Luke 8 · Verse 5

Luke 8:5

A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.
Luke 8:5, King James Version

Luke 8:5 in other translations

BSB“A farmer went out to sow his seed. And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, where it was trampled, and the birds of the air devoured it.
WEB“The farmer went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some fell along the road, and it was trampled under foot, and the birds of the sky devoured it.
ASVThe sower went forth to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden under foot, and the birds of the heaven devoured it.
YLT‘The sower went forth to sow his seed, and in his sowing some indeed fell beside the way, and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the heaven did devour it.
DARBYThe sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell along the way, and it was trodden under foot, and the birds of the heaven devoured it up;
BBEA man went out to put in seed, and while he was doing it, some was dropped by the wayside and it was crushed under foot, and was taken by the birds of heaven.
WebsterA sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.

What does Luke 8:5 mean?

Barnes' Notes
Verse 5.

(d) "sower" Mt 13:3, Mk 4:3 (e) "trodden down" Ps 119:118, Mt 5:13

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 5 A sower went out to sow - See all this parable largely explained on Matthew 13:1-23 (note).

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Luke 8:4-21

There are many very needful and excellent rules and cautions for hearing the word, in the parable of the sower, and the application of it. Happy are we, and for ever indebted to free grace, if the same thing that is a parable to others, with which they are only amused, is a plain truth to us, by which we are taught and governed. We ought to take heed of the things that will hinder our profiting by the word we hear…

Read the full comment on Luke 8:4-21 →

Luke 8:5 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ἐξῆλθενexēlthenWent outG1831
ὁhothe [one]G3588
σπείρωνspeirōnsowingG4687
τοῦtou<the>G3588
σπεῖραιspeiraito sowG4687
τὸνtontheG3588
σπόρονsporonseedG4703
αὐτοῦ·autouof him;G846
καὶkaiAndG2532
ἐνeninG1722
τῷtōtheG3588
σπείρεινspeireinsowingG4687
αὐτὸνautonof himG846
ὃhosomeG3739
μὲνmenindeedG3303
ἔπεσενepesenfellG4098
παρὰparaalongG3844
τὴνtēntheG3588
ὁδὸνhodonroadG3598
καὶkaiandG2532
κατεπατήθη,katepatēthēit was trampled upon,G2662
καὶkaiandG2532
τὰtatheG3588
πετεινὰpeteinabirdsG4071
τοῦtouof theG3588
οὐρανοῦouranouairG3772
κατέφαγενkatephagendevouredG2719
αὐτό.autoit.G846

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Luke 8:5

  • Hebrews 2:1

    Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.

  • James 1:23-24

    For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

  • Mark 4:15

    And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.

  • Luke 8:11-12

    Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.

  • Mark 4:26-29

    And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.

  • Genesis 15:11

    And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away.

  • Psalms 119:118

    Thou hast trodden down all them that err from thy statutes: for their deceit is falsehood.

  • Matthew 13:3-4

    And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

  • Matthew 13:24-26

    Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.

  • Mark 4:2-4

    And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine, Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow: And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.

  • Matthew 13:18-19

    Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

  • Matthew 13:37

    He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
sower.
11; Mt 13:3,4,18,19,24-26,37; Mr 4:2-4,15,26-29
fell.
12; Heb 2:1; Jas 1:23,24
it.
Ps 119:118; Mt 5:13
and the.
Ge 15:11

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Luke 8:4

    And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable:

  • Luke 8:5

    A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.

  • Luke 8:6

    And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.

Read all of Luke 8

Luke 8:5 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Uno que sembraba, salió á sembrar su simiente; y sembrando, una parte cayó junto al camino, y fué hollada; y las aves del cielo la comieron.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Le semeur sortit pour semer sa semence. Et comme il semait, quelques grains tombèrent le long du chemin, et furent foulés aux pieds, et les oiseaux du ciel les dévorèrent.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Der Sämann ging aus, seinen Samen zu säen; und indem er säte, fiel etliches an den Weg, und es wurde zertreten, und die Vögel des Himmels fraßen es auf.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Exiit qui seminat, seminare semen suum. Et dum seminat, aliud cecidit secus viam, et conculcatum est, et volucres cæli comederunt illud.