As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.
English Standard Version (ESV)
What's easily missed is that the thorns aren't inherently evil, but rather "the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches." These are the things we allow to grow unchecked alongside the Word, ultimately crowding it out and preventing spiritual fruitfulness. They’re not necessarily outward sins, but the internal attachments that steal our devotion.
As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is explaining his parable of the sower to his disciples, detailing the different ways people respond to his message. After describing those who hear but immediately forget, and those who receive it with joy but fall away when tested, this verse describes a third group. Unlike the previous two, this person actually internalizes the word, but their spiritual growth is ultimately stifled by worldly distractions and the allure of wealth.
Ever feel like good intentions get tangled up with everyday worries? This parable shows us why.
Jesus uses the imagery of farming to describe how people respond to God's Word. The seed is the Word, but the soil represents the human heart. In this case, the soil is thorny, meaning it's choked with things that prevent the seed from growing. It's not about a lack of hearing the Word, or even a lack of initial joy, but about other things crowding it out.
What are the Thorns?
Jesus identifies two main culprits:
These 'thorns' don't necessarily mean someone is a bad person. They can be people who seem to receive the Word with some interest, but these worldly concerns grow so strong that they eventually choke the spiritual life out of them, leaving them unfruitful.
What does it mean for God's Word to be 'unfruitful' in our lives?
The ultimate consequence for the thorny-ground hearer is unfruitfulness. The seed (God's Word) is sown, it might even sprout a little, but it never reaches maturity and bears no harvest.
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The Nature of Unfruitfulness
This outcome is a tragedy because the seed itself is good, and the ground (the heart) had potential. It's the unchecked growth of other, less desirable plants that leads to the barrenness.
Understand the original words
ploutos · Greek Noun
Material possessions, wealth, or money. The Bible frequently warns that riches can become an idol, distracting the believer from wholehearted devotion to God.
karpos · Greek Noun
The tangible evidence of spiritual life, such as character transformation, good works, and the fruit of the Spirit, produced by a believer in response to God's word.
This passage describes the days of Noah and Lot, where everyday life, including the pursuit of possessions and pleasures, distracted people from spiritual reality, mirroring how 'cares of the world' and 'deceitfulness of riches' can choke the Word in Matthew 13:22.
1 Timothy 6:10This verse directly addresses the 'love of money' as a root of all kinds of evil, which resonates with Matthew 13:22's warning about the 'deceitfulness of riches' leading to unfruitfulness.
Philippians 4:6-7In contrast to the 'cares of the world' that choke the Word, this passage offers a solution: bringing every need to God in prayer, receiving His peace, which guards the heart and mind, preventing spiritual unfruitfulness.
Hebrews 12:1-2This passage encourages believers to lay aside 'every weight, and sin which doth so easily beset us' and run with endurance, providing a framework for actively removing the 'thorns' that Matthew 13:22 says choke the Word.
barnesMatthew 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."
He also that received seed among the thorns - These represent the cares, the anxieties, and the deceitful lure of riches, or the way in which a desire to be rich deceives people. They take the time and attention. They do not leave opportunity to examine the state of the soul. Besides, riches allure, and…
calvinMatthew 13:18-23: "Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower."
- Hear therefore the parable of the sower. 19. When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth not, that wicked one cometh, and taketh away what was sown in the heart. This is he who received seed near the road. 20. But he that received the seed thrown into stony places, is he that heareth the word, and immediately receiveth it with joy: 21. But hath not root in himself, but is of short duration: when affliction o…
What's easily missed is that the thorns aren't inherently evil, but rather "the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches." These are the things we allow to grow unchecked alongside the Word, ultimately crowding it out and preventing spiritual fruitfulness. They’re not necessarily outward sins, but the internal attachments that steal our devotion.
Jesus is explaining his parable of the sower to his disciples, detailing the different ways people respond to his message. After describing those who hear but immediately forget, and those who receive it with joy but fall away when tested, this verse describes a third group. Unlike the previous two, this person actually internalizes the word, but their spiritual growth is ultimately stifled by worldly distractions and the allure of wealth.
Jesus is explaining his parable of the sower to his disciples, detailing the different ways people respond to his message. After describing those who hear but immediately forget, and those who receive it with joy but fall away when tested, this verse describes a third group. Unlike the previous two, this person actually internalizes the word, but their spiritual growth is ultimately stifled by worldly distractions and the allure of wealth.
"As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful." — What's easily missed is that the thorns aren't inherently evil, but rather "the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches." These are the things we allow to grow unchecked alongside the Wo…
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Last reviewed October 2026