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First consider its structure:--
The Wheat and Darnel.
a | A man sowed good seed.
Statement.
b | Enemy sowed darnel.
Enemy.
c | The blade sprung up.
Growth.
d | Then appeared the darnel.
Fruit.
a | Didst thou not sow good seed?
Question.
b | An enemy hath done this.
Enemy.
c | Shall we gather the darnel?
Growth.
d | Let both grow till harvest.
Fruit.
The very first thing which we must notice is that whereas the parable of the Sower
occurs in the three Synoptic Gospels, the parable of the Tares is found only in Matthew.
This enables us to see that this particular parable has exclusive reference to the kingdom
of the heavens, and must not be applied to outside subjects.
Before going further we will set before the reader a rather more literal rendering than
that of the A.V. or the R.V.:--
"Another parable placed He before them, saying, The kingdom of the heavens hath
become like a man sowing good seed in his field; but while men were sleeping, his
enemy came and sowed darnel through the midst of the wheat, and went away. But when
the wheat sprang up and brought forth fruit, then appeared the darnel also. Then the
servants of the householder came near and said to him, Sir, was it not good seed thou
didst sow in thy field, whence then hath it darnel? But he said unto them, A man that is
an enemy did this. But the servants said unto him. Wilt thou therefore that we go and
gather them together? But he said, No: lest at anytime while gathering the darnel ye
uproot along with it the wheat. Let both grow together until the harvest, and in the
harvest season I will say unto the harvesters, gather together first the darnel, and bind it
into bundles with a view to the burning it up; but the wheat bring together into my barn."
Our first consideration must be to settle, if possible, the true meaning of the servants,
the wheat, and the tares. Christ's explanation, in answer to the disciples' question
concerning the parable, was as follows:--
Parable.
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Interpretation.
"He that sows the good seed. . . . . . .
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is the Son of man.
And the field. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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is the world.
And the good seed. . . . . . . . . . . .
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are the sons of the kingdom.
And the darnel. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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are the sons of the evil one.
And the enemy that sowed them. . . . .
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is the devil.
And the harvest. . . . . . . . . . . . .
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is the consummation (sunteleia) of the age.
And the harvesters. . . . . . . . . . . .
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are the angels."