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Luke 8:5
ESV “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it.
NIV A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up.
NASB The sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell beside the road, and it was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the sky ate it up.
CSB "A sower went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some seed fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the sky devoured it.
NLT A farmer went out to plant his seed. As he scattered it across his field, some seed fell on a footpath, where it was stepped on, and the birds ate it.
KJV A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.

What does Luke 8:5 mean?

Jesus begins His parable. A "sower" is a farmer who spreads seed on the ground. At harvest every year, farmers would hold back grain or seeds from their crops and use it for the next year's crops. In Israel, people often lived in small towns surrounded by farmland. Families would have individual fields right next to other family fields.

The "path" may be trails that run between the fields. The ground would be quite hard from generations of sowers, harvesters, and travelers who want a shortcut around the fields. Birds aren't specifically bad in Scripture, but they are often portrayed as scavengers who clear away things that are left out—particularly bodies (Deuteronomy 28:26; Revelation 19:17–21).

Neither Matthew nor Mark mention that the seed is trampled. It's not clear why the Holy Spirit inspired Luke to include the detail, especially since it's not repeated in Jesus' explanation (Luke 8:9–15). Perhaps Theophilus faced opposition to his faith. Jesus does say that the birds represent Satan who comes upon people who have heard the word of God and "takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved" (Luke 8:12).

Luke's emphasis of Jesus' parable is to listen well. First, the hardened path, trampled by passers-by, is like people who have allowed the world to harden their hearts so that God's Word can't even break the surface. Second, it is extremely difficult to listen to God's Word well when we allow the enemy priority in our lives. Satan has been an expert at twisting and removing God's Word from hearts since the garden of Eden. If we want to understand what God is saying to us, we need to listen to Him, through His Word and legitimate teachers. Angry atheists and social media skeptics more interested in clicks and ad revenue than broken hearts are the modern-day birds who swoop in with foolish misinterpretations of Scripture and snatch God's Word away before it reaches our hearts. We all—believers and unbelievers—are responsible for what fills our minds. We all need to listen well.
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