The Reason for the Parables

10 And the disciples came up and[a] said to him, “Why[b] do you speak to them in parables?” 11 And he answered and[c] 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. 12 For 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. 13 For this reason I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand, 14 and with reference to them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says,

You will listen carefully[d] and will never understand,
    and you will look closely[e] and will never perceive.
15 For 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.”[f]

16 But your eyes are blessed because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it,[g] and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it![h]

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 13:10 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“came up”) has been translated as a finite verb
  2. Matthew 13:10 Literally “because of what”
  3. Matthew 13:11 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“answered”) has been translated as a finite verb
  4. Matthew 13:14 Literally “with hearing you will hear”
  5. Matthew 13:14 Literally “seeing you will see”
  6. Matthew 13:15 A quotation from Isa 6:9–10
  7. Matthew 13:17 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  8. Matthew 13:17 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation

10 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”

11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven(A) has been given to you,(B) but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.(C) 13 This is why I speak to them in parables:

“Though seeing, they do not see;
    though hearing, they do not hear or understand.(D)

14 In them is fulfilled(E) the prophecy of Isaiah:

“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
    you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15 For this people’s heart has become calloused;
    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.’[a](F)

16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.(G) 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see(H) but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 13:15 Isaiah 6:9,10 (see Septuagint)