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Luke 8

And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him,

And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils,

And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.

And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable:

A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.

And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.

And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.

And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be?

And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.

Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.

They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.

And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light.

For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.

Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.

Then came to him his mother and his brethren, and could not come at him for the press.

And it was told him by certain which said, Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to see thee.

And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.

Now it came to pass on a certain day, that he went into a ship with his disciples: and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth.

But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy.

And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm.

And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.

And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee.

And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs.

When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not.

(For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.)

And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him.

And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep.

And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered them.

Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked.

When they that fed them saw what was done, they fled, and went and told it in the city and in the country.

Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.

They also which saw it told them by what means he that was possessed of the devils was healed.

Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from them; for they were taken with great fear: and he went up into the ship, and returned back again.

Now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought him that he might be with him: but Jesus sent him away, saying,

Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him.

And it came to pass, that, when Jesus was returned, the people gladly received him: for they were all waiting for him.

And, behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus' feet, and besought him that he would come into his house:

For he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay a dying. But as he went the people thronged him.

And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any,

Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched.

And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?

And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.

And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him and how she was healed immediately.

And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.

While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master.

But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.

And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden.

And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth.

And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead.

And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise.

And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat.

And her parents were astonished: but he charged them that they should tell no man what was done.

What does Luke 8:5 mean?

Explanation

The verse Luke 8:5 is an excerpt from the Parable of the Sower, a story told by Jesus to illustrate the different responses people have to the word of God.

In the verse, a sower (a farmer planting seeds) goes out to sow his seed, and as he does so, some seed falls along a path, where it is unable to take root in the soil.

Consequently, the seed is crushed underfoot and eaten by birds.

On a literal level, the verse describes the common agricultural practice of scattering seed and the problems associated with seed landing on unfavorable ground.

Symbolically, the seed represents the word of God, and the wayside (path) where the seed falls represents the hearts of individuals who hear the word but fail to understand or accept it, allowing it to be taken away or suppressed.

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Historical Context

This verse is set within the context of 1st-century Judean society, where agriculture was a common occupation and the imagery of a farmer sowing seed would have been very familiar to Jesus' audience.

It was typically an oral society, where stories with strong visual and experiential metaphors, like this parable, were used by teachers, including Jesus, to convey spiritual and moral lessons.

Jesus often taught in parables to convey complex truths in a form that both revealed and concealed meaning, depending on the openness of the listener.

Theological Insights

From a theological perspective, different traditions may emphasize varying aspects of the parable:

Traditional Evangelical View: Emphasizes the importance of one's heart condition in receiving the word of God.

It reminds believers of the importance of preparing oneself to fully understand and retain the teachings of Jesus.

Catholic Interpretation: Might focus on the role of free will and the dangers of superficial faith that is not deeply rooted in understanding and commitment.
Progressive Christian Perspective: May consider the parable as an invitation to self-examination regarding how one receives and applies spiritual teachings in daily life.
Reformed Theology: Stresses the sovereignty of God in the salvation process and might view the wayside as an example of those not predestined to understand and embrace the Gospel.

Practical Applications

In practical terms, this verse encourages individuals to be mindful and receptive when engaging with spiritual teachings or when the 'seeds' of wisdom and knowledge are presented.

It suggests that we should strive to be good 'soil', open, thoughtful, and ready to integrate these teachings into our lives to avoid losing the opportunity for growth and enlightenment.

Cross-References

Matthew 13:4: "And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:"
Matthew 13:19: "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."

Mark 4:4: "And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up."
Mark 4:15: "And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts."

Language Study

In the original Greek text, the word for "sower" (σπείρων, speirōn) refers to someone who scatters seed, indicating the generous and indiscriminate spread of the message.

"Seed" (σπέρμα, sperma) symbolizes the word of God or the teachings of Jesus.

"Way side" (παρὰ, para, "beside," and ὁδόν, hodon, "way" or "road") suggests ground adjacent to a walking path where the soil would be too compacted for seed to take root.

"Trodden down" (κατεπάτησαν, katepatēsan) and "devoured" (κατέφαγεν, katephagen) indicate destruction through trampling and consumption, respectively, both actions preventing growth.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

In other ancient agricultural societies, the imagery of sowing seeds was commonly used to represent various aspects of life, including fertility, prosperity, and the cyclical nature of existence.

In religious texts like the Rigveda of Hinduism, seeds and plants are used metaphorically to describe spiritual principles.

However, the Parable of the Sower appears to be unique to the Christian tradition, as it specifically relates to the reception of divine revelation, or God's word.

Scientific Perspectives

From a modern scientific standpoint, the verse accurately reflects the agronomic challenges of seed germination and survival.

It aligns with what is known about plant ecology, seeds falling on compacted, heavily trafficked areas like paths have reduced chances of successfully taking root and growing.

Furthermore, the role of birds in consuming seeds correlates with modern understanding of seed predation and ecosystem dynamics.

commentaries

Biblical scholars and theologians have offered various insights into this verse:

John Calvin: Calvin interprets the sowing along the path as preaching that does not penetrate the minds of the listeners; their hearts are hardened like the wayside.
Matthew Henry: Henry's commentary suggests that the wayside hearers are those who give the word no opportunity to enter their hearts.
William Barclay: Barclay posits that the word is stolen from the listener's heart before it has a chance to make any impression.
Craig Keener: In his IVP Bible Background Commentary, Keener emphasizes the role of Satan, mentioned in parallel texts, in actively removing the word from those who do not understand it.

Luke 8

Luke 8

What does Luke 8:5 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Luke Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

commentaries

Want more context?

What does Luke 8:5 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Luke Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

commentaries

Want more context?