Tares (Darnel)
The false wheat. Represents the counterfeit within the Kingdom.
Botanical Facts
scienceThorn
ζιζάνιον (Zizanion)
Lolium temulentum
2 references
The Enemy in the Field
Jesus told the parable of the wheat and the tares to explain the presence of evil within the visible church. An enemy sowed weeds among the wheat while men slept:
We are forbidden from uprooting them prematurely, lest we damage the wheat. Tares symbolize counterfeit believers—those who look like the real thing but produce poisonous fruit.
The Deadly Mimicry
Darnel (Lolium temulentum) looks almost identical to wheat until harvest. Its roots intertwine with wheat roots, making early removal impossible without destroying the good crop. Only at harvest does the difference become clear: wheat bows heavy with grain; darnel stands straight with empty, blackish seeds. The counterfeit is revealed only when it's time to produce.
Women and Children Weeding
Near harvest, Palestinian farmers would send women and children into the fields to carefully weed out the darnel by hand, once it could be identified by its darker head. This tedious, careful work pictures the angels' task at the end of the age—separating true from false with divine precision.
The Fire at Harvest
Jesus interprets His own parable:
"Just as the tares are gathered and burned with fire, so it will be at the end of this age." The tares are more than discarded but burned—the false professors of faith face not just exclusion but judgment. True fruitfulness matters eternally.
Botanical Context
Darnel is a poisonous grass that looks almost identical to wheat in its early stages. The difference only becomes apparent when the ear forms; wheat bows down with weight, while darnel stands straight up and empty (or black).