Text -- Matthew 13:24-30 (NET)

The Parable of the Weeds

13:24 He presented them with another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a person who sowed good seed in his field. 13:25 But while everyone was sleeping, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. 13:26 When the plants sprouted and bore grain, then the weeds also appeared. 13:27 So the slaves of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Then where did the weeds come from?’ 13:28 He said, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the slaves replied, ‘Do you want us to go and gather them?’ 13:29 But he said, ‘No, since in gathering the weeds you may uproot the wheat with them. 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At harvest time I will tell the reapers, “First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned, but then gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Mat 13:24

¹ tn Grk “He set before them another parable, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant and has not been translated.

NET Notes: Mat 13:25

¹ tn Grk “sowed darnel.” The Greek term ζιζάνιον (zizanion) refers to an especially undesirable weed that looks like wheat but has poisonous seeds (L&N 3.30).

NET Notes: Mat 13:26

¹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

NET Notes: Mat 13:27

¹ tn See the note on the word “slave” in 8:9.

NET Notes: Mat 13:28

¹ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the owner’s statement.

NET Notes: Mat 13:30

¹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

² tn Grk “but.”

³ tn Grk “burned, but gather.”