Tares
There can be little doubt that the zizania of the parable, (Matthew 13:25) denotes the weed called “darnel” (Lolium temulentum). The darnel before it comes into ear is very similar in appearance to wheat; hence the command that the zizania should be left to the harvest, lest while men plucked up the tares “they should root up also the wheat with them.” Dr.
Stanley, however, speaks of women and children picking up from the wheat in the cornfields of Samaria the tall green stalks, still called by the Arabs zuwan . “These stalks,” he continues, “if sown designedly throughout the fields, would be inseparable from the wheat, from which, even when growing naturally and by chance, they are at first sight hardly distinguishable.” See also Thomson (“The Land and the Book” p. 420): “The grain is in just the proper stage to illustrate the parable.
In those parts where the grain has headed out, the tares have done the same, and then a child cannot mistake them for wheat or barley; but where both are less developed, the closest scrutiny will often fail to detect them. Even the farmers, who in this country generally weed their fields, do not attempt to separate the one from the other.” The grains of the L. temulentum, if eaten, produce convulsions, and even death.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia on Tares
Tares tarz (zizania (Mt 13:25 ff), margin "darnel"): Zizania is equivalent to Arabic zuwan, the name given to several varieties of darnel of which Lolium temulentum, the "bearded darnel," is the one most resembling wheat, and has been supposed to be degenerated wheat. On the near approach of harvest it is carefully weeded out from among the wheat by the women and children. Zuwan is commonly used as chickens' food; it is not poisonous to human beings unless infected with the mold ergot. ⇒See a list of verses on TARES in the Bible. ⇒See the definition of tare in the KJV Dictionary ⇒See also the McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia.
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible on Tares
There are 4 species of tares in the Holy Land: Lolium pcrenne, L., the Ray Grass, L. multiflorum. Gaud., L. rigidum. Gaud., and L. temulentum, L., the Bearded Darnel. The latter is the most common in the grain fields, and, being as tall as the wheat and barley, is doubtless the plant intended in the parable (Alt 13'^-^). The other species are lower, and have more slender spikes, and smaller grains. The Gr. and Lat. ztzania are prob. derived from the Arab, zii'dn or zuwdn, the common name for the tare. The seeds are poisonous to man and the herbivorous animals, producing sleepiness, vertigo, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and convulsions, and sometimes death. They are, however, innocuous to poultry. They are sold in all Oriental grain markets as food for chickens. It is customary to gatlier out of the grain fields, not only tares, but all the taller plants growing among the grain, which can be easily pulled up without causing tlie person engaged to bend over in a way to endanger breaking the stalks of grain. This not only cleans the fields of other plants, but furnishes a large amount o…
Fausset's Bible Dictionary on Tares
Mat 13:24-30. Zizanion, Arabic, zowan, Hebrew zownin; zan means "nausea." Not our vetch, but darnel; at first impossible to distinguish from wheat or barley, until the wheat's ear is developed, when the thin fruitless ear of the darnel is detected. Its root too so intertwines with that of the wheat that the farmer cannot separate them, without plucking up both, "till the time of harvest." The seed is like wheat, but smaller and black, and when mixed with wheat flour causes dizziness, intoxication, and paralysis; Lolium temulentum, "bearded darnel", the only deleterious grain among all the numerous grasses. French, ivraie, "tipsy grass," from from whence our harmless "rye grass" is named. Hollow professors, having the form without the reality of godliness, nay, even hurtful and bad (Isa 29:13; Mat 15:8; Mar 7:6; Eze 33:31). None but the Lord of the harvest can distinguish the seeming from the real. The attempt to forestall His judgment for the sake of securing a pure church has always failed, and has only tended to foster spiritual pride and hypocrisy. Trench makes the "tares" into de…
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Easton, M.G. (1893) Easton's Bible Dictionary. 3rd edn. Thomas Nelson. [Public Domain]
- Nave, O.J. (1897) Nave's Topical Bible. Topical Bible Publishing Co.. [Public Domain]
- Hastings, J. (ed.) (1909) A Dictionary of the Bible. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Smith, W. (ed.) (1884) Smith's Bible Dictionary. London: John Murray. [Public Domain]
- Fausset, A.R. (1878) Fausset's Bible Dictionary. [Public Domain]A Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopaedia