roots of hatred/ the wheat and the tares

…all puns intended. This came my way via Stephanie Pereira at eyebeam … not sure how she ended up there but interesting v.a.v. the invasive enemy vegetation I’ve been interested in:

Matthew 13

24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: 25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? 28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? 29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
–from Moses Hand, a web site dedicated to the Ten Commandments and American Bible Studies

tare

• Pronunciation: \ˈter\
• Function: noun
• Etymology: Middle English; probably akin to Middle Dutch tarwe wheat
• Date: 14th century

1 a : the seed of a vetch b : any of several vetches (especially Vicia sativa and V. hirsuta) 2 : a weed of grain fields especially of Biblical times that is usually held to be the darnel 3 plural : an undesirable element

– webster’s dictionary