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OET (OET-LV) And those are the ones having_been_sown on the the good soil, who are_hearing the message and are_accepting it and are_bearing_fruit, in thirty, and in sixty, and in a_hundred.
OET (OET-RV) But lastly, the seed that landed on the good soil represents the people who hear the good message, accept it, and are fruitful thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times over.”
In this section, Jesus talked about the meaning of the parable that he had just told. The basic meaning of Jesus’ explanation is clear. However, there are questions about the meaning of the seed in this section. In 4:14, the seed refers to the word. In 4:15–20, what is sown seems to refer to the people who hear the word. This has led to several interpretations for the seed in 4:15–20.
The interpretation that the Notes follows is that in 4:15–20 the seed continues to represent the word. The introductory expressions such as “these/others…are the ones sown” (RSV) refer to what happens when the word falls into different types of soil. It represents what happens when different types of people hear the word. For example, the REB says:
With some the seed falls along the footpath
Many scholars support this interpretation in their commentaries. In some versions the seed appears to refer to the people. However, even in these versions, the text implies that the seed of the word has different results in different kinds of people.
Here is the meaning of the main metaphors in the parable:
The seeds represent the word, which is the message from God.
The sowing of the seed represents telling the message to people.
The different kinds of soil represents the different people who hear the message.
This section heading should be similar to the section heading for 4:1–9. You may use the word “explained” or “Jesus explained” (instead of “Jesus told”).
Here are some other possible headings for this section:
Jesus explained the parable of the sower and the soils
The four soils parable/story/illustration explained
The explanation of the parable about four kinds of people
The meaning of the parable of a man scattering seed
There are parallel passages for this section in Matthew 13:18–23 and Luke 8:11–15.
Still others are like the seeds sown on good soil.
Other people are like the good soil where the word is thrown/scattered.
Some seed falls onto good soil. This is like when people
Sometimes the seed lands on fertile soil. This represents people who
Still others are like the seeds sown on good soil: The Greek text here is literally “those are the ones upon the good soil, being sown.” For example, the NRSV says:
And these are the ones sown on the good soil
The words “those are the ones” (NRSV) introduce the fourth group of people. These people are compared to the good soil on which the sower has sown/planted seed.
Here are some other ways to translate this comparison:
Sometimes the word/teaching falls on good soil. This is like what happens when some people…
Lastly, other people are like good soil where the word/seed was sown.
good soil: The Greek word that the BSB translates as good in this context refers to the kind of soil in which plants grow well. Refer to your translation of 4:8a, where the same term is used.
They hear the word, receive it, and produce a crop—
They hear the word of God, accept it and bear fruit.
listen to the message from God, receive it as true, and produce good fruit.
hear God’s message and accept/believe it. Then it has good results in their lives.
receive it: The Greek word that the BSB translates as receive means to agree that something is correct or right. This word is different from the word that the BSB translates as “receive” in 4:16b. But the meaning of the two words is the same in this context. You may want to use the same expression here as you did for “receive” in 4:16b.
produce a crop: The Greek verb that the BSB translates as produce a crop indicates here that the seeds produce a harvest. Jesus used this action as a metaphor to describe a person who receives the word of God. That person receives the word of God and shows the good effects of it in his life. That is like the seed that grows and produces a crop.
Here are some other ways to translate this:
Keep the metaphor. For example the GNT has:
bear fruit
Use a simile. For example:
the word has results in their lives like seeds that produce a crop
Translate the meaning of the metaphor. For example:
the word has good results in their lives
thirtyfold, sixtyfold, or a hundredfold.”
Some produce thirty, others sixty, and others even a hundred times what was sown.”
There are many good results in their lives, like plants that bear thirty seeds, sixty seeds, or even a hundred seeds.”
thirtyfold, sixtyfold, or a hundredfold: The Greek text that the BSB translates as thirtyfold, sixtyfold, or hundredfold is the same here as in 4:8c.
Here are some other ways to translate this:
Keep the metaphor. Translate it in a similar way here as in 4:8c.
Use a simile and make explicit the meaning of the numbers of seeds. For example:
and there are many good results in their lives, like plants bearing thirty seeds, sixty seeds, or even a hundred times what was sown
Translate the meaning of the metaphor. For example:
Some have many results, some have even more results and some have amazing/outstanding results.
thirtyfold, sixtyfold, or a hundredfold: The numeric expressions thirtyfold, sixtyfold and a hundredfold are examples of a very good harvest, a great harvest, and an incredible or unbelievable harvest. You should translate this phrase like you did in 4:8c.
The NIV adds the words “what was sown,” which are not in the Greek text but are implied. Other versions have left these words implied, as the BSB has. Likewise, the GNT says:
They hear the message, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirty, some sixty, and some one hundred.
You will need to decide whether to make these words explicit or implicit in your language. Do whatever will make your translation clear and natural.
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
ἐκεῖνοί εἰσιν οἱ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν τὴν καλὴν σπαρέντες; οἵτινες ἀκούουσιν τὸν λόγον καὶ παραδέχονται καὶ καρποφοροῦσιν, ἓν τριάκοντα, καὶ ἓν ἑξήκοντα, καὶ ἓν ἑκατόν
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί ἐκεῖνοι εἰσίν οἱ ἐπί τήν γῆν τήν καλήν σπαρέντες οἵτινες ἀκούουσιν τόν λόγον καί παραδέχονται καί καρποφοροῦσιν ἐν τριάκοντα καί ἐν ἑξήκοντα καί ἐν ἑκατόν)
Here Jesus speaks about what happens to this person as if it were what happened in the parable when the seeds were sown on the good soil and produced crops 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 seeds sown on the good soil is like what happens to the one hearing the word and receiving it. That person will be like a seed that bears fruit—one, 30, and one, 60, and one, 100]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive
σπαρέντες
˓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: [whom the farmer sowed]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy
τὸν λόγον
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί ἐκεῖνοι εἰσίν οἱ ἐπί τήν γῆν τήν καλήν σπαρέντες οἵτινες ἀκούουσιν τόν λόγον καί παραδέχονται καί καρποφοροῦσιν ἐν τριάκοντα καί ἐν ἑξήκοντα καί ἐν ἑκατόν)
Just as in [4:14](../04/14.md), Jesus is using the term word to mean the gospel, which people preach using words. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [the gospel]
Note 4 topic: grammar-collectivenouns
καρποφοροῦσιν
˓are˒_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: [bear fruits]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
ἓν τριάκοντα, καὶ ἓν ἑξήκοντα, καὶ ἓν ἑκατόν
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί ἐκεῖνοι εἰσίν οἱ ἐπί τήν γῆν τήν καλήν σπαρέντες οἵτινες ἀκούουσιν τόν λόγον καί παραδέχονται καί καρποφοροῦσιν ἐν τριάκοντα καί ἐν ἑξήκοντα καί ἐν ἑκατόν)
Here Jesus means that each of the plants produced either 30, 60, or 100 new seeds. Jesus does not mean that there were only three plants. Scholars estimate that these numbers of seeds are very good in Jesus’ time period, although not impossible or unheard of. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make those ideas more explicit. See how you expressed the idea in [4:8](../04/08.md). Alternate translation: [some producing 30 seeds, and some producing 60 seeds, and some producing 100 seeds]
Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis
ἓν τριάκοντα, καὶ ἓν ἑξήκοντα, καὶ ἓν ἑκατόν
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί ἐκεῖνοι εἰσίν οἱ ἐπί τήν γῆν τήν καλήν σπαρέντες οἵτινες ἀκούουσιν τόν λόγον καί παραδέχονται καί καρποφοροῦσιν ἐν τριάκοντα καί ἐν ἑξήκοντα καί ἐν ἑκατόν)
Jesus is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a sentence would need in order to be complete. You could supply these words from earlier in the sentence if it would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: [one was bearing 30, and one was bearing 60, and one was bearing 100]
Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / nominaladj
ἓν τριάκοντα, καὶ ἓν ἑξήκοντα, καὶ ἓν ἑκατόν
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί ἐκεῖνοι εἰσίν οἱ ἐπί τήν γῆν τήν καλήν σπαρέντες οἵτινες ἀκούουσιν τόν λόγον καί παραδέχονται καί καρποφοροῦσιν ἐν τριάκοντα καί ἐν ἑξήκοντα καί ἐν ἑκατόν)
Jesus is using the number one as a noun to mean one of the plants. Your language may use numbers in the same way. If not, you could translate these words with equivalent phrases. Alternate translation: [one plant, 30, and one plant, 60, and one plant, 100]
OET (OET-LV) And those are the ones having_been_sown on the the good soil, who are_hearing the message and are_accepting it and are_bearing_fruit, in thirty, and in sixty, and in a_hundred.
OET (OET-RV) But lastly, the seed that landed on the good soil represents the people who hear the good message, accept it, and are fruitful thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times over.”
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.