Matthew 13 29

Matthew 13:29 kjv

But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.

Matthew 13:29 nkjv

But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.

Matthew 13:29 niv

"?'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them.

Matthew 13:29 esv

But he said, 'No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them.

Matthew 13:29 nlt

"'No,' he replied, 'you'll uproot the wheat if you do.

Matthew 13 verses

Matthew 13 29 Meaning

Matthew 13:29 presents the householder's direct command to his servants regarding the weeds (darnel) that have sprung up among the wheat in his field. The core meaning conveyed is that prematurely removing the weeds would inevitably result in damaging or uprooting the good wheat, due to their intertwined root systems. This illustrates divine patience, acknowledging that in the present age, evil (represented by the weeds, "sons of the evil one") coexists with good (the wheat, "sons of the kingdom"). Immediate human attempts at separation or judgment are prone to error and may harm genuine believers. The separation and ultimate judgment are reserved for a future, appointed time (the "harvest"), which the explanation in Matthew 13:39 clarifies as the "end of the age."

Matthew 13 29 Context

Matthew chapter 13 is often called the "Parables Chapter" of Jesus' ministry. It contains a series of parables about the Kingdom of Heaven, specifically its nature, growth, reception, and future. Matthew 13:29 is a direct response within the Parable of the Weeds (also known as the Parable of the Tares), told by Jesus to a large crowd. This parable immediately follows the Parable of the Sower, highlighting challenges to the Kingdom's spread. In this specific parable, an enemy sows weeds in a field where good seed (wheat) has been planted. The householder's servants identify the problem and ask for permission to immediately gather the weeds. Matthew 13:29 presents the master's decisive refusal to their request, providing the crucial reason for delay and foreshadowing the eventual separation. The subsequent verses (13:30) give the full instruction to let both grow together until the harvest, and later (13:36-43) Jesus himself explains the parable privately to his disciples, identifying the sower, the field, the good seed, the weeds, the enemy, the harvest, and the reapers, clarifying the timeline of events. The immediate historical context would have been the agrarian society of 1st-century Galilee, where practices of sowing, cultivation, and harvesting were common knowledge. The specific weed, zizania (darnel), was known for its visual resemblance to young wheat and its intertwining roots.

Matthew 13 29 Word analysis

• But he said: Signifies a decisive answer or prohibition, correcting the servants' assumption. "He" refers to the householder (representing God or the Son of Man in the explanation).
• ‘No, (οὐ/Ou): A strong negation. The master unequivocally rejects the immediate removal of the weeds. This sets the definitive stance on the timing and method of separating the wicked from the righteous.
• lest (μήποτε/Mēpote): This conjunction introduces a negative purpose clause or a clause expressing a fear or possibility to be avoided. It highlights the risk or undesirable consequence if the proposed action (gathering weeds) were to proceed.
• in gathering (συλλέγοντες/syllēgontes): From syllēgō, meaning to gather together, collect, pluck up. The participle form emphasizes the action being performed concurrently with the potential harm. The servants’ intention was to collect and remove.
• the weeds (τὰ ζιζάνια/ta zizania): Specifically, darnel (Lolium temulentum), a noxious plant visually similar to wheat in its early growth stages. Unlike many other weeds, its roots intertwine extensively with those of wheat, making separate extraction extremely difficult without damaging the wheat. In the parable's interpretation, they represent "the sons of the evil one" (Matt 13:38).
• you uproot (ἐκριζώσητε/ekrizōsēte): From ekrizóō, meaning to pluck up by the roots, root out, eradicate completely. The prefix ek emphasizes removal from the ground. This verb underscores the damage to the wheat, not just incidental disturbance but fundamental destruction.
• the wheat (τὸν σῖτον/ton siton): Refers to the good grain, the desired crop. In the parable's explanation, this represents "the sons of the kingdom" (Matt 13:38), true believers.
• along with them (ἅμα αὐτοῖς/hama autois): This phrase indicates simultaneous action or consequence. The damage to the wheat occurs together with the attempt to uproot the weeds, due to the entangled root systems.

Words-Group Analysis

• ‘No, lest...: This phrase expresses a firm prohibition given due to a strong cautionary concern. It immediately dismisses the servants' proposition because of a perceived significant risk.
• in gathering the weeds you uproot the wheat: This highlights the practical impossibility and inherent danger of human judgment attempting to separate true and false believers within the community before the appointed time. The act of targeting the bad directly leads to harm for the good.
• along with them: Emphasizes the intertwining nature, not just physical proximity but also root-level integration, symbolizing the difficulty in discerning and separating true believers from false ones within the visible community. Human judgment, being imperfect and fallible, would invariably cause collateral damage to the genuine followers of God, who are the Lord's precious harvest.

Matthew 13 29 Bonus section

The Greek word zizania (ζιζάνια) for weeds refers specifically to "darnel" or "false wheat" (Lolium temulentum). This plant is noteworthy because in its early stages, its leaves and stems are virtually indistinguishable from genuine wheat. Only as the heads ripen, the darnel produces dark, smaller seeds, distinct from wheat. This botanical detail emphasizes the extreme difficulty, and indeed impossibility for human eyes, to accurately differentiate between the good and the bad until maturity. Furthermore, darnel was known to be toxic, causing dizziness, nausea, and even death if consumed in large quantities. This poisonous nature of the "weeds" underscores the damaging spiritual influence of false believers or doctrines if left unchecked at the time of the harvest when God deals with them. The householder's decree implies a deep understanding of this practical reality, thereby communicating a theological truth: humans lack the infallible insight and power to separate with precision, and attempts to do so will only result in collateral damage to the valuable (wheat). This concept pushes believers to focus on their own faithfulness and spreading the good seed, rather than policing or judging others in a final sense.

Matthew 13 29 Commentary

Matthew 13:29 serves as a pivotal line in the Parable of the Weeds, encapsulating the reason for God's divine patience and delayed judgment concerning the presence of evil within the world and even within the visible community of believers. The householder's command "No, lest in gathering the weeds you uproot the wheat along with them" powerfully illustrates the theological principle that immediate, human-initiated separation of the wicked from the righteous is not only difficult but perilous. The imagery of intertwined roots perfectly conveys that in the present age, the true children of God and the "sons of the evil one" are deeply entangled within human society and often within religious institutions.

This verse teaches that the visible church is a mixed body, and only God possesses the perfect discernment to separate true believers from those who are merely nominal or outright false. Any premature human attempt to "cleanse" the church or society through aggressive purging could inevitably harm the weak in faith, lead to misjudgment of genuine believers, or stifle nascent faith. Instead, God allows both to grow together until the eschatological "harvest," where His perfect angelic reapers will flawlessly execute His just judgment. This passage warns against fanaticism, self-righteous puritanism, or overzealous attempts to enforce absolute purity, promoting instead a posture of patience, evangelism, and trusting in God's ultimate justice. It underscores the value of preserving every genuine "wheat" regardless of the surrounding "weeds."

Examples for practical usage:

• A church leader showing patience with a new convert who still struggles with old habits, trusting in God's work rather than immediately excluding them for imperfections.
• Believers are called to discern mature fruit over immediately judging individuals who appear to not live up to a standard, realizing true character is a growth process.
• Refraining from shunning or prematurely dismissing individuals within a community simply because of perceived spiritual immaturity or differences, unless gross sin demands specific discipline according to biblical mandates.