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Matthew 13

The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.

And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.

And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:

And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:

But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?

He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:

For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.

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.

But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;

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.

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.

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.

Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:

But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.

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?

He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?

But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.

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.

Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:

Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.

Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:

That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.

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.

He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;

The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;

The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.

As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.

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;

And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:

Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:

Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.

So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,

And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord.

Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.

And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence.

And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?

Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?

And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?

And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.

And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

What does Matthew 13:5 mean?

Explanation

This verse is a part of the Parable of the Sower, as told by Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew.

In the parable, a sower scatters seeds, which fall in various places, one of those places being rocky ground.

The seeds that fell on stony places symbolize the word of God landing in the hearts of people who initially receive the message with joy and enthusiasm.

However, because their understanding or commitment is shallow, lacking "deepness of earth", their faith quickly falters when they face challenges or persecution.

The quick sprouting of the seeds indicates a rapid but unsustainable growth.

The absence of deep soil to root themselves implies a lack of foundation in their faith.

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Historical Context

The Gospel of Matthew was written in a Jewish-Christian context and is estimated to have been written between 80-90 AD.

At this time, the Christian community was emerging distinctively from Judaism and facing persecution from both Roman authorities and Jewish leaders who did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah.

The parable reflected the real experiences of the early Christian communities as they saw varied responses to the Gospel message.

Theological Insights

Theologically, this verse underscores the need for a deep, personal commitment to faith in order to withstand external pressures.

Different theological perspectives might read this verse as emphasizing the importance of discipleship and education in the faith (so that the "soil" of the heart is prepared), or as highlighting the sovereignty of God in salvation and the human response to grace (some hearts being more receptive than others).

For some, this parable serves to reassure the faithful that not all rejection of the Gospel is due to the message or the messenger, but sometimes because of the listeners' lack of readiness or depth.

Practical Applications

In everyday life, this verse serves as a caution against superficial faith.

It challenges individuals to assess their own spiritual growth and the depth of their commitment to their beliefs.

For those who teach or evangelize, it encourages them to consider not just the message they deliver, but also the readiness and receptivity of their audience, and the importance of follow-up and support for new believers.

Cross-References

Matthew 13:20-21: "But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; 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."
Luke 8:6: "And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture."
Mark 4:5-6: "And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away."

Language Study

The key phrases in the original Greek of this verse include:

"stony places" (Gk. "petrodes"): referring to soil with rocks that prevent roots from growing deeply.
"forthwith" (Gk. "eutheos"): meaning immediately or at once, indicating a rapid response.
"sprung up" (Gk. "exanatellei"): typically used of plants shooting up quickly.
"no deepness of earth" (Gk. "ouk eichen bathos ges"): indicating a lack of depth in the soil necessary for roots to grow and sustain the plant.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

The parable of the sower is distinct to the synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) and does not have a direct parallel in ancient myths.

However, the use of agricultural metaphors is common in many religious and cultural traditions, where the growth of seeds is often compared to spiritual, intellectual, or personal growth.

Scientific Perspectives

From a scientific perspective, the verse accurately reflects the agronomic principle that seed germination and plant growth are influenced by soil depth and quality.

Modern agronomy supports the idea that soil must have a certain depth and nutritional quality for seeds to establish roots and thrive.

Commentaries

Commentaries on this verse are abundant and offer various interpretations.

Many emphasize the spiritual state of the listener as the soil and the importance of a heart prepared to receive the message for successful spiritual growth. They also discuss the ephemeral nature of emotional or shallow acceptance of faith that wilts under pressure.

Some commentators might use this to discuss the role of suffering and hardship in testing and strengthening faith. Overall, the consensus recognizes this verse as a call for introspection and the cultivation of a deeply rooted, resilient faith.

Matthew 13

Matthew 13

What does Matthew 13:5 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Matthew Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does Matthew 13:5 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Matthew Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?