The Meaning of Matthew 13:23 Explained

Matthew 13:23

KJV: But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

YLT: 'And that sown on the good ground: this is he who is hearing the word, and is understanding, who indeed doth bear fruit, and doth make, some indeed a hundredfold, and some sixty, and some thirty.'

Darby: But he that is sown upon the good ground this is he who hears and understands the word, who bears fruit also, and produces, one a hundred, one sixty, and one thirty.

ASV: And he that was sown upon the good ground, this is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; who verily beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But  he that received seed  into  the good  ground  is  he  that heareth  the word,  and  understandeth  [it]; which  also  beareth fruit,  and  bringeth forth,  some  an hundredfold,  some  sixty,  some  thirty. 

What does Matthew 13:23 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The good soil stands for the person who understands the message about the kingdom when he or she hears it and responds appropriately to it. This would involve believing in Jesus. Such a person eventually becomes spiritually productive, though the degree of productivity varies (cf. Matthew 20:1-15). However, Jesus commended all who received the message of the kingdom and believed it regardless of their measure of productivity. The fruit in view probably represents increasing understanding of and proper response to divine Revelation , in view of the context.
If the disciples understood this parable, they could understand the others that followed.
"The principle taught by the parable is this: reception of the word of the kingdom in one"s heart produces more understanding and revelation of the kingdom." [1]

Context Summary

Matthew 13:10-23 - Teaching For The Teachable
Jesus defended His use of parables. He said that He carefully avoided stating the truths of the Kingdom too plainly, so as not to increase the condemnation of those who could not or would not accept them. But where the disciples cared to penetrate below the husk of the story or parable, they would reach the kernel of heavenly significance. It is given to meek and teachable hearts to know the secrets of God. Let us draw near to the great teacher, the Holy Spirit, asking Him to make us know the kernel and heart of the Word of God. See 1 Corinthians 2:6, etc.
Note these points in our Lord's explanation of His parable: (1.) Beware of the evil one, who comes surreptitiously as soon as the sermon is over. (2.) The joy of the young convert must be distinguished from that of the superficial hearer. It is joy in Christ, rather than in the novelty and beauty of the words about Christ. (3.) Expect tribulation where the gospel is faithfully proclaimed. (4.) The cares of poverty hinder as well as the riches of wealth. [source]

Chapter Summary: 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

Greek Commentary for Matthew 13:23

Verily beareth fruit [δη καρποπορει]
Who in reality The fruit reveals the character of the tree and the value of the straw for wheat. Some grain must come else it is only chaff, straw, worthless. The first three classes have no fruit and so show that they are unfruitful soil, unsaved souls and lives. There is variety in those who do bear fruit, but they have some fruit. The lesson of the parable as explained by Jesus is precisely this, the variety in the results of the seed sown according to the soil on which it falls. Every teacher and preacher knows how true this is. It is the teacher‘s task as the sower to sow the right seed, the word of the kingdom. The soil determines the outcome. There are critics today who scout this interpretation of the parable by Jesus as too allegorical with too much detail and probably not that really given by Jesus since modern scholars are not agreed on the main point of the parable. But the average Christian sees the point all right. This parable was not meant to explain all the problems of human life. [source]
Understandeth [συνιείς]
See on Matthew 11:25, prudent. The three evangelists give three characteristics of the good hearer. Matthew, he understandeth the word; Mark, he receiveth it; Luke, he keepeth it [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Matthew 13:23

Mark 4:20 Bear fruit [καρποπορουσιν]
Same word in Matthew 13:23 and Luke 8:15. Mark gives the order from thirty, sixty, to a hundred, while Matthew 13:23 has it reversed. [source]

What do the individual words in Matthew 13:23 mean?

That however on the good soil having been sown this is the [one] the word hearing and understanding who indeed brings forth fruit produces some indeed a hundredfold now sixty thirty
δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν καλὴν γῆν σπαρείς οὗτός ἐστιν τὸν λόγον ἀκούων καὶ συνιείς ὃς δὴ καρποφορεῖ ποιεῖ μὲν ἑκατὸν δὲ ἑξήκοντα τριάκοντα

  That 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
δὲ  however 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
καλὴν  good 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: καλός  
Sense: beautiful, handsome, excellent, eminent, choice, surpassing, precious, useful, suitable, commendable, admirable.
γῆν  soil 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: γῆ  
Sense: arable land.
σπαρείς  having  been  sown 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Passive, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἐπισπείρω 
Sense: to sow, scatter, seed.
οὗτός  this 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.
  the  [one] 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
λόγον  word 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: λόγος  
Sense: of speech.
ἀκούων  hearing 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀκουστός 
Sense: to be endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf.
συνιείς  understanding 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: συνίημι 
Sense: to set or bring together.
δὴ  indeed 
Parse: Particle
Root: δή  
Sense: now, then, verily, in truth, really, surely, certainly.
καρποφορεῖ  brings  forth  fruit 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: καρποφορέω  
Sense: to bear fruit.
ποιεῖ  produces 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ποιέω  
Sense: to make.
  some 
Parse: Personal / Relative Pronoun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: ὅς 
Sense: who, which, what, that.
μὲν  indeed 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: μέν  
Sense: truly, certainly, surely, indeed.
ἑκατὸν  a  hundredfold 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: ἑκατόν  
Sense: a hundred.
δὲ  now 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
ἑξήκοντα  sixty 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: ἑξήκοντα  
Sense: sixty.
τριάκοντα  thirty 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: τριάκοντα  
Sense: thirty.