Matthew 13:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away.

NIV: But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.

NASB: But after the sun rose, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

CSB: But when the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away.

NLT: But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died.

KJV: And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

NKJV: But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away.

Jesus is teaching a large crowd through a parable about a sower planting a field of grain (Matthew 13:1–3). The sower scatters seed all over the field as he walks back and forth across it. The parable describes what happens to the various seeds as they land in different spots in the field (Matthew 13:4–5).

The prior verse mentioned seed falling onto rocky places covered by a thin layer of dirt. Those seeds quickly germinate and spring up. There's just enough soil there for them to sprout, but not enough to develop any real root system. As soon as the hot sun comes up, they die. Without roots in deep soil, there's no support to endure stress. Such plants will not survive.

Jesus later explains this parable to His disciples (Matthew 13:20–21). The seeds represent teaching about the kingdom of heaven to the people of Israel. The hope is that as many people as possible will repent, believe in Jesus as the Messiah, and be prepared to enter the kingdom. Seed sprouting from rocky soil is like the people who hear the message of the kingdom and quickly receive it, despite not having any "root" in themselves. Their acceptance is superficial, like the thin layer of dirt on top of a rock. When hard times or persecution come, they quickly fall away from their faith.

Matthew 13:1–9 turns the focus back to Jesus' spiritual teachings, with the parable of the sower. As Jesus sits in a boat just offshore, He tells the crowd about a seed-thrower whose seed fell on a path, on rocky soil, among thorns, and on good soil. Only the seed on the good soil is productive. Jesus later explains the meaning of the parable to His disciples (Matthew 13:18–23), but He does not fully explain it for the crowds.

Matthew 13 focuses mainly on a series of parables. Jesus first describes these to a large crowd along the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Later, in a house, He explains to the disciples the meanings of the parables of the sower, the weeds, and the fish caught in the net. Jesus then travels to Nazareth, teaches in the synagogue, and is rejected by the people of His original hometown.

Matthew 13 follows Jesus from the overcrowded house at the end of the previous chapter to a crowded beach on the Sea of Galilee. He teaches a large crowd in a series of parables, which He doesn't fully explain. However, He reveals their meaning to His disciples inside a nearby house. Jesus pictures the kingdom of heaven as a sower, a sabotaged field of wheat, a mustard seed, and a pearl dealer, among other things. He then travels to His original hometown of Nazareth where He is rejected by the people He grew up with. This leads Matthew back to depictions of Jesus' miracles, after sadly recording John the Baptist's death.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.