Bible Strands
Matthew 13:20
The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Jesus addresses his listeners to define the second seed category in the parable, identifying the rocky ground as the hearer who receives the word.
The words — The term πετρώδη (petrōdē) means "rocky places," describing soil too shallow to sustain growth, while σπαρείς (spareis) translates to "having been sown," marking the seed's initial placement.
The thread — This pattern of shallow reception appears in Ezekiel 33:31, where listeners hear words without practice, and in John 5:35, which notes willingness to bask in light only for a season.
Why it lands — The text states that immediate joy masks a lack of depth, requiring the reader to examine whether their response to the word endures when difficulty arises.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
Cross-references
- Ezekiel 33:31 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.
- Psalms 106:12 Then they believed His promises and sang His praise.
- 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 Chronicles 24:2 And Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest.
- Psalms 78:34 When He slew them, they would seek Him; they repented and searched for God.
- 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.”
- 1 Samuel 11:13 But Saul ordered, “No one shall be put to death this day, for today the LORD has worked salvation in Israel.”
- 2 Chronicles 24:6 So the king called Jehoiada the high priest and said, “Why have you not required the Levites to bring from Judah and Jerusalem the tax imposed by Moses the servant of the LORD and by the assembly of Israel for the Tent of the Testimony?”
- 2 Chronicles 24:14 When they were finished, they brought the rest of the money to the king and Jehoiada, and with it were made articles for the house of the LORD—utensils for the service and for the burnt offerings, dishes, and other objects of gold and silver. Throughout the days of Jehoiada, burnt offerings were presented regularly in the house of the LORD.
- Matthew 13:5 Some fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow.