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
The Parable of the Sower
(Mark 4:1–9; Luke 8:4–8)
1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. 2Such large crowds gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat down, while all the people stood on the shore.
3And He told them many things in parables, saying, “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.
5Some fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun rose, the seedlings were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.
7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the seedlings.
8Still other seed fell on good soil and produced a crop—a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold.
9He who has ears,#13:9 BYZ and TR ears to hear; also in verse 43 let him hear.”
The Purpose of Jesus’ Parables
(Isaiah 6:1–13; Mark 4:10–12; Luke 8:9–10)
10Then the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Why do You speak to the people in parables?”
11He replied, “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13This is why I speak to them in parables:
‘Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.’#13:13 See Deuteronomy 29:4, Isaiah 42:20, Jeremiah 5:21, and Ezekiel 12:2.
14In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled:
‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15For this people’s heart has grown callous;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts,
and turn, and I would heal them.’#13:15 Isaiah 6:9–10 (see also LXX)
16But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
The Parable of the Sower Explained
(Mark 4:13–20; Luke 8:11–15)
18Consider, then, the parable of the sower: 19When anyone hears the message of the kingdom but does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown #13:19 Literally the one sown; also in verses 20, 22, and 23 along the path.
20The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21But since he has no root, he remains for only a season. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.
22The seed sown among the thorns is the one who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
23But the seed sown on good soil is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and produces a crop—a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold.”
The Parable of the Weeds
(Ezekiel 17:1–10)
24Jesus put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25But while everyone was asleep, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and slipped away. 26When the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the weeds also appeared.
27The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’
28‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.
So the servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
29‘No,’ he said, ‘if you pull the weeds now, you might uproot the wheat with them. 30Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat into my barn.’”
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
(Mark 4:30–34; Luke 13:18–19)
31He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man planted in his field. 32Although it is the smallest of all seeds, yet it grows into the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”
The Parable of the Leaven
(Luke 13:20–21)
33He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and mixed into three measures of flour, until all of it was leavened.”
I Will Open My Mouth in Parables
(Psalms 78:1–72)
34Jesus spoke all these things to the crowds in parables. He did not tell them anything without using a parable. 35So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet:
“I will open My mouth in parables;
I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world.”#13:35 Psalms 78:2 (see also LXX); SBL, NE, and WH do not include of the world.
The Parable of the Weeds Explained
(Zephaniah 1:1–6)
36Then Jesus dismissed the crowds and went into the house. His disciples came to Him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”
37He replied, “The One who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38The field is the world, and the good seed represents the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
40As the weeds are collected 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 weed out of His kingdom every cause of sin and all who practice lawlessness. 42And they will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.#13:43 See Daniel 12:3.
He who has ears, let him hear.
The Parables of the Treasure and the Pearl
44The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and in his joy he went and sold all he had and bought that field.
45Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. 46When he found one very precious pearl, he went away and sold all he had and bought it.
The Parable of the Net
47Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was cast into the sea and caught all kinds of fish. 48When it was full, the men pulled it ashore. Then they sat down and sorted the good fish into containers, but threw the bad away.
49So will it be at the end of the age: The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous, 50and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51Have you understood all these things?”
“Yes,” they answered.
52Then He told them, “For this reason, every scribe who has been discipled in the kingdom of heaven is like a homeowner who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”
The Rejection at Nazareth
(Mark 6:1–6; Luke 4:16–30)
53When Jesus had finished these parables, He withdrew from that place. 54Coming to His hometown, He taught the people in their synagogue, and they were astonished. “Where did this man get such wisdom and miraculous powers?” they asked. 55“Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t His mother’s name Mary, and aren’t His brothers James, Joseph,#13:55 BYZ and TR Joses; see Mark 6:3. Simon, and Judas? 56Aren’t all His sisters with us as well? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57And they took offense at Him.
But Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown and in his own household is a prophet without honor.” 58And He did not do many miracles there, because of their unbelief.
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The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible, BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee. This text of God's Word has been dedicated to the public domain.