The Meaning of Matthew 13:38 Explained

Matthew 13:38

KJV: The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;

YLT: and the field is the world, and the good seed, these are the sons of the reign, and the darnel are the sons of the evil one,

Darby: and the field is the world; and the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom, but the darnel are the sons of the evil one;

ASV: and the field is the world; and the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one ;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

<1161> The field  is  the world;  the good  seed  are  the children  of the kingdom;  but  the tares  are  the children  of the wicked  [one]; 

What does Matthew 13:38 Mean?

Study Notes

world kosmos = mankind. (See Scofield " Matthew 4:8 ") .
kingdom .

Context Summary

Matthew 13:34-43 - Genuine And Counterfeit
Throughout the Synoptic Gospels-Matthew, Mark, and Luke-a consistent distinction is made between the outer ranks of the people, or disciples, and the inner circle of Apostles. May we not emphasize the same distinction still? We have among us many who are clearly disciples. They cannot as yet formulate or endorse the full creed of the Church, but if they are true to their convictions and follow the gleam, the Master will bring them to the decision of Peter, Matthew 16:16.
This world is God's field. All the good in it has reached it through Jesus Christ. Fundamentally there are but two classes, for the disciple belongs to Christ, though He has not yet come into the perfect light. Notice that the people who cause stumbling are placed with those who do iniquity, and each class is thrown on the rubbish heap. Ponder the despair with which we shall view wasted opportunities, as we look back on them from eternity-weeping for softer natures, and wailing for weaker ones. Let us not trifle away the golden chances of life! [source]

Chapter Summary: Matthew 13

1  The parable of the sower and the seed;
18  the explanation of it
24  The parable of the weeds;
31  of the mustard seed;
33  of the leaven;
36  explanation of the parable of the weeds
44  The parable of the hidden treasure;
45  of the pearl;
47  of the drag net cast into the sea
53  Jesus is a prophet without honor in his own country

Greek Commentary for Matthew 13:38

The field is the world [ο δε αγρος εστιν ο κοσμος]
The article with both “field” and “world” in Greek means that subject and predicate are coextensive and so interchangeable. It is extremely important to understand that both the good seed and the darnel (tares) are sown in the world, not in the Kingdom, not in the church. The separation comes at the consummation of the age (συντελεια αιωνος — sunteleia aiōnos Matthew 13:39), the harvest time. They all grow together in the field (the world). [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Matthew 13:38

John 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil [υμεις εκ του πατρος του διαβολου]
Certainly they can “understand” It was like a bombshell in spite of the preliminary preparation. Your will to do Present active indicative of τελω — thelō and present active infinitive, “Ye wish to go on doing.” This same idea Jesus presents in Matthew 13:38 (the sons of the evil one, the devil) and Matthew 23:15 (twofold more a son of Gehenna than you). See also 1 John 3:8 for “of the devil” He even called them “broods of vipers” as Jesus did later (Matthew 12:34). A murderer Old and rare word (Euripides) from αντρωπος — anthrōpos man, and κτεινω — kteinō to kill. In N.T. only here and 1 John 3:15. The Jews were seeking to kill Jesus and so like their father the devil. Stood not in the truth Since ουκ — ouk not ουχ — ouch is genuine, the form of the verb is εστεκεν — esteken the imperfect of the late present stem στηκω — stēkō (Mark 11:25) from the perfect active εστηκα — hestēka (intransitive) of ιστημι — histēmi to place. No truth in him Inside him or outside (environment). The devil and truth have no contact. When he speaketh a lie Indefinite temporal clause with οταν — hotan and the present active subjunctive of λαλεω — laleō But note the article το — to “Whenever he speaks the lie,” as he is sure to do because it is his nature. Hence “he speaks out of his own” For he is a liar Old word for the agent in a conscious falsehood See 1 John 1:10; Romans 3:4. Common word in John because of the emphasis on αλητεια — alētheia (truth). And the father thereof (και ο πατηρ αυτου — kai ho patēr autou). Either the father of the lie or of the liar, both of which are true as already shown by Jesus. Autou in the genitive can be either neuter or masculine. Westcott takes it thus, “because he is a liar and his father (the devil) is a liar,” making “one,” not the devil, the subject of “whenever he speaks,” a very doubtful expression. [source]
John 8:44 Your will to do [τελετε ποιειν]
Present active indicative of τελω — thelō and present active infinitive, “Ye wish to go on doing.” This same idea Jesus presents in Matthew 13:38 (the sons of the evil one, the devil) and Matthew 23:15 (twofold more a son of Gehenna than you). See also 1 John 3:8 for “of the devil” He even called them “broods of vipers” as Jesus did later (Matthew 12:34). A murderer Old and rare word (Euripides) from αντρωπος — anthrōpos man, and κτεινω — kteinō to kill. In N.T. only here and 1 John 3:15. The Jews were seeking to kill Jesus and so like their father the devil. Stood not in the truth Since ουκ — ouk not ουχ — ouch is genuine, the form of the verb is εστεκεν — esteken the imperfect of the late present stem στηκω — stēkō (Mark 11:25) from the perfect active εστηκα — hestēka (intransitive) of ιστημι — histēmi to place. No truth in him Inside him or outside (environment). The devil and truth have no contact. When he speaketh a lie Indefinite temporal clause with οταν — hotan and the present active subjunctive of λαλεω — laleō But note the article το — to “Whenever he speaks the lie,” as he is sure to do because it is his nature. Hence “he speaks out of his own” For he is a liar Old word for the agent in a conscious falsehood See 1 John 1:10; Romans 3:4. Common word in John because of the emphasis on αλητεια — alētheia (truth). And the father thereof (και ο πατηρ αυτου — kai ho patēr autou). Either the father of the lie or of the liar, both of which are true as already shown by Jesus. Autou in the genitive can be either neuter or masculine. Westcott takes it thus, “because he is a liar and his father (the devil) is a liar,” making “one,” not the devil, the subject of “whenever he speaks,” a very doubtful expression. [source]
Acts 17:24 The world [τὸν κόσμον]
Originally, order, and hence the order of the world; the ordered universe. So in classical Greek. In the Septuagint, never the world, but the ordered total of the heavenly bodies; the host of heaven (17:3; Isaiah 24:21; 40:26). Compare, also, Proverbs href="/desk/?q=pr+17:6&sr=1">Proverbs 17:6, and see note on James 3:6. In the apocryphal books, of the universe, and mainly in the relation between God and it arising out of the creation. Thus, the king of the world (2 Maccabees 7:9); the creator or founder of the world (2 Maccabees 12:15). In the New Testament: 1. In the classical and physical sense, the universe (John href="/desk/?q=joh+17:5&sr=1">John 17:5; John 21:25.; Romans 1:20; Ephesians 1:4, etc.). 2. As the order of things of which man is the centre (Matthew 13:38; Mark 16:15; Luke 9:25; John 16:21; Ephesians 2:12; 1 Timothy 6:7). 3. Humanity as it manifests itself in and through this order (Matthew 18:7; 2 Peter 2:5; 2 Peter 3:6; Romans 3:19). Then, as sin has entered and disturbed the order of things, and made a breach between the heavenly and the earthly order, which are one in the divine ideal - 4. The order of things which is alienated from God, as manifested in and by the human race: humanity as alienated from God, and acting in opposition to him (John 1:10; John 12:31; John 15:18, John 15:19; 1 Corinthians 1:21; 1 John 2:15, etc.). The word is used here in the classical sense of the visible creation, which would appeal to the Athenians. Stanley, speaking of the name by which the Deity is known in the patriarchal age, the plural Elohim, notes that Abraham, in perceiving that all the Elohim worshipped by the numerous clans of his race meant one God, anticipated the declaration of Paul in this passage (“Jewish Church,” i., 25). Paul's statement strikes at the belief of the Epicureans, that the world was made by “a fortuitous concourse of atoms,” and of the Stoics, who denied the creation of the world by God, holding either that God animated the world, or that the world itself was God. [source]
Galatians 4:24 For these are []
Hagar and Sarah are, allegorically. Signify. Comp. Matthew 13:20, Matthew 13:38; Matthew 26:26, Matthew 26:28; 1 Corinthians 10:4, 1 Corinthians 10:16. [source]
Galatians 4:3 We were held in bondage [ημεις ημετα δεδουλωμενοι]
Periphrastic past perfect of δουλοω — douloō to enslave, in a permanent state of bondage. Under the rudiments of the world (υπο τα στοιχεια του κοσμου — hupo ta stoicheia tou kosmou). Στοιχος — Stoichos is row or rank, a series. So στοιχειον — stoicheion is any first thing in a στοιχος — stoichos like the letters of the alphabet, the material elements in the universe (2 Peter 3:10), the heavenly bodies (some argue for that here), the rudiments of any act (Hebrews 5:12; Acts 15:10; Galatians 5:1; Galatians 4:3, Galatians 4:9; Colossians 2:8, Colossians 2:20). The papyri illustrate all the varieties in meaning of this word. Burton has a valuable excursus on the word in his commentary. Probably here (Lightfoot) Paul has in mind the rudimentary character of the law as it applies to both Jews and Gentiles, to all the knowledge of the world (κοσμος — kosmos as the orderly material universe as in Colossians 2:8, Colossians 2:20). See note on Matthew 13:38; note on Acts 17:24; note on 1 Corinthians 3:22. All were in the elementary stage before Christ came. [source]
Galatians 4:3 Under the rudiments of the world [υπο τα στοιχεια του κοσμου]
Στοιχος — Stoichos is row or rank, a series. So στοιχειον — stoicheion is any first thing in a στοιχος — stoichos like the letters of the alphabet, the material elements in the universe (2 Peter 3:10), the heavenly bodies (some argue for that here), the rudiments of any act (Hebrews 5:12; Acts 15:10; Galatians 5:1; Galatians 4:3, Galatians 4:9; Colossians 2:8, Colossians 2:20). The papyri illustrate all the varieties in meaning of this word. Burton has a valuable excursus on the word in his commentary. Probably here (Lightfoot) Paul has in mind the rudimentary character of the law as it applies to both Jews and Gentiles, to all the knowledge of the world See note on Matthew 13:38; note on Acts 17:24; note on 1 Corinthians 3:22. All were in the elementary stage before Christ came. [source]
2 Thessalonians 3:3 From evil [ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ]
Possibly, from the evil one. Τὸ πονηρόν evilis found Romans 12:9; Matthew 5:39; but general N.T. usage favors the masculine, personal sense. See Matthew 13:19, Matthew 13:38; Ephesians 6:16; 1 John 2:13, 1 John 2:14; 1 John 3:12; 1 John 5:18. In lxx, τὸ πονηρόν evil is very common: ὁ πονηρὸς a few times, but always of men. See Deuteronomy 24:7; Esther 7:6; Job 21:30. In Tobit 3:8,17, τὸ πονηρόν δαιμόνιον thewicked demon. The masculine is favored by the Jewish formularies, of which traces appear in the Lord's prayer; by the unanimous tradition of Greek interpreters; by the interpretations of Tertullian and Cyprian, and by the evidence of the Syriac and Sahidic Versions. [source]

What do the individual words in Matthew 13:38 mean?

- and the field is the world - the good seed these are the sons of the kingdom - the weeds of the evil [one]
δὲ ἀγρός ἐστιν κόσμος τὸ καλὸν σπέρμα οὗτοί εἰσιν οἱ υἱοὶ τῆς βασιλείας τὰ ζιζάνιά τοῦ πονηροῦ

  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἀγρός  the  field 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀγρός  
Sense: land.
κόσμος  world 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: κόσμος  
Sense: an apt and harmonious arrangement or constitution, order, government.
τὸ  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
καλὸν  the  good 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: καλός  
Sense: beautiful, handsome, excellent, eminent, choice, surpassing, precious, useful, suitable, commendable, admirable.
σπέρμα  seed 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: σπέρμα  
Sense: from which a plant germinates.
οὗτοί  these 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.
υἱοὶ  sons 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: υἱός  
Sense: a son.
τῆς  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
βασιλείας  kingdom 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: βασιλεία  
Sense: royal power, kingship, dominion, rule.
τὰ  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Neuter Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ζιζάνιά  the  weeds 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Neuter Plural
Root: ζιζάνιον  
Sense: a kind of darnel, resembling wheat except the grains are black.
τοῦ  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
πονηροῦ  evil  [one] 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: πονηρός  
Sense: full of labours, annoyances, hardships.