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The Parable of Wheat and Tares in Matthew 13

The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares, found in Matthew 13:24-30 and explained in Matthew 13:36-43, is one of several parables Jesus taught to describe the kingdom of heaven [4, 16]. Jesus often spoke in parables, a common teaching method in Eastern nations, particularly among the Jews [13].

In this parable, a farmer sows good seed in his field. While everyone is sleeping, his enemy comes and sows "tares" (darnel weeds) among the wheat [2, 15]. When the plants sprout and bear grain, the difference between the wheat and the tares becomes evident [1]. The servants ask the master if they should go and pull up the tares. The master instructs them to "Let both grow together until the harvest," explaining that pulling up the tares might also uproot the wheat [3]. At harvest time, the reapers will first gather the darnel weeds, bind them in bundles to be burned, and then gather the wheat into the barn [3].

The "tares" mentioned in the parable are identified as darnel (Lolium temulentum), a type of rye-grass [6]. Before it produces an ear, darnel closely resembles wheat, making it difficult to distinguish [2, 6]. This resemblance is key to the parable's instruction to let both grow together [2]. Wheat itself is a well-known and valuable cereal, cultivated since ancient times, and was a staple crop in regions like Egypt, Babylonia, Syria, and Palestine [9, 7].

Jesus later explains the parable to his disciples. He identifies himself as the sower of the good seed, which represents the "sons of the kingdom." The field is the world, and the enemy who sowed the tares is the devil. The tares represent the "sons of the wicked one" [14]. The harvest is "the end of the world," and the reapers are angels [12]. At the harvest, the Son of Man will send out His angels to gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks and those who practice lawlessness, casting them into a furnace of fire [11]. The righteous, however, will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father [11].

This parable teaches that in the visible church, both true believers ("wheat") and hypocritical or ungodly individuals ("tares") will coexist until the final judgment [10, 14]. The command to "let both grow together" signifies that judgment and separation are reserved for the end times, carried out by Christ and His angels, not by humans [10]. This separation at the end of the age is likened to the winnowing process, where wheat is gathered into the barn and chaff is burned with unquenchable fire [5, 8].

Sources

  1. Matthew “Matthew 13:26 (NASB) — "But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also.”
  2. Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Tares — There can be little doubt that the zizania of the parable, (Matthew 13:25) denotes the weed called "darnel" (Lolium temulentum). The darnel before it comes into ear is very similar in appearance to wheat; hence the command that the zizania should be left to the harvest, lest while men plucked up the tares "they should root up also the wheat with them." Dr. Stanley, however, speaks of women and children picking up from the wheat in the cornfields of Samaria the tall green stalks, still called by the Arabs zuwan . "These stalks," he continues, "if sown designedl”
  3. Matthew “Let both grow together until the harvest, and in the harvest time I will tell the reapers, “First, gather up the darnel weeds, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.”’” -- Matthew 13:30”
  4. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Parables — Remarkable Parables of the Old Testament -- Jdj 9:8-15; 2Sa 12:1-4; 14:5-7. Parables of christ Wise and foolish builders. -- Mt 7:24-27. Children of the bride chamber. -- Mt 9:15. New cloth and old garment. -- Mt 9:16. New wine and old bottles. -- Mt 9:17. Unclean spirit. -- Mt 12:43. Sower. -- Mt 13:3-23; Lu 8:5-15. Tares. -- Mt 13:24-30,36-43. Mustard-seed. -- Mt 13:31,32; Lu 13:19. Leaven. -- Mt 13:33. Treasure hid in a field. -- Mt 13:44. Pearl of great price. -- Mt 13:45,46. Net cast into the sea. -- Mt 13:47-50. Meats defiling not. -- Mt 15:10-15. Un”
  5. Matthew “His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing floor. He will gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire.” -- Matthew 3:12”
  6. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Tares — The bearded darnel, mentioned only in Matt. 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.”
  7. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Bread — Given by God -- Ru 1:6; Mt 6:11. Yielded by the earth -- Job 28:5; Isa 55:10. Made of Wheat. -- Ex 29:2; Ps 81:16. Barley. -- Jdj 7:13; Joh 6:9. Beans, millet, &c. -- Eze 4:9. Manna (in the wilderness). -- Nu 11:8. Corn ground for making -- Isa 28:28. Was kneaded -- Ge 18:6; Jer 7:18; Ho 7:4. Troughs used for kneading -- Ex 12:34. Usually leavened -- Le 23:17; Mt 13:33. Sometimes unleavened -- Ex 12:18; 1Co 5:8. Was formed into Loaves. -- 1Sa 10:3,4; Mt 14:17. Cakes. -- 2Sa 6:19; 1Ki 17:13. Wafers. -- Ex 16:31; 29:23. Was baked On hearths. -- Ge 18:6. On coal”
  8. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Wicked, The, Are Compared To — Abominable branches -- Isa 14:19. Ashes under the feet -- Mal 4:3. Bad fishes -- Mt 13:48. Beasts -- Ps 49:12; 2Pe 2:12. Blind, The -- Zep 1:17; Mt 15:14. Brass and iron -- Jer 6:28; Eze 22:18. Briars and thorns -- Isa 55:13; Eze 2:6. Bulls of Bashan -- Ps 22:12. Carcasses trodden under feet -- Isa 14:19. Chaff -- Job 21:18; Ps 1:4; Mt 3:12. Clouds without water -- Jude 1:12. Corn blasted -- 2Ki 19:26. Corrupt trees -- Lu 6:43. Deaf adders -- Ps 58:4. Dogs -- Pr 26:11; Mt 7:6; 2Pe 2:22. Dross -- Ps 119:119; Eze 22:18,19. Early dew that ”
  9. Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Wheat — the well-known valuable cereal, cultivated from the earliest times, is first mentioned in ((Genesis 30:14) in the account of Jacob's sojourn with Laban in Mesopotamia. Egypt in ancient times was celebrated for the growth of its wheat; the best quality was all bearded; and the same varieties existed in ancient as in modern times, among which may be mentioned the seven-eared quality described in Pharaoh's dream. (Genesis 41:22) Babylonia was also noted for the excellence of its wheat and other cereals. Syria and Palestine produced wheat of fine quality and in la”
  10. Matthew (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Matthew 13:30: Let both grow together--that is, in the visible Church. until the harvest--till the one have ripened for full salvation, the other for destruction. (See on Mat 13:39). and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers--(See on Mat 13:39). Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them--"in the fire" (Mat 13:40). but gather the wheat into my barn--Christ, as the Judge, will separate the two classes (as in Mat 25:32). It will be observed that the tares are burned before the wheat is housed; in the exposition of the”
  11. Matthew (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Matthew 13:38: As therefore the tares are gathered,.... As it is represented in the parable, that in the time of harvest, the tares shall be gathered out from the wheat first; and being bound in bundles, shall burnt in the fire, prepared for that purpose, so shall it be in the end of this world; hypocritical and heretical men, and all formal professors, shall be gathered out from among the saints, and the several churches, among whom they have been; and shall be together cast into everlasting burnings, prepared for the devil and his angels, whose children they are.”
  12. Matthew (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Matthew 13:28: Let both grow together until the harvest,.... By "the harvest", is meant "the end of the world", Mat 13:39 either of the Jewish world, the dissolution of their church and state, which was near; or of a man's life, which is the end of the world to him; or rather of this present world, the system of the universe, of the material world, as to its present form and use, and of the inhabitants of it, and of time in it. Now the end of the world is compared to harvest, because the time of it is fixed and settled; though it is not known when it will be, yet it is as certain ”
  13. Matthew (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Matthew 13:3: And he spake many things unto them in parables,.... For the parables of the sower, and the different sorts of ground the seed fell in, of the wheat and tares, of the grain of mustard seed, of the leaven in three measures of meal, of the treasure hid in a field, of the pearl of great price, of the net cast into the sea, and of the householder, were all delivered at this time. This way of speaking by parables was much in use among the eastern nations, and particularly the Jews. R. Meir was very famous among them for this way of teaching: they say (a), "that when R. M”
  14. Matthew (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Matthew 13:39: The enemy that sowed them is the devil--emphatically "His enemy" (Mat 13:25). (See Gen 3:15; Jo1 3:8). By "tares" is meant, not what in our husbandry is so called, but some noxious plant, probably darnel. "The tares are the children of the wicked one"; and by their being sown "among the wheat" is meant their being deposited within the territory of the visible Church. As they resemble the children of the kingdom, so they are produced, it seems, by a similar process of "sowing"--the seeds of evil being scattered and lodging in the soil of those hearts ”
  15. Matthew (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Matthew 13:25: 13:25 Weeds (or tares, bearded darnel) are almost indistinguishable from wheat and so were left until growth revealed their true nature. Malevolent contamination of crops in this manner was punishable by law.”
  16. Matthew (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Matthew 13 (introduction): In this chapter, we have, I. The favour which Christ did to his countrymen in preaching the kingdom of heaven to them (Mat 13:1-2). He preached to them in parables, and here gives the reason why he chose that way of instructing (Mat 13:10-17). And the evangelist gives another reason (Mat 13:34, Mat 13:35). There are eight parables recorded in this chapter, which are designed to represent the kingdom of heaven, the method of planting the gospel kingdom in the world, and of its growth and success. The great truths and laws of that kingdom are in other ”
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