Matthew 13:25

Matthew 13:25, in plain English

But while everyone was sleeping, an enemy came and secretly planted weeds among the good wheat, then slipped away unnoticed.

Why it's here

Evil does not always arrive obviously. Sometimes it sneaks in quietly and looks just like the real thing at first.

Who's speaking

Jesus continues the story.

Where it sits in the story

The enemy is sneaky. He does not attack head-on -- he infiltrates. The weeds look just like wheat at first. Evil often disguises itself as something good.

The scholarly reading

While everyone sleeps (en to katheudein tous anthropous), an enemy (echthros) secretly sows weeds (zizania, likely darnel/Lolium temulentum) among the wheat and departs, introducing sabotage as the source of evil.

Language and setting

Darnel (zizania) closely resembles wheat in early growth stages, making it nearly impossible to distinguish until harvest. Sowing darnel in an enemy's field was a recognized crime in Roman law, attesting to its historical plausibility.

Voice

Jesus continues the parable of the weeds.

Significance

Under cover of night, an enemy sabotages the good field by sowing weeds that look identical to wheat until maturity -- a picture of evil's deceptive infiltration alongside genuine faith.

23But the seed sown on good soil is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and produces a crop—a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold.”

24Jesus put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.

25But while everyone was asleep, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and slipped away.

26When the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the weeds also appeared.

27The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’

Read all of Matthew 13 — A farmer scatters seed, a woman hides yeast, a merchant finds a pearl. Jesus teaches in parables — and not everyone is meant to understand.