As for what was sown on rocky ground: for the meaning of rocky ground see Matthew 13.5. The same translational problems exist here as in the previous verse, and Jerusalem Bible translates “The one who received it on patches of rock is the man who hears the word and welcomes it at once with joy.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch renders “With others it is as with the seed which fell on rocky ground. They hear the Good News and receive it at once with joy.”
In many cases it is easier to translate this verse if the order is reversed: “And when a person hears the word and accepts it joyfully, that is just like when some of the seed fell on rocky ground.” Even with this order, it is usually possible to continue with the next verse naturally, as in “That person has no root….” However, there are also translators who treat verses 20 and 21 together, moving this first phrase of verse 20 to the end of verse 21: “And there are other people who hear the word and immediately accept it gladly. But the message does not really take root in them, and when trouble or persecution comes because of this message, they abandon it quickly. When that happens, it is just like when some of the seed fell on rocky ground.”
The text says what was sown, but most of the examples we have given say “the seed that was sown.”
Again, the singular he who hears can just as easily be plural, “people who hear,” depending on the receptor language.
This verse says simply hears the word, which differs from the “word of the kingdom” of verse 19. “Hears the message,” “… message I bring,” or “… message from God” are all possibilities.
Receives it can be rendered “accepts it,” “welcomes it,” or even “believes it.”
Immediately … with joy is given emphasis in the Greek sentence structure. Translators should therefore find a way of doing the same in the receptor language texts. Examples are “right then with enthusiasm” and “immediately and with much joy.”
Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1988. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .