Matthew 13:24-33
New King James Version
The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares
24 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. 26 But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 27 So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but (A)gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”
The Parable of the Mustard Seed(B)
31 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: (C)“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, 32 which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a (D)tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”
The Parable of the Leaven(E)
33 (F)Another parable He spoke to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three [a]measures of meal till (G)it was all leavened.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Matthew 13:33 Gr. sata, same as a Heb. seah; approximately 2 pecks in all
Matthew 13:24-33
Amplified Bible
Weeds among Wheat
24 Jesus gave them another parable [to consider], saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed [a]weeds [resembling wheat] among the wheat, and went away. 26 So when the plants sprouted and formed grain, the weeds appeared also. 27 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 weeds in it?’ 28 He replied to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants asked him, ‘Then do you want us to go and pull them out?’ 29 But he said, ‘No; because as you pull out the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let 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
31 He 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;(A) 32 and 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.”(B)
The Leaven
33 He told them another parable, “The kingdom of heaven is like [b]leaven, which a woman took and worked into three [c]measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”(C)
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- Matthew 13:25 Lit tares.
- Matthew 13:33 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.
- Matthew 13:33 A measure was about a peck and a half, which would be enough bread to feed a hundred people.
Matthew 13:24-33
Authorized (King James) Version
24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: 25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? 28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? 29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
31 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: 32 which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.
33 Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.
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Matthew 13:24-33
1599 Geneva Bible
24 ¶ [a]Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a man which sowed good seed in his field.
25 But while men slept, there came his enemy and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
26 And when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
27 Then came the servants of the householder, and said unto him, Master, sowest thou not good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?
28 And he said unto them, Some envious man hath done this. Then the servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
29 But he said, Nay, lest while ye go about to gather the tares, ye pluck up also with them the wheat.
30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and in time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye first the tares, and bind them in sheaves to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
31 ¶ (A)[b]Another parable he put forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a grain of mustard seed, which a man taketh and soweth in his field:
32 Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and it is a tree, so that the birds of heaven come and build in the branches thereof.
33 ¶ (B)Another parable spake he to them, The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman taketh and hideth in three pecks of meal, till all be leavened.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Matthew 13:24 Christ showeth in another parable of the evil seed mixed with the good, that the Church shall never be free and quit from offences, both in doctrine and manners, until the day appointed for the restoring of all things to come, and therefore the faithful have to arm themselves with patience and constancy.
- Matthew 13:31 God beginneth his kingdom with very small beginnings, to the end that by the growing on of it, beside the expectation and hope of all men, his mighty power and working may be the more set forth.
Matthew 13:24-33
Young's Literal Translation
24 Another simile he set before them, saying: `The reign of the heavens was likened to a man sowing good seed in his field,
25 and, while men are sleeping, his enemy came and sowed darnel in the midst of the wheat, and went away,
26 and when the herb sprang up, and yielded fruit, then appeared also the darnel.
27 `And the servants of the householder, having come near, said to him, Sir, good seed didst thou not sow in thy field? whence then hath it the darnel?
28 And he saith to them, A man, an enemy, did this; and the servants said to him, Wilt thou, then, [that] having gone away we may gather it up?
29 `And he said, No, lest -- gathering up the darnel -- ye root up with it the wheat,
30 suffer both to grow together till the harvest, and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather up first the darnel, and bind it in bundles, to burn it, and the wheat gather up into my storehouse.'
31 Another simile he set before them, saying: `The reign of the heavens is like to a grain of mustard, which a man having taken, did sow in his field,
32 which less, indeed, is than all the seeds, but when it may be grown, is greatest of the herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the heaven do come and rest in its branches.'
33 Another simile spake he to them: `The reign of the heavens is like to leaven, which a woman having taken, hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.'
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