Lukas 8:7-8

8:7 Other seed fell among the thorns, ¹  and they grew up with it and choked ²  it. 8:8 But ³  other seed fell on good soil and grew, ⁴  and it produced a hundred times as much grain.” ⁵  As he said this, ⁶  he called out, “The one who has ears to hear had better listen!” ⁷ 

[8:7]  ¹ sn Palestinian weeds like these thorns could grow up to six feet in height and have a major root system.

[8:7]  ² sn That is, crowded out the good plants.

[8:8]  ³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in the final stage of the parable.

[8:8]  ⁴ tn Grk “when it grew, after it grew.”

[8:8]  ⁵ sn Unlike the parallel accounts in Matt 13:8 and Mark 4:8, there is no distinction in yield in this version of the parable.

[8:8]  ⁶ tn Grk “said these things.”

[8:8]  ⁷ tn The translation “had better listen!” captures the force of the third person imperative more effectively than the traditional “let him hear,” which sounds more like a permissive than an imperative to the modern English reader. This was Jesus’ common expression to listen and heed carefully (cf. Matt 11:15; 13:9, 43; Mark 4:9, 23; Luke 14:35).