New Living Translation
Matthew 13:25
25But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away.
Matthew 13:25 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
- New International Version (NIV)But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.
- English Standard Version (ESV)but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away.
- New King James Version (NKJV)but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.
Context of Matthew 13:25
23The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” 24Here is another story Jesus told: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. 26When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew. 27“The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’
Read all of Matthew 13Matthew 13:25 word by word
ἐν δὲ τῷ καθεύδειν τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἦλθεν αὐτοῦ ὁ ἐχθρὸς καὶ ἐπέσπειρεν ζιζάνια ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ σίτου καὶ ἀπῆλθεν.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Butδέde · thenG1161
- whileἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- menὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- menἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
- sleptκαθεύδωkatheudō · to sleepG2518
- hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- enemyἐχθρόςechthros · enemyG2190
- cameἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- sowedσπείρωspeirō · to sowG4687
- taresζιζάνιονzizanion · weedG2215
- ·ἀνάana · eachG303
- amongμέσοςmesos · midstG3319
- the wheatσῖτοςsitos · grainG4621
- went his wayἀπέρχομαιaperchomai · to go awayG565
Cross-references for Matthew 13:25
- Matthew 25:5When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
- Isaiah 56:9Come, wild animals of the field! Come, wild animals of the forest! Come and devour my people!
- Acts 20:30Even some men from your own group will rise up and distort the truth in order to draw a following.
- Galatians 2:4Even that question came up only because of some so-called believers there—false ones, really—who were secretly brought in. They sneaked in to spy on us and take away the freedom we have in Christ Jesus. They wanted to enslave us and force us to follow their Jewish regulations.
- 2 Timothy 4:3For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear.
- Hebrews 12:15Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.
- 2 Peter 2:1But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them. In this way, they will bring sudden destruction on themselves.
- Revelation 2:20“But I have this complaint against you. You are permitting that woman—that Jezebel who calls herself a prophet—to lead my servants astray. She teaches them to commit sexual sin and to eat food offered to idols.
- Matthew 13:39The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, and the harvesters are the angels.
- 2 Corinthians 11:13These people are false apostles. They are deceitful workers who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ.
- 1 Peter 5:8Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.
- Revelation 12:9This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels.
- Revelation 13:14And with all the miracles he was allowed to perform on behalf of the first beast, he deceived all the people who belong to this world. He ordered the people to make a great statue of the first beast, who was fatally wounded and then came back to life.
- Matthew 13:38The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one.
Commentaries on Matthew 13:25
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 25But while men slept - When the professors were lukewarm, and the pastors indolent, his enemy came and sowed tares, degenerate, or bastard wheat. The righteous and the wicked are often mingled in the visible Church. Every Christian society, how pure soever its principles may be, has its bastard wheat - those who bear a resemblance to the good, but whose hearts are not right with God. He who sows this bastard wheat among God's people is here styled God's…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 24-30Verses 24-30 The kingdom of heaven is likened - That is, the “gospel resembles.” The kingdom of heaven (see the notes at Matthew 3:2) means here the effect of the gospel by its being preached. The meaning of this parable is plain. The field represents the “world,” in which the gospel is preached. The “good seed,” the truths preached by Christ and his apostles. Matthew 13:25 While men slept, his enemy came - That is, “in the night,” when it could be…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 24-30Verses 24-30 , 36-43 This parable represents the present and future state of the gospel church; Christ's care of it, the devil's enmity against it, the mixture there is in it of good and bad in this world, and the separation between them in the other world. So prone is fallen man to sin, that if the enemy sow the tares, he may go his way, they will spring up, and do hurt; whereas, when good seed is sown, it must be tended, watered, and fenced. The…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 25Weeds, also known as tares or bearded darnel, look a lot like wheat. Farmers waited until the plants grew to tell them apart. Intentionally contaminating crops like this was against the law.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-52Introduction (Mt 13:1-3). 1. The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the seaside.Read the comment
Topics related to Matthew 13:25
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Matthew 13
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Catena Aurea
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- John Lightfoot Commentary
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries