but while people slept, his enemy came and sowed darnel weeds also among the wheat, and went away.
Parallel translations
- KJV But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
- BSB But while everyone was asleep, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and slipped away.
- NKJV but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.
- NASB But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and left.
- NLT But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away.
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
While people sleep, an enemy sows weeds among the wheat and slips away.
Overview
The enemy, later identified as the devil, secretly corrupts the field. The darnel weed closely resembles wheat, making the two hard to distinguish at first. This pictures how evil is sown alongside the good within the world.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- 1 Pet 5:8Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
- 2 Pet 2:1But false prophets also arose among the people, as false teachers will also be among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master who bought them, bringing on themselves swift destruction.
- Acts 20:30–31Men will arise from among your own selves, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.
- Matt 13:39The enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.
- Rev 12:9The great dragon was thrown down, the old serpent, he who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
- Heb 12:15looking carefully lest there be any man who falls short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and many be defiled by it;
- Matt 25:5Now while the bridegroom delayed, they all slumbered and slept.
- 2 Cor 11:13–15For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as Christ’s apostles.
- 2 Tim 4:3–5For the time will come when they will not listen to the sound doctrine, but, having itching ears, will heap up for themselves teachers after their own lusts;
- Isa 56:9–10All you animals of the field, come to devour, all you animals in the forest.
- Rev 2:20But I have this against you, that you tolerate your woman, Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. She teaches and seduces my servants to commit sexual immorality, and to eat things sacrificed to idols.
- Gal 2:4This was because of the false brothers secretly brought in, who stole in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage;
- Rev 13:14He deceives my own people who dwell on the earth because of the signs he was granted to do in front of the beast; saying to those who dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast who had the sword wound and lived.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 13:25 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
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