Matthew 13:37
He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
Original Language Analysis
ὁ
G3588
ὁ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
1 of 15
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
ἀποκριθεὶς
He answered
G611
ἀποκριθεὶς
He answered
Strong's:
G611
Word #:
3 of 15
to conclude for oneself, i.e., (by implication) to respond; by hebraism (compare h6030) to begin to speak (where an address is expected)
αὐτοῖς,
unto them
G846
αὐτοῖς,
unto them
Strong's:
G846
Word #:
5 of 15
the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative g1438) of the third person, and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons
Ὁ
G3588
Ὁ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
6 of 15
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
σπείρων
He that soweth
G4687
σπείρων
He that soweth
Strong's:
G4687
Word #:
7 of 15
to scatter, i.e., sow (literally or figuratively)
τὸ
G3588
τὸ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
8 of 15
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
καλὸν
the good
G2570
καλὸν
the good
Strong's:
G2570
Word #:
9 of 15
properly, beautiful, but chiefly (figuratively) good (literally or morally), i.e., valuable or virtuous (for appearance or use, and thus distinguished
σπέρμα
seed
G4690
σπέρμα
seed
Strong's:
G4690
Word #:
10 of 15
something sown, i.e., seed (including the male "sperm"); by implication, offspring; specially, a remnant (figuratively, as if kept over for planting)
ὁ
G3588
ὁ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
12 of 15
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
υἱὸς
the Son
G5207
υἱὸς
the Son
Strong's:
G5207
Word #:
13 of 15
a "son" (sometimes of animals), used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship
Cross References
Acts 1:8But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.Matthew 13:41The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;Luke 10:16He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.Romans 15:18For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed,Matthew 10:40He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.Matthew 8:20And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.Matthew 13:27So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?Matthew 13:24Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:John 13:20Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.John 20:21Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
Historical Context
Jesus's self-interpretation of the parable removes all ambiguity about the central figure. Spoken around AD 30-33, this teaching prepared disciples to understand His messianic mission as including not just physical ministry but spiritual kingdom-building through the gospel seed.
Questions for Reflection
- How does recognizing Christ as the Sower affect your understanding of evangelism and church growth strategies?
- What does it mean practically that you are 'good seed' sown by the Son of man rather than a self-generated believer?
- How should Christ's role as Sower inform your confidence (or lack thereof) in the security of His planting?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man (ὁ σπείρων τὸ καλὸν σπέρμα ἐστὶν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, ho speirōn to kalon sperma estin ho huios tou anthrōpou). Jesus identifies Himself as the Sower using His favorite self-designation, 'Son of man' (Daniel 7:13-14)—emphasizing both His humanity and His eschatological authority as the one who will judge the world (v. 41).
The good seed (καλὸν σπέρμα, kalon sperma) represents quality and divine origin. Christ's sovereignty in sowing establishes that genuine believers are His work, not accidents or human productions. This counters human efforts to 'make' Christians or manufacture church growth—the Son of man alone creates true children of the kingdom (John 1:12-13).