Matthew 13 · Verse 21

Matthew 13:21

Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
Matthew 13:21, King James Version

Matthew 13:21 in other translations

BSBBut since he has no root, he remains for only a season. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.
WEByet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while. When oppression or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.
ASVyet hath he not root in himself, but endureth for a while; and when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, straightway he stumbleth.
YLTand he hath not root in himself, but is temporary, and persecution or tribulation having happened because of the word, immediately he is stumbled.
DARBYbut has no root in himself, but is for a time only; and when tribulation or persecution happens on account of the word, he is immediately offended.
BBEBut having no root in himself, he goes on for a time; and when trouble comes or pain, because of the word, he quickly becomes full of doubts.
WebsterYet he hath not root in himself, but endureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, forthwith he is offended.

What does Matthew 13:21 mean?

Barnes' Notes
Verse 21. Mt 13:20; Mt 13:18

(m) "offended" Mt 24:10, 26:31, 2Ti 4:16

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 21 Yet hath he not root in himself - His soul is not deeply convinced of its guilt and depravity; the fallow ground is not properly ploughed up, nor the rock broken. When persecution, etc., ariseth, which he did not expect, he is soon stumbled - seeks some pretext to abandon both the doctrine and followers of Christ. Having not felt his own sore, and the plague of his heart, he has not properly discovered that this salvation is the only remedy for his soul: thus he has no motive in his heart strong enough to counteract the outward scandal of the cross; so he endureth only for the time in which there is no difficulty to encounter, no cross to bear.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 13:1-23

The parable of the tares. (24-30; 36-43) The parables of the mustard-seed and the leaven. (31-35) The parables of the hidden treasure, the pearl of great price, the net cast into the sea, and the householder. (44-52) Jesus is again rejected at Nazareth. (53-58) Verses 1-23 Jesus entered into a boat that he might be the less pressed, and be the better heard by the people. By this he teaches us in the outward…

Read the full comment on Matthew 13:1-23 →

Matthew 13:21 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.

οὐκouknoG3756
ἔχειecheihe hasG2192
δὲdenowG1161
ῥίζανrhizanrootG4491
ἐνeninG1722
ἑαυτῷhe'autōhimselfG1438
ἀλλὰallabutG235
πρόσκαιρόςproskairostemporaryG4340
ἐστιν.estinis.G1510
γενομένηςgenomenēswhen is comingG1096
δὲdehoweverG1161
θλίψεωςthlipseōstribulationG2347
ἢēorG2228
διωγμοῦdiōgmoupersecutionG1375
διὰdiaon account ofG1223
τὸνtontheG3588
λόγονlogonwordG3056
εὐθὺςeuthusimmediatelyG2112
σκανδαλίζεται.skandalizetaihe falls away.G4624

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

Cross references for Matthew 13:21

  • Matthew 11:6

    And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

  • 2 Peter 1:8-9

    For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

  • Ephesians 3:17

    That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

  • Hosea 6:4

    O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away.

  • Job 19:28

    But ye should say, Why persecute we him, seeing the root of the matter is found in me?

  • Proverbs 12:3

    A man shall not be established by wickedness: but the root of the righteous shall not be moved.

  • John 15:5-7

    I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

  • Job 27:8-10

    For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul? Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him? Will he delight himself in the Almighty? will he always call upon God?

  • Psalms 36:3

    The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good.

  • John 12:25-26

    He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

  • Mark 13:12-13

    Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

  • Matthew 7:26-27

    And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
root.
6; 7:22,23,26,27; Job 19:28; Pr 12:3,12; Lu 8:13; Joh 6:26,61-65
Joh 6:70,71; 15:5-7; Ac 8:21-23; Ga 5:6; 6:15; Eph 3:17; 2Pe 1:8,9
1Jo 2:19,20
dureth.
10:22; 24:13; Job 27:8-10; Ps 36:3; Ho 6:4; Ro 2:7; Php 1:6
1Pe 1:5
for.
5:10-12; 10:37-39; 16:24-26; Mr 4:17; 8:34-36; 13:12,13
Lu 9:23-25; 14:26-33; 21:12-18; Joh 12:25,26; Ga 6:12; 2Ti 4:10
Heb 10:35-39; Re 2:13
is.
57; 11:6; 24:9,10; 26:31,33; 2Ti 1:15

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

Context

  • Matthew 13:20

    But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;

  • Matthew 13:21

    Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

  • Matthew 13:22

    He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

Read all of Matthew 13

Matthew 13:21 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Mas no tiene raíz en sí, antes es temporal: que venida la aflicción ó la persecución por la palabra, luego se ofende.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		mais il n’a pas de racine en lui-même, mais n’est que pour un temps: et quand la tribulation ou la persécution survient à cause de la parole, il est aussitôt scandalisé.
German
Elberfelder 1871		er hat aber keine Wurzel in sich, sondern ist nur für eine Zeit; und wenn Drangsal entsteht oder Verfolgung um des Wortes willen, alsbald ärgert er sich.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		non habet autem in se radicem, sed est temporalis: facta autem tribulatione et persecutione propter verbum, continuo scandalizatur.