The Parable of the Weeds Explained

Matthew 13

36 Then he left the crowds and went into i the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, j "Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field." 37 He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed is k the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are l the sons of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. m The harvest is n the close of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40 Just as the weeds o are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at n the close of the age. 41 p The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all q causes of sin and r all law-breakers, 42 s and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place t there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then u the righteous will shine like the sun v in the kingdom of their Father. w He who has ears, let him hear.

  1. Cross References
    Matthew 13:1
    That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea.
  2. Cross References
    Matthew 13:24 - 30
    He put another parable before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.
    Matthew 15:15
    But Peter said to him, "Explain the parable to us.
  3. Cross References
    Matthew 13:43
    Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
  4. Cross References
    John 8:44
    You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
    Acts 13:10
    And said, "You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?
    1 John 3:10
    By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
    Matthew 23:15
    Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.
    Matthew 13:19
    When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path.
  5. Cross References
    Joel 3:13
    Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Go in, tread, for the winepress is full. The vats overflow, for their evil is great.
    Revelation 14:15
    And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, "Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.
  6. Cross References
    Matthew 13:49
    So it will be at the close of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous
    Matthew 24:3
    As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?
    Matthew 28:20
    Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
    Daniel 12:13
    But go your way till the end. And you shall rest and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days.
    Hebrews 9:26
    For then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
  7. Cross References
    John 15:6
    If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.
    Matthew 3:12
    His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.
  8. Cross References
    Matthew 13:39
    And the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are angels.
  9. Cross References
    Matthew 24:31
    And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
  10. Cross References
    Matthew 18:7
    Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!
    Zephaniah 1:3
    I will sweep away man and beast; I will sweep away the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, and the rubble with the wicked. I will cut off mankind from the face of the earth," declares the Lord.
  11. Cross References
    Matthew 7:23
    And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.
  12. Cross References
    Matthew 13:50
    And throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
    Revelation 9:2
    He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft.
    Revelation 19:20
    And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.
    Revelation 20:10
    And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
  13. Cross References
    Matthew 8:12
    While the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
  14. Cross References
    Proverbs 4:18
    But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.
    Daniel 12:3
    And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.
    1 Corinthians 15:41 - 42
    There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.
  15. Cross References
    Matthew 13:38
    The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one.
    Matthew 25:34
    Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
    Matthew 26:29
    I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.
    Luke 12:32
    Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
  16. Cross References
    Matthew 11:15
    He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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