13:23a
But the seed sown on good soil: This clause refers to what happened when some seed fell on good ground. Be careful not to imply that the seed is being compared to a person. The comparison is to the entire situation.
This clause is passive. Here are some ways to translate it:
• Use a passive verb. For example:
⌊The meaning of what happened to⌋ the seeds that were planted on good soil is this:
• Use an active verb. For example:
As for the seeds that ⌊the farmer⌋ planted on good soil, that is like
• Use another type of verb. For example:
As for the good soil where some seeds fell, that is like
This clause is similar to 13:20a and 13:22a. You should translate it in a similar way.
sown: This same word occurs in 13:19d, 13:20a and 13:22a. But here the seed was sown on the good soil on purpose. You may want to:
• Be consistent and use the same term here as in 13:19d, 13:20a and 13:22a.
• Indicate that the seed was sown here on purpose, and so use the term for “sow” that you used in 13:4a.
good soil: This phrase refers to the kind of soil in which plants grow well.
Here is another way to translate this:
fertile soil
This same phrase occurs in 13:8a.
13:23b
is the one who hears the word and understands it: This clause is very similar to 13:20b and 13:22b. The only difference is the added phrase and understands it.
is: The word is indicates a comparison. It means “the situation in 13:23a represents….” In other words, sowing in good soil “is like” or “represents” someone who hears the word and understands it. For example:
represents (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
stand for (Good News Translation)
the one who hears the word and understands it: The word one refers to a certain type of person. In some languages, it may be more natural to use a plural word here. For example:
those who hear the message and understand it (Good News Translation)
-or-
those who truly hear and understand God’s word (New Living Translation (2004))
13:23c
He indeed: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as indeed is a weak marker of emphasis. Here it emphasizes that among all the soils on which seed fell, the good soil is the only one that bears fruit.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
He is the one who
-or-
he does bear fruit
Most English versions do not translate this word.
bears fruit: The verb bears describes what a plant or tree does when it develops grain or fruit. Notice that here Jesus kept the metaphor in his explanation.
This verb has the opposite meaning of “unfruitful” in 13:22e. Also see how you translated the similar phrase “produced a crop” in 13:8a.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
• Translate the metaphor in a natural way in your language. For example:
produces crops (God’s Word)
• Translate the metaphor as a simile. For example:
⌊the message has results in their lives like a plant⌋ producing a crop
13:23d
and produces a crop—a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold: The Greek text is more literally “this one produces a hundred, and another sixty and another thirty.” This phrase continues the metaphor of the plants producing a harvest. This phrase is similar to 13:8b.
Here the singular “one” represents a group of people. Some people do many good deeds and they are like a plant that produces one hundred seeds of grain. Other people’s good deeds are like sixty seeds of grain. Still other people’s good deeds are like thirty seeds of grain.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
• Translate the metaphor in a natural way in your language. For example:
produces ⌊fruit/grain⌋, some produce a hundred ⌊grains⌋, some sixty ⌊grains⌋, and some thirty
• Translate the metaphor as a simile. For example:
⌊some people’s good deeds are like a plant⌋ bearing a hundred ⌊seeds⌋, other ⌊people are like a plant that bears⌋ sixty ⌊seeds⌋ other ⌊people are like a plant that bears⌋ thirty ⌊seeds⌋
a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold: For advice on translating these numbers, see the note at 13:8b.
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