Open Bible Data Home About News OET Key
OET OET-RV OET-LV ULT UST BSB MSB BLB AICNT OEB WEBBE WMBB NET LSV FBV TCNT T4T LEB BBE Moff JPS Wymth ASV DRA YLT Drby RV SLT Wbstr KJB-1769 KJB-1611 Bshps Gnva Cvdl TNT Wycl SR-GNT UHB BrLXX BrTr Related Topics Parallel Interlinear Reference Dictionary Search
InterlinearVerse GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOB JOS JDG RUTH 1 SAM 2 SAM PSA AMOS HOS 1 KI 2 KI 1 CHR 2 CHR PROV ECC SNG JOEL MIC ISA ZEP HAB JER LAM YNA (JNA) NAH OBA DAN EZE EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL LAO GES LES ESG DNG 2 PS TOB JDT WIS SIR BAR LJE PAZ SUS BEL MAN 1 MAC 2 MAC 3 MAC 4 MAC YHN (JHN) MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC (JAM) GAL 1 TH 2 TH 1 COR 2 COR ROM COL PHM EPH PHP 1 TIM TIT 1 PET 2 PET 2 TIM HEB YUD (JUD) 1 YHN (1 JHN) 2 YHN (2 JHN) 3 YHN (3 JHN) REV
Mat C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16 C17 C18 C19 C20 C21 C22 C23 C24 C25 C26 C27 C28
Mat 13 V1 V3 V5 V7 V9 V11 V13 V15 V17 V19 V21 V25 V27 V29 V31 V33 V35 V37 V39 V41 V43 V45 V47 V49 V51 V53 V55 V57
OET (OET-LV) And the one having_been_sown on the good soil, this is the one hearing the message and understanding, who indeed is_bearing_fruit and is_producing, some on_one_hand a_hundred, some on_the_other_hand sixty, some on_the_other_hand thirty.
OET (OET-RV) The seed that landed on the good soil is the person who hears the message and understands it and goes on to bear fruit—some people producing a hundred times more, some sixty times, and some thirty times.”[fn]
13:23 See http://scrollandscreen.com/biblestudyresources/Matthew%2013.1-23%20mgvh%20notes.pdf
In this section, Jesus explained the meaning of the parable of the sower. As you translate this section, it is important to understand and remember the main elements in this parable and what they represent.
There are three main metaphors in this parable:
The seed represents the message about the kingdom.
The sowing of the seed represents telling the message to people.
The four types of soil represents four types of people who hear the message.
The first type of soil is the soil along the path. This soil represents people whom Satan causes to forget the message of the kingdom. The second type of soil is the rocky soil. This soil represents people who initially accept the message, but when troubles or persecution happen to them, they quickly reject the message. The third type of soil is the thorny soil. This soil represents people who accept the message, but worries about daily living cause them to not do anything for God. Finally, the forth type of soil is the good soil. This soil represents people who hear and understand the message, and the message produces results in their lives.
In these verses, the Greek text sometimes keeps the metaphor and sometimes explains the meaning of the metaphor. For example 13:19c–d has: “the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.” The words “snatches away what was sown” keep the metaphor of birds eating the grain that the farmer sowed. But the words “the evil one comes” explains the meaning of the metaphor of “birds” (13:4c).
Here are some other possible headings for this section:
Jesus explained the parable of the four soils
The Parable of the Sower Explained (NRSV)
There are parallel passages for this section in Mark 4:13–20 and Luke 8:11–15.
But the seed sown on good soil
The good soil where some seed fell
The meaning of what happened to the seeds that the farmer sowed/scattered on good soil
But the seed sown on good soil: This clause refers to what happened when some seed fell on good ground. Be careful not to imply that the seed is being compared to a person. The comparison is to the entire situation.
This clause is passive. Here are some ways to translate it:
Use a passive verb. For example:
The meaning of what happened to the seeds that were planted on good soil is this:
Use an active verb. For example:
As for the seeds that the farmer planted on good soil, that is like
Use another type of verb. For example:
As for the good soil where some seeds fell, that is like
This clause is similar to 13:20a and 13:22a. You should translate it in a similar way.
sown: This same word occurs in 13:19d, 13:20a and 13:22a. But here the seed was sown on the good soil on purpose. You may want to:
Be consistent and use the same term here as in 13:19d, 13:20a and 13:22a.
Indicate that the seed was sown here on purpose, and so use the term for “sow” that you used in 13:4a.
good soil: This phrase refers to the kind of soil in which plants grow well.
Here is another way to translate this:
fertile soil
This same phrase occurs in 13:8a.
is the one who hears the word and understands it.
shows/represents a person who hears the message and understands it.
is this: some people hear the message and understand it,
is the one who hears the word and understands it: This clause is very similar to 13:20b and 13:22b. The only difference is the added phrase and understands it.
is: The word is indicates a comparison. It means “the situation in 13:23a represents….” In other words, sowing in good soil “is like” or “represents” someone who hears the word and understands it. For example:
represents (NLT)
stand for (GNT)
the one who hears the word and understands it: The word one refers to a certain type of person. In some languages, it may be more natural to use a plural word here. For example:
those who hear the message and understand it (GNT)
those who truly hear and understand God’s word (NLT)
He indeed bears fruit
This type of person produces a crop.
and it produces results in their lives like plants that
He indeed: The Greek word that the BSB translates as indeed is a weak marker of emphasis. Here it emphasizes that among all the soils on which seed fell, the good soil is the only one that bears fruit.At this point in the explanation of the parable, the good soil (a good person) and the seed (the message) merge. They are together pictured as producing grain.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
He is the one who
he does bear fruit
Most English versions do not translate this word.
bears fruit: The verb bears describes what a plant or tree does when it develops grain or fruit. Notice that here Jesus kept the metaphor in his explanation.
This verb has the opposite meaning of “unfruitful” in 13:22e. Also see how you translated the similar phrase “produced a crop” in 13:8a.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
Translate the metaphor in a natural way in your language. For example:
produces crops (GW)
Translate the metaphor as a simile. For example:
the message has results in their lives like a plant producing a crop
and produces a crop—a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold.”
Some produce a hundred seeds/grains, others sixty, and others thirty.”
produce a hundred, sixty or thirty seeds.”
and produces a crop—a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold: The Greek text is more literally “this one produces a hundred, and another sixty and another thirty.” This phrase continues the metaphor of the plants producing a harvest. This phrase is similar to 13:8b.
Here the singular “one” represents a group of people. Some people do many good deeds and they are like a plant that produces one hundred seeds of grain. Other people’s good deeds are like sixty seeds of grain. Still other people’s good deeds are like thirty seeds of grain.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
Translate the metaphor in a natural way in your language. For example:
produces fruit/grain, some produce a hundred grains, some sixty grains, and some thirty
Translate the metaphor as a simile. For example:
some people’s good deeds are like a plant bearing a hundred seeds, other people are like a plant that bears sixty seeds other people are like a plant that bears thirty seeds
a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold: For advice on translating these numbers, see the note at 13:8b.
Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-words-phrases
δὲ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὁ Δέ ἐπί τήν καλήν γῆν σπαρείς οὗτος ἐστίν ὁ τόν λόγον ἀκούων καί συνιείς ὅς δή καρποφορεῖ καί ποιεῖ ὅ μέν ἑκατόν ὅ δέ ἑξήκοντα ὅ δέ τριάκοντα)
Here, the word Now introduces the next thing that Jesus wants to say. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a word or phrase that introduces the next topic, or you could leave Now untranslated. Alternate translation: [Next,]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
ὁ & ἐπὶ τὴν καλὴν γῆν σπαρείς, οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ τὸν λόγον ἀκούων καὶ συνιείς; ὃς δὴ καρποφορεῖ καὶ ποιεῖ, ὃ μὲν ἑκατὸν, ὃ δὲ ἑξήκοντα, ὃ δὲ τριάκοντα
the_‹one› & (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὁ Δέ ἐπί τήν καλήν γῆν σπαρείς οὗτος ἐστίν ὁ τόν λόγον ἀκούων καί συνιείς ὅς δή καρποφορεῖ καί ποιεῖ ὅ μέν ἑκατόν ὅ δέ ἑξήκοντα ὅ δέ τριάκοντα)
Here Jesus speaks about what happens to this person as if it were what happened in the parable when the seed was sown on the good soil and produced a crop of various sizes. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea in simile form. Alternate translation: [what happened to the seed having been sown on the good soil is like what happens to the one hearing the word understanding it. That person will be like a seed that bears fruit and yields, some 100, and some 60, and some 30]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicitinfo
ὁ & ἐπὶ τὴν καλὴν γῆν σπαρείς, οὗτός
the_‹one› & (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὁ Δέ ἐπί τήν καλήν γῆν σπαρείς οὗτος ἐστίν ὁ τόν λόγον ἀκούων καί συνιείς ὅς δή καρποφορεῖ καί ποιεῖ ὅ μέν ἑκατόν ὅ δέ ἑξήκοντα ὅ δέ τριάκοντα)
Here, the word this refers directly back to the one having been sown on the good soil. Jesus expresses the idea in this way to introduce the one having been sown on the good soil and then explains what it means. If stating the topic and then referring back to it with the word this would be redundant in your language, you could omit the redundant information. Alternate translation: [the one having been sown on the good soil]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive
σπαρείς
˓having_been˒_sown
If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you need to say who did the action, it is clear from the context that it was the farmer who was sowing seed. Alternate translation: [that the farmer sowed]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy
τὸν λόγον
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὁ Δέ ἐπί τήν καλήν γῆν σπαρείς οὗτος ἐστίν ὁ τόν λόγον ἀκούων καί συνιείς ὅς δή καρποφορεῖ καί ποιεῖ ὅ μέν ἑκατόν ὅ δέ ἑξήκοντα ὅ δέ τριάκοντα)
Here, just as in [13:19](../13/19.md), Jesus is using the term word to mean something spoken in words. Express the idea as you did there. Alternate translation: [the proclamation] or [the news]
Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
τὸν λόγον
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὁ Δέ ἐπί τήν καλήν γῆν σπαρείς οὗτος ἐστίν ὁ τόν λόγον ἀκούων καί συνιείς ὅς δή καρποφορεῖ καί ποιεῖ ὅ μέν ἑκατόν ὅ δέ ἑξήκοντα ὅ δέ τριάκοντα)
Here Jesus implies that this is the same “word of the kingdom” that he has mentioned in the previous verses. You could include this information if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: [the word about the kingdom]
Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
καρποφορεῖ καὶ ποιεῖ, ὃ μὲν ἑκατὸν, ὃ δὲ ἑξήκοντα, ὃ δὲ τριάκοντα
˓is˒_bearing_fruit (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὁ Δέ ἐπί τήν καλήν γῆν σπαρείς οὗτος ἐστίν ὁ τόν λόγον ἀκούων καί συνιείς ὅς δή καρποφορεῖ καί ποιεῖ ὅ μέν ἑκατόν ὅ δέ ἑξήκοντα ὅ δέ τριάκοντα)
Here Jesus means that plants produced 100, 60, or 30 new seeds. Scholars estimate that these numbers are very good in Jesus’ time period, although not impossible or unheard of. Express the idea as you did in [13:8](../13/08.md). Alternate translation: [bears fruit, with some plants yielding 100 seeds, and some plants yielding 60 seeds, and other plants yielding 30 seeds] or [bears fruit and yields many times more than the farmer planted: some 100 times more, and some 60 times more, and some 30 times more]
Note 8 topic: grammar-collectivenouns
καρποφορεῖ
˓is˒_bearing_fruit
Here, the word fruit is singular in form, but it refers to many fruits as a group. If it would be helpful in your language, you could say this plainly. Alternate translation: [bears fruits]
13:23 produce a harvest: Probably a general reference to faithful obedience to Jesus’ commands (e.g., 5:1–7:27; 28:20).
OET (OET-LV) And the one having_been_sown on the good soil, this is the one hearing the message and understanding, who indeed is_bearing_fruit and is_producing, some on_one_hand a_hundred, some on_the_other_hand sixty, some on_the_other_hand thirty.
OET (OET-RV) The seed that landed on the good soil is the person who hears the message and understands it and goes on to bear fruit—some people producing a hundred times more, some sixty times, and some thirty times.”[fn]
13:23 See http://scrollandscreen.com/biblestudyresources/Matthew%2013.1-23%20mgvh%20notes.pdf
Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.
Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.