Matthew 13:3-9

Matthew 13:3-9

[3] And  he spake  many things  unto them  in  parables,  saying,  Behold,  a sower  went forth  to sow;  [4] And  when  he  sowed,  some  seeds fell  by  the way side,  and  the fowls  came  and  them  up:  [5] Some  fell  upon  stony places,  where  they had  not  much  earth:  and  forthwith  they sprung up,  because  they had  no  deepness  of earth:  [6] And  when the sun  was up,  they were scorched;  and  because  they had  no  root,  they withered away.  [7] And  some  fell  among  thorns;  and  the thorns  sprung up,  and  them:  [8] But  other  fell  into  good  ground,  and  brought forth  fruit,  some  an hundredfold,  some  sixtyfold,  some  thirtyfold.  [9] Who  hath  ears  to hear, 

What does Matthew 13:3-9 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

The first parable is an introduction to those that follow, and the last one is a conclusion and application of the whole series. [1]
"Modern interpretation of the parable has increasingly recognized this implication of the literary form of this particular parable, over against the dogmatic assertion of earlier NT scholarship, following Adolf Jlicher, that a parable has only a single point and that all the rest is mere narrative scenery, which must not be "allegorized" to determine what each detail means. In this cast the way the story is constructed demands that the detail be noticed, and to interpret those details individually is not arbitrary "allegorization" but a responsible recognition of the way Jesus constructed the story." [2]