But while everyone was asleep, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and slipped away.
Parallel translations
- WEB but while people slept, his enemy came and sowed darnel weeds also among the wheat, and went away.
- KJV But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
- 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-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
- 2 Pet 2:1Now there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.
- Acts 20:30–31Even from your own number, men will rise up and distort the truth to draw away disciples after them.
- Matt 13:39and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
- Rev 12:9And the great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
- Heb 12:15See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God, and that no root of bitterness springs up to cause trouble and defile many.
- Matt 25:5When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
- 2 Cor 11:13–15For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.
- 2 Tim 4:3–5For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires.
- Isa 56:9–10Come, all you beasts of the field; eat greedily, all you beasts of the forest.
- Rev 2:20But I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads My servants to be sexually immoral and to eat food sacrificed to idols.
- Gal 2:4This issue arose because some false brothers had come in under false pretenses to spy on our freedom in Christ Jesus, in order to enslave us.
- Rev 13:14Because of the signs it was given to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived those who dwell on the earth, telling them to make an image to the beast that had been wounded by the sword and yet had lived.
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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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