Matthew 13:37 kjv
He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
Matthew 13:37 nkjv
He answered and said to them: "He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.
Matthew 13:37 niv
He answered, "The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man.
Matthew 13:37 esv
He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.
Matthew 13:37 nlt
Jesus replied, "The Son of Man is the farmer who plants the good seed.
Matthew 13 37 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Mat 13:24 | Jesus presented another parable to them: "The Kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field..." | Sets the scene for the identity of the Sower. |
| Mat 13:38 | The good seed are the sons of the kingdom; the weeds are the sons of the evil one; the enemy who sowed them is the devil... | Direct definition of "good seed" as children of kingdom. |
| Mk 4:14 | The sower sows the word. | Identifies the seed sown in a general context. |
| Lk 8:11 | This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. | Confirms the nature of the seed as divine truth. |
| Mat 9:35 | Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom... | Illustrates Jesus' ministry as sowing the gospel. |
| Isa 55:10-11 | As the rain and the snow come down from heaven... so is my word that goes out from my mouth... | God's word's effectiveness compared to nature's cycle. |
| Mat 8:20 | Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” | Emphasizes the humility and humanity of the Son of Man. |
| Dan 7:13-14 | There before me was one like a Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days... | Prophecy of the divine and authoritative Son of Man. |
| Mat 25:31 | “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne.” | Foretells Son of Man's future glorious judgment. |
| Jn 5:27 | And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man. | Links Son of Man title to judicial authority. |
| Rev 1:13 | ...and among the lampstands was someone “like a son of man,” dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet... | Jesus' glorious form, showing Him as Son of Man. |
| 1 Jn 3:9 | No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in them... | The "seed of God" relates to divine regeneration. |
| Rom 9:8 | ...it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring. | Highlights spiritual children, not physical, as true seed. |
| Jn 1:12-13 | Yet to all who did receive him... he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent... but born of God. | Believers becoming spiritual children of God. |
| Mat 13:36 | Then he left the crowds... His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” | The immediate context of disciples requesting explanation. |
| Mat 13:11-12 | He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them...” | Jesus' reason for providing parables and explanations. |
| Mk 4:34 | He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything. | Confirms Jesus' practice of private explanations. |
| Mat 13:24 | "The Kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field..." | The kingdom of heaven as the overarching theme. |
| Mat 4:17 | From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” | Jesus' initial ministry proclamation of the kingdom. |
| Isa 5:7 | The vineyard of the Lord Almighty is the nation of Israel, and the people of Judah are the pleasant plant he planted. | Old Testament depiction of God planting His people. |
| Jer 31:27 | “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will sow the peoples of Israel and Judah with the seed of people and animals.” | God's future re-planting/restoration of His people. |
Matthew 13 verses
Matthew 13 37 Meaning
Matthew 13:37 provides Jesus' direct explanation of the parable of the Tares (or Weeds), identifying Himself as the "Sower." This verse reveals that Jesus, in His capacity as the Son of Man, is the one who strategically implants "the good seed," which He later defines as the "sons of the kingdom." It emphasizes His purposeful and active role in establishing and populating His spiritual kingdom within the world.
Matthew 13 37 Context
Matthew chapter 13 is commonly known as the "Parable Chapter" and presents a series of parables delivered by Jesus concerning the Kingdom of Heaven. These parables illustrate various aspects of the kingdom's nature, growth, and destiny. The Parable of the Weeds (Mat 13:24-30) specifically addresses the co-existence of true believers ("good seed") and unbelievers ("weeds") within the world until the final judgment. Matthew 13:37 is crucial because it initiates Jesus' unique, in-depth explanation of this particular parable to His disciples, moving from veiled illustration to explicit revelation. This practice of privately explaining parables to His followers highlights the exclusive revelation given to those within His circle. Historically, Jesus' audience was largely agrarian, so agricultural imagery like sowing and harvest was deeply relatable, providing common ground for profound spiritual truths about God's kingdom and the role of the Messiah in establishing it, countering some contemporary Jewish expectations of a purely political kingdom.
Matthew 13 37 Word analysis
He answered and said (Ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν - Apokritheis eipen): A common biblical idiom for introducing a direct reply. Here, it underscores that Jesus is responding specifically to His disciples' request for clarification (Mat 13:36), indicating a shift from parables to explicit teaching.
He who sows (Ὁ σπείρων - Ho speiron): The definite article "ho" (the) combined with the present participle "speiron" (sowing) refers to a specific, continuous action. This is the particular agent responsible for sowing. It directly identifies the subject of the parable's main action.
the good seed (τὸ καλὸν σπέρμα - to kalon sperma):
- Kalon: signifies "good," "beautiful," "noble," "excellent." It indicates an inherent positive quality, implying spiritual righteousness and truth.
- Sperma: literally "seed," but metaphorically can mean "offspring" or "descendants." In this parable, as clarified in Mat 13:38, "the good seed are the sons of the kingdom." This refers to individuals who have genuinely embraced and embodied the message of the Kingdom of Heaven. They are spiritually generated, righteous individuals belonging to Christ.
is (ἐστιν - estin): A simple verb of being, serving as a direct equation or identification. It confirms the identity beyond doubt.
the Son of Man (ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου - ho huios tou anthrōpou): This is Jesus' most frequent self-designation.
- Biblical Significance: It originates from Daniel 7:13-14, where a divine-human figure receives everlasting dominion. It highlights Jesus' dual nature—His genuine humanity (connecting Him with humanity, its suffering, and its journey) and His unique, divinely appointed Messianic authority, especially in roles of judgment, kingdom establishment, and revelation.
- Significance in context: By using this title, Jesus claims ultimate authority over the establishment of the Kingdom's people. He is not merely a messenger but the very divine Agent who initiates and propagates the spiritual life within those who become His followers. This signifies His deliberate action in bringing true believers into existence within the world.
Words-group analysis: "He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man."
- This definitive statement explicitly connects Jesus, by His messianic title "Son of Man," to the proactive act of sowing the "good seed." It underlines His personal, sovereign agency in planting genuine believers ("sons of the kingdom") into the world. Unlike the more general "sower of the word" in the Parable of the Sower, this particular Sower is solely Christ Himself, signifying His direct role in engendering and cultivating the members of His spiritual body, the true children of God's kingdom.
Matthew 13 37 Bonus section
- The careful distinction between the "sower" in Matthew 13:3 (who sows the word, which can be done by anyone who proclaims the gospel) and "He who sows the good seed" in Matthew 13:37 is significant. While humans can proclaim the word, only Jesus originates and establishes the spiritual nature of the "sons of the kingdom." He is the one who enables individuals to truly become "good seed."
- This verse underpins the understanding of the genuine body of believers (the spiritual "sons of the kingdom") as a divinely initiated and sustained reality, directly rooted in Christ's purposeful work.
- The title "Son of Man" here bridges Jesus' humanity and His ultimate authority, ensuring that the establishment of God's people on earth is tied directly to His messianic mission and identity.
Matthew 13 37 Commentary
Matthew 13:37 is a pivotal verse because it marks the direct interpretation by Jesus of one of His own parables. Up until this point, Jesus had been speaking in parables, sometimes providing private insights to His disciples. Here, prompted by His disciples' earnest request for understanding (Mat 13:36), Jesus lays bare the identity of the mysterious Sower in the Parable of the Weeds. By declaring, "He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man," Jesus makes an authoritative statement about His unique and central role in the unfolding of God's Kingdom. He directly equates Himself with the source of true life and spiritual lineage within that Kingdom. The "good seed" (as clarified in Mat 13:38) are those who are authentically part of the Kingdom, meaning those who believe and follow Christ. This verse thus affirms Jesus' divine initiative and His power to plant and nurture His own people amidst a world intertwined with evil, laying the groundwork for His ultimate work of salvation and kingdom establishment. It demonstrates that the existence of "sons of the kingdom" is not accidental, but the deliberate and purposeful act of the Son of Man.