Luke 8:5-11

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Luke 8:4-21

The former paragraph began with an account of Christ's industry in preaching (Luke 8:1); this begins with an account of the people's industry in hearing, Luke 8:4. He went into every city, to preach; so they, one would think, should have contented themselves to hear him when he came to their own city (we know those that would); but there were those here that came to him out of every city, would not stay till he came to them, nor think that they had enough when he left them, but met him when he... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Luke 8:4-15

8:4-15 When a great crowd had gathered, and when they came to him from every city, Jesus spoke to them by means of a parable. The sower went out to sow his seed. As he sowed some seed fell by the wayside. It was trampled upon and the birds of the heaven devoured it. Other seed fell on rocky ground where it grew up and withered because there was no moisture. Other seed fell in the middle of thorns and the thorns grew up along with it and choked the life out of it. Other seed fell into good... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 8:5

A sower went out to sow his seed ,.... By whom Jesus Christ is chiefly designed; though it is true of every preacher of the Gospel: who goes forth, being sent by Christ, with the precious seed of the word: for the phrase, "his seed", which only Luke has, best agrees with Christ, he being the proprietor and subject of it. The Alexandrian copy reads, "the seed of himself", The Persic version reads the whole clause thus, "a sower chose ground, and there he sowed seed": he fixed on the spot of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 8:6

And some fell upon a rock ,.... Which the other evangelists call "stony places", and "stony ground"; by which are meant such hearers whose hearts are, hardened through the deceitfulness of sin, and continue so notwithstanding the preaching of the word unto them. And as soon as it sprung up ; as it did immediately, as the other evangelists say; and that for this reason, which they give, "because it had no depth of earth"; only a small crust, or shell of earth over the rock; and signifies,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 8:7

And some fell among thorns ,.... On ground which had within it the roots of thorns and briars; and design such hearers who have their hearts filled with worldly cares, and sensual lusts and pleasures: and the thorns sprang up with it ; and grew faster than that: and choked it ; as the above things do the word, and make it useless and unprofitable; so that though it took place for a while, and was professed, yet process of time was neglected and dropped; and, as Mark says, "it yielded... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 8:8

And other fell on good ground ,.... The Syriac version reads, "on good and beautiful ground"; and so the Cambridge copy of Beza's; ground which both looked well, and proved well; and signifies such hearers who have good and honest hearts, made so by the Spirit of God; who receive the word in the love of it, have a spiritual understanding, and real experience of it; and sprang up, and bare fruit, an hundred fold ; or, "a hundred for one", as the Syriac version renders it; a hundred grains... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 8:9

And his disciples asked him ,.... That is, as Mark says, "when he was alone"; after the multitude were departed, and they were by themselves, it may be in some house with other disciples: saying, what might this parable be ? what is the sense and meaning of it? According to Matthew, they asked why he spake in parables to the people; and to such a question the following words are a proper answer. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 8:10

And he said, unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God ,.... The doctrines of the Gospel, which to have spiritual knowledge is a special and peculiar gift of God. The Vulgate Latin and Persic versions read, "the mystery", in the singular, as in Mark: "but to others in parables"; that is, the doctrines of the Gospel are delivered in a parabolical way to others; to such as "are without", as the Evangelist Mark expresses it, who are strangers and foreigners, and not... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 8:11

Now the parable is this , &c.; "Or this is the sense of the parable", as the Arabic version renders it: "the seed is the word of God", the Gospel, as preached by Christ, his apostles, and faithful ministers, which has God for its author, is concerning the grace of God, and is what he blesses, and makes effectual to answer any good purpose. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Luke 8:5

A sower went out to sow - See all this parable largely explained on Matthew 13:1-23 (note). read more

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