Luke 8:11–15
Jesus explains the parable: the seed falls on four kinds of ground
Study it word by word11Now this is the parable: the seed is the word of God.
12And those along the path are the ones who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.
13And those on the rock are the ones who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root; they believe for a while, and in a time of testing fall away.
14And what fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked by worries and riches and pleasures of life, and they do not bring fruit to maturity.
15But that in the good soil, these are the ones who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, hold it fast and bear fruit with perseverance.
In its context
9And his disciples were asking him what this parable might mean.
10And he said, “To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is in parables, so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.
…
16And no one after lighting a lamp covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a lampstand, so that those who come in may see the light.
17For there is nothing hidden that will not become evident, nor anything secret that will never be known and come into the open.
Its words in the original
- ἜστινEstin· be
Be, exist.
- παραβολήparabolē· parable, comparison
Parable: a comparison, a story from everyday life that teaches a truth about the kingdom.
- σπόροςsporos· seed, sowing
Seed; sowing.
- λόγοςlogos· word
Word, saying, message; also reason, cause, account.
- θεοῦtheou· God, god
God. In the plural or in another sense, "gods".
- ὁδόνhodon· way, road
Way, road; journey; also way of life.
- ἀκούσαντεςakousantes· hear, listen
Hear, listen; also heed.
- εἶταeita· then
Then, next.
- ἔρχεταιerchetai· come, go
Come, arrive; go.
- διάβολοςdiabolos· devil
Devil: "the slanderer", the one who accuses and divides; the enemy of God and of people.
- αἴρειairei· lift, take away
Lift up, carry; also take away.
- καρδίαςkardias· heart
Heart: the center of the person, where one thinks, feels and decides.
- πιστεύσαντεςpisteusantes· believe
Believe, trust.
- σωθῶσινsōthōsin· save
Save, rescue from danger or death; also heal from an illness.
- πέτραςpetras· rock
Rock, bedrock.
- ὅτανhotan· when, whenever
When, whenever.
- χαρᾶςcharas· joy
Joy, gladness.
- δέχονταιdechontai· receive, welcome
Receive, welcome.
- ῥίζανrhizan· root, shoot
Root; also a descendant, a shoot.
- ἔχουσινechousin· have
Have, possess, hold.
- καιρὸνkairon· time, right time
Time, the appointed moment.
- πειρασμοῦpeirasmou· testing, temptation
Test, trial; also temptation, the test that pushes one to fall.
- ἀφίστανταιaphistantai· withdraw, depart
Withdraw, go away, depart from; also fall away; in the active, cause to revolt.
- ἀκάνθαςakanthas· thorn
Thorn, thornbush.
- πεσόνpeson· fall
Fall; fall to the ground.
- μεριμνῶνmerimnōn· worry
Worry, anxiety.
- πλούτουploutou· wealth
Riches, wealth.
- ἡδονῶνhēdonōn· pleasure
Pleasure.
- βίουbiou· life, livelihood
Livelihood, means of life; also life.
- πορευόμενοιporeuomenoi· go
Go, set out; also live, walk in a way of life.
- συμπνίγονταιsympnigontai· choke, crowd
Choke; also press in on every side.
- τελεσφοροῦσινtelesphorousin· bear ripe fruit
Bear ripe fruit, bring fruit to maturity.
- καλῇkalēi· good, beautiful
Good, beautiful, noble.
- γῇgēi· earth, land
Earth: the ground, a country, or the whole world.
- ἀγαθῇagathēi· good
Good.
- κατέχουσινkatechousin· hold fast, hold back
Hold fast, keep; also hold back, restrain, or take possession of.
- καρποφοροῦσινkarpophorousin· bear fruit
Bear fruit.
- ὑπομονῇhypomonēi· endurance, perseverance
Endurance, perseverance: holding out patiently under trial.