Matthew 13
13
The Parable of the Sower
Mk 4:1–9; Lk 8:4–8
1#Mt 13:36; Mk 2:13That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2#Lk 5:3Great crowds assembled around Him, so that He went into a boat and sat there. And the whole assembly stood on the shore. 3#Mt 13:10–13; 13:34–35Then He told them many things in parables, saying, “Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4While he sowed, some seeds fell beside the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5But other seeds fell on rocky ground where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up because they did not have deep soil. 6But when the sun rose, they were scorched. And because they did not take root, they withered away. 7Some seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8#Ge 26:12; Mt 13:23But other seeds fell into good ground and produced grain: a hundred, sixty, or thirty times as much. 9#Mt 11:15; Rev 2:7Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.”
The Purpose of the Parables
Mk 4:10–12; Lk 8:9–10
10The disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”
11#1Jn 2:27; Mt 16:17He answered them, “It is given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 12#Mt 25:29; Lk 8:18For to him who has, will more be given, and he will have abundance. But from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 13#Jer 5:21; Eze 12:2Therefore I speak to them in parables:
‘Because they look, but do not see.
And they listen, but they do not hear, neither do they understand.’#Isa 56:7.
14#Isa 6:9–10; Mk 4:12In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah which says:
‘By hearing, you will hear and shall not understand,
and seeing, you will see and shall not perceive;#Isa 6:9.
15#Heb 5:11; Ps 119:70 for this people’s heart has grown dull.
Their ears have become hard of hearing,
and they have closed their eyes,
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their hearts,
and turn, and I should heal them.’#A talent was worth several hundred pounds.
16#Mt 16:17; Lk 10:23–24But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17#Jn 8:56; Heb 11:13For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which you see, and have not seen them, and to hear those things which you hear, and have not heard them.
The Parable of the Sower Explained
Mk 4:13–20; Lk 8:11–15
18“Therefore listen to the parable of the sower. 19#Mt 4:23; 13:38When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one who received seed beside the path. 20#Isa 58:2; Eze 33:31–32But he who received the seed on rocky ground is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21#Mt 11:6; Hos 6:4yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, eventually he falls away. 22#1Ti 6:9–10; 6:17He also who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, but the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. 23#Mt 13:8; Jn 15:16; Php 1:11But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit. Some produce a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown.”
The Parable of the Weeds
24#Mt 13:33; 13:47He told them another parable, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. 26But when the shoots had sprung up and produced fruit, the weeds also appeared.
27“So the servants of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? Then where did the weeds come from?’
28“He said to them, ‘An enemy did this.’
“The servants said to him, ‘Will you then have us go and gather them up?’
29“But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the weeds, you pull up also the wheat with them. 30#Mt 3:12Let both grow together until the harvest, and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers: Gather up the weeds first and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.’ ”
The Parables of the Mustard Seed and theYeast
Mk 4:30–32; Lk 13:18–21
31#Mt 13:24; Mk 4:30–32He told them another parable, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field. 32#Eze 31:6; Da 4:12This indeed is the least of all seeds, but when it has grown, it is the greatest among herbs and is a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in its branches.”
33#Lk 13:21; Gal 5:9He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast which a woman took and mixed in sixty pounds#Gk. 3 sata, about 22 liters each. of meal until it had leavened the whole batch.”
The Use of Parables
Mk 4:33–34
34#Mk 4:33–34; Jn 16:25Jesus said all these things to the crowds in parables. And without a parable He did not speak to them, 35#Ps 78:2; Ro 16:25–26to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying:
“I will open My mouth in parables;
I will say things which have been kept secret since the foundation of the world.”#Ps 78:2.
The Parable of the Weeds Explained
36#Mt 13:1Then Jesus sent the crowds away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.”
37He answered, “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, 38#Jn 8:44; Ac 13:10the field is the world, and the good seed are the sons ofthe kingdom. But the weeds are the sons of the evil one. 39#Mt 24:3; Joel 3:13The enemy who sowed them is thedevil, the harvest is the end of the world, and the reapers are the angels.
40“Therefore as the weeds are gathered and burned in the fire, so shall it be in the end of this world. 41#Mt 24:31; 18:7The Son of Man shall send out His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who do evil, 42#Mt 8:12; 13:50; 22:13and will throw them into a fiery furnace. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43#Da 12:3; Mt 11:15Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun#Da 12:3. in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.
The Parable of the Hidden Treasure
44#Isa 55:1; Pr 23:23“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid. And with joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price
45“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, 46who, on finding one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
The Parable of the Net
47#Mt 4:19“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was cast into the sea and gathered all kinds of fish. 48When it was full, they drew it to shore, sat down, and gathered the good into baskets, but threw the bad away. 49#Mt 13:39So shall it be at the end of the world. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous 50#Mt 8:12; 13:42and throw them into the fiery furnace. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
Treasures New and Old
51#Mt 13:11Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all of these things?”
They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”
52#Mt 12:35; 23:34Then He said to them, “Therefore every scribe who is discipled for the kingdom of heaven is like a man who is master of the household who brings out of his treasure new and old things.”
The Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth
Mk 6:1–6; Lk 4:16–30
53When Jesus finished these parables, He departed from there. 54#Mt 2:23; 4:23When He came to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 55#Mk 6:3; Lk 3:23Is He not the carpenter’s son? Is His mother not called Mary? And are not His brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?” 57#Lk 4:24; Jn 4:44And they took offense at Him.
But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.”
58And He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
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Matthew 13: MEV
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Military Bible Association
Matthew 13
13
1On that day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. 2And there were gathered unto him great multitudes, so that he entered into a boat, and sat; and all the multitude stood on the beach. 3And he spake to them many things in parables, saying, Behold, the sower went forth to sow; 4and as he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the birds came and devoured them: 5and others fell upon the rocky places, where they had not much earth: and straightway they sprang up, because they had no deepness of earth: 6and when the sun was risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7And others fell upon the thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked them: 8and others fell upon the good ground, and yielded fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9He that hath ears, let him hear.
10And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 11And he answered and said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 12For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that which he hath. 13Therefore speak I to them in parables; because seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. 14And unto them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith,
By hearing ye shall hear, and shall in no wise understand;
And seeing ye shall see, and shall in no wise perceive:
15For this people’s heart is waxed gross,
And their ears are dull of hearing,
And their eyes they have closed;
Lest haply they should perceive with their eyes,
And hear with their ears,
And understand with their heart,
And should turn again,
And I should heal them.
16But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear. 17For verily I say unto you, that many prophets and righteous men desired to see the things which ye see, and saw them not; and to hear the things which ye hear, and heard them not. 18Hear then ye the parable of the sower. 19When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the evil one, and snatcheth away that which hath been sown in his heart. This is he that was sown by the way side. 20And he that was sown upon the rocky places, this is he that heareth the word, and straightway with joy receiveth it; 21yet hath he not root in himself, but endureth for a while; and when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, straightway he stumbleth. 22And he that was sown among the thorns, this is he that heareth the word; and the care of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. 23And he that was sown upon the good ground, this is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; who verily beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
24Another parable set he before them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man that sowed good seed in his field: 25but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares also among the wheat, and went away. 26But when the blade sprang up and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 27And the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field? whence then hath it tares? 28And he said unto them, An enemy hath done this. And the servants say unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? 29But he saith, Nay; lest haply while ye gather up the tares, ye root up the wheat with them. 30Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather up first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.
31Another parable set he before them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: 32which indeed is less than all seeds; but when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the heaven come and lodge in the branches thereof.
33Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till it was all leavened.
34All these things spake Jesus in parables unto the multitudes; and without a parable spake he nothing unto them: 35that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying,
I will open my mouth in parables;
I will utter things hidden from the foundation of the world.
36Then he left the multitudes, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Explain unto us the parable of the tares of the field. 37And he answered and said, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; 38and the field is the world; and the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one; 39and the enemy that sowed them is the devil: and the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are angels. 40As therefore the tares are gathered up and burned with fire; so shall it be in the end of the world. 41The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that cause stumbling, and them that do iniquity, 42and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth. 43Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He that hath ears, let him hear.
44The kingdom of heaven is like unto a treasure hidden in the field; which a man found, and hid; and in his joy he goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
45Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a merchant seeking goodly pearls: 46and having found one pearl of great price, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
47Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: 48which, when it was filled, they drew up on the beach; and they sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but the bad they cast away. 49So shall it be in the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the righteous, 50and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.
51Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea. 52And he said unto them, Therefore every scribe who hath been made a disciple to the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder, who bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.
53And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence.
54And coming into his own country he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? 55Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joseph, and Simon, and Judas? 56And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? 57And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country, and in his own house. 58And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
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