Ezra 5:1-17

Resumption of Rebuilding the Temple (Hag 1.1; Zech 1.1)

5:1 Now the prophets, Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel who was over them. 2 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak set out to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem; and with them were the prophets of God, helping them.

3 At the same time Tattenai the governor of the province Beyond the River and Shethar-bozenai and their associates came to them and spoke to them thus, "Who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish this structure?" 4 They also asked them this, "What are the names of the men who are building this building?" 5 But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, and they did not stop them until a report reached Darius and then answer was returned by letter in reply to it.

6 The copy of the letter that Tattenai the governor of the province Beyond the River and Shethar-bozenai and his associates the envoys who were in the province Beyond the River sent to King Darius; 7 they sent him a report, in which was written as follows: "To Darius the king, all peace! 8 May it be known to the king that we went to the province of Judah, to the house of the great God. It is being built of hewn stone, and timber is laid in the walls; this work is being done diligently and prospers in their hands. 9 Then we spoke to those elders and asked them, 'Who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish this structure?' 10 We also asked them their names, for your information, so that we might write down the names of the men at their head. 11 This was their reply to us: 'We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the house that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished. 12 But because our ancestors had angered the God of heaven, he gave them into the hand of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house and carried away the people to Babylonia. 13 However, King Cyrus of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, made a decree that this house of God should be rebuilt. 14 Moreover, the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem and had brought into the temple of Babylon, these King Cyrus took out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor. 15 He said to him, "Take these vessels; go and put them in the temple in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt on its site." 16 Then this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God in Jerusalem; and from that time until now it has been under construction, and it is not yet finished.' 17 And now, if it seems good to the king, have a search made in the royal archives there in Babylon, to see whether a decree was issued by King Cyrus for the rebuilding of this house of God in Jerusalem. Let the king send us his pleasure in this matter." (Ezra 5:1-17, NRSV)

On October 30, 2007 (Tuesday in the week of the Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost, references for the week of the Sunday closest to October 26, Year One), comments were repeated with editing and supplement from October 25, 2005 (Tuesday in the week of the Sunday closest to October 26, Year One), when some material was used from an earlier email, sent Monday, October 27, 2003, based on readings for October 28. The revised comments are repeated here with editing and supplement.

In the last reading from Ezra (Sat., Oct. 24), we read of correspondence between the enemies of those attempting to rebuild the Jerusalem temple with King Artaxerxes (Artaxerxes I, 465-424 B.C.; Ezra 4:7, 11-24). But now the Ezra story returns to 520 B.C., the time of Haggai, Zechariah, Jeshua and Zerubbabel. “Now the prophets, Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel who was over them” (Ezra 5:1). On Sunday of this week, our reading was from Haggai 1:1-2:9, and on Monday it was from Zechariah 1:7-17. Now the Book of Ezra says, “Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua (fUwye, yēšû‘ ) son of Jozadak set out to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem; and with them were the prophets of God, helping them” (Ezra 5:2). But a problem arises. Before building the temple can proceed, they have to get the “building permit” cleared with “City Hall,” so to speak. In this case, City Hall is hundreds of miles to the East in Babylon. “At the same time,” says the narrator, “Tattenai the governor of the province Beyond the River and Shethar-bozenai and their associates came to them and spoke to them thus, ‘Who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish this structure?’ ” (v. 3). Tattenai is governor of the province Beyond the River, which means that part of the Persian Empire west of the Euphrates River, of which Judah was a small part. According to Tamara Cohn Eskenazi, “Tattenai [is] a Persian official mentioned in nonbiblical sources as governor of the entire province Beyond the River, of which Yehud is a subunit” (NOAB, 3^rd ed., augmented, 2007, on Ezra 5:3). In the Gospels, the phrase “beyond the Jordan” (pevran tou: =Iordavnou, peran tou Iordanou) means the area east of the Jordan (Mt. 4:25; Mk. 3:8; cf. the variant reading Pevraia, Peraia, Lk. 6:17 in mss x* W). The name “Shethar-bozenai,” says Hindy Najman, “always appears just after Tattenai. Some scholars suggest that this is an official title; others suggest that it was the name of Tattenai’s official scribe” (The Jewish Study Bible, 2004, on Ezra 5:3). Tattenai, Shethar-bozenai and their associates “also asked them [i.e., Zerubbabel, Jeshua and their helpers, v. 2] this, ‘What are the names of the men who are building this building?’ ” (v. 4).But the narrator sees here the help of divine providence. “But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews,” we are told, “and they [i.e., Tattenai and his associates] did not stop them [i.e., the Jewish elders] until a report reached Darius [i.e. Darius, I, who reigned 522-486 B.C.] and then answer was returned by letter in reply to it” (v. 5).

David J. A. Clines, raises a question here. “Strangely,” he says, “Zerubbabel is not mentioned here or at the completion of the temple (6:14-18), despite Zechariah’s assurance that ‘his hands shall also complete it’ ” (Zech. 4:9). Had Zerubbabel died or fallen out of favor with the Persians?” (HarperCollins Study Bible, rev. ed., 2006, on Ezra 5:5). We note that Jeshua and “the prophets of God,” named in verse 2 with Zerubbabel, are not named again in verse 5 either. Is it clear that the phrase, “the elders of the Jews” (v. 5) would exclude Jeshua, the priest, and Zerubbabel, the heir apparent to the throne of David? Neither is named in 6:14-18, either. But the Judeans who returned from Babylonian captivity were unable, of course, to reestablish a monarchy with a Davidic king. One reading of Zechariah would suggest that, for a time, hopes for a restoration of the Davidic dynasty were focused on Zerubbabel, but that these hopes were frustrated, and what emerged instead was Judah as a part of the Persian Empire with considerable self-governance by the priests. In Zechariah’s fourth vision, “the angel of the LORD assures Joshua (f1wuOhy4, y ^ehôšu ^a‘ ), saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: If you will walk in my ways and keep my requirements, then you shall rule my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you the right of access among those who are standing here’ ” (Zech. 3:6-7). Note that Zechariah uses the Hebrew form of the name “Joshua,” whereas the Aramaic form, “Jeshua” appears in the text from Ezra cited above. The next verse mentions “the Branch,” a term from Isaiah for “the coming Davidic ruler” (Isa. 11:1; cf. W. Sibley Towner, HarperCollins Study Bible, rev. ed., 2006, on Zech. 3:8, who refers also to Jer. 23:5; 33:15). Zerubbabel is named in Zechariah’s fifth vision, about the lampstand and the olive trees (Zech. 4:1-14, esp. vv. 6-10), which concludes by interpreting “the two branches of the olive trees” (v. 12) as “the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of the whole earth” (v. 14). But in the later account of the coronation of the Branch (6:9-15), the crown made of silver and gold is to be “set on the head of the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak” (v. 11). Zerubbabel’s name is conspicuous by its absence. Joshua is to be addressed as follows:

Thus says the LORD of hosts: Here is a man whose name is Branch: for he shall branch out in his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD. It is he that shall build the temple of the LORD; he shall bear royal honor, and shall sit upon his throne and rule. There shall be a priest by his throne, with understanding between the two of them. And the crown shall be in the care of Heldai, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Josiah son of Zephaniah, as a memorial in the temple of the LORD. (Zech. 6:12-14, NRSV)

It seems likely that Jewish hopes for a restoration of the Davidic dynasty focused on Zerubbabel were soon frustrated by the heavy hand of Persian rule. The Persian ruler Cambyses (530-522 B.C.) was a weak ruler as compared to his father, Cyrus the Great (559-530 B.C.). Under him there were rebellions throughout the far-flung Persian Empire, that his successor, Darius I (522-486) put down with an iron hand. During the period of Persian weakness, the Judeans perhaps saw reason to expect a rapid restoration of the Davidic dynasty, but found their hopes crushed under Darius.

Tattenai and his associates, who have asked for the temple builders credentials, send their inquiry to the emperor. The narrator presents a description, a sort of label, or title. “The copy (Ng,w,r4Pa, paršegen) of the letter (xTAr4Gax9, ’iggartā’ ) that Tattenai the governor of the province Beyond the River and Shethar-bozenai and his associates the envoys who were in the province Beyond the River sent to King Darius” (Ezra. 5:6). The only verb is in the relative clause Hlaw4-yD9 (dî-š ^elach), “that Tattenai . . . sent,” and it is singular, early in the Aramaic statement–note the hyphenated phrase, “that-sent”–referring especially to Tattenai. The recent Jewish translation, by adding a few words, turns the label into a statement. “This is the text of the letter that Tattenai . . . sent to King Darius” (NJPS 1985, 1999). The letter was “a report, in which was written as follows: ‘To Darius the king, all peace!” (v. 7). According to Najman, “Darius I . . . is highly regarded for extending Cyrus’s generous policy toward non-Persian peoples” (op. cit., on v. 6). Following this greeting and wish for peace, the balance of the chapter (vv. 8-17) is the body of the letter. “May it be known to the king that we went to the province of Judah, to the house of the great God. It is being built of hewn stone, and timber is laid in the walls; this work is being done diligently and prospers in their hands” (v. 8). According to David J. A. Clines, “Timber was layered between stone courses, as in the building edict of Cyrus (6:4), and also in the account of Solomon’s temple (1 Kings 6:36; 7:12), possibly to limit damage in case of an earthquake” (HarperCollins Study Bible, rev. ed., 2006, on Ezra 5:8). Najman says, “The narrative of Ezra recalls the building of the first, preexilic Temple in order to authorize and justify the building of the second Temple” (op. cit., on vv. 8-11). So far, the letter sounds like an affirmative assessment of the building process.

“Then we spoke to those elders,” says the letter, “and asked them, ‘Who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish this structure?’ ” (v. 9). This interrogation also asked for names. “We also asked them their names, for your information, so that we might write down the names of the men at their head” (v. 10, cf. v. 4). In their reply, according to Tattenai’s letter, they recount the story of the destruction of the temple by Nebuchadnezzar:

We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the house that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished. But because our ancestors had angered the God of heaven, he gave them into the hand of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house and carried away the people to Babylonia. (Ezra 5:11-12 NRSV)

According to Clines, “Nebuchadnezzar . . . was by tribal affiliation a Chaldean from southern Babylonia” (op. cit., on v. 12). As quoted by Tattenai’s letter, the elders of Judah explain their right to rebuild the temple by reference to the decree of Cyrus.

However, King Cyrus of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, made a decree that this house of God should be rebuilt. Moreover, the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem and had brought into the temple of Babylon, these King Cyrus took out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor. He said to him, ‘Take these vessels; go and put them in the temple in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt on its site.’ (Ezra 5:13-15 NRSV; cf. 1:2-4; 6:3-5)

As quoted here, the decree of Cyrus authorizes the rebuilding of the temple (v. 13), and the return of the temple vessels, which Cyrus had brought out and returned to his appointed governor of Judah, Sheshbazzar (v. 14), with the command to return the vessels to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple (v. 15). “Then,” continue the elders of Judah, “this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God in Jerusalem; and from that time until now it has been under construction, and it is not yet finished” (v. 16). “Foundations,” says Clines, “or rather the platform on which the temple was built; the term is different from that 3:10” (op. cit. on v. 16). “In all the other evidence,” he adds, “it is Zerubbabel, not Sheshbazzar, who is said to have begun the rebuilding (3:2; 4:3; 5:2; Hag. 1:14; Zech. 4:9)” (ibid.). It appears that Clines is confusing the events of 538 B.C. with those of 520 B.C. But he explains. “Perhaps it was the commissioner Sheshbazzar who was named in the official Persian correspondence and not the governor Zerubbabel” (ibid). Childs does note that “both 4:4, 24 and Hag. 1:2, 4, 9 report that work ceased for about seventeen years. The leaders obviously do not want to admit this; and it is true enough that since work has not yet been completed, it could be said to be still ‘in progress’ ” (ibid.).

Tattenai concludes his letter by asking Darius to confirm the report of a decree by Cyrus permitting the rebuilding of the temple. “And now, if it seems good to the king, have a search made in the royal archives there in Babylon, to see whether a decree was issued by King Cyrus for the rebuilding of this house of God in Jerusalem. Let the king send us his pleasure in this matter” (Ezra 5:17). The result of that investigation will come in tomorrow’s reading.

or Lamentations 1:1-5 (6-9) 10-12 (alternative reading, Presbyterian and Lutheran traditions)

See the text and comments one week ago (October 20, 2009), when this was the primary reading for the three traditions..

Revelation 4:1-11

Worship in Heaven

4:1 After this I looked, and there in heaven a door stood open! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this." 2 At once I was in the spirit, and there in heaven stood a throne, with one seated on the throne! 3 And the one seated there looks like jasper and carnelian, and around the throne is a rainbow that looks like an emerald. 4 Around the throne are twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones are twenty-four elders, dressed in white robes, with golden crowns on their heads. 5 Coming from the throne are flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and in front of the throne burn seven flaming torches, which are the seven spirits of God; 6 and in front of the throne there is something like a sea of glass, like crystal.

Around the throne, and on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: 7 the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with a face like a human face, and the fourth living creature like a flying eagle. 8 And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and inside. Day and night without ceasing they sing,

"Holy, holy, holy,

the Lord God the Almighty,

who was and is and is to come."

9 And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to the one who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall before the one who is seated on the throne and worship the one who lives forever and ever; they cast their crowns before the throne, singing,

11 "You are worthy, our Lord and God,

to receive glory and honor and power,

for you created all things,

and by your will they existed and were created." (Revelation 4:1-11, NRSV)

On August 24, 2008 (the Sunday closest to August 24, Year Two), comments were based on those of October 30, 2007 (Tuesday in the week of the Sunday closest to October 26, Year One) and December 19, 2007 (Tuesday in the week of the Third Sunday of Advent, Year One), when comments were based on comments on Revelation 4:1-8 from December 14, 2005 (Wednesday in the week of the Third Sunday of Advent, Year Two) and comments on Revelation 4:9-5:5 from December 15, 2005 (Thursday in the week of the Third Sunday of Advent, Year Two). There was some comparison with comments of October 25, 2005 (Tuesday in the week of the Sunday closest to October 26, Year One) and of August 27, 2006 (the Sunday closest to August 24, Year Two). The comments of August 24, 2008 are repeated here with some supplement from earlier comments:

The point at which Revelation, chapter four, begins, and at which today’s reading begins, is a significant transition in the Book of Revelation. The initial vision of Christ (chap. 1), followed by his specific messages for “to the seven churches that are in Asia” (chaps. 2-3, cf. 1:4), are followed by a transitional statement. “After this,” says John, “I looked, and there in heaven a door stood open! And the first voice, which had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this’ ” (Rev. 4:1). In the first of a series of visions that will continue through most of the Book, John is shown what Jean Pierre Ruiz calls a “vision of God enthroned and of the Lamb” (NOAB, 3^rd ed., augmented, 2007, on Rev. 4:1-5:14). “At once,” says John, “I was in the spirit [cf. ‘Spirit,’ NRSV text note b], and there in heaven stood a throne, with one seated on the throne!” (v. 2). The throne, of course, is God’s throne (cf. Ezek. 1:26; Dan. 7:9). “And the one seated there,” says John, “looks like jasper and carnelian, and around the throne is a rainbow that looks like an emerald” (Rev. 4:3). In Ezekiel’s throne chariot vision, he sees “something like gleaming amber, something that looked like fire enclosed all around; and downward from what looked like the loins I saw something that looked like fire, and there was a splendor all around” (Ezek. 1:27). And Ezekiel compares this to a rainbow. “Like the bow in a cloud on a rainy day, such was the appearance of the splendor all around” (v. 28a), before defining it as “the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD” (v. 28b). Bruce M. Metzger makes a similar observation about John’s vision of God’s throne. “The glory of the divine presence,” says Bruce M. Metzger, “is described in terms of precious gems” (NOAB, 2^nd ed., 1994, on Rev. 4:3; so Ruiz in the 3^rd ed.).

John’s description continues. “Around the throne are twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones are twenty-four elders, dressed in white robes, with golden crowns on their heads” (v. 4). The “twenty-four elders,” says Metzger, are probably angelic beings of the heavenly court, symbolizing the twelve patriarchs of the Old Testament and the twelve apostles of the New Testament” (op. cit., on v. 4; cf. Ruiz, op. cit., with “heavenly attendants” for “angelic beings”). “Coming from the throne,” says John, “are flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and in front of the throne burn seven flaming torches, which are the seven spirits of God; and in front of the throne there is something like a sea of glass, like crystal” (vv. 5-6). Ruiz says the “flashes of lightning [are] expressive of the majesty of the Most High (Ex. 19:16; Ezek 1:13; Rev. 11:19),” (op. cit., on v. 5; cf Metzger, op. cit. on v. 5). In reference to the “seven flaming torches” Ruiz refers to Zech. 4:2-3; and for the “seven spirits,” he refers to [Rev.] 1:4 (loc. cit.).

Other aspects of the vision, including “the sea of glass, like crystal” and the four living creatures” (v. 6), remind us of the throne-chariot vision described by Ezekiel. Over the heads of Ezekiel’s “four living creatures (Ezek. 1:5, cf. vv. 5-14, 15, 19, 20, 21, 22, etc.) “there was something like a dome, shining like crystal, spread out above their heads” (v. 22). In Ezekiel’s vision the throne was above this dome (v. 26); in Revelation the “sea of glass, like crystal” is “in front of the throne” (Rev. 4:6), which “suggests the distance between God and his creatures, even in heaven” (Metzger on v. 6). Ezekiel’s four living creatures each have four faces (Ezek. 1:6): “As for the appearance of their faces; the four had the face of a human being, the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and the face of an eagle” (v. 10). The four living creatures in Revelation are”full of eyes in front and behind” (Rev. 4:6), and “full of eyes all around and inside” (av. 8), which would suggest more than one face for each, but they are described as “the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with a face like a human face, and the fourth living creature like a flying eagle” (v. 7). Later Christian symbolism would identify the human being with Matthew’s Gospel, the lion with Mark’s, the ox with Luke’s and the eagle with John’s. In Revelation their song is, “Holy, holy, holy, / the Lord God the Almighty, / who was and is and is to come” (v. 8). “Holy, holy, holy, The Trisagion, or ‘thrice-holy,’ occurs first in Isa. 6:3 and frequently in Jewish and Christian liturgies” (David E. Aune, HarperCollins Study Bible, rev. ed., 2006, on Rev. 4:8).

The worship in heaven’s throne room continues. “And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to the one who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall before the one who is seated on the throne and worship the one who lives forever and ever; they cast their crowns before the throne, singing” (vv. 9-10). “You are worthy, our Lord and God,” says the song of the twenty-four elders, “to receive glory and honor and power, / for you created all things, / and by your will the existed and were created” (v. 11). Aune notes that the term “worthy, a term applied to God as the creator, [is] also applied to the Lamb in two hymns (5:9, 12)” (op. cit., on v. 11).

Matthew 13:1-9

The text of this reading is presented, along with the parallel passages in Mark and Luke, in the following table:

On April 28, 2008 (Monday in the week of the Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year Two), comments on Matthew 13:1-16 were based on those of May 22, 2006 (Monday in the week of the Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year Two), those on Matthew 13:1-9 from October 30, 2007 (Tuesday in the week of the Sunday closest to October 26, Year One), those on Matthew 13:10-17 from October 31, 2007 (Wednesday in the week of the Sunday closest to October 26, Year One), and earlier comments mentioned on those date. The comments of April 18, 2008 included those of today’s reading (Mt:13:1-9) and tomorrow’s (vv. 10-16 or 17). Comments for today and for tomorrow are based on the earlier readings.

The following table presents the parallel texts from the Synoptic Gospels for the Parable of the Sower:

In Matthew and Mark the parables section continues the context of episodes in which Jesus is accused of exorcizing demons by the power of Beelzebul (Mt. 12:22-30; Mk. 3:22-27; Lk. 11:14-15, 17-23), his sayings about the Sin against the Holy Spirit (Mt. 12:31-37; Mk. 3:28-30; Lk. 12:10), and the sayings about Jesus’ true family (Mt. 12:46:50; Mk. 3:31-35; Lk. 8:19-21). Matthew also includes within this larger context Jesus’ sayings about the Sign of Jonah (Mt. 12:38-42; cf Mt. 16:1-2a, 4; Mk. 8:11-12; Lk. 11:16, 29-32), and the Return of the Evil Spirit (Mt. 12:43-45; Lk. 11:24-26). “That same day,” says Matthew, “Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea” (Mt. 13:1; cf. Mk. 4:1). Luke has told the story of the sinful woman forgiven at the house of a Pharisee named Simon (Lk. 7:36-50; cf. Mt. 26:6-13; Mk. 14:3-9; Jn. 12:1-8), the note about the women who provided for Jesus and the disciples (Lk. 8:1-3), setting a different context. But he, too, describes “a great crowd” who were “gathered” and present to hear the parable (Lk. 8:4).

Matthew’s version of the parable follows Mark’s version closely, with minor variations in wording. In English, Matthew has “seeds” where Mark and Luke have “seed” (singular), as in Matthew 13:4 (cf. Mk. 4:4; Lk. 8:5) and Matthew 13:5, 7, 8 (cf. Mk. 4:5, 7, 8). Remarkably in all of these instances where the English text has “seed” or “seeds,” the Greek text uses a noun for “seed” only once: “A sower (oJ speivrwn, ho speirōn) went out to sow (tou: spei:rai, tou speirai) his seed (to;n spovron aujtou:, ton sporon autou) (Lk. 8:5a). In other instances the English translation infers “seed” from the verb “to sow” (speivrw, speirō) or the pronouns used: a} mevn (ha men, plural, “some seeds,” Mt. 13:4), a[lla dev (alla de, plural, “other seeds,” vv. 5, 7, 8). In the first three of these instances, Mark’s text has the singular pronoun o} mevn (ho men, singular, “some seed,” Mk. 4:4), kai; a[llo (kai allo, singular, “other seed,” vv. 5, 7). In the final instance, Mark’s term is plural, kai; a[lla (kai alla, v. 8), literally “and others,” though translated “Other seed” (NRSV), or “Still other seed” (TNIV). For this series, Luke has singular terms as well, without using “seed” or “seeds”: oJ mevn (ho men, singular, “some,” Lk. 8:5b), kai; e{teron (kai heteron, singular, “some,” lit., “and other,” vv. 6, 7, 8). The obstacles to good growth are similar in the three versions: “the path,” or rather, “the birds” (Mt. 13:4; Mk. 4:4; Lk. 8:5), “rocky ground” (Mt. 13:5; Mk. 4:5) or “the rock” (Lk. 8:6), and “thorns” (Mt. 13:7; Mk. 4:7; Lk. 8:7). The result from the good soil is also similar: “grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty” (Mt. 13:8); but in reverse order, “yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold” (Mk 4:8). Luke simplifies the result: “and when it grew, it produced a hundredfold” (Lk. 8:8b).

There is a version of the Parable of the Sower in the Gospel of Thomas, an early non-canonical gospel with certain Gnostic tendencies. The following is from the Gospel of Thomas, no. 9 (trans. Bruce M. Metzger, in Kurt Aland, ed., Synopsis Quattuor Evangeliorum, 10^th ed., 1978, p. 518):

Jesus said: Behold, the sower went out, he filled his hand, he sowed (the seed). Some (seeds) (+ mevn [+ men]) fell on the road. The birds came (and) gathered them up. Others fell on the rock (pevtra [petra]) and did not send a root down into the earth, and did not send an ear up to heaven. And others fell among thorns. They choked the seed, and the worm ate it (lit. them). And others fell among thorns. They choked the seed, and the worm ate it (lit. them). And others fell upon the good earth; and it brought forth good fruit (karpovV [karpos]) up to heaven. It bore sixty-fold and one hundred and twenty-fold.

We note that here as in the Canonical Gospels, the term “seed” or “seeds” appears to be implied, and is usually referenced, as in Matthew, by plural forms: “Some (seeds) . . . them . . . Others . . . others . . . the seed . . . it (lit. them) . . . others . . . the seed . . . it (lit. them) . . . others . . . it . . . It.” The result is similar but closer to that of Matthew and Mark, “It bore sixty-fold and one hundred and twenty-fold..”

As indicated above, in the Canonical Gospels, the Parable of the Sower is followed by an explanation of the purpose of parables (tomorrow’s reading, Mt. 13:10-17; Mk. 4:10-12; Lk. 8:9-10) and an interpretation of the Parable of the Sower (Wednesday’s reading, Mt. 13:18-23; Mk. 4:13-20; Lk. 8:11-15). There is no similar statement of the purpose of parables or interpretation of the parable of the Sower in the Gospel of Thomas, which in any case is mainly a series of sayings of Jesus introduced simply by “Jesus said,” or variations such as “and he said.” Occasionally a question from the disciples leads into the saying, but there is no narrative as such to speak of. There are a few who regard the version of the parable in the Gospel of Thomas as more original, that is, closer to what Jesus actually said. If so it varies little from the parable as such in the Canonical Gospels. (The phrase “up to heaven” might suggest an interpretation with spiritual overtones.) These would consider the interpretation in the Gospels (Mt. 13:18-23; Mk. 4:13-20; Lk. 8:11-15) something added later in the light of actual experience within the early Christian community. But there is no reason to think that Jesus would not have anticipated such responses to the Christian gospel; indeed, he was meeting such responses during the course of his earthly ministry. The plural references to “seeds”–stated or implied–would suggest that, like Matthew’s version, the version of the parable in the Gospel of Thomas is later than that of Mark. It is likely that the compiler or compilers of the Gospel of Thomas didn’t see the interpretation of the parable as agreeing with their religious ideas, or fitting the format of their collection of sayings. It is likely that Jesus uses the parable to describe various responses to his own ministry and message, and that he anticipated similar responses to the ministry of his disciples.

Ronald D. Worden, Ph.D.

rdworden@hgst.edu

deanworden@comcast.net