Matthew 13:24-30
New English Translation
The Parable of the Weeds
24 He presented them with another parable:[a] “The kingdom of heaven is like a person who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, an enemy came and sowed darnel[b] among the wheat and went away. 26 When[c] the plants sprouted and produced grain, then the darnel also appeared. 27 So the slaves[d] of the landowner[e] came and said to him, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Then where did the darnel come from?’ 28 He said, ‘An enemy has done this!’ So[f] the slaves replied, ‘Do you want us to go and gather it?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, since in gathering the darnel you may uproot the wheat along with it. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At[g] harvest time I will tell the reapers, “First collect the darnel and tie it in bundles to be burned, but then gather[h] the wheat into my barn.”’”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Matthew 13:24 tn Grk “He set before them another parable, saying.” The participle λέγων (legōn) is redundant and has not been translated.
- Matthew 13:25 tn Or “sowed poisonous weeds”; KJV “tares.” The Greek term ζιζάνιον (zizanion) is generally understood to refer to darnel (Lolium temulentum), an especially undesirable weed that bears an uncanny resemblance to wheat until the ears of grain appear (L&N 3.30; BDAG 429 s.v.). So close is the resemblance to genuine wheat that darnel is sometimes called “false wheat.” Darnel is considered poisonous; ingesting the weed causes feelings of drunkenness and can prove fatal. Under Roman law the sowing of such poisonous plants in someone else’s field was specifically prohibited (C. Keener, The Gospel of Matthew: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary [Eerdmans, 2009], 387). A number of recent English translations use “weeds,” but this does not convey the poisonous nature of darnel or the similarity in appearance to wheat.
- Matthew 13:26 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
- Matthew 13:27 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 8:9.
- Matthew 13:27 sn The term landowner here refers to the owner and manager of a household.
- Matthew 13:28 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the owner’s statement.
- Matthew 13:30 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
- Matthew 13:30 tn Grk “burned, but gather”; “then” has been added to the English translation to complete the sequence begun by “First collect.”
Matthew 13:24-30
Mounce Reverse Interlinear New Testament
24 Jesus put paratithēmi another allos parable parabolē before paratithēmi them autos, saying legō: “ The ho kingdom basileia of ho heaven ouranos is like homoioō a man anthrōpos sowing speirō good kalos seed sperma in en · ho his autos field agros. 25 But de while en · ho everyone anthrōpos was sleeping katheudō, · ho his autos enemy echthros came erchomai · ho and kai sowed epispeirō weeds zizanion among ana mesos the ho wheat sitos and kai went aperchomai away . 26 When hote · de the ho plants chortos came blastanō up and kai bore poieō grain karpos, then tote the ho weeds zizanion appeared phainō as kai well . 27 And de the ho servants of the ho master oikodespotēs of the house came proserchomai and said legō to him autos, ‘ Sir kyrios, did you speirō not ouchi sow speirō good kalos seed sperma in en · ho your sos field agros? Why pothen then oun does it have echō weeds zizanion?’ 28 And de he ho said phēmi to them autos, ‘An enemy echthros has done poieō this houtos!’ And de the ho servants said legō to him autos, ‘ So oun do you want thelō us to go aperchomai and gather syllegō them autos?’ 29 But de he ho replied phēmi, ‘ No ou, lest mēpote in gathering syllegō the ho weeds zizanion you uproot ekrizoō the ho wheat sitos along hama with them autos. 30 Let aphiēmi both amphoteroi grow synauxanō together until heōs the ho harvest therismos; and kai at en harvest therismos time kairos · ho I will tell legō the ho harvesters theristēs, “ First prōton gather syllegō the ho weeds zizanion and kai bind deō them autos into eis bundles desmē to pros · ho be burned katakaiō, then de gather synagō the ho wheat sitos into eis · ho my egō barn apothēkē.”’”
Read full chapterNET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.
The Mounce Reverse Interlinear™ New Testament (MOUNCE)
Copyright © 2011 by William D. Mounce. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
“Reverse Interlinear” is a trademark of William D. Mounce.
