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

People's New Testament

13:36-43 Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. The parable in Mt 13:24-30. By a comparison we may learn: (1) The kingdom is likened to a man sowing good seed in his field. (2) The Sower is the Son of man, who sows by means of his kingdom. (3) The good seed is the word of God as seen in its fruits, Christ's followers. (4) The field is the world. It is Christ's field. All power is given to him in heaven and in earth. His kingdom is rightfully the whole earth, but much of it is held still by the enemy, who has to be conquered. He will prevail finally, and the kingdoms of the earth shall become the kingdom of the Lord and his Christ. (5) The wheat raised from the good seed is the children of the kingdom, the disciples of Christ converted by his word. (6) The tares are not bad church members, but bad men; those who have been under the influence of the wicked one. (7) The righteous and wicked are to remain in the earth together. The righteous are not to exterminate the wicked. The evil and the good will be mixed until judgment day. (8) Then all shall be gathered at the throne of judgment. The righteous shall inherit the kingdom. All that are wicked shall be cast out of the kingdom. An eternal separation shall take place.

Scofield Reference Notes

Margin devil

Satan. Br. diabolos, accuser. See note, Mt 16:23 Gen 3:1 Rev 20:10. See Scofield Note: "Rev 20:10".

Margin angels

See Scofield "Heb 1:4".

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

39. The enemy that sowed them is the devil-emphatically "His enemy" (Mt 13:25). (See Ge 3:15; 1Jo 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 upon which falls the seed of the world. The enemy, after sowing his "tares," "went his way"-his dark work soon done, but taking time to develop its true character.

The harvest is the end of the world-the period of Christ's second coming, and of the judicial separation of the righteous and the wicked. Till then, no attempt is to be made to effect such separation. But to stretch this so far as to justify allowing openly scandalous persons to remain in the communion of the Church, is to wrest the teaching of this parable to other than its proper design, and go in the teeth of apostolic injunctions (1Co 5:1-13).

And the reapers are the angels-But whose angels are they? "The Son of man shall send forth His angels" (Mt 13:41). Compare 1Pe 3:22, "Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him."

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

13:31-35 The scope of the parable of the seed sown, is to show that the beginnings of the gospel would be small, but its latter end would greatly increase; in this way the work of grace in the heart, the kingdom of God within us, would be carried on. In the soul where grace truly is, it will grow really; though perhaps at first not to be discerned, it will at last come to great strength and usefulness. The preaching of the gospel works like leaven in the hearts of those who receive it. The leaven works certainly, so does the word, yet gradually. It works silently, and without being seen, Mr 4:26-29, yet strongly; without noise, for so is the way of the Spirit, but without fail. Thus it was in the world. The apostles, by preaching the gospel, hid a handful of leaven in the great mass of mankind. It was made powerful by the Spirit of the Lord of hosts, who works, and none can hinder. Thus it is in the heart. When the gospel comes into the soul, it works a thorough change; it spreads itself into all the powers and faculties of the soul, and alters the property even of the members of the body, Ro 6:13. From these parables we are taught to expect a gradual progress; therefore let us inquire, Are we growing in grace? and in holy principles and habits?