Matthew 13
13
The Parable of the Sower
1That same day Jesus went out of the house #For ver. 1-15, see Mark 4:1-12; Luke 8:4-10and sat beside the sea. 2And great crowds gathered about him, #[Mark 3:9; Luke 5:1-3]so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3And #ver. 34 he told them many things in parables, saying: #[Isa. 55:10; Amos 9:13]“A sower went out to sow. 4And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6but #James 1:11 when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, #John 15:6they withered away. 7Other seeds fell among #Jer. 4:3thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some #ver. 23; Gen. 26:12a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9#See ch. 11:15He who has ears,#13:9 Some manuscripts add here and in verse 43 to hear let him hear.”
The Purpose of the Parables
10Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11And he answered them, #ch. 19:11; Col. 1:27; [1 Cor. 2:6-10; 1 John 2:20, 27]; See ch. 11:25 “To you it has been given to know #See Rom. 16:25the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12#ch. 25:29; Mark 4:25; Luke 8:18; 19:26; [John 15:2; James 4:6] For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, #[Rev. 2:5]even what he has will be taken away. 13This is why I speak to them in parables, because #Deut. 29:4; Jer. 5:21; Ezek. 12:2; Rom. 11:8; 2 Cor. 3:14; 4:4; [Isa. 42:19, 20] seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, #ver. 19, 51; ch. 15:10; 16:12; Mark 8:21nor do they understand. 14Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:
#
John 12:40; Acts 28:26, 27; Cited from Isa. 6:9, 10 “‘“You will indeed hear but never understand,
and you will indeed see but never perceive.”
15 For this people’s heart has grown dull,
and with their ears #[Heb. 5:11] they can barely hear,
and #[John 9:39, 41] their eyes they have closed,
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and #[Rom. 10:10] understand with their heart
and # See Luke 22:32 turn, and I would heal them.’
16 But #
Luke 10:23, 24; [ch. 16:17] blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17#[See ver. 16 above] For truly, I say to you, #Heb. 11:13; 1 Pet. 1:10-12; [John 8:56]many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
The Parable of the Sower Explained
18 # For ver. 18-23, see Mark 4:13-20; Luke 8:11-15 “Hear then the parable of the sower: 19When anyone hears the word of #ver. 38; ch. 4:23; 8:12 the kingdom and #See ver. 13 does not understand it, #John 17:15; Eph. 6:16; 2 Thess. 3:3; 1 John 2:13, 14; 3:12; 5:18, 19the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. 20As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately #[Isa. 58:2; Ezek. 33:31, 32; Mark 6:20; John 5:35]receives it with joy, 21yet he has no root in himself, but #Gal. 1:6; [Hos. 6:4; Gal. 5:7] endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately #See ch. 11:6he falls away.#13:21 Or stumbles 22As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but #See ch. 6:25 the cares of #2 Tim. 4:10 the world and #1 Tim. 6:9, 10, 17; [ch. 19:23; Mark 10:23; Acts 5:1-11; Heb. 3:13]the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 23As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and #[See ver. 19 above] understands it. He indeed #Hos. 14:8; John 15:5, 16; Phil. 1:11; Col. 1:6 bears fruit and yields, in one case #ver. 8a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
The Parable of the Weeds
24He put another parable before them, saying, #ver. 37-42; [Mark 4:26-29]“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds#13:25 Probably darnel, a wheat-like weed among the wheat and went away. 26So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27And the servants#13:27 Or bondservants; also verse 28 of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ 28He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29But he said, #[1 Cor. 4:5]‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, #ch. 3:12“Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”
The Mustard Seed and the Leaven
31He put another parable before them, saying, #For ver. 31, 32, see Mark 4:30-32; Luke 13:18, 19 “The kingdom of heaven is like #ch. 17:20; Luke 17:6a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. 32It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”
33He told them another parable. #Luke 13:20, 21 “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in #Gen. 18:6 three measures of flour, till it was #1 Cor. 5:6; Gal. 5:9all leavened.”
Prophecy and Parables
34 # ver. 3; Mark 4:33, 34; [John 16:25, 29] All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable. 35This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet:#13:35 Some manuscripts Isaiah the prophet
# Cited from Ps. 78:2 “I will open my mouth in parables;
# [ver. 11; Rom. 16:25, 26; 1 Cor. 2:7] I will utter what has been hidden #ch. 25:34; Luke 11:50; [John 17:24; Eph. 1:4; 1 Pet. 1:20]since the foundation of the world.”
The Parable of the Weeds Explained
36Then he left the crowds and went into #ver. 1 the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, #ver. 24-30; [ch. 15:15]“Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” 37He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38The field is the world, and the good seed is #[ver. 43] the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are #John 8:44; Acts 13:10; 1 John 3:10; [ch. 23:15]; See ver. 19the sons of the evil one, 39and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. #Joel 3:13; Rev. 14:15 The harvest is #ver. 49; ch. 24:3; 28:20; [Dan. 12:13; Heb. 9:26]the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40Just as the weeds #John 15:6; [ch. 3:12] are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at #[See ver. 39 above]the end of the age. 41#ch. 24:31 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all #ch. 18:7; [Zeph. 1:3] causes of sin and #ch. 7:23all law-breakers, 42#ver. 50; Rev. 9:2; [Rev. 19:20; 20:10] and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place #See ch. 8:12there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43Then #Prov. 4:18; Dan. 12:3; [1 Cor. 15:41, 42] the righteous will shine like the sun #[ver. 38; ch. 25:34; 26:29; Luke 12:32] in the kingdom of their Father. #See ch. 11:15He who has ears, let him hear.
The Parable of the Hidden Treasure
44 “The kingdom of heaven #
Prov. 2:4 is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy # [ch. 25:9; Prov. 23:23; Phil. 3:7, 8] he goes and sells all that he has and # [Isa. 55:1; Rev. 3:18] buys that field.
The Parable of the Pearl of Great Value
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46who, on finding #ch. 7:6 one pearl of great value, #[See ver. 44 above] went and sold all that he had and #[See ver. 44 above]bought it.
The Parable of the Net
47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is # ch. 4:19 like a net that was thrown into the sea and # [ver. 38; ch. 22:10; 25:2] gathered fish of every kind. 48When it was full, #John 21:11men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. 49So it will be at #See ver. 39 the end of the age. The angels will come out and #ch. 25:32; [ver. 41]separate the evil from the righteous 50#See ver. 42and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place #See ver. 42there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
New and Old Treasures
51 # ver. 10-16; [John 10:6; 16:29] “Have you understood all these things?” They said to him, “Yes.” 52And he said to them, “Therefore every #ch. 23:34 scribe #ch. 28:19 who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who #[ch. 12:35]brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”
Jesus Rejected at Nazareth
53And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there, 54#For ver. 54-58, see Mark 6:1-6; [Luke 4:16-30] and coming to #ch. 2:23; Luke 4:23 his hometown #See ch. 4:23 he taught them in their synagogue, so that #See ch. 7:28they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 55#[Luke 4:22; John 6:42] Is not this #[Mark 6:3] the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not #See ch. 12:46his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57And #See ch. 11:6 they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, #Luke 4:24; John 4:44; [Jer. 11:21; 12:6; John 7:5]“A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.” 58And he did not do many mighty works there, #[ch. 17:20]because of their unbelief.
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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Matthew 13
13
1 THAT SAME day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting beside the sea.
2 But such great crowds gathered about Him that He got into a boat and remained sitting there, while all the throng stood on the shore.
3 And He told them many things in parables (stories by way of illustration and comparison), saying, A sower went out to sow.
4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell by the roadside, and the birds came and ate them up.
5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they had not much soil; and at once they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil.
6 But when the sun rose, they were scorched, and because they had no root, they dried up and withered away.
7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them out.
8 Other seeds fell on good soil, and yielded grain–some a hundred times as much as was sown, some sixty times as much, and some thirty.
9 He who has ears [to hear], let him be listening and let him consider and perceive and comprehend by hearing.
10 Then the disciples came to Him and said, Why do You speak to them in parables?
11 And He replied to them, To you it has been given to know the secrets and mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.
12 For whoever has [spiritual knowledge], to him will more be given and he will be furnished richly so that he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
13 This is the reason that I speak to them in parables: because having the power of seeing, they do not see; and having the power of hearing, they do not hear, nor do they grasp and understand.
14 In them indeed is the process of fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah, which says: You shall indeed hear and hear but never grasp and understand; and you shall indeed look and look but never see and perceive.
15 For this nation's heart has grown gross (fat and dull), and their ears heavy and difficult of hearing, and their eyes they have tightly closed, lest they see and perceive with their eyes, and hear and comprehend the sense with their ears, and grasp and understand with their heart, and turn and I should heal them. [Isa. 6:9, 10.]
16 But blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) are your eyes because they do see, and your ears because they do hear.
17 Truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous men [men who were upright and in right standing with God] yearned to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
18 Listen then to the [meaning of the] parable of the sower:
19 While anyone is hearing the Word of the kingdom and does not grasp and comprehend it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the roadside.
20 As for what was sown on thin (rocky) soil, this is he who hears the Word and at once welcomes and accepts it with joy;
21 Yet it has no real root in him, but is temporary (inconstant, lasts but a little while); and when affliction or trouble or persecution comes on account of the Word, at once he is caused to stumble [he is repelled and begins to distrust and desert Him Whom he ought to trust and obey] and he falls away.
22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is he who hears the Word, but the cares of the world and the pleasure and delight and glamour and deceitfulness of riches choke and suffocate the Word, and it yields no fruit.
23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is he who hears the Word and grasps and comprehends it; he indeed bears fruit and yields in one case a hundred times as much as was sown, in another sixty times as much, and in another thirty.
24 Another parable He set forth before them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.
25 But while he was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed also darnel (weeds resembling wheat) among the wheat, and went on his way.
26 So when the plants sprouted and formed grain, the darnel (weeds) appeared also.
27 And the servants of the owner came to him and said, Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? Then how does it have darnel shoots in it?
28 He replied to them, An enemy has done this. The servants said to him, Then do you want us to go and weed them out?
29 But he said, No, lest in gathering the wild wheat (weeds resembling wheat), you root up the [true] wheat along with it.
30 Let them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will say to the reapers, Gather the darnel first and bind it in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my granary.
31 Another story by way of comparison He set forth before them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field.
32 Of all the seeds 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 come and find shelter in its branches.
33 He told them another parable: The kingdom of heaven is like leaven (sour dough) which a woman took and covered over in three measures of meal or flour till all of it was leavened. [Gen. 18:6.]
34 These things all taken together Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, without a parable He said nothing to them.
35 This was in fulfillment of what was spoken by the prophet: I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things that have been hidden since the foundation of the world. [Ps. 78:2.]
36 Then He left the throngs and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him saying, Explain to us the parable of the darnel in the field.
37 He answered, He Who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.
38 The field is the world, and the good seed means the children of the kingdom; the darnel is the children of the evil one,
39 And the enemy who sowed it is the devil. The harvest is the close and consummation of the age, and the reapers are angels.
40 Just as the darnel (weeds resembling wheat) is gathered and burned with fire, so it will be at the close of the age.
41 The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all causes of offense [persons by whom others are drawn into error or sin] and all who do iniquity and act wickedly,
42 And will cast them into the furnace of fire; there will be weeping and wailing and grinding of teeth.
43 Then will the righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with God) shine forth like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let him who has ears [to hear] be listening, and let him consider and perceive and understand by hearing. [Dan. 12:3.]
44 The kingdom of heaven is like something precious buried 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.
45 Again the kingdom of heaven is like a man who is a dealer in search of fine and precious pearls,
46 Who, on finding a single pearl of great price, went and sold all he had and bought it.
47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet which was cast into the sea and gathered in fish of every sort.
48 When it was full, men dragged it up on the beach, and sat down and sorted out the good fish into baskets, but the worthless ones they threw away.
49 So it will be at the close and consummation of the age. The angels will go forth and separate the wicked from the righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with God)
50 And cast them [the wicked] into the furnace of fire; there will be weeping and wailing and grinding of teeth.
51 Have you understood all these things [parables] taken together? They said to Him, Yes, Lord.
52 He said to them, Therefore every teacher and interpreter of the Sacred Writings who has been instructed about and trained for the kingdom of heaven and has become a disciple is like a householder who brings forth out of his storehouse treasure that is new and [treasure that is] old [the fresh as well as the familiar].
53 When Jesus had finished these parables (these comparisons), He left there.
54 And coming to His own country [Nazareth], He taught in their synagogue so that they were amazed with bewildered wonder, and said, Where did this Man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?
55 Is not this the carpenter's Son? Is not His mother called Mary? And are not His brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?
56 And do not all His sisters live here among us? Where then did this Man get all this?
57 And they took offense at Him [they were repelled and hindered from acknowledging His authority, and caused to stumble]. But Jesus said to them, A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.
58 And He did not do many works of power there, because of their unbelief (their lack of faith in the divine mission of Jesus).
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