Luke 8:12

12 The seed on the path are those who hear, but then the devil comes and steals the word from their hearts so that they won't believe and be saved.

Luke 8:12 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 8:12

Those by the wayside are they that hear
The word of God, though only by accident, and very carelessly, and without understanding what they hear:

then cometh the devil;
signified by the fowls of the air:

and taketh away the word out of their hearts,
or memories; that little of it, which is retained there, and diverts their minds from it by other objects; so that they quite forget what they have heard;

lest they should believe, and be saved:
this clause is only in Luke; and with it may be compared ( 2 Corinthians 4:4 ) for with true faith in Christ the sum and substance of the word salvation is connected; and Satan being an enemy to the salvation of souls, does all he can to hinder their faith in him.

Luke 8:12 In-Context

10 He said, “You have been given the mysteries of God's kingdom, but these mysteries come to everyone else in parables so that when they see, they can't see, and when they hear, they can't understand.

11 “The parable means this: The seed is God's word.

12 The seed on the path are those who hear, but then the devil comes and steals the word from their hearts so that they won't believe and be saved.

13 The seed on the rock are those who receive the word joyfully when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while but fall away when they are tempted.

14 As for the seed that fell among thorny plants, these are the ones who, as they go about their lives, are choked by the concerns, riches, and pleasures of life, and their fruit never matures.