Matthew 13:26
in Matthew 13When the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the weeds also appeared.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But when the blade sprang up and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
KJV
But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
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This verse in Matthew 13
Commentary
14 notes on this verseWhen the blade was sprung up - then appeared the tares also - Satan has a shoot of iniquity for every shoot of grace; and, when God revives his work, Satan revives his also. No marvel, therefore, if we find scandals arising suddenly to discredit a work of grace, where God has begun to pour out his Spirit.
This site's exposition
sowed good seed in his field
on Matthew 13:24-26
A man which sowed good seed in his field opens the second parable, and while men slept names the opportunity the enemy took, not carelessness on the householder's part but the ordinary hour of night when a field is left unwatched. The tares, likely darnel, are indistinguishable from wheat until the ear forms, so that the servants only see the trouble once the blade has sprung up and it is too late to have prevented it by earlier vigilance.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
The Lord points out that our foe the devil sows the weeds of his wickedness and malice to choke the seed of God in us. Thus he says, "But while men were asleep, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away." …
A commentator
John ChrysostomHomily on the Gospel of Matthew 46 · Written in the 5th century.
proposed
And not by this only, but by what follows likewise, He depicts exactly all their acting. For, "When the blade was sprung up," saith He, "and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also;" which kind of thing these men also do. For at the beginning they disguise themselves; but when they have gained much confidence, and some one imparts to them the teaching of the word, then they pour out their poison.
The Medieval Church3 voices
In the previous parable He spoke of the fourth part of the seed which fell on the good soil, while in this parable He shows that the enemy does not allow even that part which fell on good soil to remain incorrupted, because we sleep …
And it should be noted that, when He says, Sowed good seed, He intends that good will which is in the elect; when He adds, An enemy came, He intimates that watch should be kept against him; when as the tares grow up, He suffers it patiently, saying, An enemy hath done this, He recommends to us patience; when He says, Lest haply in gathering the tares, &c. He sets us an example of discretion; when He says, Suffer both to grow together till the harvest, He teaches us long-suffering; and, lastly, He inculcates justice, when He says, Bind them into bundles to burn.
Consequently, the progress of good and evil is treated. And when the blade was sprung up. And that you may understand, three things are considered. First, the manifestation of the good from the evil is set down; secondly, the zeal of the good against the …
7 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
When the blade was sprung up, then appeared the darnel - It was not discerned before: it seldom appears, as soon as the good seed is sown: all at first appears to be peace, and love, and joy.
The seed sown on stony places, therefore sprang up soon, because it did not sink deep, ver. 5. He receiveth it with joy - Perhaps with transport, with ecstasy: struck with the beauty of truth, and drawn by the preventing grace of God. Yet hath he not root in himself - No deep work of grace: no change in the ground of his heart.
quarantine:anchor (2026-07-29) — cites-ver-5-anchored-26-26
But when the blade was sprung up,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
The parable of the wheat and tares, which occupies the chief part of these verses, is one of peculiar importance in the present day. It is eminently calculated to correct the extravagant expectations in which many Christians indulge as to the effect of missions abroad, and of preaching the Gospel at home. May we give it the attention which it deserves! In the first place, this parable teaches us that good and evil will always be found together in the professing church, until the end of the world.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also--the growth in both cases running parallel, as antagonistic principles are seen to do.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-run:16w-of-30
The parable of the wheat and tares, which occupies the chief part of these verses, is one of peculiar importance in the present day. It is eminently calculated to correct the extravagant expectations in which many Christians indulge as to the effect of missions abroad, and of preaching the Gospel at home. May we give it the attention which it deserves! In the first place, this parable teaches us that good and evil will always be found together in the professing church, until the end of the world. The visible church is set before us as a mixed body: it is a vast “field” in which “wheat” and “tares” grow side by side. We must expect to find believers and unbelievers, converted and unconverted, “the children of the kingdom” and “the children of the wicked one”all mingled together in every congregation of baptized people. The purest preaching of the Gospel will not prevent this. In every age of the church the same state of things has existed: it was the experience of the early Fathers; it was the experience of the Reformers; it is the experience of the best ministers at the present hour. There has never been a visible church or a religious assembly of which the members have all been “wheat.” The devil, that great enemy of souls, has always taken care to sow “tares.” The most strict and prudent discipline will not prevent this: Episcopalians, Presbyterians and Independents all alike find it to be so. Do what we will to purify a church, we shall never succeed in obtaining a perfectly pure communion: tares will be found among the wheat; hypocrites and deceivers will creep in; and worst of all, if we are extreme in our efforts to obtain purity we do more harm than good: we run the risk of encouraging many a Judas Iscariot, and breaking many a bruised reed. In our zeal to gather up the tares, we are in danger of rooting up the wheat with them.
Modern Voices1 voice
A commentator
Bishop Bill HamonProphetic Ministry Can Empower or Devastate the Church (Charisma Magazine) (1990)
proposed
Jesus said we must let the tares grow along with the wheat until the time of the harvest (Matt. 13:24-30).
The words behind it
13 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ὅτε | hote | When | G3753 → | 103 times |
| δὲ | de | now | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| ἐβλάστησεν | eblastesen | sprouted | G985 → | |
| ὁ | ho | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| χόρτος | chortos | plants | G5528 → | 15 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| καρπὸν | karpon | fruit | G2590 → | 66 times |
| ἐποίησεν, | epoiesen | produced, | G4160 → | 569 times |
| τότε | tote | then | G5119 → | 160 times |
| ἐφάνη | ephane | appeared | G5316 → | 30 times |
| καὶ | kai | also | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| τὰ | ta | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ζιζάνια. | zizania | weeds. | G2215 → | 8 times |
ὅτεWhen
hoteG3753 →103 times
δὲnow
deG1161 →2765 times
ἐβλάστησενsprouted
eblastesenG985 →
ὁthe
hoG3588 →19766 times
χόρτοςplants
chortosG5528 →15 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
καρπὸνfruit
karponG2590 →66 times
ἐποίησεν,produced,
epoiesenG4160 →569 times
τότεthen
toteG5119 →160 times
ἐφάνηappeared
ephaneG5316 →30 times
καὶalso
kaiG2532 →9120 times
τὰthe
taG3588 →19766 times
ζιζάνια.weeds.
zizaniaG2215 →8 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Matthew
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Bishop Bill Hamon, Prophetic Ministry Can Empower or Devastate the Church (Charisma Magazine); Chromatius of Aquileia, TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 51.1.1-2; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Matthew; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 46; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Rabanus Maurus, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Matthew and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Matthew.