Luke 8:14-15

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  8:15 But as for the seed that landed on good soil, these are the ones who, after hearing ⁶  the word, cling to it ⁷  with an honest and good ⁸  heart, and bear fruit with steadfast endurance. ⁹ 

[8:14]  ¹ tn Grk “What”; the referent (the seed) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:14]  ² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[8:14]  ³ sn That is, their concern for spiritual things is crowded out by material things.

[8:14]  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.

[8:14]  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.

[8:15]  ⁶ tn The aorist participle ἀκούσαντες (akousante") has been taken temporally, reflecting action antecedent (prior to) that of the main verb.

[8:15]  ⁷ sn There is a tenacity that is a part of spiritual fruitfulness.

[8:15]  ⁸ sn In an ancient context, the qualifier good described the ethical person who possessed integrity. Here it is integrity concerning God’s revelation through Jesus.

[8:15]  ⁹ sn Given the pressures noted in the previous soils, bearing fruit takes time (steadfast endurance), just as it does for the farmer. See Jas 1:2-4.