Matthew 13:20
New International Version
The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.

New Living Translation
The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy.

English Standard Version
As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy,

Berean Standard Bible
The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.

Berean Literal Bible
And the one having been sown upon the rocky places, this is the one hearing the word and immediately receiving it with joy.

King James Bible
But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;

New King James Version
But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;

New American Standard Bible
The one sown with seed on the rocky places, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;

NASB 1995
“The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;

NASB 1977
“And the one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word, and immediately receives it with joy;

Legacy Standard Bible
And the one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;

Amplified Bible
The one on whom seed was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and at once welcomes it with joy;

Christian Standard Bible
And the one sown on rocky ground—this is one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
And the one sown on rocky ground—this is one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy.

American Standard Version
And he that was sown upon the rocky places, this is he that heareth the word, and straightway with joy receiveth it;

Contemporary English Version
The seeds that fell on rocky ground are the people who gladly hear the message and accept it at once.

English Revised Version
And he that was sown upon the rocky places, this is he that heareth the word, and straightway with joy receiveth it;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The seed planted on rocky ground [is the person who] hears the word and accepts it at once with joy.

Good News Translation
The seeds that fell on rocky ground stand for those who receive the message gladly as soon as they hear it.

International Standard Version
As for what was sown on the stony ground, this is the person who hears the word and accepts it joyfully at once,

Majority Standard Bible
The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.

NET Bible
The seed sown on rocky ground is the person who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy.

New Heart English Bible
And what was sown on the rocky places, this is he who hears the word, and immediately with joy receives it;

Webster's Bible Translation
But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and immediately with joy receiveth it;

Weymouth New Testament
He who has received the seed on the rocky ground is the man who hears the Message and immediately receives it with joy.

World English Bible
What was sown on the rocky places, this is he who hears the word and immediately with joy receives it;
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And that sown on the rocky places, this is he who is hearing the word, and immediately with joy is receiving it,

Berean Literal Bible
And the one having been sown upon the rocky places, this is the one hearing the word and immediately receiving it with joy.

Young's Literal Translation
'And that sown on the rocky places, this is he who is hearing the word, and immediately with joy is receiving it,

Smith's Literal Translation
And he having sown upon rocky places, this is he hearing the word, and quickly with joy receiving it;
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he that received the seed upon stony ground, is he that heareth the word, and immediately receiveth it with joy.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Then whoever has received the seed upon a rocky place, this is one who hears the word and promptly accepts it with joy.

New American Bible
The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy.

New Revised Standard Version
As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
That which was sown upon the rock, this is he who hears the word, and immediately accepts it with joy;

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But that which was sown upon the rock is the one who hears the word, and immediately with joy he receives it.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
He that received seed on the stony places is he that hears the word, and immediately receives it with joy.

Godbey New Testament
But the one sown upon the rocks, is he who heareth the word, and immediately with joy receives it;

Haweis New Testament
But the sown on the rocky soil, is he who having heard the word, and instantly with joy receiving it,

Mace New Testament
where other seed fell, denotes the man that heareth the word, and at first receives it with pleasure:

Weymouth New Testament
He who has received the seed on the rocky ground is the man who hears the Message and immediately receives it with joy.

Worrell New Testament
And he that was sown on the rocky places, this is he who hears the word, and straightway with joy receives it;

Worsley New Testament
And he who received the seed as upon stony grounds, is one that heareth the word and immediately receiveth it with joy:

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Parable of the Sower Explained
19When anyone hears the message of the kingdom but does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21But since he has no root, he remains for only a season. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.…

Cross References
Mark 4:16-17
Some are like the seeds sown on rocky ground. They hear the word and at once receive it with joy. / But they themselves have no root, and they remain for only a season. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.

Luke 8:13
The seeds on rocky ground are those who hear the word and receive it with joy, but they have no root. They believe for a season, but in the time of testing, they fall away.

James 1:23-24
For anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror, / and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.

Hebrews 6:4-6
It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, / who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age— / and then have fallen away—to be restored to repentance, because they themselves are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting Him to open shame.

John 5:35
John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you were willing for a season to bask in his light.

2 Timothy 4:3-4
For 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. / So they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

1 Corinthians 3:1-3
Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual, but as worldly—as infants in Christ. / I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for solid food. In fact, you are still not ready, / for you are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and dissension among you, are you not worldly? Are you not walking in the way of man?

2 Peter 2:20-22
If indeed they have escaped the corruption of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, only to be entangled and overcome by it again, their final condition is worse than it was at first. / It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than to have known it and then to turn away from the holy commandment passed on to them. / Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.”

Romans 10:17
Consequently, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

Acts 17:11
Now the Bereans were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true.

Isaiah 58:2
For day after day they seek Me and delight to know My ways, like a nation that does what is right and does not forsake the justice of their God. They ask Me for righteous judgments; they delight in the nearness of God.”

Ezekiel 33:31-32
So My people come to you as usual, sit before you, and hear your words; but they do not put them into practice. Although they express love with their mouths, their hearts pursue dishonest gain. / Indeed, you are to them like a singer of love songs with a beautiful voice, who skillfully plays an instrument. They hear your words but do not put them into practice.

Jeremiah 5:31
The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority. My people love it so, but what will you do in the end?

Hosea 6:4
What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? For your loyalty is like a morning mist, like the early dew that vanishes.

Isaiah 29:13
Therefore the Lord said: “These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is but rules taught by men.


Treasury of Scripture

But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that hears the word, and immediately with joy receives it;

received.

Matthew 13:5,6
Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: …

anon.

1 Samuel 11:13-15
And Saul said, There shall not a man be put to death this day: for to day the LORD hath wrought salvation in Israel…

2 Chronicles 24:2,6,14
And Joash did that which was right in the sight of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest…

Psalm 78:34-37
When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and inquired early after God…

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Matthew 13
1. The parable of the sower and the seed;
18. the explanation of it.
24. The parable of the weeds;
31. of the mustard seed;
33. of the leaven;
36. explanation of the parable of the weeds.
44. The parable of the hidden treasure;
45. of the pearl;
47. of the drag net cast into the sea.
53. Jesus is a prophet without honor in his own country.














The seed sown on rocky ground
This phrase introduces the metaphor of the seed, which represents the Word of God. In the agrarian society of ancient Israel, sowing seeds was a common practice, and the audience would have understood the challenges of planting on rocky soil. The Greek word for "rocky" (πετρώδης, petrodēs) suggests a superficial layer of soil with underlying rock, indicating a lack of depth. Spiritually, this represents a heart that is initially receptive but lacks the depth needed for sustained growth. The rocky ground symbolizes a superficial faith that is not deeply rooted in the teachings of Christ.

is the one who hears the word
Hearing the word is the first step in the process of faith. The Greek word for "hears" (ἀκούω, akouō) implies not just the act of listening but also understanding and internalizing the message. In the historical context, hearing was a primary means of learning, as literacy was not widespread. This phrase emphasizes the importance of being attentive to the teachings of Jesus and the necessity of allowing the Word to penetrate beyond mere auditory reception.

and at once receives it with joy
The immediate reception of the word with joy indicates an enthusiastic and emotional response. The Greek word for "receives" (λαμβάνω, lambanō) suggests an active acceptance, while "joy" (χαρά, chara) reflects a positive emotional reaction. This initial joy is a common experience among new believers who are touched by the message of the Gospel. However, the historical and scriptural context warns that joy alone, without a firm foundation, is insufficient for enduring faith. The parable cautions against a shallow acceptance that does not withstand trials or tribulations.

(20) Anon with joy receiveth it.--The second type of character stands in marked contrast with the first. Rapid change, strong emotion, a quicker show of conversion than in the case where it is more real.--such results, it need hardly be said, come under the notice of every earnest preacher. In proportion to the tendency of any system--such as the revivalist meetings of one school, the mission services of another--to cause excitement, are those results likely to be frequent.

Verse 20. - And anon; and straightway (Revised Version, καὶ εὐθύς).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
The [seed]
(Ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

sown
σπαρείς (spareis)
Verb - Aorist Participle Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4687: To sow, spread, scatter. Probably strengthened from spao; to scatter, i.e. Sow.

on
ἐπὶ (epi)
Preposition
Strong's 1909: On, to, against, on the basis of, at.

rocky ground
πετρώδη (petrōdē)
Adjective - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 4075: Rocky, stony. From petra and eidos; rock-like, i.e. Rocky.

is
ἐστιν (estin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

the [one who]
(ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

hears
ἀκούων (akouōn)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 191: To hear, listen, comprehend by hearing; pass: is heard, reported. A primary verb; to hear.

the
τὸν (ton)
Article - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

word
λόγον (logon)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3056: From lego; something said; by implication, a topic, also reasoning or motive; by extension, a computation; specially, the Divine Expression.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

promptly
εὐθὺς (euthys)
Adverb
Strong's 2112: Immediately, soon, at once. Adverb from euthus; directly, i.e. At once or soon.

receives
λαμβάνων (lambanōn)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2983: (a) I receive, get, (b) I take, lay hold of.

it
αὐτόν (auton)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

with
μετὰ (meta)
Preposition
Strong's 3326: (a) gen: with, in company with, (b) acc: (1) behind, beyond, after, of place, (2) after, of time, with nouns, neut. of adjectives.

joy.
χαρᾶς (charas)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 5479: Joy, gladness, a source of joy. From chairo; cheerfulness, i.e. Calm delight.


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NT Gospels: Matthew 13:20 What was sown on the rocky places (Matt. Mat Mt)
Matthew 13:19
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