Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse highlights a crucial order: the weeds are gathered and bound first, and only then is the wheat collected. This isn't just about separating good from bad, but about the wicked being exposed and dealt with before the righteous are finally secured, ensuring that the punishment of the ungodly is seen before the glory of the godly.
Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus has just described the parable of the wheat and the weeds sown in a field, representing the mixture of good and evil within the visible church or kingdom of heaven. In this immediate context, Jesus instructs that both the weeds (those who appear righteous but are not) and the wheat (true believers) should be allowed to grow together until the time of harvest, which represents the end of the age. It is then, at that final judgment, that the separation will occur, with the wicked being gathered for destruction and the righteous for eternal reward.
Ever felt frustrated by the presence of 'weeds'—those who seem to be part of God's people but don't truly belong?
Jesus acknowledges that the visible church will always be a mix of genuine believers (wheat) and those who only appear to be (weeds).
Why the Mix?
This doesn't mean we ignore harmful behavior, but it cautions against premature or self-appointed judgment of every individual's true spiritual state.
The promise of 'harvest time' offers both comfort and a solemn warning. What does this future event entail?
The parable culminates in a decisive harvest, a future moment when God will enact perfect judgment and separation.
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The Reapers' Task:
Understand the original words
therismos · Greek Noun
The final judgment of God at the end of the age, where the state of all humanity is revealed and eternally settled.
theristēs · Greek Noun
Those commissioned by God—often identified as angels in the parable's explanation—to execute the separation of the righteous from the wicked at the end of the age.
apothēkē · Greek Noun
A metaphor for the eternal gathering of the saints into God's presence, heaven, or the kingdom of glory.
This passage describes a similar harvest scene where an angel reaps the earth, signifying the end times and judgment, directly echoing the imagery of the harvest in Matthew 13.
2 Thessalonians 1:7-10This passage details Christ's return to inflict vengeance on those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel, paralleling the fate of the 'weeds' destined for destruction.
1 Corinthians 3:12-15Paul discusses the judgment of believers' works, where some 'building' will be burned up while the builder is saved, illustrating a process of separation and consequence within the church before ultimate salvation.
Luke 3:17John the Baptist, in his prophecy about Jesus, uses the imagery of separating grain from chaff, foreshadowing the ultimate divine judgment and separation that Jesus will bring.
barnesMatthew 13:30: "Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn."
Let both grow together - They would not spoil the true wheat, and in time of harvest it would be easy to separate them. Our Saviour teaches us here: 1. That hypocrites and deceived persons must be expected in the church. 2. That this is the work of the enemy of man. They are…
clarkeMatthew 13:30: "Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn."
Let both grow together - Though every minister of God should separate from the Church of Christ every incorrigible sinner, yet he should proceed no farther: the man is not to be persecuted in his body or goods, because he is not sound in the faith - God tolerates him; so shou…
The verse highlights a crucial order: the weeds are gathered and bound first, and only then is the wheat collected. This isn't just about separating good from bad, but about the wicked being exposed and dealt with before the righteous are finally secured, ensuring that the punishment of the ungodly is seen before the glory of the godly.
Jesus has just described the parable of the wheat and the weeds sown in a field, representing the mixture of good and evil within the visible church or kingdom of heaven. In this immediate context, Jesus instructs that both the weeds (those who appear righteous but are not) and the wheat (true believers) should be allowed to grow together until the time of harvest, which represents the end of the age. It is then, at that final judgment, that the separation will occur, with the wicked being gathered for destruction and the righteous for eternal reward.
Jesus has just described the parable of the wheat and the weeds sown in a field, representing the mixture of good and evil within the visible church or kingdom of heaven. In this immediate context, Jesus instructs that both the weeds (those who appear righteous but are not) and the wheat (true believers) should be allowed to grow together until the time of harvest, which represents the end of the age. It is then, at that final judgment, that the separation will occur, with the wicked being gathered for destruction and the righteous for eternal reward.
"Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”" — The verse highlights a crucial order: the weeds are gathered and bound first, and only then is the wheat collected. This isn't just about separating good from bad, but about the wicked being expo…
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Last reviewed October 2026