The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.
The former paragraph began with an account of Christ's industry in preaching (Luk 8:1); this begins with an account of the people's industry in hearing, Luk 8:4. He went into every city, to preach; so they, one would think, should have contented themselves to hear him when he came to their own city (we know those that would); but there were those here that came...
Commenting on Luke 8:4-21
They on the rock are they, which when they hear,.... The seed that fell upon the rock, or stony ground, signify such sort of hearers, who receive the word with joy. The Ethiopic version reads, "with joy of heart". But, this sort of hearers receive not the word into their hearts, or with their hearts believe it, and from their hearts obey it, only into...
Those by the way side - Bishop Pearce thinks that Luke by οἱ here means σποροι, the seeds, though he acknowledges that he has never found such a word as σποροι in the plural number signifying seeds.