Luke 8:14

8:14 As for the seed that ¹  fell among thorns, these are the ones who hear, but ²  as they go on their way they are choked ³  by the worries and riches and pleasures of life, ⁴  and their fruit does not mature. ⁵ 

Luke 8:9

8:9 Then ⁶  his disciples asked him what this parable meant. ⁷ 

¹ tn Grk “What”; the referent (the seed) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

³ sn That is, their concern for spiritual things is crowded out by material things.

⁴ sn On warnings about the dangers of excessive material attachments, described here as the worries and riches and pleasures of life, see Luke 12:12-21; 16:19-31.

⁵ tn The verb τελεσφορέω (telesforew) means “to produce mature or ripe fruit” (L&N 23.203). Once again the seed does not reach its goal.

⁶ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

⁷ tn Grk “what this parable might be” (an optative after a secondary tense, in keeping with good Koine style).