PER138

The parable of the sower

The article analyzes the parable of the sower preached by Jesus. It compares the accounts of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, each adapted to its audience. The article also discusses Jesus' use of parables and his strategy for communicating with large crowds, suggesting appendices for further exploration.

9 min parable sower teachings of Jesus 8 verses 3 books

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Biblical texts

Matthew
Matthew 13.1-23 (King James Version)

The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.

And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.

And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:

And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:

But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?

He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:

For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.

When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;

Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

King James Version (1769), domaine public — texte : eBible.org
Mark
Mark 4.1-20 (King James Version)

And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land.

And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine,

Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:

And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.

And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:

But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.

And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.

And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:

That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.

And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?

The sower soweth the word.

And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.

And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;

And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.

And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,

And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

King James Version (1769), domaine public — texte : eBible.org
Luke
Luke 8.4-15 (King James Version)

And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable:

A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.

And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.

And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.

And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be?

And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.

Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.

They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.

And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

King James Version (1769), domaine public — texte : eBible.org
John
John (King James Version) not cited in the book

Technical details

Bar chart for the year 31

Location: A small bay along the shores of the Sea of Tiberias, near Capernaum in Galilee.

Date: October or November AD31

Method: We continue with Mark

Note on the method: Although Matthew and Luke address the same theme, the chronology presented by Mark seems the easiest for us to follow.

Capernaum

The Messiah Jesus will present a new centered on the theme of a sower.

The parable of the sower

The sower

Comments

The Messiah Jesus leaves the residence he was occupying in Capernaum and heads toward the (Sea of Tiberias). Seeing that a large crowd is present, he decides to board a boat so that he can move freely.

Matthew and Mark specify that the crowd remained on the shore while the Messiah Jesus began teaching them various parables. This intrigued the disciples, probably the apostles (Mark 4.10), who asked him why he used this type of language (Matthew 13.10). They found it difficult to understand this and therefore asked the Master for explanations (Mark 4.10; Luke 8.9-10).

The three authors offer the same somewhat enigmatic answer. We address this subject in detail in the appendix ANN078: The parables and in the study of the PAR001: The sower.

It is noteworthy that Matthew, Mark, and Luke include this same passage. This marks a transition in the teaching of Jesus Christ. Particularly in Matthew, it appears after chapter 12, which clearly illustrates the deterioration of relations with the religious authorities.

We observe minor variations among the three versions of this account.

Matthew primarily addresses a Jewish audience, thus emphasizing understanding and the kingdom of heaven. He provides a more detailed explanation of the , highlighting the response of the different types of soil.
Mark, addressing a audience, adopts a more direct and concise style, often focused on action and immediacy. Some of the more detailed explanations found in Matthew are omitted, making Mark's account shorter and more succinct.

Luke, addressing Greek readers, highlights the reaction to the word of God and the response of the listeners. He particularly emphasizes the importance of listening attentively and correctly understanding the divine word.
Each evangelist adjusts his account to his intended audience and particular context. The linguistic and stylistic variations reflect the authors' differing intentions and concerns.

We advise you to consult the appendix ANN078: The parables to understand the reasons for the Messiah Jesus' change of strategy.

It is also relevant to ask how Jesus managed to communicate effectively with a large crowd. This question is addressed in detail in the appendix ANN050: How the Messiah Jesus made himself heard.

The acoustic potential of certain coves along the water offers an appropriate answer to this problem.

The Synoptic Gospels consistently present an account structured in two distinct segments.
First, there is the public proclamation of this . Second, a private explanation is given after the crowd has left. It is likely that the Messiah Jesus also delivered other teachings and healed the sick.

D'après Mark 4.10, le Messie Jésus a exposé la signification de la à ses disciples en privé, après le départ de la foule. L'absence d'accès de la foule à cette explication est précisée dans l'annexe ANN078 : Les paraboles.

It is not logical to gather such a multitude merely for a few words. It is likely that the other parables concerning the kingdom of God mentioned by Matthew were also presented during this large gathering.

It is plausible that certain passages from the Beatitudes were proclaimed in this place. The evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John grouped passages around common themes to make them easier to understand. It is important to note that these authors condensed the discourses presented.

It is essential to connect the concept of fruitful seed with that of the kingdom of God. This relationship involves the word conveyed by Jesus, whose reception differs from one individual to another.

Comprendre le sens demande une réflexion approfondie. Par conséquent, il est nécessaire de fournir un effort continu pour extraire l'essence du message. La incite à une analyse précise pour identifier les éléments importants.

Matthew detailed the Master's interpretation, but this remains rare, with many parables left unexplained. Mark and Luke also mention this interpretation, but more briefly (PER146 Evening explanations of various parables, particularly that of the weeds).