“good” soil, bears fruit (in various yields). Of the other three soils, two produce a living plant: the shallow soil on rocky places, and the soil infested with thorns. The hard-packed path bears nothing, because the birds (= devil) come and snatch the seed away; but the other two poor soils do begin to produce something of promise. Indeed, the seed planted in shallow soil seems at first to be the most promising of the lot. Jesus’ description is telling: “Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear