Matthew 13:20

King James Version

But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
And the one sown on rocky ground—this is one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy.

King James Version (1611)
But he that receiued the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, & anon with ioy receiueth it:

English Standard Version
As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy,

New American Standard Bible
"The one sown with seed on the rocky places, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;

New Century Version
And what is the seed that fell on rocky ground? That seed is like the person who hears the teaching and quickly accepts it with joy.

Amplified Bible
"The one on whom seed was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and at once welcomes it with joy;

Geneva Bible (1587)
And hee that receiued seede in the stonie grounde, is he which heareth the woorde, and incontinently with ioy receiueth it,

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;

Legacy Standard Bible
And the one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;

Berean Standard Bible
The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and promptly receives it with joy.

Contemporary English Version
The seeds that fell on rocky ground are the people who gladly hear the message and accept it right away.

Complete Jewish Bible
The seed sown on rocky ground is like a person who hears the message and accepts it with joy at once,

Darby Translation
But he that is sown on the rocky places—this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy,

Easy-to-Read Version
"And what about the seed that fell on rocky ground? That is like the people who hear the teaching and quickly and gladly accept it.

George Lamsa Translation
That which was sown upon the rock, this is he who hears the word, and immediately accepts it with joy;

Good News Translation
The seeds that fell on rocky ground stand for those who receive the message gladly as soon as they hear it.

Lexham English Bible
And what was sown on the rocky ground—this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy.

Literal Translation
And that sown on the stony places is this: the one hearing the Word, and immediately receiving it with joy,

American Standard Version
And he that was sown upon the rocky places, this is he that heareth the word, and straightway with joy receiveth it;

Bible in Basic English
And that which went on the stones, this is he who, hearing the word, straight away takes it with joy;

Hebrew Names Version
What was sown on the rocky places, this is he who hears the word, and immediately with joy receives it;

International Standard Version
As for what was sown on the stony ground, this is the person who hears the word and accepts it at once with joy,Isaiah 58:2; Ezekiel 33:31-32; John 5:35;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
But that which was sown upon the rock is he who heareth the word, and at once with joy apprehendeth it.

Murdock Translation
And that which was sowed on the rock, is he that heareth the word, and at once receiveth it with joy.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
But he that receaued the seede into stony places, the same is he that heareth the worde, and anone with ioy, receaueth it:

English Revised Version
And he that was sown upon the rocky places, this is he that heareth the word, and straightway with joy receiveth it;

World English Bible
What was sown on the rocky places, this is he who hears the word, and immediately with joy receives it;

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
But he who received the seed in stony places, is he that heareth the word, and immediately receiveth it with joy.

Weymouth's New Testament
He who has received the seed on the rocky ground is the man who hears the Message and immediately receives it with joy.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
But this that is sowun on the stony loond, this it is, that herith the word of God, and anoon with ioye takith it.

Update Bible Version
And he that was sown on the rocky places, this is he that hears the word, and right away with joy receives it;

Webster's Bible Translation
But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and immediately with joy receiveth it;

New English Translation
The seed sown on rocky ground is the person who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy.

New King James Version
But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;

New Living Translation
The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy.

New Life Bible
The seed which fell between rocks is like the person who receives the Word with joy as soon as he hears it.

New Revised Standard
As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, he on the rocky places sown, the same, is he that, heareth the word, and, straightway, with joy, receiveth it;

Douay-Rheims Bible
And he that received the seed upon stony ground, is he that heareth the word, and immediately receiveth it with joy.

Revised Standard Version
As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
But he yt was sowne in ye stony groude is he which heareth the worde of God and anone wt ioye receaveth it

Young's Literal Translation
`And that sown on the rocky places, this is he who is hearing the word, and immediately with joy is receiving it,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But he yt is sowne in the stonye grounde, is this: wha one heareth the worde, & anone with ioye receaueth it:

Mace New Testament (1729)
where other seed fell, denotes the man that heareth the word, and at first receives it with pleasure:

THE MESSAGE
"The seed cast in the gravel—this is the person who hears and instantly responds with enthusiasm. But there is no soil of character, and so when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it.

Simplified Cowboy Version
The rocky ground is like those cowboys who hear the good news and take it home with them gladly.

Contextual Overview

¹ The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. ² And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. 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 devoured 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 choked 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, let him hear. ¹⁰ And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

received: Matthew 13:5, Matthew 13:6

anon: 1 Samuel 11:13-15, 2 Chronicles 24:2, 2 Chronicles 24:6, 2 Chronicles 24:14, Psalms 78:34-37, Psalms 106:12, Psalms 106:13, Isaiah 58:2, Ezekiel 33:31, Ezekiel 33:32, Mark 4:16, Mark 4:17, Mark 6:20, John 5:35, Acts 8:13, Galatians 4:14, Galatians 4:15

Reciprocal: Ruth 1:15 - gone back 2 Chronicles 11:17 - three years Job 8:12 - General Job 8:19 - this is the joy Job 20:5 - the joy Ezekiel 3:20 - When Ezekiel 18:24 - when Ezekiel 36:26 - the stony Matthew 12:44 - he findeth Matthew 25:8 - for Mark 4:5 - General Luke 6:49 - against Luke 8:6 - General Luke 8:13 - receive John 1:38 - Rabbi John 2:23 - many John 6:66 - of his Hebrews 6:5 - tasted 1 John 2:19 - went out

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But he that receiveth the seed into stony places,.... Such a hearer, who is like to the stony ground on which the seed fell, is one that is not an accidental hearer of the word, as the former, but a settled constant hearer of it; and not one that is careless and negligent, but diligent and attentive, and has some understanding of what he hears;

the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it: he is one that not only constantly attends upon it, but he receives it; he gives an assent to it, he believes in it historically, makes a profession of his faith in it, and holds it for a while, being under some convictions of the truth of it: and having some speculative notions of it, and light in his understanding and judgment in it, he has some flashes of natural affection for it, and delivers some outward expressions of pleasure and delight in it, like Herod, and the hearers of John the Baptist; but has no heart work, and so is like to the rock in stony ground; the natural hardness of his heart continues, it remains unbroken by the word, without any true sense of sin, and repentance for it, and destitute of spiritual life, and of true faith, love, and joy: hence, as his profession is taken up in haste, immediately, upon a flash of affection, and a little head knowledge, it does not last long, nor prove honourable.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See also Mark 4:13-20; Luke 8:11-15. “Hear ye, therefore, the parable of the sower.” That is, hear the “explanation” or the “spiritual meaning” of the narrative given before. Mark adds Mark 4:13, “Know ye not this parable? And how, then, shall ye know all parables?” By which it seems that the Saviour regarded this as one of the simplest and plainest of the parables, and gave an explanation of it that they might understand the general principles of interpreting others.

Matthew 13:19

When any one heareth ... - The seed represents the word of God communicated in any manner to the minds of people - by the Scriptures, by preaching, by acts of Providence, or by the direct influences of the Holy Spirit.

Then cometh the wicked one - That is, Satan Mark 4:15, or the devil Luke 8:12 - the one eminently “wicked,” the accuser, the tempter.

He is represented by the fowls that came and picked up the seed by the way-side. The gospel is preached to people hardened in sin. It makes no impression. It lies like seed on the “hard path;” it is easily taken away, and never suffered to take root.

Matthew 13:20, Matthew 13:21

But he that received the seed into stony places - Jesus explains this as denoting those who hear the gospel; who are caught with it as something new or pleasing; who profess to be greatly delighted with it, and who are full of zeal for it.

Yet they have no root in themselves. They are not true Christians. Their hearts are not changed. They have not seen their guilt and danger, and the true excellency of Christ. They are not “really” attached to the gospel; and when they are tried and persecution comes, they fall - as the rootless grain withers before the scorching rays of the noonday sun.

Anon - “Quickly,” or “readily.”

With joy receiveth it - They are under deep distress for sin; they are apprehensive of danger; they hear the offer of mercy, and they seem to themselves to embrace the gospel. It offers them peace, pardon, salvation, and religion assumes for a time a lovely aspect. They imagine that they are pardoned, and they have a temporary peace and joy. Their anxieties subside. Their fears are gone. They are for a time happy. “The mere subsiding of anxious feeling from any cause will make the mind for a time happy.” They have only to imagine, therefore, that their sins are forgiven, to produce a certain kind of peace and joy. But there is no ground of permanent joy, as there is in true pardon, and soon their joy subsides, and all evidence of piety disappears. There is no strength of principle to resist temptation; there is no real love of the Saviour; and in times of trial and persecution they show that they have no true religion, and fall away.

By and by - Mark, “Immediately.” That is, it soon occurs, or this is an effect which may be expected soon to follow.

Is offended - Stumbles or falls, for this is the meaning of the word “offend” in the New Testament. See the notes at Matthew 5:29. Persecution and trial are placed in his path, and he falls as he would over a “stumbling-block.” He has no strength of principle - no real confidence in God - no true religion. Mere excited animal feeling is all that he ever had, and that is not sufficient to sustain him when the trial comes.

Matthew 13:22

He also that received seed among the thorns - These represent the cares, the anxieties, and the deceitful lure of riches, or the way in which a desire to be rich deceives people.

They take the time and attention. They do not leave opportunity to examine the state of the soul. Besides, riches allure, and promise what they do not yield. They promise to make us happy; but, when gained, they do not do it. The soul is not satisfied. There is the same desire to possess more wealth. And to this there is no end “but death.” In doing it there is every temptation to be dishonest, to cheat, to take advantage of others, to oppress others, and to wring their hard earnings from the poor. Every evil passion is therefore cherished by the love of gain; and it is no wonder that the word is choked, and every good feeling destroyed, by this “execrable love of gold.” See the notes at 1 Timothy 6:7-11. How many, O how many, thus foolishly drown themselves in destruction and perdition! How many more might reach heaven, if it were not for this deep-seated love of that which fills the mind with care, deceives the soul, and finally leaves it naked, and guilty, and lost!

Matthew 13:23

Into good ground - Those whose hearts are prepared by grace to receive it honestly, and to give it full opportunity to grow.

In a rich and mellow soil - in a heart that submits itself to the full influence of truth, unchecked by cares and anxieties; under the showers and summer suns of divine grace; with the heart spread open, like a broad, luxuriant field, to the rays of the morning and to evening dews, the gospel takes deep root and grows; it has full room, and then and there only shows “what it is.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Matthew 13:20. But he that received the seed into stony places - is he — That is, is a fit emblem of that man who, hearing the Gospel, is affected with its beauty and excellency, and immediately receiveth it with joy - is glad to hear what God has done to make man happy.