1. Matthieu 13:23 (NEG79)
  2. Explication du texte

What does the fruit that the hearer of the word bears refer to?

Matthieu 13:23 (NEG79)

23 Celui qui a reçu la semence dans la bonne terre, c'est celui qui entend la parole et la comprend; il porte du fruit, et un grain en donne cent, un autre soixante, un autre trente.

En bref

Two views of what the fruit that the hearer of the word bears refers to:

  1. The fruit refers to sanctification (Luke 8:15; Galatians 5:22), a foretaste of the great harvest: the perfection that will begin when Jesus returns (Matthew 13:8; see also Romans 6:22).

  2. What the fruit refers to, and what the difference in yield signifies, Jesus does not say; we only hear of the difference—but fruit is there. This verse implies that while the quality of the soil determines whether or not there will be fruit, the seed is still the source of the fruit.

Interpretation 1:

The fruit mentioned in the parable of the sower refers to sanctification (Luke 8:15; Galatians 5:22), and this sanctification is a foretaste of the great harvest—that is, the perfection that will begin when Jesus comes in glory (Matthew 13:8; see also Romans 6:22)1

Interpretation 2:

What the fruit referenced in the parable of the sower refers to, and what the difference in yield signifies, Jesus does not say; we only hear that there is always a difference—but fruit is there. In this verse there is a shift of subject, which shows that although the quality of the soil determines whether or not there will be fruit, the fruit nevertheless springs up from the seed.2