8:14 As for the seed that45 fell among thorns, these are the ones who hear, but46 as they go on their way they are choked47 by the worries and riches and pleasures of life,48 and their fruit does not mature.49
tnGrk “What”; the referent (the seed) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
46
tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
47
sn That is, their concern for spiritual things is crowded out by material things.
48
sn On warnings about the dangers of excessive material attachments, described here as the worries and riches and pleasures of life, see Luke 12:12–21; 16:19–31.
49
tn The verb τελεσφορέω (telesphoreō) means “to produce mature or ripe fruit” (L&N 23.203). Once again the seed does not reach its goal.