Matthew 13
13
Jesus Teaches in Parables
1That same day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting beside the sea [of Galilee]. 2But such large crowds gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat there [positioning Himself as a teacher], while the whole crowd stood on the shore.
3He told them many things in #A short story that illustrates a moral or religious principle.parables, saying, “Listen carefully: a sower went out to sow [seed in his field]; 4and as he sowed, some seed fell beside the road [between the fields], and the birds came and ate it. 5Other seed fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil; and at once they sprang up because they had no depth of soil. 6But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7Other seed fell among thorns, and thorns came up and choked them out. 8Other seed fell on good soil and yielded grain, some a hundred times as much [as was sown], some sixty [times as much], and some thirty. 9He who has ears [to hear], let him hear and heed My words.”
An Explanation
10Then the disciples came to Him and asked, “Why do You speak to the crowds in parables?” 11Jesus replied to them, “To you it has been granted to know the #Things which humans cannot know or discover on their own unless God reveals it to them.mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. 12For whoever has [spiritual wisdom because he is receptive to God’s word], to him more will be given, and he will be richly and abundantly supplied; but whoever does not have [spiritual wisdom because he has devalued God’s word], even what he has will be taken away from him. 13This is the reason I speak to the crowds in parables: because while [having the power of] seeing they do not see, and while [having the power of] hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand and grasp [spiritual things]. 14In them the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,
‘You will hear and keep on hearing, but never understand;
And you will look and keep on looking, but never comprehend;
15 For this nation’s heart has grown hard,
And with their ears they hardly hear,
And they have [tightly] closed their eyes,
Otherwise they would see with their eyes,
And hear with their ears,
And understand with their heart, and turn [to Me]
And I would heal them [spiritually].’
16 But blessed [spiritually aware, and favored by God] are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17I assure you and most solemnly say to you, many prophets and righteous men [who were honorable and in right standing with God] longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
The Sower Explained
18 “Listen then to the [meaning of the] parable of the sower: 19When anyone hears the word of the kingdom [regarding salvation] and does not understand and grasp it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road. 20The one on whom seed was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and at once welcomes it with joy; 21yet he has no [substantial] root in himself, but is only temporary, and when pressure or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he stumbles and falls away [abandoning the One who is the source of salvation]. 22And the one on whom seed was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the worries and distractions of the world and the deceitfulness [the superficial pleasures and delight] of riches choke the word, and it yields no fruit. 23And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands and grasps it; he indeed bears fruit and yields, some a hundred times [as much as was sown], some sixty [times as much], and some thirty.”
Weeds among Wheat
24Jesus gave them another parable [to consider], saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed #Lit tares.weeds [resembling wheat] among the wheat, and went away. 26So when the plants sprouted and formed grain, the weeds appeared also. 27The servants of the owner came to him and said, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? Then how does it have weeds in it?’ 28He replied to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants asked him, ‘Then do you want us to go and pull them out?’ 29But he said, ‘No; because as you pull out the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30Let them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “First gather the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”
The Mustard Seed
31He gave them another parable [to consider], saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; 32and of all the seeds [planted in the region] it is the smallest, but when it has grown it is the largest of the garden herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air find shelter in its branches.”
The Leaven
33He told them another parable, “The kingdom of heaven is like #This is the first time leaven is mentioned in the New Testament. See Ex 12:15 for the first mention of leaven in the Old Testament. The Hebrew word (seor) refers specifically to the leavening agent (as opposed to dough containing it), which today is thought of as yeast, a type of fungi. In Jewish thinking, leaven was symbolic of impurity and corruption. Jesus used it as a symbol for the corrupt and hypocritical teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees (see especially Luke 12:1; cf Matt 16:11; Mark 8:15), but He also used leaven’s ability to permeate a mass of dough many times its own size as an illustration of the spread of the kingdom of heaven as here and in Luke 13:21.leaven, which a woman took and worked into three #A measure was about a peck and a half, which would be enough bread to feed a hundred people.measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”
34All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables, and He said nothing to them without [using] a parable. 35This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet:
“I will open My mouth in parables;
I will utter things [unknown and unattainable] that have been hidden [from mankind] since the foundation of the world.”
The Weeds Explained
36Then He left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him saying, “Explain [clearly] to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” 37He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, 38and the field is the world; and [as for] the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the weeds are the sons of the evil one; 39and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels. 40So just as the weeds are gathered up and burned in the fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend [those things by which people are led into sin], and all who practice evil [leading others into sin], 42and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping [over sorrow and pain] and grinding of teeth [over distress and anger]. 43Then the righteous [those who seek the will of God] will shine forth [radiating the new life] like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears [to hear], let him hear and heed My words.
Hidden Treasure
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like a [very precious] treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid again; then in his joy he goes and sells all he has and buys that field [securing the treasure for himself].
A Costly Pearl
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46and upon finding a single pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.
A Dragnet
47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet which was lowered into the sea, and gathered fish of every kind, 48and when it was full, they dragged it up on the beach; and they sat down and sorted out the good fish into baskets, but the worthless ones they threw away. 49So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50and throw the wicked into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping [over sorrow and pain] and grinding of teeth [over distress and anger].
51 “Have you understood all these things [in the lessons of the parables]?” They said to Jesus, “Yes.” 52He said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household, who brings out of his #God’s precepts, both the old and the new, contain truths to be treasured.treasure things that are new and fresh and things that are old and familiar.”
Jesus Revisits Nazareth
53When Jesus had finished these parables, He left there. 54And after coming to [Nazareth] His hometown, He began teaching them in their synagogue, and they were astonished, and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers [what is the source of His authority]? 55Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And are not His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56And His sisters, are they not [living here] among us? Where then did this Man get all this [wisdom and power]?” 57And they took offense at Him [refusing to believe in Him]. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.” 58And He did not do many miracles there [in Nazareth] because of their unbelief.
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Matthew 13
13
The Parable of the Sower
1 On that day Jesus went out of the house and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“went out”) has been translated as a finite verb was sitting by the sea.#That is, the Sea of Galilee 2And large crowds gathered close around him, so that he got into a boat to sit down, and all the crowd was standing on the shore. 3And he spoke many things to them in parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out to sow, 4and while he was sowing, some seed#Literally “some of which” fell on the side of the path, and the birds came and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“came”) has been translated as a finite verb devoured it. 5And other seed fell on the rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up at once because it did not have any depth of soil. 6But when#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“rose”) the sun rose it was scorched, and because it did not have enough root, it withered. 7And other seed fell among the thorn plants, and the thorn plants came up and choked it. 8But other seed fell on the good soil and produced grain,#Literally “fruit,” describing here the grain harvested from the healthy plants; in contemporary English this would more naturally be expressed by terms like “grain” or “crop” this one a hundred times as much and this one sixty and this one thirty. 9The one who has ears, let him hear!”
The Reason for the Parables
10And the disciples came up and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“came up”) has been translated as a finite verb said to him, “Why#Literally “because of what” do you speak to them in parables?” 11And he answered and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“answered”) has been translated as a finite verb said to them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to those people it has not been granted. 12For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have an abundance. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13For this reason I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand, 14and with reference to them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says,
“You will listen carefully#Literally “with hearing you will hear” and will never understand,
and you will look closely#Literally “seeing you will see” and will never perceive.
15For the heart of this people has become dull,
and with their ears they hear with difficulty,
and they have shut their eyes,
so that they would not see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, and I would heal them.”#A quotation from Isa 6:9–10
16But your eyes are blessed because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it,#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it!#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
The Parable of the Sower Interpreted
18“You, therefore, listen to the parable of the sower: 19When#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“hears”) anyone hears the word about the kingdom and does not understand it,#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is what was sown on the side of the path. 20And what was sown on the rocky ground—this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. 21But he does not have a root in himself, but lasts only a little while,#Literally “is temporary” and when#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“happens”) affliction or persecution happens because of the word, immediately he falls away. 22And what was sown into the thorn plants—this is the one who hears the word, and the anxiety of this world#Some manuscripts have “of the world” and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word and it becomes unproductive. 23But what was sown on the good soil—this is the one who hears the word and understands it,#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation who indeed bears fruit and produces, this one a hundred times as much, and this one sixty, and this one thirty.”
The Parable of the Weeds Among the Wheat
24He put before them another parable, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25But while his#Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun people were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed darnel#A weed that looks similar to wheat but has poisonous seeds in the midst of the wheat and went away. 26So when the wheat#Literally “grass,” “hay,” but in this context referring to the good plants as opposed to the weeds sprouted and yielded grain, then the darnel appeared also. 27So the slaves of the master of the house came and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“came”) has been translated as a finite verb said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have darnel?’ 28And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ So the slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“go”) has been translated as an English infinitive gather them?’ 29But he said, “No, lest when you#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“gather”) which is understood as temporal gather the darnel you uproot the wheat together with it. 30Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the season of the harvest I will tell the reapers, “First gather the darnel and tie it into bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my storehouse.” ’ ”
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
31He put before them another parable, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“took”) has been translated as a finite verb sowed in his field. 32It#Literally “which,” but a new sentence is started here in the English translation is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it is grown it is larger than the garden herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches.”
The Parable of the Yeast
33He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“took”) has been translated as a finite verb put into three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened.”
Parables Fulfill Prophecy
34Jesus spoke all these things to the crowds in parables, and he was saying nothing to them without a parable, 35in order that what was spoken through the prophet would be fulfilled, who said,
“I will open my mouth in parables;
I will proclaim what has been hidden since the creation.”#A quotation from Ps 78:2#Some manuscripts have “since the creation of the world”
The Parable of the Weeds Interpreted
36Then he left the crowds and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“left”) has been translated as a finite verb came into the house, and his disciples came to him saying, “Explain the parable of the darnel in the field to us.” 37So he answered and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“answered”) has been translated as a finite verb said, “The one who sows 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, but the darnel are the sons of the evil one. 39And the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40Thus just as the darnel is gathered and burned#Some manuscripts have “burned up” with fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41The Son of Man will send out his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom all the causes of sin and those who do lawless deeds, 42and throw them into the fiery furnace.#An allusion to Dan 3:6 In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth! 43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.#An allusion to Dan 12:3 The one who has ears, let him hear!
The Parable of the Treasure Hidden in a Field
44“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, that a man found and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“found”) has been translated as a finite verb concealed, and in his joy he goes and sells everything that he has and buys that field.
The Parable of the Valuable Pearl
45“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. 46And when he#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“found”) which is understood as temporal found one very valuable pearl, he went and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“went”) has been translated as a finite verb sold everything that he possessed and purchased it.
The Parable of the Dragnet
47“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation of every kind, 48which when it was filled they pulled to shore and sat down and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“sat down”) has been translated as a finite verb collected the good fish#*Here the word “fish” is not in the Greek text but is implied into containers, but the bad they threw out. 49Thus it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the evil from among the righteous 50and throw them into the fiery furnace.#An allusion to Dan 3:6 In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!
51“Have you understood all these things?” They said to him, “Yes.” 52And he said to them, “For this reason every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of the house who brings out of his storeroom new things and old things.”
Rejected at Nazareth
53And it happened that when Jesus had finished these parables he went away from there. 54And he came to his hometown and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“came”) has been translated as a finite verb began to teach#The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to teach”) them in their synagogue, so that they were amazed and said, “From where did this man get this wisdom and these miracles? 55Is not this one the son of the carpenter? Is not his mother called Mary and his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56And are not all his sisters with us? From where then did this man get all these things?” 57And they were offended by him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own hometown and in his own household.” 58And he did not perform many miracles in that place because of their unbelief.
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