Luke 8:6 kjv
And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.
Luke 8:6 nkjv
Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture.
Luke 8:6 niv
Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture.
Luke 8:6 esv
And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture.
Luke 8:6 nlt
Other seed fell among rocks. It began to grow, but the plant soon wilted and died for lack of moisture.
Luke 8 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Matt 13:5-6 | "Some fell on stony ground, where they did not have much soil... they had no deep root." | Parallel account of rocky ground. |
| Mark 4:5-6 | "Some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth... it had no root." | Parallel account, highlighting lack of root. |
| Luke 8:13 | "Those on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But they have no root..." | Jesus' direct interpretation of this ground. |
| Job 18:16 | "His roots dry up below, and his branch withers above." | Depiction of the wicked losing their hold. |
| Ps 1:3-4 | "He is like a tree planted by streams of water... The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away." | Contrast between deeply rooted and unstable. |
| Jer 17:5-6 | "Cursed is the man who trusts in man... he is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come." | Lack of reliance on God leads to barrenness. |
| Isa 28:16 | "Therefore thus says the Lord God, 'Behold, I am the one who lays as a foundation in Zion a stone, a tested stone...'" | God's stable foundation vs. rocky ground. |
| Eph 3:17 | "...that you, being rooted and grounded in love..." | The believer's need for deep spiritual roots. |
| Col 2:7 | "rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith..." | Stability and growth in Christ. |
| Matt 7:26-27 | "Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand." | Emphasizes doing the word, not just hearing. |
| Jas 1:11 | "For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls... so fades the rich man." | Illustrates how external pressure withers. |
| Jas 1:22 | "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." | Importance of practical application of faith. |
| 1 Pet 1:24 | "For 'All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls...'" | Transient nature of life and human glory. |
| Heb 3:12 | "Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God." | Warning against abandoning faith. |
| Heb 6:4-6 | "For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift... and then have fallen away..." | Describes those who experience much but fall away. |
| Jude 1:12 | "These are hidden reefs at your love feasts... trees without fruit in autumn, twice dead, uprooted." | Those who appear spiritual but lack depth. |
| Rev 3:1-2 | "I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead... Strengthen what remains." | Spiritual death despite outward appearance. |
| John 15:5-6 | "I am the vine; you are the branches... If anyone does not abide in me, he is thrown away like a branch and withers." | Necessity of remaining connected to Christ. |
| Ps 92:13 | "They are planted in the house of the LORD; they flourish in the courts of our God." | Flourishing through being rooted in God. |
| Phil 1:6 | "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." | God's work of preserving true faith. |
Luke 8 verses
Luke 8 6 Meaning
Luke 8:6 describes the fate of seed that fell on rocky ground: it sprouted quickly but then withered away because it lacked deep soil and moisture. This represents individuals who receive the word of God with initial enthusiasm and joy but lack the necessary depth and root for genuine, enduring faith. Their superficial reception leads them to fall away when difficulties or temptations arise, as there is no inward capacity to sustain their belief.
Luke 8 6 Context
Luke chapter 8 begins with Jesus' teachings, particularly the Parable of the Sower, which highlights different responses to the Word of God. This parable immediately follows the women who supported Jesus, symbolizing devoted followers. Verse 6 describes one type of ground, representing a specific kind of hearer, alongside three other types. Jesus later explains the parable's meaning to His disciples (Luke 8:11-15), making it clear that the focus is on the condition of the hearer's heart and their receptivity to the divine message. Culturally, first-century Palestinian agriculture often involved thin layers of topsoil over bedrock, leading to common observations of quick-sprouting and quick-withering plants. This agricultural reality provided a relatable image for Jesus' audience.
Luke 8 6 Word analysis
- And some: Connects this scenario to the preceding one (the wayside ground) within the overall parable structure, indicating another distinct type of soil.
- fell: (Greek: epesen, ἔπεσεν, aorist active indicative of piptō) Implies the unforced descent of the seed, not intentionally planted deeply. It landed where it happened to land.
- upon a rock: (Greek: epi tēn petran, ἐπὶ τὴν πέτραν) This is key. Petra (πέτρα) means bedrock, a solid mass of stone, not merely stony ground with scattered stones that can be cleared. It signifies a shallow layer of soil directly above impenetrable rock. This physically prevents the roots from penetrating deeply, metaphorically representing a spiritual barrier to depth.
- and as soon as it was sprung up: (Greek: kai anateilasan eutheōs, καὶ ἀνατείλασαν εὐθέως) Anateilasa means to sprout, spring up, grow, bloom. Eutheōs emphasizes "immediately" or "straightway." This highlights the paradox: rapid, seemingly promising growth due to shallow soil quickly warming, giving a false sense of robust life.
- it withered away: (Greek: exēranthē, ἐξηράνθη, aorist passive indicative of xērainō) Signifies complete drying up, becoming parched and shriveled. This is the inevitable outcome of insufficient root depth, revealing the superficiality of its initial growth.
- because it lacked moisture: (Greek: dia to mē echein ikmada, διὰ τὸ μὴ ἔχειν ἰκμάδα) Ikmas (ἰκμάς) refers to natural moisture, dampness, sap. The bedrock prevented roots from reaching deep enough to draw sustained water. Spiritually, this denotes an absence of internal spiritual resources, sustenance, or deep spiritual nourishment, making it unable to withstand any trial or spiritual dryness.
Words-group analysis:
- "upon a rock" and "lacked moisture": These two phrases directly explain why the plant failed. The rock prevented deep rooting, leading to a lack of access to essential moisture and nutrients required for sustained life. Spiritually, a heart hardened by pride, unrepentance, or a superficial view of faith cannot allow the Word to truly penetrate and sustain life.
- "as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away": This pair of phrases emphasizes the swiftness and fragility of this type of "faith." There is initial excitement or positive response, but without depth, it cannot endure when circumstances change, or temptations arise, leading to a rapid spiritual decline.
Luke 8 6 Bonus section
- The problem with the rocky ground isn't a lack of receptivity to the initial hearing of the Word; joy is present. The problem lies in the subsequent action – the inability of the Word to go deep and take root.
- This specific ground highlights the danger of "fair-weather" faith, where belief is conditional on favorable circumstances rather than being rooted in the unchanging character of God and the transforming power of His Word.
- The parables are not just descriptive but diagnostic, challenging hearers to examine the condition of their own "soil" or heart. This verse serves as a sober warning against superficial religious experiences that lack genuine, enduring transformation.
- The emphasis on "no root" contrasts sharply with biblical imagery of the righteous being like trees firmly planted (Ps 1) and believers being "rooted and grounded" in Christ (Eph 3:17). Deep spiritual roots enable resilience and fruitfulness, qualities conspicuously absent in the rocky ground hearer.
Luke 8 6 Commentary
Luke 8:6 paints a vivid picture of shallow spirituality. The seed, representing the word of God, lands on a specific type of ground—bedrock with a thin layer of soil. The rapid initial growth isn't a sign of vitality but rather a symptom of the ground's inherent deficiency; the roots cannot penetrate. This phenomenon accurately reflects the experience of individuals who hear the gospel, perhaps with initial joy and excitement (as explained in Luke 8:13), but lack the depth of repentance, commitment, or understanding needed for true spiritual root.
The lack of "moisture" is symbolic of insufficient internal spiritual resource, drawing from God's living water. This could stem from an absence of genuine humility, a failure to count the cost of discipleship, or an unwillingness to fully commit and allow the Word to transform one's inner being. When trials, persecution, or simply the daily pressures of life come, these individuals, having no deep roots to draw strength, wither away. Their faith is transient, like a plant with only surface roots, flourishing momentarily under ideal conditions but quickly dying under duress. The verse underlines that outward signs of growth mean little without inward depth and genuine spiritual nourishment derived from a committed heart.
For example, a person might joyfully accept Jesus at an emotional service, expressing great enthusiasm, but never truly grapples with their sin or understands the demanding nature of discipleship. When mocked by friends or faced with financial difficulties that challenge their faith, they quickly abandon their profession of belief because it was never rooted deeply.