📖 Biblical Definition
Christ's foundational parable about the kingdom of God's spread, found in all three synoptic gospels. A sower scatters seed; it falls on four different soils: the wayside (birds eat it), stony ground (springs up but dies), thorny ground (choked by cares and riches), good ground (bears fruit thirty/sixty/hundredfold). The interpretation Christ provides (Matt 13:18-23) makes the seed the word of the kingdom and the four soils four kinds of hearers.
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
Christ's foundational parable: word as seed, four kinds of hearer-soils.
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Christ's foundational kingdom-parable, found in all three synoptic gospels (Matt 13:1-23; Mark 4:1-20; Luke 8:4-15). Christ Himself provides the interpretation, which is unusual: the seed is the word of the kingdom; the four soils are four kinds of hearers. (1) Wayside (hard-packed path): hearers who do not understand; the wicked one snatches the word away. (2) Stony ground (rocky shallow soil): hearers who receive with joy but have no root; persecution withers them. (3) Thorny ground (soil with weeds): hearers in whom cares of the world and deceitfulness of riches choke the word; they become unfruitful. (4) Good ground: hearers who hear, understand, and bear fruit — some thirtyfold, some sixty, some hundred. The parable functions as a hearing-test: which kind of hearer are you?
📖 Key Scripture
Matthew 13:23 — "But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."
Mark 4:14 — "The sower soweth the word."
Luke 8:15 — "But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
Often read as encouragement for evangelism (sow widely!); Christ's actual point is the diagnostic about which soil-hearer you are.
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Modern reading of the Sower often focuses on the sower (sow widely, expect mixed results, keep going). Christ's actual interpretation focuses on the soils: which kind of hearer are you? The parable is diagnostic, not just descriptive. Wayside, stony, thorny, good — these are categories of hearers in any congregation.
Recover the diagnostic: when you hear the word, what soil are you? The parable invites self-examination, not just evangelism-strategy.
🔗 Greek & Hebrew Roots
Greek ho speirōn.
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['Greek', 'G4687', 'speirō', 'to sow']
['Greek', 'G4690', 'sperma', 'seed']
Usage
"Four soils, four kinds of hearer."
"Christ's only fully-interpreted parable."
"Diagnostic: which hearer are you?"