Parables, Parables of the Weeds
Matthew 13:29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
Matthew 13:29 ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them.
That one, however, denied this, "Never! Then, gathering the weeds, you will uproot the wheat together with them.
The nurturing of the good is more important than destroying the bad.
The word translated as "enemy" is an adjective meaning "hating." Here it modifies the word "man" but that word is not translated in the KJV or the NIV. This is Jesus's answer to where the problems of the world come from.
A rare word translated as "said" is used in this verse, but Jesus only uses this word in four verses, always to describe a master talking to a servant. The sense is a stronger statement than one of the common words for "said."
The verb translated as "root up/uproot" is a rare one in ancient Greek. It appears for the first time in the Septuagint, where it is used only three times to describe "uprooting" whole civilizations. It means literally "away from root" so it is easy to understand, but someone familiar with the OT may have recognized the analogy here.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "he" is not the common word usually translated as "he."
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "said" is not the common word usually translated as "said."
- WF - Wrong Form - The "gather" is not an active verb but a participle, "gathering."
- WT - Wrong Tense - The verb "root up" is the present tense, but the tense is future.
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "also" doesn't exist in the source.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "with" is not the common word usually translated as "with."
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "however" is not shown in the English translation.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "not" is not the common word usually translated as "no."
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "he" is not the common word usually translated as "he."
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "answered" is not the common word usually translated as "answered."
- WF - Wrong Form - The "are" is not part of an active verb but a participle, "gathering."
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "pulling" should be something more like "gather" or "collect."
- WM - Wrong Mood - The verb "may" indicates a possibility but the verb is not that form.
- WT - Wrong Tense - The verb "uproot" is the present tense, but the tense is future.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "with" is not the common word usually translated as "with."
But - "But" is the Greek conjugation usually translated as "but" but it has been left untranslated in the last several phrases with the similar construction. It seems to be used here and the two previous verses (Matthew 13:27, Matthew 13:28) to continue the story by providing an explanation, "so."
he -- (CW) The word translated as "he" is the Greek definite article, which when not preceding a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those"). See this article for more.
said - (CW) "Said" is not from one of the common words translated as "say" or "tell." It has the sense of making a strong statement so "asserted," "affirmed,""denied," etc. Jesus uses this word exclusively when a master is addressing a servant.
Nay - The Greek word translated as "no" is the Greek negative used to deny objective facts, not opinions. It makes a negative statement of fact.
lest - The word translated as "lest" another Greek negative, the negative of a subjective opinion. When used alone, its has the sense is that "you don't want" to do something, not that it isn't done. However, when both negatives are used in a series like this, it usually indicates on the meaning of a more emphatic negative such as "never."
while - The word translated as "while" comes from a Greek word that means "at that time" and "then."
ye --This is usually from the second-person, plural form of the verb, but here it is from the masculine plural form of the participle.
gather up - (WF) The word translated as "gather up" specifically means collecting something for use. The word means a selective choosing rather than an indiscriminate gathering. However, it is in the form of an adjective or a noun that is the subject of the sentence, "gathering."
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.
tares, - The term translated as "tares" is from a weed that grows among wheat crops, a kind of imitation wheat, that had black kernels instead of real wheat when it mature. It comes from a Sumerian word for "wheat."
ye --This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.
root up -- (WT) The word translated as "root up" is a word only found initially in the Septuagint. It is the compound of the verb meaning to "root" (from the noun meaning "root") and a prefix meaning "from" or "away from." This verb is not the present tense, but the future tense.
also -- -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "it" in the Greek source.
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.
wheat, - "The wheat" is from a word that means "grain," "wheat," "barley," "food made from grain," "bread," and, most generally, "food."
with - (CW) The word translated as "with" means "together with" in time. It is not the Greek preposition normally translated as "with."
them. - -- The word translated as "them" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English.
missing "but" -- (MW) The untranslated word "but" but it has been left untranslated in the last several phrases with the similar construction. It seems to be used here and the two previous verses (Matthew 13:27, Matthew 13:28) to continue the story by providing an explanation, "so."
‘No,’ -- (CW) The "not" here is both of the Greek negatives used together. Greek has two negatives, one objective, one subjective. The use of both together is more extreme, like saying, "never" or literally, "you cannot really think."
he -- (CW) The word translated as "he" is the Greek definite article, which when not preceding a noun, takes the meaning of "the one" or, in the plural, "the ones." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those"). See this article for more.
answered, - (WW) "Answered" is not from one of the common words translated as "answer." It has the sense of making a strong statement so "asserted," "affirmed,""denied," etc. Jesus uses this word exclusively when a master is addressing a servant.
‘because -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "it" in the Greek source.
while - The word translated as "while" comes from a Greek word that means "at that time" and "then."
you --This is usually from the second-person, plural form of the verb, but here it is from the masculine plural form of the participle.
are - (WF) This indicates that there is an active verb here, but there isn't.
pulling -- (WW) The word translated as "pulling" specifically means collecting something for use. It is usually translated as "gathering," but the word means a selective choosing rather than an indiscriminate gathering. It does not mean "pull." It is in the form of an adjective or a noun that is the subject of the sentence, "gathering."
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.
weeds, - The term translated as "weeds" is from a weed that grows among wheat crops, a kind of imitation wheat, that had black kernels instead of real wheat when it mature. It comes from a Sumerian word for "wheat."
you --This is from the second-person, plural form of the verb.
may -- (WM) This word indicates the subjunctive mood of possibility, but the verb is in the indicative mood.
uproot -- (WT) The word translated as "uproot" is a word only found initially in the Septuagint. It is the compound of the verb meaning to "root" (from the noun meaning "root") and a prefix meaning "from" or "away from."
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article. The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.
wheat, - "The wheat" is from a word that means "grain," "wheat," "barley," "food made from grain," "bread," and, most generally, "food."
with - (CW) The word translated as "with" means "together with" in time. It is not the Greek preposition normally translated as "with."
them. - -- The word translated as "them" is the Greek word commonly translated as third-person pronouns in English.
ὁ (article sg masc nom) "He" is the Greek definite article, "the," which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one."
δέ (conj) "But" is from de which means "but" and "on the other hand." It is the particle that joins sentences in an adversarial way but can also be an explanation of cause
φησιν (verb 3rd sg pres ind act ) "Said" is from phemi, which means to "say," "affirm," "assert," "write (of an author), "deem," "allege," "command," and "order."
Οὔ, (partic) "Not" is from ou which is the negative adverb for facts and statements, negating both single words and sentences.
μή (partic) "Lest" is from me which is the negative used in prohibitions and expressions of doubt meaning "not" and "no." As οὐ (ou) negates fact and statement; μή rejects, οὐ denies; μή is relative, οὐ absolute; μή subjective, οὐ objective.
ποτε (adv) "While" comes from tote, which means "at that time" and "then."
συλλέγοντες (part pl pres act masc nom) "Ye gather up" is from sylego, a term meaning "gather," "collect," "come together," "collect," "get together [people]," "compose," "compile," "scrape together," "compile a list of," (in middle passive) "collect for oneself," "for one's own use," and (in passive) "come together," "become customary," "come together," "assemble."
τὰ (article pl neut acc) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").
ζιζάνια (noun pl neut acc) The term translated as "tares" is zizanion, which was a weed that grows in wheat, a kind of imitation wheat, that had black kernels instead of real wheat when it mature. It comes from a Sumerian word for "wheat."
ἐκριζώσητε [3 verses](verb 2nd pl fut ind act) "Ye root up" is ekrizoo, which means "root out."
ἅμα (adverb/prep) "With" is from hama, which means "at the same time," "at once," " together," and, as a preposition, "at the same time with" and "together with."
αὐτοῖς (adj pl neut dat) "Them" is from autos, which means "the same," and the reflexive pronouns, "myself," "yourself," "himself," "herself," "itself," or the oblique case of the pronouns, "him," "her," and "it." It also means "one's true self," that is, "the soul" as opposed to the body and "of one's own accord."
τὸν (article pl neut acc) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").
σῖτον: (noun sg masc acc) "The wheat" is from sitos (sitos), which means "grain," "wheat," "barley," "food made from grain," "bread," and, most generally, "food."
The contrast between the wheat and the false wheat is emphasized by making it clear that they are joined together in time, indicating that their joining is temporary.
“That one, however, he denied this, ” continued the Master, straightening up into his regal posture and assuming a voice of authority, “‘Never! Then, gathering the weeds.’”
He pretended to pull up a weed.
“‘You will uproot the wheat together with them,’” he explained, showing the stock of wheat he used earlier, to the crowd.