18Hear, then, the parable of the sower. [13:19] Everyone who hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it — the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one sown along the path. [13:20] The one sown on rocky ground — this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, [13:21] yet has no root in himself but is temporary, and when pressure or persecution arises on account of the word, he immediately stumbles. [13:22] The one sown among the thorns — this is the one who hears the word, but the anxious worry of the age and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. [13:23] The one sown on the good soil — this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces, one a hundredfold, another sixty, another thirty.
MAT 13:18-23
The Parable of the Sower Explained
In the world it was spoken into
In agrarian Galilee, sowing seed was a familiar act tied to survival, and the fate of the seed depended on the soil’s condition. The parable’s explanation would resonate with listeners who understood farming as precarious labor. The “path” represents hard-packed earth, trodden by travelers, where seed cannot penetrate and is easily snatched by birds—a vivid image of vulnerability. The “rocky places” evoke shallow soil atop bedrock, where plants sprout quickly but wither under the sun’s heat, mirroring fleeting enthusiasm that collapses under pressure. The “thorns” symbolize competing priorities—wealth, anxiety , and daily cares—that choke out growth, reflecting the distractions of subsistence living. The “good soil” signifies fertile ground, yielding abundant harvests, a metaphor for those who internalize the word and produce fruit. The parable’s imagery aligns with Jewish eschatological expectations of a fruitful kingdom, while its emphasis on perseverance amidst tribulation and persecution reflects the socio-religious tensions of the early Jesus movement.
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How other translations render this
MAT 13:18
- KJV
- Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
- BSB
- Consider, then, the parable of the sower:
- Koinōnos
- Hear, then, the parable of the sower.
MAT 13:19
- KJV
- When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
- BSB
- When anyone hears the message of the kingdom but does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path.
- Koinōnos
- Everyone who hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it — the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one sown along the path.
MAT 13:20
- KJV
- But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
- BSB
- The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.
- Koinōnos
- The one sown on rocky ground — this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy,
MAT 13:21
- KJV
- Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
- BSB
- But since he has no root, he remains for only a season. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.
- Koinōnos
- yet has no root in himself but is temporary, and when pressure or persecution arises on account of the word, he immediately stumbles.
MAT 13:22
- KJV
- He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
- BSB
- The seed sown among the thorns is the one who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
- Koinōnos
- The one sown among the thorns — this is the one who hears the word, but the anxious worry of the age and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
MAT 13:23
- KJV
- But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
- BSB
- But the seed sown on good soil is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and produces a crop—a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold.”
- Koinōnos
- The one sown on the good soil — this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces, one a hundredfold, another sixty, another thirty.
Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.
Translator's notes
MAT 13:19
- evil one:The word translated 'evil one' here refers to an active, malevolent force or personification of evil, not merely an abstract concept of badness.
MAT 13:21
- tribulation:The term translated 'tribulation' literally means 'pressure' or 'crushing,' evoking the image of being squeezed or pressed down, rather than just general trouble.
- he falls away.:The phrase 'he falls away' comes from a word that means to cause someone to stumble or trip, often by setting a trap or snare, implying an active impediment to faith.
MAT 13:22
- care:The word translated 'care' here implies an anxious, distracting worry or solicitude that can divide one's attention, rather than simply a general concern.