Why did Jesus in the bible say that the mustard seed is the smallest seed on earth, when it really isn't?

Question

Was it becuase he just didn't know becuase he was simply a mortal imperfect man, or is it just an error in the bible?

Answer 1

Becuase it was the smallest seed he'd ever seen, so he thought it was the smallest. Pretty simple unless your brainwashed. HE WAS WRONG. Or, at least mark was wrong, or at least whoever copied the first gospel of mark was wrong, or al least whoever copied the copy of mark, etc.

http://mama.indstate.edu/users/nizrael/jesusrefutation.html
http://englishatheist.org/indexd.shtml
http://www.positiveatheism.org/writ/imposs.htm

Answer 2

Because He wasn't speaking literally. It's similar to if we say something like "That's the ugliest dog in the world!"

Well, maybe it's not the ugliest -- it's just a way of emphasizing the fact that the dog is ugly, just as Jesus was emphasizing the fact that the mustard seed is tiny.

Also, perhaps the mustard seed was the smallest seed that His listeners knew about.

He didn't want to confuse them, or to stray too far from what He was saying about faith, by getting into this detailed spiel about other seeds in other parts of the world being smaller.

Another thing to consider -- Jesus was "perfect" in the sense that He was the Son of God and was without sin.

"Perfect" doesn't mean that He knew things that were well beyond the scientific knowledge that existed in His time.

That's why, when He was working as a carpenter in Galilee, He made things with the same tools that other carpenters in His time used -- He didn't break out the Stanley power tools even though, as Son of God, He probably could have!

Answer 3

The people who composed the Bible lived at a time and place when people believed many erroneous things, such as thinking the earth is flat or that the sun goes around the earth. They didn't know about the Western Hemisphere or even China...as neither of these places are mentioned in the Bible. It is likely that the mustard seed was chosen for this metaphor because it was and perhaps still is the smallest seed native to the Middle East.

Answer 4

The word translated as 'seed' in Mark 4:31 generally means "something sown". Within the context of agricultural crops of that area and time it was indeed the smallest "something sown" .

Addendum: I am amazed at the people who state that Jesus never said the smallest.

KJV Mar 4:31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth:

RV Mar 4:31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown upon the earth, though it be less than all the seeds that are upon the earth,

Webster Mar 4:31 It is like a mustard-seed, which, when sown in the earth, is the smallest of all the seeds in the world;

YLT Mar 4:31 As a grain of mustard, which, whenever it may be sown on the earth, is less than any of the seeds that are on the earth;

I can't help but wonder at professed non-Christians having a more thorough knowledge of the Bible than self-professed Christians.

Even five minutes of study a day would do wonders.
Two useful study resources:
http://www.e-sword.net/
http://www.thruthebible.org/

I sure there are many others.

Answer 5

He just said that is A small seed not the smallest. Anyway the meaning of the parable is not the size of the seed but the difference between a mustard seed and the full grown mustard bush; i.e. how so little can cause so much.

Answer 6

you may read carefully.
Mt 13:31 -
He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field.
Mt 17:20 -
He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
Mr 4:31 -
It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground.
4:32
Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade."
now are you clear, or do you have no heart to understand.

Answer 7

Well, even though I'm Christian, I never thought Jesus was God, because I didn't know that we were 'supposed' to think so, so it doesn't bother me if he was imperfect, because I always thought he was. I'm pretty sure he didn't say smallest. I think he said 'one of the smallest.' or something more like that. I only saw the video of it when I was 5 or so though. But it was probably the smallest seed in the area that could be seen by human eyes. A lot of seeds we would need a microscope to see, or would think they're dust. And, you'd probably have to read the bible in Hebrew, because to translate what he said exactly might be impossibe. You know, some words don't go across that easily.

Answer 8

He said it was the least of all seeds, possibly an unimportant seed. Condiments were not very popular back then and no squeeze bottle yet. There obviously are smaller seeds such as the berry families and radishes (close call) etc. but the mustard seed grows into a tree if unpruned to where birds can nest in it. The smaller seed are a plan, small vine etc., but no tree. Christ was trying to show how something so small and unimportant could become large and important.

Answer 9

Actually, the orchard is the smallest seed on earth but only 'man' would quibble over this matter. I believe he did know - because He knows all things - however, during this time period and place on the earth, the lesson he was trying to teach was not about biology, but rather the relationship of the smallest person and what they are capable of doing with great faith. It might be that in that place in the world, no one had seen an orchard seed - and therefore Jesus spoke to them about what they knew about. His use of parables is used throughout the Bible to show the people to whom he was teaching a relationship. Think about it - have you ever seen a fig tree? I haven't, but I believe the Word when it says - he cursed it because it was not good for fruit and that partiuclar tree produced no more. Many things are referenced because of the time period. (think about how the deception of the "apple" got passed along to many generations about the Garden of Eden situation...the Bible never once said "Eve ate an apple". smile)

Answer 10

Don't question the Bible. Maybe it was the smallest seed known to man at that time and Jesus knew but didn't want to confuse the people worse by telling them about a seed they had never heard of.

Answer 11

It was an example, in fact it's called a parable. Consider the place he was speaking, probably near fields and to people that worked the land. Mustard seeds were most likelt the smallest seeds they planted in that region so he used it as an example to help comprehension. Read the parable again and see if you can get the message behind it.