain with the owner rather than the servants.
Then Jesus dismissed the crowds and went into the house. His disciples came to Him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”
The disciples request an explanation after Jesus leaves the crowds, showing that the parable requires interpretation rather than confident free association.
The field is the world, and the good seed represents the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one,
Jesus identifies the field as the world and the weeds as sons of the evil one, restricting interpretations that equate the field simply with a local congregation.
As the weeds are collected and burned in the fire, so will it be at the end of the age.
The collection and burning of weeds points to the end of the age, where Jesus' explanation places final judgment rather than ordinary human discipline.
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders ItA compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
Greek word. Weeds deceptively resembling wheat until harvest, symbolizing hidden evil within God's kingdom
Weeds deceptively resembling wheat until harvest, symbolizing hidden evil within God's kingdom
(in Talmud זוּנִין), zizanium (EV, tares), a kind of darnel, resembling wheat: Mat.13:25-40 (cf. DB, see word "Tares").
Textus Receptus witness, full corpusGreek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
8 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
spurious wheat, darnel
Read versespurious wheat, darnel
Read versespurious wheat, darnel
Read versespurious wheat, darnel
Read versespurious wheat, darnel
Read versespurious wheat, darnel
Read versespurious wheat, darnel
Read versespurious wheat, darnel
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
This word appears as a noun across 3 case and number patterns. The form changes show how the word functions in a sentence; they do not change the basic lexical meaning by themselves.
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Showing 1 selected witness from 8 lexical occurrence verses.
ζιζάνιον is of uncertain origin - no further derivation.
Illustrates deceptive evil within the kingdom’s visible sphere.Matthew 13:24–30
Zizánion teaches patience without treating evil as harmless. The enemy's act is real, the weeds are real, and the final judgment is severe. Yet the master's first response to the servants' proposal is restraint because their attempted removal could uproot wheat. That concern exposes the limits of human perception and the human cost of zealous sorting. Jesus then explains the field as the world, the harvest as the end of the age, and the harvesters as angels.
These identifications keep final separation under the Son of Man's authority rather than handing it to religious leaders, political powers, or anxious communities. The parable should not be used to silence truthful safeguarding or to suspend ordinary accountability for harm; protecting people from abuse is not the same as claiming perfect knowledge of eternal identity.
Nor should it excuse passivity toward injustice. Its particular warning concerns taking final judgment into human hands through destructive uprooting. Faithful proclamation can name evil, practice accountable care, seek repentance and justice, protect those at risk, and still refuse dehumanizing labels or purges. Hope rests in Christ's wise judgment, not in our ability to classify every neighbor.
Matt.13.29
Zizánion is a neuter Greek noun for a weed or darnel resembling grain. All eight New Testament occurrences are plural forms inside Matthew 13:25-40. Because the complete denominator belongs to one parable, Jesus' explanation provides unusually direct contextual control over the word's theological use.
Old Testament fields, mixed growth, harvest, and Day-of-the-Lord images provide a canonical background for cultivation and judgment. Matthew 13 nevertheless supplies its own identifications. Later New Testament judgment texts can confirm final accountability, but they do not transfer the angels' role to churches or governments.