Matthew 13:36-43

Context

Explanation for the Disciples

13:36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” 13:37 He¹ answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 13:38 The field is the world and the good seed are the people² of the kingdom. The weeds are the people³ of the evil one, 13:39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 13:40 As⁴ the weeds are collected and burned with fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 13:41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom everything that causes sin as well as all lawbreakers.⁵ 13:42 They will throw them into the fiery furnace,⁶ where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 13:43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.⁷ The one who has ears had better listen!⁸

[13:37] ¹tn Grk “And answering, he said.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[13:38] ²tn Grk “the sons of the kingdom.” This idiom refers to people who should properly be, or were traditionally regarded as, a part of God’s kingdom. L&N 11.13 translates the phrase: “people of God’s kingdom, God’s people.”

[13:38] ³tn Grk “the sons of the evil one.” See the preceding note on the phrase “people of the kingdom” earlier in this verse, which is the opposite of this phrase. See also L&N 9.4; 11.13; 11.14.

[13:40] ⁴tn Grk “Therefore as.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated.

[13:41] ⁵tn Grk “the ones who practice lawlessness.”

[13:42] ⁶sn A quotation from Dan 3:6.

[13:43] ⁷sn An allusion to Dan 12:3.

[13:43] ⁸tn 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, 13:9; Mark 4:9, 23; Luke 8:8, 14:35).