Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
Parallel translations
- WEB Those along the road are those who hear, then the devil comes, and takes away the word from their heart, that they may not believe and be saved.
- BSB The seeds along the path are those who hear, but the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.
- NKJV Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
- NASB And those beside the road are the ones who have heard, then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved.
- NLT The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The seed on the path is those who hear, but the devil snatches the word away so they cannot believe and be saved. Spiritual opposition aims to keep hearers from faith.
Overview
Jesus identifies the hardened path as hearers from whom Satan removes the word before it can take hold. The verse reveals an active enemy at work in the preaching of the Gospel. It also affirms that the word is meant to lead to belief and salvation, the very thing the devil seeks to prevent.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- 2 Th 2:9–14Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
- Rev 12:9And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
- Matt 13:19When 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.
- Mark 4:15And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.
- Prov 1:24–26Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;
- Prov 4:5Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
- Jas 1:23–24For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
- Luke 8:5A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.
- Isa 65:11But ye are they that forsake the LORD, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish the drink offering unto that number.
- Prov 1:29For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 8:12 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.