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 8:15

8:15 But as for the seed that landed on good soil, these are the ones who, after hearing 6  the word, cling to it 7  with an honest and good 8  heart, and bear fruit with steadfast endurance. 9 

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 The aorist participle ἀκούσαντες (akousante") has been taken temporally, reflecting action antecedent (prior to) that of the main verb.

7 sn There is a tenacity that is a part of spiritual fruitfulness.

8 sn In an ancient context, the qualifier good described the ethical person who possessed integrity. Here it is integrity concerning God’s revelation through Jesus.

9 sn Given the pressures noted in the previous soils, bearing fruit takes time (steadfast endurance), just as it does for the farmer. See Jas 1:2-4.