Matthew 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 {G863} both {G297} grow together {G4885} until {G3360} the harvest {G2326}: and {G2532} in {G1722} the time {G2540} of harvest {G2326} I will say {G2046} to the reapers {G2327}, Gather ye together {G4816} first {G4412} the tares {G2215}, and {G2532} bind {G1210} them {G846} in {G1519} bundles {G1197} to {G4314} burn {G2618} them {G846}: but {G1161} gather {G4863} the wheat {G4621} into {G1519} my {G3450} barn {G596}.

Let them both grow together until the harvest; and at harvesttime I will tell the reapers to collect the weeds first and tie them in bundles to be burned, but to gather the wheat into my barn.'"

Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat into my barn.’”

Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather up first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.

Matthew 13:30 concludes the landowner's instruction to his servants in the Parable of the Tares, also known as the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares. This verse emphasizes God's divine timing and method for separating believers from unbelievers at the end of the age.

Context

This verse is central to Jesus' teaching about the Kingdom of Heaven. Following the Parable of the Sower, the Parable of the Tares (Matthew 13:24-30) illustrates that the Kingdom of Heaven will contain both genuine believers ("wheat") and false professors or children of the wicked one ("tares") coexisting in the world until a predetermined time of judgment. The servants, eager to root out the tares immediately, are instructed by the landowner to "Let both grow together until the harvest." Jesus later provides a detailed explanation of this parable in Matthew 13:36-43, clarifying the symbolism of the field, the sower, the good seed, the tares, the enemy, the harvest, and the reapers.

Key Themes

  • Divine Patience and Timing: God, in His sovereignty, permits good and evil to coexist in the world for a period. This patience allows for the repentance of some, prevents premature judgment, and ensures that no "wheat" is accidentally uprooted (Matthew 13:29).
  • Ultimate Separation and Judgment: The verse clearly points to a future, decisive separation. The "harvest" symbolizes the end of the age, when God Himself, through His appointed "reapers" (angels), will execute perfect judgment.
  • God's Sovereignty in Judgment: It is not the task of humans to judge or "root out" those they perceive as "tares" from the church or the world. This prerogative belongs solely to God, who sees the heart and knows the true condition of each individual.
  • The Mixed Nature of the World/Visible Church: The parable acknowledges that the visible world and even the professing church will contain both genuine and false followers until the final reckoning.

Linguistic Insights

  • Tares (zizania): The Greek word zizania refers to bearded darnel, a weed that, in its early stages of growth, closely resembles wheat. This visual similarity underscores the difficulty of distinguishing true believers from false ones until maturity or harvest, reinforcing why human judgment is unreliable.
  • Harvest (therismos): This term signifies the end of the agricultural cycle and metaphorically represents the consummation or "end of the age", a common biblical motif for final judgment and the establishment of God's full kingdom.
  • Reapers (theristai): Jesus explicitly identifies these as angels in Matthew 13:39, highlighting their role as divine agents of judgment.

Practical Application

Matthew 13:30 offers profound guidance for believers today:

  • Rest in God's Justice: We are called to trust God's perfect justice and timing. We should not take it upon ourselves to prematurely judge or condemn others, as only God truly knows the heart and can perfectly discern between genuine faith and mere profession.
  • Focus on Personal Growth: Instead of being preoccupied with identifying "tares," believers should focus on nurturing their own spiritual growth, ensuring they are truly "wheat" bearing good fruit for the Kingdom.
  • Live Patiently in a Mixed World: The verse encourages patience and perseverance in a world where evil and good coexist. It reminds us that trials and temptations from "tares" are part of the present reality, but a future separation is guaranteed.
  • Hope in Future Glory: For the "wheat," this verse is a promise of ultimate security and salvation. While the "tares" are destined for destruction, the "wheat" will be gathered "into my barn," signifying eternal life and fellowship with God, as seen in the separation of the sheep and the goats.
Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Matthew 3:12

    Whose fan [is] in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

  • 1 Timothy 5:24

    Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some [men] they follow after.

  • 1 Corinthians 4:5

    Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

  • John 15:6

    If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast [them] into the fire, and they are burned.

  • Malachi 3:18

    Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

  • Malachi 4:1

    ¶ For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

  • Matthew 13:39

    The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.

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