Discovery BoxLuke 8:14-15 
Context8:14 As for the seed that 1 fell among thorns, these are the ones who hear, but 2 as they go on their way they are choked 3 by the worries and riches and pleasures of life, 4 and their fruit does not mature. 5 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 Grk “What”; the referent (the seed) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
3 sn That is, their concern for spiritual things is crowded out by material things.
4 sn On warnings about the dangers of excessive material attachments, described here as the worries and riches and pleasures of life, see Luke 12:12-21; 16:19-31.
5 tn The verb τελεσφορέω (telesforew) means “to produce mature or ripe fruit” (L&N 23.203). Once again the seed does not reach its goal.
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.
