Matthew 13:4-10

13:4 And as he sowed, some seeds ¹  fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 13:5 Other ²  seeds fell on rocky ground ³  where they did not have much soil. They sprang up quickly because the soil was not deep. ⁴  13:6 But when the sun came up, they were scorched, and because they did not have sufficient root, they withered. 13:7 Other seeds fell among the thorns, ⁵  and they grew up and choked them. ⁶  13:8 But other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty. 13:9 The one who has ears had better listen!” ⁷ 

13:10 Then ⁸  the disciples came to him and said, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”

¹ tn In Matthew’s version of this parable, plural pronouns are used to refer to the seed in v. 4 (ἅ…αὐτά [Ja…auta]), although the collective singular is used in v. 5 and following (indicated by the singular verbs like ἔπεσεν [epesen]). For the sake of consistency in English, plural pronouns referring to the seed are used in the translation throughout the Matthean account. In both Mark and Luke the collective singular is used consistently throughout (cf. Mark 4:1-9; Luke 8:4-8).

² tn Here and in vv. 7 and 8 δέ (de) has not been translated.

³ sn The rocky ground in Palestine would be a limestone base lying right under the soil.

⁴ tn Grk “it did not have enough depth of earth.”

³ sn Palestinian weeds like these thorns could grow up to six feet in height and have a major root system.

⁴ sn That is, crowded out the good plants.

⁴ tn The translation “had better listen!” captures the force of the third person imperative more effectively than the traditional “let him hear,” which sounds more like a permissive than an imperative to the modern English reader. This was Jesus’ common expression to listen and heed carefully (cf. Matt 11:15, 13:43; Mark 4:9, 23; Luke 8:8, 14:35).

⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.