Luke 8:8

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

Luke 8:13

8:13 Those ⁶  on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, ⁷  but ⁸  in a time of testing ⁹  fall away. ¹⁰ 

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¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in the final stage of the parable.

² tn Grk “when it grew, after it grew.”

³ 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.

⁴ tn Grk “said these things.”

⁵ 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).

⁶ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

⁷ sn This time of temporary faith represented by the description believe for a while is presented rather tragically in the passage. The seed does not get a chance to do all it can.

⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

⁹ tn Traditionally, “temptation.” Such a translation puts the emphasis on temptation to sin rather than testing of faith, which is what the context seems to indicate.

¹⁰ sn Fall away. On the idea of falling away and the warnings against it, see 2 Tim 3:1; Heb 3:12; Jer 3:14; Dan 9:9.