It has taken some time to understand what the Parable of the Sower meant when it introduced the function “soil” in its critique of human beings’ betrayal of God’s covenant with Abraham. Still, by the time the New Testament was written, Matthew, Mark, and Luke all found it necessary to clarify that the position of the one being judged was separate from the station of the one Judge.

In the end, the nuance of “seed” as covenant unto instruction vs. seed as offspring and the distinction between “holy seed” and “rebellious seed” were not clear enough for those who, like the Caesars, sought to enthrone themselves as gods by making the Bible a historical narrative about their community.

Long before the Qur’an split the function zera’ into two distinct Semitic roots, the New Testament introduced the function “soil” opposite the covenantal seed of Abraham to demonstrate how God’s instruction operates as the sole Judge of his offspring, who, like Job, are found wallowing in the dark midnight of their self-righteous fate, powerless before him, left only with only “with ears to hear” his voice and the opportunity to submit to him, or not.

That is why Jesus is explicit and open. There are no secrets or mysteries. The seed is the word of God, and the mystery is his judgment, which, the prophet Daniel taught us, is beyond man’s grasp.

He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

This week, I discuss Luke 8:9-15.

Show Notes

μυστήριον (mystērion) / ר-ז-ז (resh-zayin-zayin)

The term רָז (raz) is an Aramaic word that means “mystery” or “secret.”

“The king answered unto Daniel, and said, of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.” (Daniel 2:47)

The name “Daniel' comes from דָּן (dan), meaning 'judge,” and אֵל (el), which refers to “God.” 

קוֹדֶר (qoder) / قَدْر (qadr)

In biblical Hebrew, קוֹדֶר (qoder) can mean “dark” or “gloomy.” (Job 30:28) In Arabic, the phrase ليلة القدر (laylat al-qadr) refers to “The Night of Decree,” “The Night of Power,” or " The Night of Fate,” during which the prophet received the Word of God. 

As an extension of judgment, qadr can also refer to value, worth, extent, amount, volume, or rank:

• له قدر كبير (lahu qadr kabīr) “he is highly esteemed.”
• قدر الماء (qadr al-māʼ ) “amount of water”

παραβολή (parabolē) / מ-ש-ל (mem-shin-lamed) / م-ث-ل (meem-tha-lam) 

In Arabic, the word مَثَل (mathal, plural: أمثال amthāl) is equivalent to the Hebrew מַשָּׁל (mashal).

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَسْتَحْيِي أَنْ يَضْرِبَ مَثَلًا مَا
(inna allāha lā yastaḥyī an yaḍriba mathalan mā)
”Indeed, God is not shy to present a parable (mashal)”
Surah Al-Baqarah (2:26)

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