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Matthew 13:18-23 contains the parable of the sower. Some may have thought that even
verses 24 to 30 would be about the same matter, but that is not so. In verse 24,
the words "another parable" make it clear that a separate and different parable
begins there. Verses 24-30 contain the parable itself, and verses 36-43 record how
Jesus explained its meaning to his disciples. This essay takes a closer look at
Matthew 13:24-30 and 36-43, the parable of the darnel or "tares", the wicked seed
sown by the Enemy.
It is clear that the darnel, or "tares" as some translations have it, in that parable must have symbolised or represented something. But what? This is a study for the purpose of finding out what Jesus meant by that "darnel", and who the Enemy sowing that seed was, and where that wicked seed actually appeared or appears. This study will consider several matters, the symbolism of the darnel plant being one of them.
In the Greek text of the New Testament, the plant in question is called zizania. In the New Testament, that word is found only in Matthew 13. The singular form is zizanion, but in the passages in question, Matthew 13:25, 26, 27, 29, 30, 36, 38 and 40, the plural form zizania is used, except for verse 36 which has the plural genitive form zizaniôn.
It is clear that Jesus was not speaking about plants but about persons and spiritual things, but it is nevertheless good to know what the plant zizanion really is. That can make Jesus' parable easier to understand.
Again, in the Greek text of the New Testament, the noun in question is zizania (plural of zizanion), which appears to refer to the bearded darnel, Lolium temulentum (and not to the tare or common vetch, Vicia sativa). Here is Easton's Revised Bible Dictionary's entry on "tares":
The bearded darnel, mentioned only in Mt 13:25-30 It is the Lolium temulentum, a species of rye-grass, the seeds of which are a strong soporific poison. It bears the closest resemblance to wheat till the ear appears, and only then the difference is discovered. It grows plentifully in Syria and Palestine.
In other words: Before darnel (which is also called cockle weed, false wheat, cheat) produces its ear and seeds, it looks similar to wheat, but when it comes to fruit (shows the ear with the seeds), it can easily be discerned to be a different plant.
A note: Darnel (Lolium temulentum), and the tare or the common vetch (Vicia sativa), are not the same plant. Some bible-translator have used the word "tares" instead of "darnel"; it may be that they copied that from the 1395 Wycliffe translation which (erroneously) used the word "taris" in these verses in Matthew 13. (One translation has "wild wheat", but that is misleading.)
First, a translation that uses the word "tares":
Matthew 13:24 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 "but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. 26 "But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 27 "So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?' 28 "He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?' 29 "But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30 'Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn."'" (NKJV)
Another translation, one that uses the more correct word "darnel":
Matthew 13:24 He put before them another parable, saying: The kingdom of Heaven is compared to a man sowing good seed in his fields. 25 But while the men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed darnel in the midst of the wheat, and went away. 26 And when the blade sprouted and produced fruit, then the darnel also appeared. 27 And coming near, the slaves of the housemaster said to him, Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? Then from where does it have the darnel? 28 And he said to them, A man, an enemy did this. And the slaves said to him, Do you desire, then, that going out we should gather them? 29 But he said, No, lest gathering the darnel you should uproot the wheat with them. 30 Allow both to grow together until the harvest. And in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, First gather the darnel, and bind them into bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my granary. (LIT)
Here, it is important to note that the darnel seeds of that parable represented something that had been sown, not by God but rather by his Enemy. That "darnel" did not consist of seeds (sown by God) that had "gone bad". It was a different seed that had been sown by the Enemy.
The untrained eye might not be able to see the difference between darnel and wheat, before they come to fruit. But, even in Jesus' parable, some were able to see that there was darnel among the wheat. They could see that already before harvest time.
The enemy had sown his seed "while men slept" (in darkness). Also, the seeds of literal darnel plants are dark – black. And indeed, the darnel of that parable, refers to a work of darkness – that is, something evil, from the ruler of darkness.
The zizania of this parable was to be allowed to grow among the wheat, until harvest time – but then it was to be bundled up (bound) and burned. Why not earlier? The parable says, "No, lest while you gather up the darnel you also uproot the wheat with them" (Matthew 13:29, MKJV). Pulling up the zizania would damage the wheat also. They grow side by side in the same soil. To walk through a field of wheat pulling up zizania would mean trampling down a lot of wheat, and also, pulling up the zizanion plants would damage the roots of the wheat.
Let us remember that that parable was not about literal plants on literal fields, but about beings of different kinds inhabiting this planet.
The seeds of the zizanion plant contain a soporific drug which can induce deep sleep, or cause one to become drowsy and lethargic. It can even be lethal; it can cause breathing to stop. Simply, zizania seeds have in them a narcotic drug that causes slumber.
(In them, or with them: Some say that it is the fungus which follows the seed that is poisonous, and not the seed itself. However, that matter is irrelevant in this connection, even though there might be some symbolism, even in that.)
Some preachers want people to believe that the parable's darnel consists of "erring believers" (such as people who do not like the preacher or his doings or teachings), but that is not so. The "darnel" which Jesus spoke about (the Enemy's seed), does not think it is wheat. It is darnel, and it knows that. It grows among God's wheat (normal humans), and it is poisonous. It is not at all a part of God's harvest, nor was it sown by God. At Harvest time (at the end of this age), the "wheat" will be gathered to God who had sown it, but the "darnel" which was sown by the Enemy, will be "bundled up and burned" (Matthew 13:30).
A note: Just as wheat produces new generations through its seed, so does darnel.
We read:
Matthew 13:36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field." 37 He answered and said to them: "He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 "The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. 39 "The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. 40 "Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. 41 "The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, 42 "and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 "Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear! (NKJV)
Jesus said, "he who has ears to hear, let him hear". The actual parable – especially the part recorded in verse 30 – may have been a warning that was directed to the "darnel" itself (to the enemy's seed). Normal humans really did not have "ears" to hear or understand what Jesus was saying at that time. They could not readily understand what Jesus was talking about. But the darnel, however, could well understand Jesus' words.
Jesus said there would be such "darnel". Where would it grow? Among what? Among the wheat of God: Among humans here on Earth.
Regarding literal plants: Even though darnel grows among wheat and may look like wheat, it is a different species. And, regarding the "darnel" that Jesus was talking about: He said it would be and remain there, among the seed that God had sown, all the way to the time when the angels will reap the "end time" part of God's Harvest.
A note: Ephesians 5:6 records how Paul warned the saints in Ephesus about "the sons of disobedience" (some translate that as "the children of disobedience"). Many preachers want their followers to think that even those words supposedly refer to people who do not obey or lamely follow the preacher. But, Paul was not talking about "preachers" or their followers. It may be that his words regarding those "sons of disobedience" actually referred to the "darnel" of Jesus' parable, the seed the enemy sowed. See also Ephesians 2:2 which likewise mentions those "sons of disobedience", in connection with "the prince of the power of the air". That appears to have a clear connection with the parable of the darnel ("tares").
Ephesians 2:2 Wherein in time past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience (AKJV)
Ephesians 5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things comes the wrath of God on the children of disobedience. (AKJV)
Matthew 13:38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; 39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. (AKJV)
If one understands that there is a special, wicked kindred that will not pass away until the 'end time', it may be easier to understand some other things as well, such as this passage:
Luke 11:50 "that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation [genea], 51 "from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation. (NKJV, comment added)
One thing is clear: The punishment for the blood of men killed during earlier human generations, cannot be placed, a long time after those events, on the human generation that lived here on Earth when Jesus said those words. That would be great injustice. Consequently, the Greek word genea in verse 50 must have meant something else than "generation". Better lexicons of ancient Greek show that genea could mean many different things, such as "age", "generation", "class", "kind", "race", "stock", "son", "children", "clan", "offspring", "family", "lineage", and so on.
Here is another passage which talks about a wicked "generation" (genea):
Matthew 3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation [genea] of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? (NKJV, comment added)
Jesus called the particular Pharisees whom he was talking to at that time, "the devil's children" (John 8:44). Matthew 23:33 records how he said to some Pharisees that they were snakes who were an offspring (gennêma) of snakes. (The essay eo12c.htm has more on the Pharisees.)
Again, it is fully clear that in the case of Luke 11:50, the word genea simply cannot mean "generation". So, what is the explanation? Perhaps some of those whom Jesus directed his very hard words to, belonged to the wicked seed or offspring that Matthew 13:24-30 talks about – the seed the Enemy had sown. It may be that upon that kindred (genea), could be placed the punishment for the blood of Abel and of others. Perhaps that kindred or offspring – genea – the wicked seed sown by the Enemy – is guilty of all that blood throughout the centuries and millennia (Luke 11:50-51).
For most people, the matter of the darnel is difficult to understand. And, it appears that Jesus did not intend that parable to be understood by ordinary humans. It is more likely that he instead directed the words recorded in Matthew 13:24-30, at some of the "darnel", as a warning to them.
In this essay, it has been assumed that the zizania of Matthew 13 is to be identified as darnel, Lolium temulentum, a wheat-resembling plant with black seeds which contain a soporific, poisonous drug. (Some say that the seeds in themselves are not soporific but rather the fungus that comes with them. But, that nevertheless means that those seeds are poisonous.)
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Jesus warned his disciples about false prophets, teachers of falsehood, deceivers and deception. He said that many would be deceived. → eo09e.htm
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On Jesus' teaching regarding "the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven" or "the keys of the Reign of Heaven". Bible study notes on Matthew 16 verse 19, with context. What did the word "keys" depict or symbolise? What is the interpretation of that passage – what was it that Jesus was saying to his disciples? Also, a general overview and comments on the subject of "binding and loosing". → eb08c.htm
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