ζιζάνιον (zizanion)

The noun zizanion refers specifically to darnel, a weed that closely resembles wheat in its early growth stages. In the ancient Near East, this plant was a common agricultural nuisance because its seeds look nearly identical to grain until they mature and turn black. This visual similarity made it difficult for farmers to distinguish between the crop and the intruder without careful inspection.

The word appears exclusively in the New Testament within Matthew 13, where Jesus uses it in the Parable of the Weeds (Matthew 13:25-30, 36-43). The sources highlight that the owner’s instruction to let both grow together until harvest reflects a practical farming decision. Pulling the weeds early would likely uproot the wheat due to their intertwined roots, so separation is left for the reapers.

Translators often render zizanion as "tares," an older English term that preserves the specific botanical reference. The theological weight of the word lies in this delayed judgment; it illustrates a period where good and evil coexist in the world, with final distinction reserved for the end of the age rather than immediate human intervention.