Luke 8:6

6 Another part drops upon the rock, and after growing up it withers away for want of 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 And when a great crowd was assembling, and was receiving additions from one town after another, He spoke a parable to them.

5 "The sower," He said, "goes out to sow his seed; and as he sows, some of the seed falls by the way-side, and is trodden upon, or the birds of the air come and peck it up.

6 Another part drops upon the rock, and after growing up it withers away for want of moisture.

7 Another part falls among the thorns, and the thorns grow up with it and stifle it.

8 But some of the seed falls into good ground, and grows up and yields a return of a hundred for one." While thus speaking, He cried aloud and said, "Listen, every one who has ears to listen with!"