36Then Jesus left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field." [13:37] He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. [13:38] The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, [13:39] and the enemy who sowed them is the slanderer. The harvest is the consummation of the age, and the reapers are angels. [13:40] Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the consummation of the age. [13:41] The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all the stumbling blocks and those who do lawlessness, [13:42] and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. [13:43] Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let the one who has ears hear."
MAT 13:36-43
The Parable of the Weeds Explained
In the world it was spoken into
In first-century agrarian Galilee, the parable of the weeds would resonate deeply with listeners familiar with the challenges of farming. Darnel , a weed resembling wheat, was a known threat to crops, often sown maliciously by enemies to sabotage harvests. This imagery would evoke the cultural understanding of sabotage and rivalry, common in village life. The (world) here refers not just to the physical earth but to the ordered human society, where good and evil coexist. The (consummation) of the age reflects Jewish apocalyptic expectations of divine judgment, a theme prominent in Second Temple Judaism. The mention of (stumbling blocks) would evoke the idea of moral or spiritual traps, a concern in both Jewish and Greco-Roman ethical discourse. Jesus’ explanation frames the parable within a cosmic struggle between the kingdom of God and the forces of evil, a narrative familiar to Jewish audiences awaiting God’s ultimate intervention.
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How other translations render this
MAT 13:36
- KJV
- Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.
- BSB
- Then Jesus dismissed the crowds and went into the house. His disciples came to Him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”
- Koinōnos
- Then Jesus left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.
MAT 13:37
- KJV
- He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
- BSB
- He replied, “The One who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.
- Koinōnos
- He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.
MAT 13:38
- KJV
- The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
- BSB
- The field is the world, and the good seed represents the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one,
- Koinōnos
- The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one,
MAT 13:39
- KJV
- The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
- BSB
- and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
- Koinōnos
- and the enemy who sowed them is the slanderer. The harvest is the consummation of the age, and the reapers are angels.
MAT 13:40
- KJV
- As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
- BSB
- As the weeds are collected and burned in the fire, so will it be at the end of the age.
- Koinōnos
- Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the consummation of the age.
MAT 13:41
- KJV
- The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
- BSB
- The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will weed out of His kingdom every cause of sin and all who practice lawlessness.
- Koinōnos
- The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all the stumbling blocks and those who do lawlessness,
MAT 13:42
- KJV
- And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
- BSB
- And they will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
- Koinōnos
- and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
MAT 13:43
- KJV
- Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
- BSB
- Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
- Koinōnos
- Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let the one who has ears hear.
Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.
Translator's notes
MAT 13:36
- parable:The word translated 'parable' here refers to a specific type of weed, likely darnel, which looks very similar to wheat in its early stages but is poisonous. This detail emphasizes the difficulty of distinguishing the two until harvest.
MAT 13:38
- world;:The term translated 'world' here often carried the sense of the created order or humanity as a whole, rather than just the physical planet. It encompasses the system of human society and its inhabitants.
MAT 13:39
- [the] consummation:The phrase translated 'the consummation' implies a definitive end or completion, marking the culmination of an age or a process, not just a simple ending.
MAT 13:41
- causes of sin:The word translated 'causes of sin' literally means a 'stumbling block' or a 'snare'—something that causes one to trip or fall, often leading to moral failure.