Matthew 13
13
The Parable of the Sower
1On that day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting by the sea.#Mk 4:1–12; Lk 8:4–10 2Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, while the whole crowd stood on the shore.#Mk 3:9; Lk 5:3
3Then he told them many things in parables,#Mt 13:10,34–36; 15:15; 21:33,45; 22:1; 24:32; Mk 4:2 saying, “Consider the sower who went out to sow. 4As he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it grew up quickly since the soil wasn’t deep. 6But when the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. 7Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it. 8Still other seed fell on good ground and produced fruit: some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times what was sown.#Gn 26:12; Mt 13:23 9Let anyone who has ears#13:9 Other mss add to hear listen.”#Mt 11:15; 13:43; Lk 8:8; 14:35; Rv 2:7,11,17,29; 3:6,13,22
Why Jesus Used Parables
10Then the disciples#Mt 9:10; Mk 10:10; Lk 6:1; Jn 6:3; Ac 6:1 came up and asked him, “Why are you speaking to them in parables?” #Mt 13:35; 15:15; 21:33,45; 22:1; 24:32
11He answered, “Because the secrets of the kingdom of heaven have been given for you to know,#Mt 11:25; 19:11; Jn 6:65; 1Co 2:10; Col 1:27; 1Jn 2:20,27 but it has not been given to them. 12For whoever has, more will be given to him, and he will have more than enough; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.#Mt 25:29; Lk 8:18; 19:26; Jn 15:2; Jms 4:6 13That is why I speak to them in parables, because looking they do not see,#Dt 29:4; Is 42:19–20; Jr 5:21; Ezk 12:2 and hearing they do not listen or understand.#Mt 15:10; 16:12; 17:13; Mk 8:21 14Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:
You will listen and listen,
but never understand;
you will look and look,
but never perceive. #
Is 6:9; Mk 4:12; Lk 8:10; Jn 12:40; Ac 28:26–27; Rm 11:8
15 For this people’s heart has grown callous;
their ears are hard of hearing,
and they have shut their eyes;
otherwise they might see with their eyes,
and hear with their ears, and
understand with their hearts,
and turn back —
and I would heal them. # 13:14–15 Is 6:9–10 #
Is 6:10; Mt 15:8; Heb 5:11
16 “Blessed are your eyes #
Lk 10:23–24
because they do see, and your ears because they do hear.#Mt 16:17; Jn 20:29 17For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see the things you see but didn’t see them, to hear the things you hear but didn’t hear them.#Jn 8:56; Heb 11:13; 1Pt 1:10–12
The Parable of the Sower Explained
18 “So listen to the parable of the sower: #
Mk 4:13–20; Lk 8:11–15 19When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one sown along the path.#Mt 4:23; 5:37; 6:13 20And the one sown on rocky ground — this is one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy.#Is 58:2; Ezk 33:31–32; Mk 6:20; Jn 5:35 21But he has no root and is short-lived. When distress or persecution#Mk 4:17; 10:30; Ac 8:1; 13:50; Rm 8:35; 2Co 12:10 comes because of the word, immediately he falls away. 22Now the one sown among the thorns — this is one who hears the word, but the worries of this age#Rm 12:2; 2Tm 4:10; 1Jn 2:15 and the deceitfulness#13:22 Or pleasure of wealth#Mt 19:23; Mk 10:23; 1Tm 6:9–10; 2Tm 4:10 choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 23But the one sown on the good ground — this is one who hears and understands the word, who does produce fruit and yields: some a hundred, some sixty, some thirty times what was sown.”
The Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds
24He presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.#Mt 18:23; 20:1; 25:1; Mk 4:26,30 25But while people were sleeping, his enemy came, sowed weeds among the wheat, and left. 26When the plants sprouted and produced grain, then the weeds also appeared. 27The landowner’s servants#Mt 10:24; Col 3:11; 4:1; Rv 1:1 came to him and said, ‘Master, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Then where did the weeds come from?’
28 “‘An enemy did this,’ he told them.
“‘So, do you want us to go and pull them up? ’ the servants asked him.
29 “‘No,’ he said. ‘When you pull up the weeds, you might also uproot the wheat with them. 30Let both grow together until the harvest. At harvest time I’ll tell the reapers: Gather the weeds first and tie them in bundles to burn them, but collect the wheat in my barn.’”
The Parables of the Mustard Seed and of the Leaven
31He#Mk 4:30–32; Lk 13:18–19 presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven#Mt 13:24; 17:20; Lk 17:6 is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. 32It’s the smallest of all the seeds, but when grown, it’s taller than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches.”#Ps 104:12; Ezk 17:23; 31:6; Dn 4:12
33He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven#13:33 Or yeast that a woman took and mixed into fifty pounds#13:33 Lit three sata; about forty liters of flour until all of it was leavened.”#Gn 18:6; Lk 13:21; Gl 5:9
Using Parables Fulfills Prophecy
34Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables, and he did not tell them anything without a parable,#Mk 4:34; Jn 10:6; 16:25 35so that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled:
I will open my mouth in parables;
I will declare things kept secret
from the foundation of the world.#13:35 Some mss omit of the world#13:35 Ps 78:2#Ps 78:2; Rm 16:25–26; 1Co 2:7; Eph 3:9; Col 1:26
Jesus Interprets the Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds
36Then he left the crowds and went into the house. His disciples approached him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”#Mt 13:3; 15:15; 21:33,45; 22:1; 24:32
37He replied, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; 38the field is the world; and the good seed — these are the children of the kingdom. The weeds are the children of the evil one,#Mt 8:12; Jn 8:44; Ac 13:10; 1Jn 3:10 39and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.#Jl 3:13; Heb 9:26; Rv 14:15 40Therefore, just as the weeds are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age.#Mt 24:3; 28:20 41The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom all who cause sin#13:41 Or stumbling and those guilty of lawlessness.#13:41 Or those who do lawlessness#Zph 1:3; Mt 8:20; 18:7; 24:31 42They will throw them into the blazing furnace#Rv 1:15; 9:2 where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.#Mt 8:12; Rv 19:20; 20:10 43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. Let anyone who has ears#13:43 Other mss add to hear listen.#Dn 12:3; Mt 11:15; 1Co 15:42
The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and of the Priceless Pearl
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure, buried in a field, that a man found and reburied. Then in his joy he goes and sells everything he has and buys that field. #
Is 55:1; Php 3:7–8; Rv 3:18
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. 46When he found one priceless#13:46 Or very precious pearl, he went and sold everything he had and bought it.#Pr 2:4; Mt 7:6
The Parable of the Net
47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a large net thrown into the sea. It collected every kind of fish, #
Mt 3:2; 13:44; 22:10 48and when it was full, they dragged it ashore, sat down, and gathered the good fish into containers, but threw out the worthless ones. 49So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out, separate the evil people from the righteous,#Mt 13:39–40; 25:32 50and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.#Mt 8:12; 13:42
The Storehouse of Truth
51 “Have you understood all these things?” # 13:51 Other mss add Jesus asked them
They answered him, “Yes.”
52 “Therefore,” he said to them, “every teacher of the law#13:52 Or every scribe who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom treasures new and old.”#Mt 12:35; 28:19
Rejection at Nazareth
53When Jesus had finished these parables, he left there. 54He went to his hometown#Mk 6:1–6; Lk 4:16–30 and began to teach them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?#Mt 2:23; 4:23; 7:28 55Isn’t this the carpenter’s son?#Mt 13:55; Mk 6:3; Lk 3:23; Jn 6:42 Isn’t his mother called Mary, and his brothers James,#Jms 1:1; Jd 1 Joseph,#13:55 Other mss read Joses; Mk 6:3 Simon, and Judas?#Mt 12:46; Jn 7:5 56And his sisters, aren’t they all with us? So where does he get all these things?” 57And they were offended by him.
Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his household.”#Jr 11:21; 12:6; Lk 4:24; Jn 4:44 58And he did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.
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Matthew 13: CSB
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
Matthew 13
13
1And that same day Jesus went out from the house and sat down by the sea. 2And great crowds were gathered together to him, so that going on board ship himself he sat down, and the whole crowd stood on the shore. 3And he spoke to them many things in parables, saying, Behold, the sower went out to sow: 4and as he sowed, some grains fell along the way, and the birds came and devoured them; 5and others fell upon the rocky places where they had not much earth, and immediately they sprang up out of the ground because of not having any depth of earth, 6but when the sun rose they were burned up, and because of not having any root were dried up; 7and others fell upon the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them; 8and others fell upon the good ground, and produced fruit, one a hundred, one sixty, and one thirty. 9He that has ears, let him hear. 10And the disciples came up and said to him, Why speakest thou to them in parables? 11And he answering said to them, Because to you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of the heavens, but to them it is not given; 12for whoever has, to him shall be given, and he shall be caused to be in abundance; but he who has not, even what he has shall be taken away from him. 13For this cause I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear nor understand; 14and in them is filled up the prophecy of Esaias, which says, Hearing ye shall hear and shall not understand, and beholding ye shall behold and not see; 15for the heart of this people has grown fat, and they have heard heavily with their ears, and they have closed their eyes as asleep, lest they should see with the eyes, and hear with the ears, and understand with the heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 16But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear; 17for verily I say unto you, that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see the things which ye behold and did not see them, and to hear the things which ye hear and did not hear them. 18Ye, therefore, hear the parable of the sower. 19From every one who hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the wicked one comes and catches away what was sown in his heart: this is he that is sown by the wayside. 20But he that is sown on the rocky places — this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21but has no root in himself, but is for a time only; and when tribulation or persecution happens on account of the word, he is immediately offended. 22And he that is sown among the thorns — this is he who hears the word, and the anxious care of this life, and the deceit of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. 23But he that is sown upon the good ground — this is he who hears and understands the word, who bears fruit also, and produces, one a hundred, one sixty, and one thirty.
24Another parable set he before them, saying, The kingdom of the heavens has become like a man sowing good seed in his field; 25but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed darnel amongst the wheat, and went away. 26But when the blade shot up and produced fruit, then appeared the darnel also. 27And the bondmen of the householder came up and said to him, Sir, hast thou not sown good seed in thy field? whence then has it darnel? 28And he said to them, A man that is an enemy has done this. And the bondmen said to him, Wilt thou then that we should go and gather it up? 29But he said, No; lest in gathering the darnel ye should root up the wheat with it. 30Suffer both to grow together unto the harvest, and in time of the harvest I will say to the harvestmen, Gather first the darnel, and bind it into bundles to burn it; but the wheat bring together into my granary. 31Another parable set he before them, saying, The kingdom of the heavens is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field; 32which is less indeed than all seeds, but when it is grown is greater than herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of heaven come and roost in its branches. 33He spoke another parable to them: The kingdom of the heavens is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal until it had been all leavened. 34All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables, and without a parable he did not speak to them, 35so that that should be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from the world's foundation. 36Then, having dismissed the crowds, he went into the house; and his disciples came to him, saying, Expound to us the parable of the darnel of the field. 37But he answering said, He that 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 has sowed it is the devil; and the harvest is the completion of the age, and the harvestmen are angels. 40As then the darnel is gathered and is burned in the fire, thus it shall be in the completion of the age. 41The Son of man shall send his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all offences, and those that practise lawlessness; 42and they shall cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth. 43Then the righteous shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He that has ears, let him hear.
44The kingdom of the heavens is like a treasure hid in the field, which a man having found has hid, and for the joy of it goes and sells all whatever he has, and buys that field. 45Again, the kingdom of the heavens is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls; 46and having found one pearl of great value, he went and sold all whatever he had and bought it. 47Again, the kingdom of the heavens is like a seine which has been cast into the sea, and which has gathered together of every kind, 48which, when it has been filled, having drawn up on the shore and sat down, they gathered the good into vessels and cast the worthless out. 49Thus shall it be in the completion of the age: the angels shall go forth and sever the wicked from the midst of the just, 50and shall cast them into the furnace of fire; there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth. 51Jesus says to them, Have ye understood all these things? They say to him, Yea, Lord. 52And he said to them, For this reason every scribe discipled to the kingdom of the heavens is like a man that is a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.
53And it came to pass when Jesus had finished these parables he withdrew thence. 54And having come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, Whence has this man this wisdom and these works of power? 55Is not this the son of the carpenter? 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 has this man all these things? 57And they were offended in him. And Jesus said to them, A prophet is not without honour, unless in his country and in his house. 58And he did not there many works of power, because of their unbelief.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.