Word for Word : Episode 31

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עֵ֚שֶׂב מַזְרִ֣יעַ זֶ֔רַע

Herbs producing seed

The second class of plants was what is variously translated herb and grass. The עֵ֚שֶׂב (aseb) was a distinct class of plant apart from the sprouts, though the ancient root means essentially the same thing.

It may be that both words refer to small plants in general in different stages of growth. If this the case, the sprouts grow to become seed ( זֶ֔רַע. zera` ) lbearers. The root of the verb form here, zara`, means to sow, that is, to scatter seed.

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