Matthew 13:22What was sown among the thorns, this is he who hears the word, but the cares of this age and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.
The setting
Galilee, northern Israel, ~30 AD. Jesus describes the third type of soil to the crowd by the lake...
The emotion here: grieving over wasted potential in human hearts
The original word
merimna (μέριμνα) — anxious care, divided mind, worry that splits attention
Why it matters
Palestinian farmers constantly battled thorny weeds that grew faster than crops
Read with care
What most readers miss in Matthew 13:22
The word is 'choke' — not kill. The plant lives but bears no fruit
Common misconceptionMost people think this is about 'bad' people loving money, but Jesus is talking about good people who get distracted by legitimate concerns — paying bills, caring for family, building careers.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Matthew 13:22
Bible Genome reading
Matthew 13:22 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Matthew 13:22 comes from the book of Matthew, written during the gospel period. These words are attributed to Jesus. The dominant emotion in this verse is deciding, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is urgent. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include worldliness, materialism. Notable phrases: cares of this age; deceitfulness of riches; choke the word.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same deciding
“"You shall have no other gods before me.”
— Deuteronomy 5:7
“"You shall not murder.”
— Exodus 20:13
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
— Matthew 23:12
“For God didn't give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.”
— 2 Timothy 1:7
“But Peter said, "Silver and gold have I none, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!"”
— Acts 3:6
Your reflection
What does Matthew 13:22 mean to you, today?
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