Luke 8:6

6 Other seed fell on the rock; when it sprang up, it withered, since it lacked moisture.

Luke 8:6 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 8:6

And some fell upon a rock
Which the other evangelists call "stony places", and "stony ground"; by which are meant such hearers whose hearts are, hardened through the deceitfulness of sin, and continue so notwithstanding the preaching of the word unto them.

And as soon as it sprung up;
as it did immediately, as the other evangelists say; and that for this reason, which they give, "because it had no depth of earth"; only a small crust, or shell of earth over the rock; and signifies, that these hearers had only a superficial knowledge of the word, and hastily made a profession of it, which soon came to nothing:

it withered away, because it lacked moisture;
the other evangelists say, "when the sun was up, it was scorched"; meaning tribulation and persecution, the grace of God being wanting to support under fiery trials: the reason given in Matthew and Mark why it withered, is,

because it had no root;
and so read the Persic and Ethiopic versions here.

Luke 8:6 In-Context

4 As a large crowd was gathering, and people were flocking to Him from every town, He said in a parable:

5 "A sower went out to sow his seed. As he was sowing, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the sky ate it up.

6 Other seed fell on the rock; when it sprang up, it withered, since it lacked moisture.

7 Other seed fell among thorns; the thorns sprang up with it and choked it.

8 Still other seed fell on good ground; when it sprang up, it produced a crop: 100 times [what was sown]." As He said this, He called out, "Anyone who has ears to hear should listen!"