Understanding The Mustard Seed

In Matthew 17:19,20 we read…

19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 And He *said to them, “Because of your meager faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith [i]the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

For many of us, we have been taught that this tells us to just have a ‘little faith’, and nothing is impossible. I too, have been taught to think of this passage this way, even up to this point at the age of 51. But recently, I have heard of another way to look at this. So I am left with a question, “How is it that the disciples could not cast out hte evil spirit because of their LITTLE FAITH, but then Jesus tells us to have FAITH THE SIZE OF A MUSTARD SEED? The answer may be connected to a slight mistranslation. It may have NOTHING to do with the SIZE of your faith, but rather the QUALITY of your faith, even if it IS small. Let’s take a look at this.

If we look at the original Greek translation (before the latin version in the Vulgate), we see…

Greek:

ἐὰν ἔχητε πίστιν ὡς κόκκον σινάπεως

ean echēte pistin hōs kokkon sinapeōs

Breaking that down:

ἐὰν ἔχητε πίστιν = “if you have faith”

ὡς (hōs) = “as, like, similar to”

κόκκον σινάπεως = “a mustard seed” (literally “a grain of mustard”)

Some of the early church fathers, such as Origen, Chrysostom, Augustine, and Jerome have believed that the ‘mustard seed’ analogy had mre to do with the QUALITY of ones faith REGARDLESS of the size, rather than the size alone. If we actually look at the mustard tree and its seed, we see something that is almost paradoxical in the fact that a seed so small could produce something so large. And it isn’t just in it’s canopy, but also it’s roots, which are known to grow aggressively and deep, making it virtually impossible to remove. But there is also the fact that a mustard tree can survive in some of the harshest environments, such as the deserts surrounding Israel. Here are some of the quick notes on the early church fathers and their views on the ‘mustard seed’ parable in the bible.

Origen (3rd century)

Origen saw the mustard seed as symbolic of the power of faith that looks insignificant at first but grows greatly.

He linked it to the kingdom parable (Matt 13:31–32), where the mustard seed becomes a great tree.

In his Commentary on Matthew, he emphasizes that faith may begin small but has the potential to grow expansively and provide shelter for others.

John Chrysostom (4th century)

In his Homilies on Matthew, Chrysostom notes the seed’s smallness but stresses that once planted, it grows stronger and spreads widely.

He connects it to the idea that faith can overcome great obstacles, not because of its “amount,” but because of its nature and God’s power working through it.

He says the disciples failed because their faith was not “vigorous or rooted.”

Augustine (4th–5th century)

Augustine viewed the mustard seed as symbolizing faith under pressure: “It is pungent, fiery, and heats the heart with the warmth of love.”

He drew on the plant’s fiery taste and resilience — once it takes root, it’s hard to get rid of.

For him, mustard-seed faith means faith that might appear small but sets the soul ablaze and spreads like fire.

Jerome (4th century)

Jerome also made the connection to the kingdom parable.

He noted that the mustard seed seems insignificant, but when grown, it becomes strong enough that even birds nest in its branches.

His emphasis: faith should not remain small but should grow and sustain others.

So what happened with this parable in it’s translation over the years? Why did some churches translate this to be about size (quantity), rather than quality? We can do a quick tracking of this translation below.

1. Early Greek → Latin

Original Greek: ἐὰν ἔχητε πίστιν ὡς κόκκον σινάπεως = “if you have faith as/like a mustard seed.”

Latin Vulgate (Jerome, 4th century): si habueritis fidem sicut granum sinapis = “if you have faith like a grain of mustard.”

Jerome kept the “like/as” sense. No mention of “size.”

2. Early English Bibles

Wycliffe Bible (1382): “If ye have faith as a corn of mustard seed …”

Tyndale (1526): “Yf ye had faith as much as a grayne of mustard seed …”

Coverdale (1535): “Yf ye had faith as a grayne of mustard seed …”

These early English versions still stayed very close to “as/like.”

3. King James Version (1611)

KJV: “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain …”

Still “as,” but English readers started hearing this as “small as.” Over time, preaching/teaching emphasized tiny size more than the quality of growth.

4. Modern Translations

NIV (1978/2011): “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed …”

ESV (2001): “If you have faith like a grain of mustard seed …”

NASB (1995/2020): “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed …”

NLT (1996/2015): “If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed …”

Notice:

Some (ESV, KJV) stick to “like.”

Others (NIV, NASB, NLT) shift to “as small as” / “the size of.”

That shift wasn’t in the Greek or Latin — it was an interpretive choice made in translation, emphasizing “amount” rather than “type.”

5. Why the shift?

Preachers and translators often highlighted the seed’s tininess to encourage people: “Even the smallest faith is enough.”

But this downplays the contrast Jesus made with ‘little/fragile faith’ (ὀλιγοπιστία).

The Fathers (and the original wording) leave more room for the “faith that grows, endures, and cannot be uprooted” interpretation.

So:

The Greek (ὡς) and Latin (sicut) = “like/as,” open to either size or type.

Early English (Wycliffe, Tyndale, KJV) = still “like.”

Modern versions (NIV, NASB, NLT) = shifted toward “size.”

This shift tilted the meaning from “faith with mustard-seed qualities” → “faith as tiny as a mustard seed.”

So in the end, what if we have been reading this scripture wrong? What if what Jesus was trying to say here was not about how much faith you have, but rather how if your faith is rooted in Him, even if it IS small, it is resilient, and withstand even the most harsh situations we face in our lives, regardless if it lines up with our carnal understanding? QUALITY, not QUANTITY?

This is why Christian needs to take the time to dig into the Word for ourselves, and don’t just rely on a pastor telling us what the bible says. This is not to smear or belittle the position of a pastor. It just can’t be about listening to a pastor once a week, or watching a video, because you just need a little pick-me-up that day. How do you expect to learn how to grow your faith if you don’t study the Word yourself?