Mattityahu 13
13
1On that day, having gone out of the bais, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach sat beside the lake.
2And many multitudes gathered together to him so that he got into a sirah (boat) to sit down, and the entire multitude stood along the shore.
3And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach told them many things in meshalim (parables), saying Hinei! The Sower went out to sow.#13:3 Seeds
4And while he sowed, on the one hand, this#13:4 Seed fell along the road, and the birds having come, devoured them.
5And others fell upon the rocky places, where there is not much soil, and immediately it sprouts on account of the lack of the soilʼs depth.
6And when the shemesh (sun) arose, the zera (seed) was scorched, and because it did not have a root, it withered.
7And others fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.
8But others fell on the adamah tovah (good ground), and they yielded fruit: the one, one hundred, the other, sixty, the other, thirty.
9The one having oznayim (spiritual ears), let him hear!
10And, approaching, the talmidim said to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, Why in meshalim (parables) are you speaking to them?
11And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach answered them, Because to you it has been granted to have daas of the razim (mysteries) of the Malchut HaShomayim, but to those it has not been granted.
12For whoever has,#13:12 more will be given to him, and he will have an abundance. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.#13:12 see Mt 25:14-29
13For this reason in meshalim I am speaking to them, for while seeing they do not see, and#13:13 while hearing they do not hear, nor do they have binah (understanding).
14And in them is fulfilled the nevuah (prophecy) of Yeshayah HaNavi, saying, SHIMU SHAMOA VAL TAVINU UREU RAO VAL TEIDAU (In hearing you will hear and by no means understand, and seeing you will see and by no means perceive).
15HASHMEIN LEV HAAM HAZEH VAZNAV HACHBEID VEINAV HASHA, PEN YIREH VEINAV UVEAZNAV YISHMAH ULEVAVO YAVIN, VSHAV NRAFAH LOH.#13:15 Isa 6:9-10 (For the heart of this people has been made dull, and [their] ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes are shut, lest they see with the their eyes and with [their] ears they hear, and with the lev (heart) they understand and they turn and I will give them refuah [healing]).
16But ashrey are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.
17For truly I say to you that many Neviim and tzaddikim desired to see what you see, and they did not see,#13:17 it and to hear what you hear, and they did not hear it.
18You, therefore, listen to the mashal of the sower.
19When anyone hears the Dvar HaMalchut and does not have binah, HaRah (the Evil one) comes and seizes that which was sown in his lev (heart). This is the zera (seed) sown along the path.
20And the zera sown upon the rocky places is the person listening to the Dvar Hashem and immediately with simcha receives it.
21Yet he has no root in himself but is short-lived, and when ES TZARAH comes or persecution on account of the Dvar Hashem, immediately he ceases being a maamin Meshichi (Messianic believer) and becomes meshummad (apostate), falling away and giving up the#13:21 true Orthodox Jewish faith.#13:21 Jer 30:7
22And the#13:22 zera sown among the thorns is the one hearing the dvar (word), and the rogez HaOlam Hazeh#13:22 Dt 28:65 (the anxiety of this age) and the mirmah (deceit) of riches, choke the Dvar Hashem and it becomes unfruitful.#13:22 Isa 53:9
23And the zera sown upon the adamah tovah (the good ground), this is the one who hears the Dvar Hashem and, understanding,#13:23 it indeed bears pri and, one produces a hundred, the other sixty, the other thirty.
24Another mashal Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach placed before them, saying, The Malchut HaShomayim is like a man sowing zera tov (good seed) in his field.
25But while men slept, his oyev (enemy) came and oversowed weeds in between the wheat and went away.
26But when the wheat sprouted and produced pri, then the weeds also appeared.
27So the servants of the Baal Bayit said to him, Adoneinu, did you not sow zera tov (good seed) in your field? How then does it have weeds?
28And he said to them, An oyev did this. So the servants say to him, Do you want us to go and pull them all?
29But he says, No, lest gathering the weeds you should uproot the wheat together with them.
30Permit both to grow together until the Katzir (harvest); and in time of the Katzir, I will say to the kotzerim, Collect first the weeds, and bind them into bundles to burn them. But the wheat gather into my storehouse.
31Another mashal Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach placed before them, saying, The Malchut HaShomayim is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field.
32This that is indeed less than all the zeraim (seeds), but when it grows, it is larger than the garden vegetables and it becomes an etz (tree), so that the OPH HASHOMAYIM#13:32 Job 35:11 come and dwell in its branches.
33Another mashal Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach spoke to them. The Malchut HaShomayim is like seor (leaven), which having taken, a woman hid in three satas of wheat flour until the whole was leavened.
34All these things Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach spoke in meshalim to the multitudes. And apart from meshalim Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach did not speak to them:
35So that might be fulfilled what was spoken through the Navi, saying, EFTCHA VMASHAL PI AVIAH CHIDOT (I will open my mouth with parables, I will utter things having been hidden) from the foundation of the world — Ps 78:2.
36Then having sent away the multitudes, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach came into the bais (house). And Moshiachʼs talmidim approached him, saying, Explain to us the mashal of the weeds of the field.
37And answering, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said, The Sower of the zera tov is the Bar Enosh (Moshiach).
38The field is HaOlam Hazeh. And the zera tov, the good seed, these are the Bnei HaMalchut, and the weeds, these are the bnei HaRah#13:38 Gn 3:15 (sons of the Evil one).
39And the Oyev (the Enemy) sowing them is HaSatan. And the Katzir (Harvest), this is HaKetz HaOlam (the end of the age). And the kotzerim (reapers, harvesters) are malachim (angels).
40As the weeds are pulled up and gathered and are consumed with Eish (Fire), so also it will be at the Ketz HaOlam.
41The Bar Enosh#13:41 Moshiach will send forth his malachim, and they will pull up and gather out of the Moshiachʼs Malchut all the things making meshummad (apostate) and the ones who are without gezetz (law) and antinomian.#13:41 see Ro 6:1-2
42And Moshiachʼs malachim will throw them into the furnace of Eish; there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.
43Then the tzaddikim will shine as the shemesh (sun) in the Malchut of their Father. The one having oznayim (spiritual ears), let him hear.
44The Malchut HaShomayim is like otzar (treasure) hidden in the field, which, having found, a man hid. And from the simcha he experienced, he goes away and sells everything he has and buys that field.
45Again, the Malchut HaShomayim is like a merchant searching for fine pearls.
46And having found one precious peninah (pearl), he went away and liquidated everything he had and acquired it.
47Again, the Malchut HaShomayim is like a reshet (net) having been cast into the lake, a reshet collecting and gathering dagim (fish) of all descriptions,
48which, when this reshet (net) was filled, they hoisted it upon the shore, sat down, collected the tov (good) into a creel, and the rah (evil), they threw out.
49Thus it will be at HaKetz HaOlam Hazeh (The End of This World). The malachim will go out and they will separate the resha'im from among the tzaddikim.
50And they will throw the resha'im into the furnace of Eish. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51Did you have binah of all these things? They say to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, Ken.
52So Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said to them, Therefore, every sofer (scribe, torah teacher, rabbi) who becomes a talmid of the Malchut HaShomayim is like a man#13:52 who is a Baal Bayit, who takes out of his otzar (treasure), chadashot (new things) and also yeshanot (old things).
53And it came about when Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach finished these meshalim, that he went away from there.
54And having come into Moshiachʼs shtetl, he began ministering as a moreh (teacher) in their shul, so that they were amazed and said, From where did this chochmah come to this one, this chochmah and these moftim (miracles, wonders, omens)?
55Is this not the ben hanaggar (the carpenterʼs son)? Is not his Em called Miryam? And are not his achim Ya'akov,#13:55 T.N. This is the author of the one of the Igrot Kodesh called Ya'akov. Yosef, Shim'on and Yehuda?#13:55 See one of the Igrot Kodesh called Yehuda, of which he is the author.
56And are not his achayot (sisters) with us? From where, therefore, came to this one all these things?
57And they were taking offense at Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach. But Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said to them, A Navi (prophet) is not without honor except in his hometown and in his bais.
58And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach did not accomplish in that place many moftim, because of their lack of emunah (faith) and bitachon (trust).
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Mattityahu 13: TOJB2011
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THE ORTHODOX JEWISH BIBLE
FOURTH EDITION © Artists For Israel Intl Inc., 2002-2011, 2021.
Matthew 13
13
The Parables of Jesus
1Later that day, Jesus left the house and sat by the lakeshore to teach the people. 2Soon, there were so many people surrounding him that he had to teach sitting in a boat while the large crowd stood on the shore. 3He taught them many things by using stories, parables to illustrate spiritual truths, # 13:3 The Aramaic and Greek use a word for “parable” that means “a metaphor, allegory, simile, illustration, comparison, figure of speech, riddle, or enigmatic saying that is meant to stimulate intense thought.” Throughout Hebrew history wise men, prophets, and teachers used parables and allegories as a preferred method of teaching spiritual truths. Poets would write their riddles and musicians would sing their proverbs with verbal imagery. Jesus never taught the people without using allegory and parables (Matt. 13:34). As a true prophet, one of Jesus’ preferred methods of teaching was allegory. To deny the validity of allegorical teaching is to ignore the teaching methods of Jesus, the Living Word. This chapter contains seven parables of Jesus: (1) the parable of the sower, (2) the parable of the wheat and weeds, (3) the parable of the net, (4) the parable of the tiny mustard seed, (5) the parable of yeast, (6) the parable of the hidden treasure, and (7) the parable of the costly pearl. saying:
“Consider this: There was a farmer who went out to sow seeds. # 13:3 The word seeds does not even appear in this parable or in the interpretation Jesus gave his disciples (vv. 18–23). What the farmer is sowing is the “children of the kingdom” (v. 38). We who believe the message of the kingdom of God are the seeds that this farmer is spreading throughout the earth. The seed is the reality of Christ and his kingdom realm living inside of us. 4As he cast his seeds, some fell along the beaten path and the birds came and ate them. 5Others fell onto gravel that had no topsoil. They quickly shot up, 6but when the days grew hot, they were scorched and withered because they had insufficient roots. 7Others fell among the thorns, so when they sprouted, the thorns choked them. 8But other seeds fell on good, rich soil that kept producing a good harvest. Some yielded thirty, some sixty, and some even one hundred times as much as he planted! 9If you’re able to understand this, then you need to respond.” # 13:9 Or “The one with ears to hear should use them.” See also v. 43.
10Then his disciples approached Jesus and asked, “Why do you always speak to people in these hard-to-understand parables?”
11He explained, “You’ve been given the intimate experience of insight into the hidden mysteries # 13:11 The Greek word musterion is found twenty-seven times in the New Testament and means “secrets” or “mysteries.” The mysteries of heaven’s kingdom realm are spiritual insights into the nature and ways of God. Jesus Christ can only be fully understood by the spirit, not merely by the intellect of man. Jesus taught his disciples using the cryptic language of parables to move them beyond intellectual abilities and engage the spirit. If the listener had a hunger to learn with an open, teachable heart, then Jesus’ words brought life and understanding. We must always be those who push aside our opinions and traditions to glean the deepest meaning of all that Jesus did and taught. See also Job 15:8; Prov. 3:32; 1 Cor. 2:14; Col. 2:2; 4:3. of the realm of heaven’s kingdom, but they have not. 12For everyone who listens with an open heart will receive progressively more revelation # 13:12 Or “To he who has, more will be given.” This is an obvious ellipsis that, in the context, refers to having an open heart to receive the understanding of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. until he has more than enough. # 13:12 Or “until they habitually superabound” (with understanding). But those who don’t listen with an open, teachable heart, even the understanding that they think they have will be taken from them. # 13:12 As translated from Hebrew Matthew. 13That’s why I teach the people using parables, because they think they’re looking for truth, yet because their hearts are unteachable, they never discover it. Although they will listen to me, they never fully perceive the message I speak. 14The prophecy of Isaiah describes them perfectly:
Although they listen carefully to everything I speak,
they don’t understand a thing I say.
They look and pretend to see,
but the eyes of their hearts are closed.
15Their minds are dull and slow to perceive, # 13:15 The Aramaic is “waterlogged.”
their ears are plugged and are hard of hearing,
and they have deliberately shut their eyes to the truth.
Otherwise they would open their eyes to see,
and open their ears to hear,
and open their minds to understand.
Then they would turn to me
and I would instantly heal them. # 13:15 See Isa. 6:9–10.
16“But blissful are your eyes, for they see. Delighted are your ears, for they are open to hear all these things. # 13:16 As translated from the Aramaic. Or “Your eyes have a blessing resting upon them because they see, and your ears because they hear.” 17Many prophets and godly people yearned to see these days of miracles that you’ve been favored to see. They would have given everything to hear the revelation you’ve been favored to hear.
18“Now you are ready to hear the explanation of the parable of the sower:
19“What was sown along the path represents the one who listens to the message of the kingdom # 13:19 The Aramaic can be translated “He hears of the manifestation of the kingdom.” It is found also in vv. 20, 21, 22, and 23. but doesn’t understand it. The Adversary then comes and snatches away what was sown into his heart.
20“The one sown on gravel represents the person who gladly hears the kingdom message, # 13:20 Hebrew Matthew is “the word of the Mighty One.” but his experience remains shallow. # 13:20 Implied by the “shallow” soil, representing a shallow interest that doesn’t sink spiritual roots into the truth of God. 21Shortly after he hears it, troubles and persecutions come because of the kingdom message he received. Then he quickly falls away, # 13:21 Or “gets offended” or “is made to stumble.” for the truth didn’t sink deeply into his heart.
22“The one sown among thorns represents one who receives the message, but all of life’s busy distractions, his divided heart, and his ambition for wealth # 13:22 Or “deceptive riches.” See Prov. 23:4–5. result in suffocating the kingdom message and it becomes fruitless. # 13:22 Hebrew Matthew adds a phrase here: “and the Adversary causes him to forget the word of God.”
23“But what was sown on good, rich soil represents the one who hears and fully embraces the message of the kingdom. Their lives bear good fruit—some yield a harvest of thirty, sixty, even one hundred times as much as was sown.”
The Parable of the Weeds
24Then Jesus taught them # 13:24 Or “set before them.” See also vv. 31 and 33. another parable:
“Heaven’s kingdom can be compared to a farmer who planted good seed in his field. 25But when everyone was asleep, an enemy came and planted weeds # 13:25 Or “darnel” or “rye grass.” The Greek word zizanion is a noxious weed (Lolium temelentum) that appears from a distance to look like wheat, but has poisonous black seeds. See Fauna and Flora of the Bible (London: United Bible Societies, 1980), 194. among the wheat and ran away. 26When the wheat sprouted and bore grain, the weeds also appeared. 27So the farmer’s hired hands came to him and said, ‘Sir, wasn’t that good seed that you sowed in the field? Where did all these weeds come from?’
28“He answered, ‘This has to be the work of an enemy!’
“They replied, ‘Do you want us to go and gather up all the weeds?’
29“ ‘No,’ he said. ‘If you pull out the weeds you might uproot the wheat at the same time. 30Let them both grow together until the harvest. At that time, I’ll tell my harvesters to gather the weeds first and tie them all in bundles to be burned. Then they will harvest the wheat and put it into my barn.’ ”
The Parable of the Tiny Mustard Seed
31Then Jesus taught them another parable:
“Heaven’s kingdom can be compared to the tiny mustard seed that a man takes and plants in his field. 32Although the smallest of all the seeds, it eventually grows into the greatest of garden plants, becoming a tree for birds to come and build their nests in its branches.”
The Parable of the Yeast
33Then he taught them another parable:
“Heaven’s kingdom can be compared to yeast that a woman takes and blends into three measures of flour and then waits until all the dough rises.” # 13:33 These two parables, about the tiny mustard seed and the yeast, both teach of God’s kingdom having a small beginning but growing until its influence permeates and prevails into all the earth. The “three measures [Hb. seahs] of flour” was nearly twenty-two kilos, enough to feed three hundred people. What once looked unimpressive rises to impact and feed many. The number three always points to resurrection life.
Prophecy and Parables
34Whenever Jesus addressed the crowds, he always spoke in allegories. He never spoke without using parables. 35He did this to fulfill the prophecy:
I will speak to you in allegories.
I will reveal secrets that have been concealed
since before the foundation of the world. # 13:35 As translated from the Aramaic. The Hebrew Matthew is “I will speak with riddles from ancient times.” See Ps. 78:2; Prov. 25:2. A parable has hidden meaning. Everything stands for something else. Jesus interprets and unlocks the meaning of the Word to us.
Jesus Explains the Parables
36Jesus left the crowds and went inside the house where he was staying. # 13:36 This was likely in Capernaum. Then his disciples approached him and asked, “Please explain the deeper meaning of the parable of the weeds growing in the field of wheat.”
37He answered, “The man who sowed his field with good seed is the Son of Man. 38And the field is the world. The good seeds I sow are the children of the kingdom realm. The weeds are the children of the Evil One, 39and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest points to the end of this age, and the harvesters are God’s messengers. # 13:39 Or “[God’s] angels.” In both Greek and Hebrew the word angels can also refer to human messengers. 40As the weeds are bundled up and thrown into the fire, so it will be at the close of the age. 41The Son of Man will send his messengers, and they will uproot everything out of his kingdom. All the lawless ones and everything that causes sin will be removed. 42And they will throw them into the fiery furnace, where they will experience great sorrow and anguish. # 13:42 Or “gnashing of teeth,” a metaphor for despair and torment. The Aramaic can be translated “thrown into the essence of fire.” The Aramaic word athuna can mean either “furnace” or “essence.” See also v. 50. 43Then the righteous will shine like the brightness of the sun # 13:43 See Judg. 5:31; Song. 6:10; Isa. 60:1; Dan. 12:3. in their Father’s kingdom realm. If you’re able to understand this, then you’d better respond!”
Parables of Hidden Treasure and an Extraordinary Pearl
44“Heaven’s kingdom realm can be illustrated like this:
“A person discovered that there was hidden treasure in a field. Upon finding it, he hid it again. Because of uncovering such treasure, he was overjoyed and sold all that he possessed to buy the entire field just so he could have the treasure. # 13:44 See also Prov. 2:4. The most accepted interpretation of this parable is that Jesus is the treasure, but Jesus taught that the field is the world (v. 38). The allegory breaks down, for a believer doesn’t sell all he has (works) and then buy the world to find Jesus (the treasure). It is more plausible to view the hidden treasure as a symbol of you and me. Jesus is the man who sold all that he owned, leaving his exalted place of glory to come and pay for the sin of the whole world with his own blood just so he could have you, his treasure. Heaven’s kingdom realm is experienced when we realize what a great price Jesus places on our souls, for he gave his sacred blood for us. The re-hiding of the treasure is a hint of our new life, hidden in God. See Eph. 1:4; Col. 3:1–5.
45“Heaven’s kingdom realm is also like a jewel merchant in search of rare pearls. 46When he discovered one very precious # 13:46 The Aramaic is “unique.” Jesus is the merchant. (See Song. 3:6.) You are the exquisite and unique pearl, as his beloved follower, that came from the wounded side of Jesus Christ. You prompted him to give up all, including his sacred blood, in exchange for having you as his very own. See also Heb. 12:2. and exquisite pearl, he immediately gave up all he had in exchange for it.” # 13:46 See Isa. 43:4.
The Parable of the Fishing Net
47“Again, heaven’s kingdom realm is like a fisherman who casts his large net into the lake, catching an assortment of fish. 48When the net was filled, the fishermen hauled it up on the shore, and they all sat down to sort out their catch. They collected the good in baskets and threw the bad away. 49And so it will be at the close of the age. The messengers # 13:49 Or “angels.” will come and separate the evil from among the godly 50and throw them into the fiery furnace, where they will experience great sorrow and anguish. 51Now do you understand all this?”
“Yes,” they replied.
52He responded, “Every scholar of the Scriptures, # 13:52 Or “scribe.” who is instructed in the ways of heaven’s kingdom realm, is like a wealthy home owner with his house filled with treasures both new and old.” # 13:52 These “new treasures” speak of new insights and understandings that are revealed at the proper time. The “old treasures” speak of truths that have been established, founded upon what God has already revealed. Teachers are to bring forth the revelation of God and his word as treasures to the people. We need both new and old insights.
53Right after Jesus taught this series of parables, he left # 13:53 The Greek word for “left” is metairo and means “to depart” or “to be lifted up and taken from one place to another.” from there.
Jesus Rejected in His Hometown
54When Jesus arrived in his hometown of Nazareth, he began teaching the people in the synagogue. Everyone was dazed, overwhelmed with astonishment # 13:54 The Greek word used here is a compound word that means “to have the breath knocked out of you.” This was a common reaction to the teaching ministry of Jesus. over the depth of revelation they were hearing. They said to one another, “Where did this man get such great wisdom and miraculous powers? 55Isn’t he just the craftsman’s son? # 13:55 The Hebrew Matthew is “blacksmith’s son.” The Greek word tekton can be translated “carpenter,” “metal worker,” “sculptor,” “artisan,” “stone worker,” or “builder.” The people of Jesus’ hometown presumed that Joseph was his father, but Jesus had no earthly father, because he was “born of a woman.” Isn’t his mother named Mary, and his four brothers Jacob, Joseph, Simon, and Judah? 56And don’t his sisters all live here in Nazareth? From where then did he get all this revelation and power?” # 13:56 Implied in the context. See v. 54. 57And the people became offended and began to turn against him. # 13:57 The Aramaic is “They were suspicious of him.” The Hebrew Matthew is “They were confused about him.”
Jesus said, “There’s only one place a prophet isn’t honored—his own hometown!” 58And their unbelief kept him from doing many mighty miracles in Nazareth.
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