Matthew 13:4
in Matthew 13And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and as he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the birds came and devoured them:
KJV
And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
⋯
This verse in Matthew 13
Commentary
14 notes on this verseAnd while he sowed, some seeds fell by the highway side, and the birds came and devoured them - It is observable, that our Lord points out the grand hindrances of our bearing fruit, in the same order as they occur. The first danger is, that the birds will devour the seed. If it escape this, there is then another danger, namely, lest it be scorched, and wither away.
This site's exposition
a sower went forth to sow
on Matthew 13:3-9
A sower went forth to sow pictures Palestinian farming where seed was often scattered before plowing, so that the path across the field, the shallow limestone shelf beneath a thin skin of soil, and the roots of uncleared thorns each claimed part of the seed before the plow ever turned it under. The bench reads the parable's climax in the last soil alone, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold, an ordinary yield made extraordinary against three prior failures, the harvest guaranteed despite the loss along the way. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear closes the parable with a call that separates the merely curious crowd from the disciple willing to ask what it means.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
Let us look, as from a broader perspective, at what it means to be on the road. In a way, every road is hardened and foolish on account of the fact that it lies beneath everyone's feet. No kind of seed finds there enough depth of soil for a covering. Instead, it lies on the surface and is ready to be snatched up by the birds that come by. Therefore those who have in themselves a mind hardened and, as it were, packed tight do not receive the divine seed but become a well-trodden way for the unclean spirits. These are what is here meant by "the birds of the heaven." But "heaven" we understand to mean this air, in which the spirits of wickedness move about, by whom, again, the good seed is snatched up and destroyed.
A commentator
John ChrysostomHomily on the Gospel of Matthew 44 · Written in the 5th century.
proposed
What then comes of this seed? Three parts perish, and one is saved. "And when He sowed, some seeds fell," He saith, "by the way side; and the fowls came and devoured them up." He said not, that He cast them, but that "they fell." A fourth part is saved; and not this all alike, but even here great is the difference. Now these things He said, manifesting that He discoursed to all without grudging. For as the sower makes no distinction in the land submitted to him, but simply and indifferently casts his seed; so He Himself too makes no distinction of rich and poor, of wise and unwise, of slothful or diligent, of brave or cowardly; but He discourses unto all, fulfilling His part, although foreknowing the results; that it may be in His power to say, "What ought I to have done, that I have not done?" And the prophets speak of the people as of a vine; "For my beloved," it is said, "had a vineyard;" and, "He brought a vine out of Egypt;" but He, as of seed. What could this be to show? That obedience now will be quick and easier, and will presently yield its fruit. But when thou hearest, "The sower went forth to sow," think it not a needless repetition. For the sower frequently goes forth for some other act also, either to plough, or to cut out the evil herbs, or to pluck up thorns, or to attend to some such matter; but He went forth to sow. Whence then, tell me, was the greater part of the seed lost? Not through the sower, but through the ground that received it; that is, the soul that did not hearken. And wherefore doth He not say, Some the careless received, and lost it; some the rich, and choked it, and some the superficial, and betrayed it? […]
(Version 4.) Behold, he who sows went out to sow. And while he was sowing, he was inside, at home, speaking to the disciples the mysteries. Therefore, he who sows the word of God went out from his house, in order to sow in the crowds. But this sower who sows is signified to be the Son of God, and to sow the word of the Father among the people. And at the same time, observe that this is the first parable, which is placed with its interpretation.
The Medieval Church2 voices
But let us see about the impediment to the seed. For it is impeded in three ways, because three things are required. For it is required that the memory be preserved. Hence Proverbs 6:21: bind them upon your heart continually. The second is that it …
Those by the way side are they who are lazy and indolent, who do not accept the word. For their minds are a pathway that is trodden and hard, and not in the least bit tilled. The word is snatched from them by the birds …
7 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
But those things which He silently left to our understanding, should be shortly noticed. The wayside is the mind trodden and hardened by the continual passage of evil thoughts; the rock, the hardness of the self-willed mind; the good soil, the gentleness of the obedient mind, the sun, the heat of a raging persecution. The depth of soil, is the honesty of a mind trained by heavenly discipline. But in thus expounding them we should add, that the same things are not always put in one and the same allegorical signification.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
The place where Christ's hearers now stood represented the characters of most of them, the sand on the sea-shore, which was to the seed like the highway ground. Observe First, What kind of hearers are compared to the highway ground; such as hear the word and understand it not; and it is their own fault that they do not.
The exposition of it we have from Christ himself, who knew best what was his own meaning. The disciples, when they asked, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
And when he sowed,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
The chapter which these verses begin is remarkable for the number of parables which it contains. Seven striking illustrations of spiritual truth are here drawn by the great head of the church from the book of nature. By so doing he shows us that religious teaching may draw help from everything in creation. Those that would “find out acceptable words” should not forget this.(Eccl 12:10) The parable of the sower, which begins this chapter, is one of those parables which admit of a very wide application. It is being continually verified under our own eyes.
The chapter which these verses begin is remarkable for the number of parables which it contains. Seven striking illustrations of spiritual truth are here drawn by the great head of the church from the book of nature. By so doing he shows us that religious teaching may draw help from everything in creation. Those that would “find out acceptable words” should not forget this.(Eccl 12:10) The parable of the sower, which begins this chapter, is one of those parables which admit of a very wide application. It is being continually verified under our own eyes. Wherever the Word of God is preached or expounded and people are assembled to hear it, the sayings of our Lord in this parable are found to be true. It describes what goes on, as a general rule, in all congregations. Let us learn in the first place, from this parable that the work of the preacher resembles that of the sower. Like the sower, the preacher must sow good seed if he wants to see fruit. He must sow the pure Word of God, and not the traditions of the church or the doctrines of men. Without this, his labor will be vain. He may go to and fro, and seem to say much, and to work much in his weekly round of ministerial duty, but there will be no harvest of souls for heaven, no living results, and no conversions. Like the sower, the preacher must be diligent. He must spare no pains; he must use every possible means to make his work prosper; he must patiently sow beside all waters, and sow in hope. He must “instant in season and out of season,” he must not be deterred by difficulties and discouragements; “he that observeth the wind shall not sow.” No doubt his success does not entirely depend upon his labor and diligence, but without labor and diligence success will not be obtained.(Isa 32:20 2 Tim 4:2 Eccl 11:4 ) Like the sower, the preacher cannot give life.
Some seeds fell by the way side - The hard beaten path, where no plough had broken up the ground.
The words behind it
17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| τῷ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| σπείρειν | speirein | sowing | G4687 → | 52 times |
| αὐτὸν | auton | of him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἃ | ha | some | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| μὲν | men | indeed | G3303 → | 176 times |
| ἔπεσεν | epesen | fell | G4098 → | 90 times |
| παρὰ | para | along | G3844 → | 192 times |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ὁδόν, | hodon | road, | G3598 → | 101 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐλθόντα | elthonta | having come | G2064 → | 628 times |
| τὰ | ta | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πετεινὰ | peteina | birds | G4071 → | 14 times |
| κατέφαγεν | katephagen | devoured | G2719 → | |
| αὐτά. | auta | them. | G846 → | 5565 times |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
τῷthe
toG3588 →19766 times
σπείρεινsowing
speireinG4687 →52 times
αὐτὸνof him
autonG846 →5565 times
ἃsome
haG3739 →1405 times
μὲνindeed
menG3303 →176 times
ἔπεσενfell
epesenG4098 →90 times
παρὰalong
paraG3844 →192 times
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
ὁδόν,road,
hodonG3598 →101 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐλθόνταhaving come
elthontaG2064 →628 times
τὰthe
taG3588 →19766 times
πετεινὰbirds
peteinaG4071 →14 times
κατέφαγενdevoured
katephagenG2719 →
αὐτά.them.
autaG846 →5565 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; Cyril of Alexandria, FRAGMENT 168; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Matthew; Jerome, Commentary on Matthew; John Chrysostom, Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 44; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Rabanus Maurus, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Matthew and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Matthew.