Luke 8:9

Then his disciples asked him, “What does this parable mean?”

World English Bible

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Other translations

WEBBE

Then his disciples asked him, “What does this parable mean?”

BSB

Then His disciples asked Him what this parable meant.

KJV

And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be?

ASV

And his disciples asked him what this parable might be.

BBE

And his disciples put questions to him about the point of the story.

Original Greek

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Ἐπηρώτων Epērōtōn Were asking G1905 δὲ de then G1161 αὐτὸν auton Him G846 οἱ hoi the G3588 μαθηταὶ mathētai disciples G3101 αὐτοῦ autou of Him G846 λέγοντες legontes saying G3004 τίς tis What G5101 αὕτη hautē this G3778 εἴη eiē would mean G1510 ἡ hē the G3588 παραβολή; parabolē parable G3850

The early church

For as often as the admonition occurs either in the Gospel or the Revelation of St. John, it signifies that there is a mystical meaning in what is said, and we must inquire more closely into it. Hence the disciples who were ignorant ask our Saviour, for it follows, And his disciples asked him, &c. But let no one suppose that as soon as the parable was finished His disciples asked Him, but as Mark says, When he was alone they asked him. (Mark 4:10.)

Bede · d. 735Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 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; to take heed lest we hear carelessly and slightly, lest we entertain prejudices against the word we hear; and to take heed to our spirits after we have heard the word, lest we lose what we have gained. The gifts we have, will be continued to us or not, as we use them for the glory of God, and the good of our brethren. Nor is it enough not to hold the truth in unrighteousness; we should desire to hold forth the word of life, and to shine, giving light to all around. Great encouragement is given to those who prove themselves faithful hearers of the word, by being doers of the work. Christ owns them as his relations.

Read Matthew Henry on Luke 8 →

Parallel passages

The same words or events elsewhere.

Matthew 13:10 Mark 4:10

Cross-references

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.