Devine Scripture

Matthew 13:39

What does Matthew 13:39 mean?

A plain-English look at Matthew 13:39 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What Matthew 13:39 means

Jesus identifies the enemy as the devil, the harvest as the end of the world, and the reapers as angels. He thus locates the evil origin in demonic opposition and places final judgment at an eschatological moment when angelic agents will carry out separation. The verse confirms that God’s ultimate justice will be executed by divine means at the world’s end, not by premature human action. It reassures believers that the conflict has a foreordained, God-guided resolution.

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

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

KJV

King James Version · 1611

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

ASV

American Standard Version · 1901

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

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

And he who put them in the earth is Satan; and the getting in of the grain is the end of the world; and those who get it in are the angels.

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is a full end of the age, and the reapers are messengers.

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

And the enemy that sowed them, is the devil. But the harvest is the end of the world. And the reapers are the angels.

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

and the enemy who has sowed it is the devil; and the harvest is [the] completion of [the] age, and the harvestmen are angels.

Context

Following the assignment of identities, this verse completes the symbolic framework by naming the enemy and the agents of final judgment. This eschatological focus prepares for the description of judgment’s severity and the believer’s vindication in the next verses.

v.38and the field is the world; and the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one;

v.39This passage

v.40As therefore the tares are gathered up and burned with fire; so shall it be in the end of the world.

Cross references

Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  • Revelation 20:7

    And when the thousand years are finished, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,

  • Matthew 25:31

    But when the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit on the throne of his glory:

  • 2 Corinthians 11:3

    But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve in his craftiness, your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity and the purity that is toward Christ.

  • Revelation 12:9

    And the great dragon was cast down, the old serpent, he that is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world; he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him.

  • Revelation 13:14

    And he deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by reason of the signs which it was given him to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast who hath the stroke of the sword and lived.

  • Revelation 14:15

    And another angel came out from the temple, crying with a great voice to him that sat on the cloud, Send forth thy sickle, and reap: for the hour to reap is come; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.

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