The Parable of the Sower




The scriptural passages are in italics. Bold Italics are Jesus' interpretation. Commentary from Understanding the Parables of Jesus Christ, by Jay A. Parry, Donald W. Parry. Page numbers are cited from this book. Emphasis added.


The comparison of God’s word to a seed goes back to Isaiah.(Isa. 55:10)

10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

(Matt. 13:3)

3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

The act of sowing, as is made clear in subsequent verses, symbolizes the act of preaching the word. P.3

(Matt. 13:4)

4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
(Matt. 13:19)

19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

The wayside would have brought to mind the roads or paths that led around and through the farmer’s fields, which were not accommodating to the seeds that were sown. When seed fell on such hard and unprepared ground, they would have been unable to take root at all. Instead, the birds would cluster around and eat them all.

So it is with those whose hearts are hardened by sin or rebellion. When people surrender themselves to enslaving addictions, when they hearken to the whisperings of the evil one, when they love darkness more than light, they allow “the wicked one” to catch “away that which was sown” in their hearts. P.4

(Matt. 13:5,6)
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.

(Matt. 13:20,21)
20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

When a seed falls upon ground that has only a thin layer of soil, it cannot properly get root. In time, when the sweltering sun beats down, the seed will be scorched and die.

Likewise, when converts receive testimonies on a superficial level but do not give their whole hearts to Christ, when they come to a shallow understanding of the truths of the gospel, they will be only lukewarm in their commitment.

Trials can also be a great cause of people falling away from the truth they once so joyfully embraced. In this parable, the scorching of the sun is a symbol for tribulation. Because the seed has no root system, it has no way to sustain itself through the inevitable times of difficulty.

The sun is a blessing to those who are well rooted— trials can strengthen us and help us to become all that the Lord desires of us. But that same sun, symbolizing trials, can cause those who are not deeply rooted to fall away. Pp.4-5




Matt.13:7
7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
(Matt. 13:22)

22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

The soil in which the thorns grow must be good soil or the thorns would likely not be so abundant. But the seed is forced to compete with the thorns for nourishment— and the seed of gospel truth loses the competition, for the thorns “choke the word.”

“So it is of [those] who think more of the honors of men, the educational standards of the world, political preferment, or money and property than they do of the gospel. They know the Lord’s work has been established on earth, but they let the cares of the world choke the word.” (McConkie, Doctrinal New testament Commentary, 1:289)

In addition to the cares of this world and the selfish pursuit of riches, Luke adds the “pleasures of this life” as being among the things that choke the seeds. P.6

Matt.13:8
8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
(Matt. 13:23)

23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

The only seeds that ultimately bore fruit were those that fell on good ground. But even good ground is not all the same.

It is remarkable that in this parable the sower (Christ and his followers) scatter so many good seeds that never take root and bear fruit. But so it is in reality: missionaries will sow many seeds of testimony, service, and example as they serve the Lord. Most of those seeds will fall on unresponsive or unproductive soil. Nevertheless, the seeds that fall on good soil will bear such a rich harvest that the labor is worth all the sacrifice and effort expended. P.6


Matt.13:9
9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Jesus frequently used this expression. In other words, he was saying,
There is a meaning here that is important to seek out and to understand. Don’t hear this only as a simple story from the life of a farmer but understand it has an application to each person listening, one worth comprehending. Parry &Parry, P7

Compare this parable to Lehi's Dream in 1 Nephi 8,11
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