The Fallible Study Bible

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Luke8:4–15

The Parable of the Sower

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Luke 8:4–15 — The Parable of the Sower. Each verse below carries the full apparatus: the Berean Standard Bible, the vocalized original (tap any word), and a parsed breakdown of every term transcribed from the interlinear. Synthesized commentary, canonical threads, and the reading of Christ gather at the end, over the whole unit.

4

While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, He told them this parable:

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

de pollou ochlou Syniontos kai tōn epiporeuomenōn pros auton kata polin eipen dia parabolēs

Word by word14 · parsed
δὲde[While]G1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
πολλοῦpolloua largeG4183
√ πολύς — (singular) much (in any respect) or (plural) manyAdjectiveGenitive Masculine Singular
ὄχλουochloucrowdG3793
√ ὄχλος — a throng (as borne along)NounGenitive Masculine Singular
ΣυνιόντοςSyniontoswas gatheringG4896
√ σύνειμι — to assembleVerbPresent Participle ActiveGenitive Masculine Singular
syneimi: to come together, assemble The crowd “comes together” (syniontos). ⚙ In v. 10 the verdict on outsiders uses a different but sound-alike verb, syniōsin (G4920, syniēmi), “that they may not understand,” literally “put together.” The crowd assembles; the question is whether it will assemble the meaning. The lexemes are distinct; the echo is the tool’s observation.
καὶkaiandG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
τῶνtōn[people]G3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleGenitive Masculine Plural
ἐπιπορευομένωνepiporeuomenōnwere comingG1975
√ ἐπιπορεύομαι — to journey further, iVerbPresent Participle Middle or PassiveGenitive Masculine Plural
epiporeuomai: to journey further, travel to A present middle participle: people are on the road toward him, town after town (kata polin). Pulpit reads the scene as the height of “the Galilaean revival” just before its ebb (compare John 6:66).
πρὸςprostoG4314
√ πρός — a preposition of directionPreposition
αὐτὸνauton[Jesus]G846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounAccusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
κατὰkatavvvG2596
√ κατά — (prepositionally) down (in place or time), in varied relations (according to the case (genitive, dative or accusative) with which it is joined)Preposition
πόλινpolinfrom town after townG4172
√ πόλις — a town (properly, with walls, of greater or less size)NounAccusative Feminine Singular
εἶπενeipenHe told [them]G2036
√ ἔπω — to speak or say (by word or writing)VerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
διὰdiaG1223
√ διά — through (in very wide applications, local, causal, or occasional)Preposition
παραβολῆςparabolēs[this] parableG3850
√ παραβολή — a similitude ("parable"), iNounGenitive Feminine Singular
parabolē: a placing-beside, similitude Cambridge derives it from paraballō, “I place beside,” and defines a parable as truth exhibited “by means of actual and not fanciful elements of comparison.” In the LXX the word commonly renders Hebrew mashal, the proverb or riddle-saying (Psalm 78:2, cited of Jesus’ parables at Matthew 13:35). Pulpit holds that this is the first formal parable of the ministry.
5

“A farmer went out to sow his seed. And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, where it was trampled, and the birds of the air devoured it.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

ho speirōn Exēlthen tou speirai autou ton sporon kai en auton tō speirein ho men epesen para tēn hodon kai katepatēthē kai ta peteina tou ouranou katephagen auto

Word by word28 · parsed
ὁhoG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Masculine Singular
σπείρωνspeirōnA farmerG4687
√ σπείρω — to scatter, iVerbPresent Participle ActiveNominative Masculine Singular
speirō: to sow, scatter A present participle used as a title: the one whose characteristic act is sowing. The verb returns twice more in this verse (speirai, speirein), so the line rings with the act itself. Gill identifies the Sower chiefly as Christ; Pulpit names “the great Sower” as the Holy Spirit; both see every faithful preacher as reproducing him.
ἘξῆλθενExēlthenwent outG1831
√ ἐξέρχομαι — to issue (literally or figuratively)VerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
exerchomai: to go out Aorist: a decisive going-forth. ⚙ Luke uses the same verb for Jesus going out to preach (Luke 4:42 to 43); the sower’s exit is the shape of a mission.
τοῦtouG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleGenitive Neuter Singular
σπεῖραιspeiraito sowG4687
√ σπείρω — to scatter, iVerbAorist Infinitive Active
αὐτοῦautouhisG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounGenitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
autos: his “His seed” is Luke’s alone (Gill). The seed belongs to the sower before it belongs to any soil.
τὸνtonG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Masculine Singular
σπόρονsporonseedG4703
√ σπόρος — a scattering (of seed), iNounAccusative Masculine Singular
sporos: seed sown A rare noun in the NT (Verifier: in 5 vv), recurring at v. 11 where it is defined: “the seed is the word of God.” Its other uses (Mark 4:26 to 27; 2 Corinthians 9:10) keep it in contexts of God-given growth.
καὶkaiAndG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
ἐνenasG1722
√ ἐν — "in," at, (up-)on, by, etcPreposition
αὐτὸνautonheG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounAccusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
τῷtōG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleDative Neuter Singular
σπείρεινspeireinwas sowingG4687
√ σπείρω — to scatter, iVerbPresent Infinitive Active
ὃhosome [seed]G3739
√ ὅς — the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what, thatPersonal / Relative PronounNominative Neuter Singular
μὲνmenG3303
√ μέν — properly, indicative of affirmation or concession (in fact)Conjunction
ἔπεσενepesenfellG4098
√ πίπτω — to fall (literally or figuratively)VerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
παρὰparaalongG3844
√ παρά — properly, nearPreposition
τὴνtēntheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Feminine Singular
ὁδόνhodonpathG3598
√ ὁδός — a roadNounAccusative Feminine Singular
καὶkaiwhereG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
κατεπατήθηkatepatēthēit was trampledG2662
√ καταπατέω — to trample downVerbAorist Indicative Passive3rd Person Singular
katapateō: to trample down Luke-only detail (Ellicott, Cambridge). Gill: “the Gospel preached to such hardened and ignorant hearers, is despised and trampled under foot by them.” The same verb describes trampling the Son of God underfoot at Hebrews 10:29.
καὶkaiandG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
τὰtatheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Neuter Plural
πετεινὰpeteinabirdsG4071
√ πετεινόν — a flying animal, iNounNominative Neuter Plural
τοῦtouof theG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleGenitive Masculine Singular
οὐρανοῦouranouairG3772
√ οὐρανός — the skyNounGenitive Masculine Singular
κατέφαγενkatephagendevouredG2719
√ κατεσθίω — to eat down, iVerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
katesthiō: to eat down, devour The intensive compound: the birds consume it entirely. Jesus himself will interpret the birds as the devil (v. 12).
αὐτόautoitG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounAccusative Neuter 3rd Person Singular
6

Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the seedlings withered because they had no moisture.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

Kai heteron katepesen epi tēn petran kai phyen exēranthē dia to echein mē ikmada

Word by word14 · parsed
ΚαὶKaiG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
ἕτερονheteronSomeG2087
√ ἕτερος — (an-, the) other or differentAdjectiveNominative Neuter Singular
κατέπεσενkatepesenfellG2667
√ καταπίπτω — to fall downVerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
katapiptō: to fall down Luke varies his verb here (compound katepesen) from the simple epesen of vv. 5, 7 and 8. A rare word in the NT (Verifier: in 3 vv).
ἐπὶepionG1909
√ ἐπί — properly, meaning superimposition (of time, place, order, etcPreposition
τὴνtēnG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Feminine Singular
πέτρανpetranrocky groundG4073
√ πέτρα — a (mass of) rock (literally or figuratively)NounAccusative Feminine Singular
petra: rock, a mass of rock Not pebbles in the soil but bedrock under a skin of earth (Pulpit). In the interpretation (v. 13) the rock becomes a kind of hearer: Gill: “their hearts remain like a rock, unbroken by the word.”
καὶkaiandG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
φυὲνphyenwhen it came upG5453
√ φύω — probably originally, to "puff" or blow, iVerbAorist Participle PassiveNominative Neuter Singular
phyō: to spring up, grow Aorist passive participle, repeated of the good seed in v. 8: the same sprouting occurs on rock and in good soil. ⚙ The difference is not in the starting but in what lies beneath. The verb is rare (Verifier: in 3 vv), its only other NT use being the “root of bitterness springing up” of Hebrews 12:15.
ἐξηράνθηexēranthē[the seedlings] witheredG3583
√ ξηραίνω — to desiccateVerbAorist Indicative Passive3rd Person Singular
xērainō: to dry up, wither The verb of the grass that withers in Isaiah 40:7 to 8 (LXX), quoted at 1 Peter 1:24 to 25, where the contrast is “the word of the Lord endures forever.” ⚙ The thematic resonance is the tool’s; Luke does not cite Isaiah here.
διὰdiabecauseG1223
√ διά — through (in very wide applications, local, causal, or occasional)Preposition
τὸtoG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Neuter Singular
ἔχεινecheinthey hadG2192
√ ἔχω — to hold (used in very various applications, literally or figuratively, direct or remoteVerbPresent Infinitive Active
μὴmēnoG3361
√ μή — (adverb) not, (conjunction) lestAdverb
ἰκμάδαikmadamoistureG2429
√ ἱκμάς — dampnessNounAccusative Feminine Singular
ikmas: moisture, dampness Ellicott reads the moisture as “the dew and rain of God’s grace, without which the seed could not put forth its roots.” That is an interpretive gloss; Luke’s interpretation (v. 13) speaks of having no root.
7

Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the seedlings.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

Kai heteron epesen en mesō tōn akanthōn kai hai akanthai symphyeisai apepnixan auto

Word by word13 · parsed
ΚαὶKaiG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
ἕτερονheteronOther [seed]G2087
√ ἕτερος — (an-, the) other or differentAdjectiveNominative Neuter Singular
ἔπεσενepesenfellG4098
√ πίπτω — to fall (literally or figuratively)VerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
ἐνenvvvG1722
√ ἐν — "in," at, (up-)on, by, etcPreposition
μέσῳmesōamongG3319
√ μέσος — middle (as an adjective or (neuter) noun)AdjectiveDative Neuter Singular
τῶνtōnG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleGenitive Feminine Plural
ἀκανθῶνakanthōnthornsG173
√ ἄκανθα — a thornNounGenitive Feminine Plural
akantha: a thorn The thorn is the ground’s curse-growth from Genesis 3:18 (LXX akanthas). ⚙ That canonical resonance is the tool’s; Jesus interprets the thorns specifically as cares, riches and pleasures (v. 14). Cambridge describes Gennesaret thistles “so tall and so dense that no horse can break through.”
καὶkaiG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
αἱhaiG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Feminine Plural
ἄκανθαιakanthai[which]G173
√ ἄκανθα — a thornNounNominative Feminine Plural
συμφυεῖσαιsymphyeisaigrew up with [it]G4855
√ συμφύω — passive, to grow jointlyVerbAorist Participle PassiveNominative Feminine Plural
symphyō: to grow together (passive) The NT’s only use of this verb. The danger is not an invader from outside but a rival crop rooted in the same heart, which is why Maclaren (v. 14) says the thorns “had been grubbed up, but they had not been grubbed out.”
ἀπέπνιξανapepnixan[and] chokedG638
√ ἀποπνίγω — to stifle (by drowning or overgrowth)VerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Plural
apopnigō: to stifle (by drowning or overgrowth) Aorist active: the thorns are the actors. Used again only at Luke 8:33, of the herd drowned in the lake.
αὐτόauto[the seedlings]G846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounAccusative Neuter 3rd Person Singular
8

Still other seed fell on good soil, where it sprang up and produced a crop—a hundredfold.” As Jesus said this, He called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

Kai heteron epesen eis tēn tēn agathēn gēn kai phyen epoiēsen karpon hekatontaplasiona legōn Tauta ephōnei Ho echōn ōta akouein akouetō

Word by word21 · parsed
ΚαὶKaiStillG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
ἕτερονheteronother [seed]G2087
√ ἕτερος — (an-, the) other or differentAdjectiveNominative Neuter Singular
ἔπεσενepesenfellG4098
√ πίπτω — to fall (literally or figuratively)VerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
εἰςeisonG1519
√ εἰς — to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etcPreposition
τὴνtēnG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Feminine Singular
τὴνtēnG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Feminine Singular
ἀγαθήνagathēngoodG18
√ ἀγαθός — "good" (in any sense, often as noun)AdjectiveAccusative Feminine Singular
agathos: good Paired with kalos in v. 15 as the description of the heart. Pulpit (citing Bruce) glosses agathos as “generous self-abandonment in the prosecution of lofty ends.”
γῆνgēnsoilG1093
√ γῆ — soilNounAccusative Feminine Singular
καὶkai[where]G2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
φυὲνphyenit sprang upG5453
√ φύω — probably originally, to "puff" or blow, iVerbAorist Participle PassiveNominative Neuter Singular
phyō: to spring up The same participle as on the rock (v. 6). ⚙ The sprouting is identical; the harvest is not.
ἐποίησενepoiēsen[and] producedG4160
√ ποιέω — to make or do (in a very wide application, more or less direct)VerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
καρπὸνkarpona cropG2590
√ καρπός — fruit (as plucked), literally or figurativelyNounAccusative Masculine Singular
karpos: fruit “Made fruit” (epoiēsen karpon): fruit is the measure of the whole parable. In v. 15 it becomes the verb karpophorousin, “they bear fruit,” and in v. 14 its absence is ou telesphorousin.
ἑκατονταπλασίοναhekatontaplasionaa hundredfoldG1542
√ ἑκατονταπλασίων — a hundred timesAdjectiveAccusative Masculine Singular
hekatontaplasiōn: a hundred times Very rare (Verifier: in 3 vv); its other uses are the hundredfold return promised to those who leave all for Christ (Mark 10:30; Matthew 19:29). Pulpit notes such yields were not unheard-of, citing Herodotus via Trench on Babylon. Compare Isaac reaping a hundredfold in Genesis 26:12.
λέγωνlegōnAs [Jesus] saidG3004
√ λέγω — properly, to "lay" forth, iVerbPresent Participle ActiveNominative Masculine Singular
ΤαῦταTauta[this]G3778
√ οὗτος — the he (she or it), iDemonstrative PronounAccusative Neuter Plural
ἐφώνειephōneiHe called outG5455
√ φωνέω — to emit a sound (animal, human or instrumental)VerbImperfect Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
phōneō: to call out, utter aloud Imperfect: a sustained raising of the voice (Gill: “with a loud voice, that what he was about to say might be attended to”).
ὉHoHe whoG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Masculine Singular
ἔχωνechōnhasG2192
√ ἔχω — to hold (used in very various applications, literally or figuratively, direct or remoteVerbPresent Participle ActiveNominative Masculine Singular
ὦταōtaearsG3775
√ οὖς — the ear (physically or mentally)NounAccusative Neuter Plural
ἀκούεινakoueinto hearG191
√ ἀκούω — to hear (in various senses)VerbPresent Infinitive Active
ἀκουέτωakouetōlet him hearG191
√ ἀκούω — to hear (in various senses)VerbPresent Imperative Active3rd Person Singular
akouō: to hear The verb of the unit: it recurs in vv. 10, 12, 13, 14 and 15. Each soil in the interpretation is introduced as “those who hear”; the parable never distinguishes hearers from non-hearers, only kinds of hearing (compare v. 18, “take care how you hear”).
9

Then His disciples asked Him what this parable meant.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

de autou hoi mathētai Epērōtōn auton Tis hautē hē parabolē eiē

Word by word11 · parsed
δὲdeThenG1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
αὐτοῦautouHisG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounGenitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
οἱhoiG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Masculine Plural
μαθηταὶmathētaidisciplesG3101
√ μαθητής — a learner, iNounNominative Masculine Plural
mathētēs: a learner The learners ask. Mark adds “when he was alone” (Gill, Cambridge). ⚙ The difference between the disciples and “the rest” of v. 10 begins with this act of coming back to ask.
ἘπηρώτωνEpērōtōnaskedG1905
√ ἐπερωτάω — to ask for, iVerbImperfect Indicative Active3rd Person Plural
eperōtaō: to ask, inquire Imperfect, ongoing. Pulpit pictures them “surprised and puzzled” by the new method.
αὐτὸνautonHimG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounAccusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
ΤίςTiswhatG5101
√ τίς — an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what (in direct or indirect questions)Interrogative / Indefinite PronounNominative Feminine Singular
αὕτηhautēthisG3778
√ οὗτος — the he (she or it), iDemonstrative PronounNominative Feminine Singular
ἡhēG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Feminine Singular
παραβολήparabolēparableG3850
√ παραβολή — a similitude ("parable"), iNounNominative Feminine Singular
εἴηeiēmeantG1510
√ εἰμί — I exist (used only when emphatic)VerbPresent Optative Active3rd Person Singular
eimi: to be (optative) “What might it be?” The answer in v. 11 uses the same verb in the indicative: “this is the parable.”
10

He replied, “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, ‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

de Ho eipen gnōnai ta mystēria tēs basileias tou Theou dedotai Hymin de tois loipois en parabolais hina Blepontes mē blepōsin Kai akouontes mē syniōsin

Word by word25 · parsed
δὲdeG1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
ὉHoG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Masculine Singular
εἶπενeipenHe repliedG2036
√ ἔπω — to speak or say (by word or writing)VerbAorist Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
γνῶναιgnōnaiThe knowledgeG1097
√ γινώσκω — to "know" (absolutely) in a great variety of applications and with many implications (as follow, with others not thus clearly expressed)VerbAorist Infinitive Active
ginōskō: to know Aorist infinitive: to come to know. Knowledge here is the content of the gift (dedotai).
τὰtaof theG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Neuter Plural
μυστήριαmystēriamysteriesG3466
√ μυστήριον — a secret or "mystery" (through the idea of silence imposed by initiation into religious rites)NounAccusative Neuter Plural
mystērion: a secret, a mystery Cambridge: in the NT the word “always means something once hidden now revealed” (Colossians 1:26). Geneva: secrets are “things... which may not be uttered.” Luke and Matthew have the plural; Mark 4:11 the singular (Gill notes the Vulgate and Persic follow Mark here).
τῆςtēsof theG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleGenitive Feminine Singular
βασιλείαςbasileiaskingdomG932
√ βασιλεία — properly, royalty, iNounGenitive Feminine Singular
basileia: kingdom, royal reign “The kingdom of God” is Luke’s summary of Jesus’ preaching (Luke 4:43; 8:1). The parable’s secret is not general wisdom but the reign of God arriving through a word sown.
τοῦtouG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleGenitive Masculine Singular
ΘεοῦTheouof GodG2316
√ θεός — figuratively, a magistrateNounGenitive Masculine Singular
δέδοταιdedotaihas been givenG1325
√ δίδωμι — to give (used in a very wide application, properly, or by implication, literally or figurativelyVerbPerfect Indicative Middle or Passive3rd Person Singular
didōmi: to give Perfect passive, the divine passive: God is the implied giver. Henry: “for ever indebted to free grace, if the same thing that is a parable to others... is a plain truth to us.”
ὙμῖνHyminto youG4771
√ σύ — thouPersonal / Possessive PronounDative 2nd Person Plural
δὲdebutG1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
τοῖςtoistoG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleDative Masculine Plural
λοιποῖςloipoisothersG3062
√ λοιποί — remaining onesAdjectiveDative Masculine Plural
loipoi: the remaining ones A plural substantive: those outside the circle of the disciples (Mark 4:11, “those outside”).
ἐνen[I speak] inG1722
√ ἐν — "in," at, (up-)on, by, etcPreposition
παραβολαῖςparabolaisparablesG3850
√ παραβολή — a similitude ("parable"), iNounDative Feminine Plural
ἵναhinaso thatG2443
√ ἵνα — compare G3588 (ὁ))Conjunction
hina: in order that The crux. Ellicott: Luke, like Mark, “gives the words of Isaiah, but not as a quotation.” The words come from Isaiah 6:9 to 10, where the prophet’s commission itself has hardening as its effect. Cambridge (at v. 11) insists parables “did not create the hardness... but only educed it when it existed.”
ΒλέποντεςBlepontes[though] seeingG991
√ βλέπω — to look at (literally or figuratively)VerbPresent Participle ActiveNominative Masculine Plural
μὴmēvvvG3361
√ μή — (adverb) not, (conjunction) lestAdverb
βλέπωσινblepōsinthey may not seeG991
√ βλέπω — to look at (literally or figuratively)VerbPresent Subjunctive Active3rd Person Plural
ΚαὶKaiG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
ἀκούοντεςakouontes[though] hearingG191
√ ἀκούω — to hear (in various senses)VerbPresent Participle ActiveNominative Masculine Plural
μὴmēvvvG3361
√ μή — (adverb) not, (conjunction) lestAdverb
συνιῶσινsyniōsinthey may not understandG4920
√ συνίημι — to put together, iVerbPresent Subjunctive Active3rd Person Plural
syniēmi: to put together, understand Present subjunctive. ⚙ Sound-play with v. 4’s syniontos: the crowd came together but does not put together.
11

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

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

de hautē Estin hē parabolē ho sporos estin ho logos tou Theou

Word by word12 · parsed
δὲdeNowG1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
αὕτηhautēthisG3778
√ οὗτος — the he (she or it), iDemonstrative PronounNominative Feminine Singular
ἜστινEstinis the meaningG1510
√ εἰμί — I exist (used only when emphatic)VerbPresent Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
ἡhēof theG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Feminine Singular
παραβολήparabolēparableG3850
√ παραβολή — a similitude ("parable"), iNounNominative Feminine Singular
ὁhoTheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Masculine Singular
σπόροςsporosseedG4703
√ σπόρος — a scattering (of seed), iNounNominative Masculine Singular
sporos: seed sown The rare noun of v. 5 (Verifier: in 5 vv). ⚙ Identifying seed with word means the word carries its own life; the soils do not create it, they only receive or refuse it. Compare 1 Peter 1:23, born again “of imperishable seed... through the living and enduring word of God,” where the noun is spora, a related but distinct word.
ἐστὶνestinisG1510
√ εἰμί — I exist (used only when emphatic)VerbPresent Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
ὁhotheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Masculine Singular
λόγοςlogoswordG3056
√ λόγος — something said (including the thought)NounNominative Masculine Singular
logos: a word, something said Gill: “the Gospel, as preached by Christ, his apostles, and faithful ministers, which has God for its author.” Ellicott takes it “in its widest sense.” Cambridge gathers the same metaphor in Colossians 1:5 to 6, 1 Corinthians 3:6 and James 1:21.
τοῦtouG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleGenitive Masculine Singular
ΘεοῦTheouof GodG2316
√ θεός — figuratively, a magistrateNounGenitive Masculine Singular
theos: God Genitive of source: the word comes from God. ⚙ That is why failure in the parable is never laid at the seed’s door.
12

The seeds along the path are those who hear, but the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

de hoi para tēn hodon eisin hoi akousantes eita ho diabolos erchetai kai airei ton logon apo autōn tēs kardias hina mē pisteusantes sōthōsin

Word by word24 · parsed
δὲdeG1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
οἱhoiThe [ seeds ]G3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Masculine Plural
παρὰparaalongG3844
√ παρά — properly, nearPreposition
τὴνtēntheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Feminine Singular
ὁδόνhodonpathG3598
√ ὁδός — a roadNounAccusative Feminine Singular
εἰσινeisinareG1510
√ εἰμί — I exist (used only when emphatic)VerbPresent Indicative Active3rd Person Plural
οἱhoithose whoG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Masculine Plural
ἀκούσαντεςakousanteshearG191
√ ἀκούω — to hear (in various senses)VerbAorist Participle ActiveNominative Masculine Plural
akouō: to hear Aorist participle: these did hear. The path is not deafness but hearing that never gets in. Maclaren: “they never get farther than the drum of his ear.”
εἶταeita[but]G1534
√ εἶτα — a particle of succession (in time or logical enumeration), then, moreoverAdverb
eita: then, next The particle of succession: the devil’s coming follows hard upon the hearing.
ὁhotheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Masculine Singular
διάβολοςdiabolosdevilG1228
√ διάβολος — a traducerAdjectiveNominative Masculine Singular
diabolos: a traducer, slanderer Cambridge: “The Accuser or Slanderer.” Ellicott notes Luke’s word here against Mark’s “Satan” and Matthew’s “the wicked one.” Jesus himself interprets the birds of v. 5; the devil is a personal agent in Luke (4:1 to 13), not a figure of speech.
ἔρχεταιerchetaicomesG2064
√ ἔρχομαι — to come or go (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively)VerbPresent Indicative Middle or Passive3rd Person Singular
καὶkaiandG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
αἴρειaireitakes awayG142
√ αἴρω — to lift upVerbPresent Indicative Active3rd Person Singular
airō: to lift up, take away Present tense: his habitual work. Matthew 13:19 has “snatches” (harpazei), which Cambridge cites. Cambridge: “It is done in a moment; by a smile at the end of the sermon.”
τὸνtontheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Masculine Singular
λόγονlogonwordG3056
√ λόγος — something said (including the thought)NounAccusative Masculine Singular
ἀπὸapofromG575
√ ἀπό — "off," iPreposition
αὐτῶνautōntheirG846
√ αὐτός — the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other personsPersonal / Possessive PronounGenitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural
τῆςtēsG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleGenitive Feminine Singular
καρδίαςkardiasheartsG2588
√ καρδία — the heart, iNounGenitive Feminine Singular
kardia: the heart The seat of thought and will in biblical usage. The word reached the heart; the enemy takes it from there. In v. 15 the good soil is likewise a kardia, “noble and good.”
ἵναhinaso thatG2443
√ ἵνα — compare G3588 (ὁ))Conjunction
μὴmēvvvG3361
√ μή — (adverb) not, (conjunction) lestAdverb
πιστεύσαντεςpisteusantesthey may not believeG4100
√ πιστεύω — to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), iVerbAorist Participle ActiveNominative Masculine Plural
pisteuō: to believe, have faith Aorist participle: the act of believing. This is Luke’s distinctive addition (Ellicott). ⚙ The devil’s target, as Luke frames it, is faith, because faith is the hinge of salvation. Gill compares 2 Corinthians 4:4, where the god of this age blinds minds “so they cannot see the light of the gospel.”
σωθῶσινsōthōsin[and] be savedG4982
√ σώζω — to save, iVerbAorist Subjunctive Passive3rd Person Plural
sōzō: to save, deliver Aorist passive: to be saved, by another. In Luke 7:50 and 8:48 the same verb rings out: “your faith has saved you.” ⚙ Here the sequence of 7:50 is run in reverse: no faith, no saving.
13

The seeds on rocky ground are those who hear the word and receive it with joy, but they have no root. They believe for a season, but in the time of testing, they fall away.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

de Hoi epi tēs petras hoi hotan akousōsin ton logon dechontai meta charas kai houtoi echousin ouk rhizan hoi pisteuousin pros kairon kai en kairō peirasmou aphistantai

Word by word27 · parsed
δὲdeG1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
ΟἱHoiThe [ seeds ]G3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Masculine Plural
ἐπὶepionG1909
√ ἐπί — properly, meaning superimposition (of time, place, order, etcPreposition
τῆςtēsG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleGenitive Feminine Singular
πέτραςpetrasrocky groundG4073
√ πέτρα — a (mass of) rock (literally or figuratively)NounGenitive Feminine Singular
οἳhoi[are] those whoG3739
√ ὅς — the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what, thatPersonal / Relative PronounNominative Masculine Plural
ὅτανhotanG3752
√ ὅταν — whenever (implying hypothesis or more or less uncertainty)Conjunction
ἀκούσωσινakousōsinhearG191
√ ἀκούω — to hear (in various senses)VerbAorist Subjunctive Active3rd Person Plural
τὸνtontheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Masculine Singular
λόγονlogonwordG3056
√ λόγος — something said (including the thought)NounAccusative Masculine Singular
δέχονταιdechontai[and] receive itG1209
√ δέχομαι — to receive (in various applications, literally or figuratively)VerbPresent Indicative Middle or Passive3rd Person Plural
dechomai: to receive, welcome Present middle: a real welcoming. ⚙ The rock-hearers are not hypocrites in the moment; the word is genuinely received. Compare 1 Thessalonians 1:6, which uses the same verb of those who “welcomed the message... with the joy of the Holy Spirit” and endured.
μετὰmetawithG3326
√ μετά — properly, denoting accompanimentPreposition
χαρᾶςcharasjoyG5479
√ χαρά — cheerfulness, iNounGenitive Feminine Singular
chara: joy Joy is not the problem; the problem is joy with no root. Cambridge cites Ezekiel 33:32 (“a very lovely song”) and Herod hearing John gladly (Mark 6:20).
καὶkaibutG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
οὗτοιhoutoi[they]G3778
√ οὗτος — the he (she or it), iDemonstrative PronounNominative Masculine Plural
ἔχουσινechousinhaveG2192
√ ἔχω — to hold (used in very various applications, literally or figuratively, direct or remoteVerbPresent Indicative Active3rd Person Plural
οὐκouknoG3756
√ οὐ — the absolute negative (compare G3361 (μή)) adverbAdverb
ῥίζανrhizanrootG4491
√ ῥίζα — a "root" (literally or figuratively)NounAccusative Feminine Singular
rhiza: a root Matthew and Mark add “in themselves.” Gill: “nor have they any root in Christ, nor in the love of God.” Compare Colossians 2:7, “rooted and built up in Him.”
οἳhoi[They]G3739
√ ὅς — the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what, thatPersonal / Relative PronounNominative Masculine Plural
πιστεύουσινpisteuousinbelieveG4100
√ πιστεύω — to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), iVerbPresent Indicative Active3rd Person Plural
pisteuō: to believe Present indicative: they do believe, for a time. ⚙ Luke is willing to call this believing; v. 15 shows what distinguishes saving faith: holding fast with endurance. Gill reads it as “a temporary one, like that of Simon Magus” (Acts 8:13).
πρὸςprosforG4314
√ πρός — a preposition of directionPreposition
καιρὸνkairona seasonG2540
√ καιρός — an occasion, iNounAccusative Masculine Singular
kairos: an occasion, a set time “For a season”: faith measured by a period.
καὶkai[but]G2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
ἐνeninG1722
√ ἐν — "in," at, (up-)on, by, etcPreposition
καιρῷkairō[the] timeG2540
√ καιρός — an occasion, iNounDative Masculine Singular
kairos: an occasion, a set time The same word, now as the season of trial. ⚙ Their believing lasted one season; it did not survive the next.
πειρασμοῦpeirasmouof testingG3986
√ πειρασμός — a putting to proof (by experiment (of good), experience (of evil), solicitation, discipline or provocation)NounGenitive Masculine Singular
peirasmos: a putting to proof The word of the Lord’s Prayer: “lead us not into temptation” (Luke 11:4), and of Jesus’ own testing (Luke 4:13). Gill: “a time of affliction and persecution.”
ἀφίστανταιaphistantaithey fall awayG868
√ ἀφίστημι — to remove, iVerbPresent Indicative Middle or Passive3rd Person Plural
aphistēmi: to remove, withdraw, stand off Present middle: they take themselves away. The verb of Hebrews 3:12, “to fall away from the living God,” and of 1 Timothy 4:1. Cambridge cites John 6:66 as a striking instance.
14

The seeds that fell among the thorns are those who hear, but as they go on their way, they are choked by the worries, riches, and pleasures of this life, and their fruit does not mature.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

de To peson eis tas akanthas houtoi eisin hoi akousantes kai poreuomenoi sympnigontai hypo merimnōn kai ploutou kai hēdonōn tou biou kai ou telesphorousin

Word by word24 · parsed
δὲdeG1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
ΤὸToThe [ seeds that ]G3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Neuter Singular
πεσόνpesonfellG4098
√ πίπτω — to fall (literally or figuratively)VerbAorist Participle ActiveNominative Neuter Singular
εἰςeisamongG1519
√ εἰς — to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etcPreposition
τὰςtastheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Feminine Plural
ἀκάνθαςakanthasthornsG173
√ ἄκανθα — a thornNounAccusative Feminine Plural
οὗτοίhoutoiG3778
√ οὗτος — the he (she or it), iDemonstrative PronounNominative Masculine Plural
εἰσινeisinareG1510
√ εἰμί — I exist (used only when emphatic)VerbPresent Indicative Active3rd Person Plural
οἱhoithose whoG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Masculine Plural
ἀκούσαντεςakousanteshearG191
√ ἀκούω — to hear (in various senses)VerbAorist Participle ActiveNominative Masculine Plural
καὶkai[but]G2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
πορευόμενοιporeuomenoias they go on their wayG4198
√ πορεύομαι — to traverse, iVerbPresent Participle Middle or PassiveNominative Masculine Plural
poreuomai: to go, travel Present participle: the slow pace of choking. The word is not torn away (v. 12) or scorched (v. 13) but outgrown while they walk.
συμπνίγονταιsympnigontaithey are chokedG4846
√ συμπνίγω — to strangle completely, iVerbPresent Indicative Middle or Passive3rd Person Plural
sympnigō: to strangle completely The same verb describes the crowd pressing round Jesus at Luke 8:42. ⚙ Luke uses apopnigō in the story (v. 7) and the intensive sym-compound here; the change is lexical and should not be overpressed.
ὑπὸhypobyG5259
√ ὑπό — under, iPreposition
μεριμνῶνmerimnōn[the] worriesG3308
√ μέριμνα — solicitudeNounGenitive Feminine Plural
merimna: solicitude, anxiety The noun of Luke 21:34 (“weighed down... with the cares of life”); the cognate verb is the “do not worry” of Luke 12:22. Maclaren: cares chiefly beset “struggling people.” Catullus, cited by Cambridge, speaks of “sowing thorny cares in the heart.”
καὶkaiG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
πλούτουploutourichesG4149
√ πλοῦτος — wealth (as fulness), iNounGenitive Masculine Singular
ploutos: wealth, fulness Matthew and Mark add “the deceitfulness of riches” (Cambridge). Luke’s Gospel presses the danger repeatedly (12:15 to 21; 16:13; 18:24 to 25). Pulpit offers the rich young ruler as an instance.
καὶkaiandG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
ἡδονῶνhēdonōnpleasuresG2237
√ ἡδονή — sensual delightNounGenitive Feminine Plural
hēdonē: sensual delight, pleasure Luke alone adds “pleasures” (Ellicott). The word gives English “hedonism.” Compare Titus 3:3, “enslaved to various passions and pleasures,” and James 4:1 and 3.
τοῦtouof [this]G3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleGenitive Masculine Singular
βίουbioulifeG979
√ βίος — life, iNounGenitive Masculine Singular
bios: life, livelihood Not zōē, life as God gives it, but bios, the means and manner of living. The same word is the “whole livelihood” of the widow (Luke 21:4) and “the pride of life” of 1 John 2:16.
καὶkaiandG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
οὐouvvvG3756
√ οὐ — the absolute negative (compare G3361 (μή)) adverbAdverb
τελεσφοροῦσινtelesphorousintheir fruit does not matureG5052
√ τελεσφορέω — to be a bearer to completion (maturity), iVerbPresent Indicative Active3rd Person Plural
telesphoreō: to bring to maturity Compound of telos (end, completion) and pherō (bear). Geneva: they “do not bring forth perfect and full fruit to the ripening.” ⚙ Maclaren takes this soil to represent “a real Christian” whose fruit is stunted; Gill and Pulpit treat it as profession without full fruit. The text says only that the fruit does not reach its end.
15

But the seeds on good soil are those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, cling to it, and by persevering produce a crop.

Berean Standard Bible · CC0

Greek — tap a word ↓

de To en tē kalē gē houtoi eisin hoitines en kalē kai agathē kardia akousantes ton logon katechousin kai en hypomonē karpophorousin

Word by word22 · parsed
δὲdeButG1161
√ δέ — but, and, etcConjunction
ΤὸTothe [seeds]G3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleNominative Neuter Singular
ἐνenonG1722
√ ἐν — "in," at, (up-)on, by, etcPreposition
τῇtēG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleDative Feminine Singular
καλῇkalēgoodG2570
√ καλός — X better, fair, good(-ly), honest, meet, well, worthyAdjectiveDative Feminine Singular
kalos: good, noble, beautiful The soil is now kalē where v. 8 had agathē; v. 15 then uses both words of the heart. ⚙ The soil and the heart are described in the same vocabulary: the field is the hearer.
γῇgēsoilG1093
√ γῆ — soilNounDative Feminine Singular
οὗτοίhoutoiG3778
√ οὗτος — the he (she or it), iDemonstrative PronounNominative Masculine Plural
εἰσινeisinareG1510
√ εἰμί — I exist (used only when emphatic)VerbPresent Indicative Active3rd Person Plural
οἵτινεςhoitinesthoseG3748
√ ὅστις — which some, iPersonal / Relative PronounNominative Masculine Plural
ἐνenwithG1722
√ ἐν — "in," at, (up-)on, by, etcPreposition
καλῇkalēa nobleG2570
√ καλός — X better, fair, good(-ly), honest, meet, well, worthyAdjectiveDative Feminine Singular
kalos: noble, fair, worthy Pulpit (via Bruce): kalos “has reference to aims or chief ends,” one “whose mind is raised above moral vulgarity.” Geneva: “honest refers to the outward life.” ⚙ Jesus takes the Greek world’s highest moral phrase and gives it a new definition: the heart that holds fast God’s word.
καὶkaiandG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
ἀγαθῇagathēgoodG18
√ ἀγαθός — "good" (in any sense, often as noun)AdjectiveDative Feminine Singular
agathos: good Geneva: “good refers to the good gifts of the mind.” Gill insists such hearts are “made so by the Spirit of God.” Compare Luke 6:45, “the good man brings good things out of the good treasure of his heart.”
καρδίᾳkardiaheartG2588
√ καρδία — the heart, iNounDative Feminine Singular
kardia: the heart The same heart from which the devil snatches the word in v. 12. Compare Ezekiel 36:26, the new heart God promises to give.
ἀκούσαντεςakousantes[who] hearG191
√ ἀκούω — to hear (in various senses)VerbAorist Participle ActiveNominative Masculine Plural
τὸνtontheG3588
√ ὁ — the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)ArticleAccusative Masculine Singular
λόγονlogonwordG3056
√ λόγος — something said (including the thought)NounAccusative Masculine Singular
κατέχουσινkatechousincling to [it]G2722
√ κατέχω — to hold down (fast), in various applications (literally or figuratively)VerbPresent Indicative Active3rd Person Plural
katechō: to hold down fast Present: continued holding. The verb of 1 Corinthians 15:2, “if you hold firmly to the word,” and Hebrews 10:23, “hold fast the confession of our hope.” Gill: they “faithfully keep it, and hold it fast.” Cambridge cites Luke 11:28: “blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.”
καὶkaiandG2532
√ καί — and, also, even, so then, too, etcConjunction
ἐνenbyG1722
√ ἐν — "in," at, (up-)on, by, etcPreposition
ὑπομονῇhypomonēperseveringG5281
√ ὑπομονή — cheerful (or hopeful) endurance, constancyNounDative Feminine Singular
hypomonē: cheerful (or hopeful) endurance, constancy Ellicott: the noun “does not occur in the other Gospels” and occurs thirteen times in Paul. It answers the “season of testing” of v. 13 directly. Cambridge, quoting Bengel: “strength of mind sustained by good hope.” Compare Luke 21:19, “by your endurance you will gain your souls,” and Romans 5:3 to 4.
καρποφοροῦσινkarpophorousinproduce a cropG2592
√ καρποφορέω — to be fertile (literally or figuratively)VerbPresent Indicative Active3rd Person Plural
karpophoreō: to bear fruit Present: ongoing fruit-bearing. Colossians 1:6 uses the same verb of the gospel itself, “bearing fruit and increasing” in the whole world, and 1:10 of believers. Cambridge: “The hundredfold harvest does not come at once.”

The verse-by-verse work is done. What follows gathers the whole unit. All three layers below are machine-generated (⚙). Weigh them; they have no authority.

⚙

Grand Commentary — the unit, read whole

synthesis · verify

AI synthesis — woven from the public-domain voices above and the original text; generated and fallible.

i. The crowd and the sower — Luke 8:4 to 8

Luke opens on a crowd still forming (Συνιόντος, present participle) and people journeying on to Jesus town by town. Maclaren reads the moment as one Jesus saw through: he “looked on the eager multitudes, because He looked through them.” Pulpit frames it as the crest of a Galilean enthusiasm about to recede, and holds this to be the first formal parable; Cambridge calls it “a new departure in His style of teaching.” The story itself is four throws of one seed. Luke alone adds that the path-seed was trodden down (κατεπατήθη; Ellicott, Cambridge), that the rock-seed lacked moisture (Cambridge: Luke “dwells rather on the lack of moisture than on the lack of soil”), and that the sower sowed “his seed,” which Gill takes as pointing to Christ as owner of the word. The thorns grow up together with the seed (συμφυεῖσαι), the NT’s only use of the verb; Ellicott: they “grew with its growth.” The good soil yields only the top figure, a hundredfold (Ellicott), and Jesus, in a sustained imperfect cry (ἐφώνει), binds every listener: “let him hear.”

ii. Given to know: the veil of parables — Luke 8:9 to 10

The disciples kept asking (imperfect) “what might this parable be?” The answer begins not with the parable but with grace: “to you it has been given” (δέδοται, a perfect divine passive). Henry draws the doxology: we are “for ever indebted to free grace” if what is a parable to others is plain truth to us. Cambridge defines μυστήρια as “something once hidden now revealed.” The hard clause (ἵνα, “so that seeing they may not see”) echoes Isaiah 6:9 to 10; Ellicott notes Luke gives the words “but not as a quotation.” The commentators refuse a mechanical reading: Cambridge says the parables “did not create the hardness... but only educed it,” and that “the natural punishment of spiritual perversity is spiritual blindness”; Maclaren, that “the obscuring is punitive, but the punishment is meant to be remedial”; Pulpit, citing Godet, that the veil “becomes transparent to the attentive mind.”

iii. The seed is the word of God: four hearings — Luke 8:11 to 15

“The seed is the word of God” (ὁ λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ), Luke’s own phrase where Matthew has “the word of the kingdom” (Ellicott). Every soil is introduced as “those who hear”: the parable sorts hearings, not hearers from non-hearers. On the path, the διάβολος lifts the word away “so that they may not believe and be saved,” a purpose clause Ellicott marks as fuller in Luke than in the other Gospels; Cambridge: “It is done in a moment.” On the rock, joy without root: they believe for a season and in a season of testing stand off (ἀφίστανται); Gill calls it “a temporary one, like that of Simon Magus.” Among thorns, they go along and are choked together (συμπνίγονται) by cares, riches and pleasures of βίος, and do not bring to maturity (τελεσφοροῦσιν, which Ellicott says occurs nowhere else in the NT). Maclaren: the thorns “had been grubbed up, but they had not been grubbed out.” The good soil is a heart kalē kai agathē, the Greek ethical ideal (Ellicott, Pulpit via Bruce), that holds fast (κατέχουσιν) and bears fruit in endurance (ὑπομονῇ), “something more vigorous than... passive submission” (Ellicott). Geneva adds why endurance is needed: “the devil and the flesh fight against the Spirit of God, who is a new guest.”

Read under Sola Scriptura — this tool’s own fallible reading (⚙)

⚙ Read on its own terms, the parable places all the life in the seed and all the variance in the soil. The word of God is not weak; it is snatched, starved of root, or out-competed. Three of four outcomes fail, and none of them fails for lack of hearing. That makes the parable a warning addressed to hearers, and Jesus’ closing cry (“let him hear”) and the following verse (“take care how you hear,” v. 18) confirm that this is its intended use.

Yet the text will not let the warning become self-made virtue. The disciples know the mysteries because it “has been given” (dedotai, v. 10). The good heart that holds the word is the soil the word itself finds; Gill says such hearts are “made so by the Spirit of God,” and Geneva calls the Spirit “a new guest.” The tool’s reading, offered to be tested against the whole of Scripture: the parable commands responsibility and confesses grace in the same breath, and the evidence that the word has truly taken root is not initial joy (v. 13) nor early growth (vv. 6 to 8) but fruit borne in endurance (v. 15). Where this reading strains the text, the text wins.

The seed never fails; the question the parable leaves is what the word finds in me, and whether it is still there when the season of testing comes.

⚙

Canonical Threads — out to the whole of Scripture

cross-refs · verify

AI-generated connections. Each carries a verification badge with a recorded basis; contested links are flagged.

The same parable in Mark and Matthew: thorns, sowing, falling verbal / quotation: confirmed

Luke’s parable runs parallel to Mark 4:3 to 20 and Matthew 13:3 to 23. The Verifier records shared lexemes at Mark 4:7, Mark 4:18 and Matthew 13:22, where the thorny ground appears. The comparisons sharpen Luke’s distinctives: Luke alone has “trodden down” (v. 5), “lacked moisture” (v. 6), “pleasures” among the thorns and the rare telesphoreō (v. 14), and “with endurance” (v. 15) (Ellicott, Cambridge). Cambridge argues the three accounts differ in ways showing the evangelists “did not use each other’s narratives”; that is Cambridge’s judgment on a contested source question, not established fact.

Mark 4:7 · Mark 4:18 · Matthew 13:22

basis: Verifier: shared Greek lexemes G173 ἄκανθα (in 11 vv, relatively rare), G4687 σπείρω (in 42 vv), G4098 πίπτω (in 86 vv), G191 ἀκούω; parallel tradition of one parable, not a quotation of one Gospel by another

A hundredfold: harvest and reward verbal / quotation: confirmed

The rare adjective ἑκατονταπλασίων (v. 8) appears elsewhere in the NT only where Jesus promises those who leave house and family for his sake a hundredfold return (Mark 10:30; Matthew 19:29). ⚙ The harvest the good soil yields in the parable and the return promised to the costly disciple use the same word; both are God’s superabundance answering faithfulness, not wages earned. The link is lexical and thematic; Luke does not cross-reference it.

Mark 10:30 · Matthew 19:29

basis: Verifier: shared Greek lexeme G1542 ἑκατονταπλασίων (in 3 vv), very rare; a verbal link, not a quotation

Choked: the seed and the herd verbal / quotation: confirmed

The verb ἀπέπνιξαν (apopnigō, v. 7) occurs only twice in the NT, both in Luke 8: here, of thorns choking the seed, and at 8:33, of the herd that rushed into the lake and was drowned. ⚙ Within one chapter Luke uses the same word for a word stifled by the world and for a herd carried off by demonic power. The tool notes the echo; it does not claim Luke intended an allegorical link.

Luke 8:33

basis: Verifier: shared Greek lexeme G638 ἀποπνίγω (in 2 vv), extremely rare; a lexical echo within Luke 8, not a quotation

The seed that grows by God’s power verbal / quotation: confirmed

The noun σπόρος (vv. 5, 11) is rare. Mark sets it in the parable of the seed growing secretly, where the sower “does not know how” it grows (Mark 4:26 to 27); Paul uses it of the God who “supplies seed to the sower” and will “multiply your seed” (2 Corinthians 9:10). ⚙ Across these uses the seed’s life is God’s, not the sower’s: the same claim Luke 8:11 makes by naming the seed “the word of God.”

Mark 4:26 · Mark 4:27 · 2 Corinthians 9:10

basis: Verifier: shared Greek lexeme G4703 σπόρος (in 5 vv), rare; with G4687 σπείρω (in 42 vv) at 2 Corinthians 9:10; verbal links, not quotations

What springs up: rock-seed and the root of bitterness structural / thematic: confirmed

The participle φυέν (phyō, vv. 6, 8) has only one other NT occurrence: Hebrews 12:15, “that no root of bitterness springs up.” ⚙ Luke has seed that springs up without root; Hebrews has a root that springs up to defile. Both concern what grows in a community that has received grace and whether it endures. The shared verb is rare, but the connection is thematic, so the tool under-claims it as structural.

Hebrews 12:15

basis: Verifier: shared Greek lexeme G5453 φύω (in 3 vv), rare; the lexical tie is real but the link is a shared growth motif, so downgraded from verbal

Seeing, not seeing: Isaiah’s commission structural / thematic: confirmed

Verse 10 echoes Isaiah 6:9 to 10. Ellicott: Luke “gives the words of Isaiah, but not as a quotation”; Matthew 13:14 to 15 quotes the passage in full, and Paul applies it again at Rome (Acts 28:26 to 27). Cambridge links all three and insists the prophecy and the parable “did not create the hardness... but only educed it.” This is a cross-Testament (Greek to Hebrew) link, so it cannot be tiered verbal on shared Strong’s numbers; it is recorded as structural: the same pattern of a word that hardens the unwilling while revealing to those given ears.

Isaiah 6:9-10 · Matthew 13:14-15 · Acts 28:26-27

basis: Cross-Testament allusion recorded by Ellicott and Cambridge; Matthew 13:14 to 15 quotes Isaiah 6:9 to 10 explicitly, but Luke 8:10 does not quote it formally, and Greek to Hebrew links cannot share Strong’s numbers

The word as rain and seed: Isaiah 55 structural / thematic: confirmed

Isaiah 55:10 to 11 likens God’s word to rain that gives “seed to the sower and bread to the eater,” and promises it “will not return to Me empty.” 2 Corinthians 9:10 takes up Isaiah’s “seed to the sower.” ⚙ Luke’s parable fits beside Isaiah: the word is seed, and though three soils fail, the hundredfold harvest shows it does not return empty. This is the tool’s canonical juxtaposition; no commentator in the brief draws it, and Luke does not cite Isaiah 55. Cross-Testament, so structural.

Isaiah 55:10-11

basis: Cross-Testament motif (word as seed and rain) with no shared Strong’s numbers possible; Isaiah 55:10 is taken up at 2 Corinthians 9:10, which shares G4703 σπόρος with Luke 8; no quotation claim for Luke

⚙Christ in the Unittypology · verify

AI-generated reading; weigh it against the text.

The Sower who goes out with his own seed ancient/widely-held

⚙ Luke alone says the sower sowed “his seed” (v. 5). Gill reads this as the clue: the phrase “best agrees with Christ, he being the proprietor and subject of it.” Jesus is both the one who goes out (exēlthen) to sow and the content of what is sown; Matthew’s companion parable makes the identification explicit: “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man” (Matthew 13:37). Pulpit adds that “the great Sower” works through the Holy Spirit and that every faithful preacher reproduces him. Identifying the sower with Christ is the widely-held reading among the commentators here.

Matthew 13:37 · Luke 4:43

The one in whose ministry Isaiah’s word is fulfilled ancient/widely-held

⚙ Verse 10 puts Jesus in Isaiah’s place: his teaching has the same double effect as the prophet’s commission. John states the further step plainly: Isaiah spoke these things “because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about Him” (John 12:39 to 41). The parables are the Lord’s own word, which reveals “the mysteries of the kingdom” to those given ears and hides them from those who will not see. Cambridge and Maclaren both insist the veiling serves judgment on unwillingness, with mercy as its aim (Maclaren: “the punishment is meant to be remedial”). This christological reading of Isaiah 6 is apostolic (John 12; Acts 28) and widely held.

Isaiah 6:9-10 · John 12:39-41

The Word as seed, and the grain that falls into the ground novel

⚙ Luke names the seed “the word of God” (v. 11). John names Christ “the Word” (John 1:1, 14) and has Jesus describe his own death as a grain of wheat that “falls to the ground and dies” and so “bears much fruit” (John 12:24). The tool sets these side by side: the seed that falls (epesen) in the parable and the grain that falls in John both bear fruit only by going into the ground. This is a figural juxtaposition offered for testing; the commentators in this brief do not draw it, and the Greek words differ (sporos / kokkos; logos as message / Logos as person). It is marked novel.

John 1:14 · John 12:24

Apparatus & Provenance

The biblical text is the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), public domain (CC0). Hebrew/Greek text, transliteration, morphology and Strong’s are transcribed from the Berean interlinear (CC0) + Strong’s lexicons (PD); the literal renderings, divergence notes, word notes and all synthesis are this tool’s own work (⚙) — fallible; verify them.

Named voices, quoted verbatim from public-domain works:

  • Alexander Maclaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture (c. 1905)
  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges, — (1880s)
  • Charles Ellicott, Commentary for English Readers (1878)
  • Geneva Study Bible, Marginal Notes (1599)
  • John Gill, Exposition of the Entire Bible (1746–63)
  • Joseph Benson, Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1810s)
  • Matthew Henry, Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible (1706)
  • The Pulpit Commentary, Spence & Exell, eds. (1880s)

Sources. Barnes, JFB and Poole contribute only cross-references to their Matthew and Mark notes on this unit; they are not quoted. Henry’s single comment covers 8:4 to 21 and is cited at the two verses where it bears most directly (vv. 10 and 15). Maclaren’s exposition is capped in the brief; only uncapped sentences are quoted. Pulpit’s 8:8 note includes the Papias tradition via Irenaeus; it is legendary and not drawn on.

Text. Gill reports variant and versional readings (Alexandrian “the seed of himself” at v. 5; Ethiopic and Persic additions at vv. 6 and 8; Vulgate and Persic “mystery” singular at v. 10, as in Mark). These are recorded from Gill and not independently verified by the tool. In the interlinear, “vvv” marks words BSB folds into a neighbour’s gloss, and the article tēn appears twice at v. 8 (indices 4 and 5), reflecting the Greek word order eis tēn gēn tēn agathēn.

Uncertain. Ellicott’s statement that telesphoreō occurs nowhere else in the NT is reported from Ellicott. Pulpit’s claim that this is the first parable Jesus spoke is a reconstruction. The purpose force of hina at v. 10 is debated: Cambridge softens it; the tool records both the grammar and the debate. Cross-Testament threads (Isaiah 6, Isaiah 55) are tiered structural because Greek and Hebrew cannot share Strong’s numbers.

✦ = human, public-domain source, quoted and named. ⚙ = machine synthesis, to be verified. Flagged cross-references are left visible on purpose — the verifier working in the open. “Search the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” (Acts 17:11)