Matthew 13
Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Parable of the Sower
13 On that day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting by the sea.(A) 2 Such large crowds gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat down, while the whole crowd stood on the shore.(B)
3 Then He told them many things in parables,(C) saying: “Consider the sower who went out to sow. 4 As he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and ate them up. 5 Others fell on rocky ground, where there wasn’t much soil, and they sprang up quickly since the soil wasn’t deep. 6 But when the sun came up they were scorched, and since they had no root, they withered. 7 Others fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them. 8 Still others fell on good ground and produced a crop: some 100, some 60, and some 30 times what was sown.(D) 9 Anyone who has ears[a] should listen!”(E)
Why Jesus Used Parables
10 Then the disciples(F) came up and asked Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”(G)
11 He answered them, “Because the secrets of the kingdom of heaven have been given for you to know,(H) but it has not been given to them. 12 For 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.(I) 13 For this reason I speak to them in parables, because looking they do not see,(J) and hearing they do not listen or understand.(K) 14 Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:
You will listen and listen,
yet never understand;
and you will look and look,
yet never perceive.(L)
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,
understand with their hearts
and turn back—
and I would cure them.(M)[b]
16 “But your eyes are blessed(N) because they do see, and your ears because they do hear!(O) 17 For I assure you: Many prophets and righteous people longed to see the things you see yet didn’t see them; to hear the things you hear yet didn’t hear them.(P)
The Parable of the Sower Explained
18 “You, then, listen to the parable of the sower:(Q) 19 When anyone hears the word[c] 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.(R) 20 And the one sown on rocky ground—this is one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy.(S) 21 Yet he has no root in himself, but is short-lived. When pressure or persecution(T) comes because of the word, immediately he stumbles. 22 Now the one sown among the thorns—this is one who hears the word, but the worries of this age(U) and the seduction[d] of wealth(V) choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 23 But the one sown on the good ground—this is one who hears and understands the word, who does bear fruit and yields: some 100, some 60, some 30 times what was sown.”
The Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds
24 He presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.(W) 25 But while people were sleeping, his enemy came, sowed weeds[e] among the wheat, and left. 26 When the plants sprouted and produced grain, then the weeds also appeared. 27 The landowner’s slaves(X) 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 gather them up?’ the slaves asked him.
29 “‘No,’ he said. ‘When you gather up the weeds, you might also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let 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 store the wheat in my barn.’”
The Parables of the Mustard Seed and of the Yeast
31 He(Y) presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven(Z) is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. 32 It’s the smallest of all the seeds, but when grown, it’s taller than the vegetables and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches.”(AA)
33 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into 50 pounds[f] of flour until it spread through all of it.”[g](AB)
Using Parables Fulfills Prophecy
34 Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables, and He would not speak anything to them without a parable,(AC) 35 so 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.(AD)[h]
Jesus Interprets the Wheat and the Weeds
36 Then He dismissed the crowds and went into the house. His disciples approached Him and said, “Explain the parable of the weeds in the field to us.”(AE)
37 He replied: “The One who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; 38 the field is the world; and the good seed—these are the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one,(AF) 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the Devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.(AG) 40 Therefore, just as the weeds are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age.(AH) 41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather from His kingdom everything that causes sin[i] and those guilty of lawlessness.[j](AI) 42 They will throw them into the blazing furnace(AJ) where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.(AK) 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s kingdom. Anyone who has ears[k] should listen!(AL)
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.(AM)
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. 46 When he found one priceless[l] pearl, he went and sold everything he had, and bought it.(AN)
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,(AO) 48 and when it was full, they dragged it ashore, sat down, and gathered the good fish into containers, but threw out the worthless ones. 49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out, separate the evil people from the righteous,(AP) 50 and throw them into the blazing furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.(AQ)
The Storehouse of Truth
51 “Have you understood all these things?”[m]
“Yes,” they told Him.
52 “Therefore,” He said to them, “every student of Scripture[n] instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who brings out of his storeroom what is new and what is old.”(AR) 53 When Jesus had finished these parables, He left there.
Rejection at Nazareth
54 He went to His hometown(AS) and began to teach them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “How did this wisdom and these miracles come to Him?(AT) 55 Isn’t this the carpenter’s son?(AU) Isn’t His mother called Mary, and His brothers James,(AV) Joseph,[o] Simon, and Judas?(AW) 56 And His sisters, aren’t they all with us? So where does He get all these things?” 57 And they were offended by Him.
But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his household.”(AX) 58 And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.
Footnotes
- Matthew 13:9 Other mss add to hear
- Matthew 13:15 Is 6:9-10
- Matthew 13:19 Gk logos = word, or message, or saying, or thing
- Matthew 13:22 Or pleasure, or deceitfulness
- Matthew 13:25 Or darnel, a weed similar in appearance to wheat in the early stages
- Matthew 13:33 Lit 3 sata; about 40 quarts
- Matthew 13:33 Or until all of it was leavened
- Matthew 13:35 Ps 78:2
- Matthew 13:41 Or stumbling
- Matthew 13:41 Or those who do lawlessness
- Matthew 13:43 Other mss add to hear
- Matthew 13:46 Or very precious
- Matthew 13:51 Other mss add Jesus asked them
- Matthew 13:52 Or every scribe
- Matthew 13:55 Other mss read Joses; Mk 6:3
Matthew 13
Lexham English Bible
The Parable of the Sower
13 On that day Jesus went out of the house and[a] was sitting by the sea.[b] 2 And large crowds gathered close around him, so that he got into a boat to sit down, and all the crowd was standing on the shore. 3 And he spoke many things to them in parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out to sow, 4 and while he was sowing, some seed[c] fell on the side of the path, and the birds came and[d] devoured it. 5 And other seed fell on the rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up at once because it did not have any depth of soil. 6 But when[e] the sun rose it was scorched, and because it did not have enough root, it withered. 7 And other seed fell among the thorn plants, and the thorn plants came up and choked it. 8 But other seed fell on the good soil and produced grain,[f] this one a hundred times as much and this one sixty and this one thirty. 9 The one who has ears, let him hear!”
The Reason for the Parables
10 And the disciples came up and[g] said to him, “Why[h] do you speak to them in parables?” 11 And he answered and[i] 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[j] and will never understand,
and you will look closely[k] 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.”[l]
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,[m] and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it![n]
The Parable of the Sower Interpreted
18 “You, therefore, listen to the parable of the sower: 19 When[o] anyone hears the word about the kingdom and does not understand it,[p] the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is what was sown on the side of the path. 20 And what was sown on the rocky ground—this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. 21 But he does not have a root in himself, but lasts only a little while,[q] and when[r] affliction or persecution happens because of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 And what was sown into the thorn plants—this is the one who hears the word, and the anxiety of this world[s] and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word and it becomes unproductive. 23 But what was sown on the good soil—this is the one who hears the word and understands it,[t] who indeed bears fruit and produces, this one a hundred times as much, and this one sixty, and this one thirty.”
The Parable of the Weeds Among the Wheat
24 He put before them another parable, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while his[u] people were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed darnel[v] in the midst of the wheat and went away. 26 So when the wheat[w] sprouted and yielded grain, then the darnel appeared also. 27 So the slaves of the master of the house came and[x] said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have darnel?’ 28 And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ So the slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and[y] gather them?’ 29 But he said, “No, lest when you[z] gather the darnel you uproot the wheat together with it. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the season of the harvest I will tell the reapers, “First gather the darnel and tie it into bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my storehouse.”’”
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
31 He put before them another parable, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and[aa] sowed in his field. 32 It[ab] is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it is grown it is larger than the garden herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches.”
The Parable of the Yeast
33 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and[ac] put into three measures of wheat flour until the whole batch was leavened.”
Parables Fulfill Prophecy
34 Jesus spoke all these things to the crowds in parables, and he was saying nothing to them without a parable, 35 in order that what was spoken through the prophet would be fulfilled, who said,
“I will open my mouth in parables;
I will proclaim what has been hidden since the creation.”[ad][ae]
The Parable of the Weeds Interpreted
36 Then he left the crowds and[af] came into the house, and his disciples came to him saying, “Explain the parable of the darnel in the field to us.” 37 So he answered and[ag] said, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, 38 and 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. 39 And the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40 Thus just as the darnel is gathered and burned[ah] with fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom all the causes of sin and those who do lawless deeds, 42 and throw them into the fiery furnace.[ai] In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth! 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.[aj] The one who has ears, let him hear!
The Parable of the Treasure Hidden in a Field
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, that a man found and[ak] concealed, and in his joy he goes and sells everything that he has and buys that field.
The Parable of the Valuable Pearl
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. 46 And when he[al] found one very valuable pearl, he went and[am] sold everything that he possessed and purchased it.
The Parable of the Dragnet
47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish[an] of every kind, 48 which when it was filled they pulled to shore and sat down and[ao] collected the good fish[ap] into containers, but the bad they threw out. 49 Thus it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the evil from among the righteous 50 and throw them into the fiery furnace.[aq] In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!
51 “Have you understood all these things?” They said to him, “Yes.” 52 And he said to them, “For this reason every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of the house who brings out of his storeroom new things and old things.”
Rejected at Nazareth
53 And it happened that when Jesus had finished these parables he went away from there. 54 And he came to his hometown and[ar] began to teach[as] them in their synagogue, so that they were amazed and said, “From where did this man get this wisdom and these miracles? 55 Is not this one the son of the carpenter? Is not his mother called Mary and his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56 And are not all his sisters with us? From where then did this man get all these things?” 57 And they were offended by him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own hometown and in his own household.” 58 And he did not perform many miracles in that place because of their unbelief.
Footnotes
- Matthew 13:1 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“went out”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 13:1 That is, the Sea of Galilee
- Matthew 13:4 Literally “some of which”
- Matthew 13:4 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“came”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 13:6 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“rose”)
- Matthew 13:8 Literally “fruit,” describing here the grain harvested from the healthy plants; in contemporary English this would more naturally be expressed by terms like “grain” or “crop”
- Matthew 13:10 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“came up”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 13:10 Literally “because of what”
- Matthew 13:11 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“answered”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 13:14 Literally “with hearing you will hear”
- Matthew 13:14 Literally “seeing you will see”
- Matthew 13:15 A quotation from Isa 6:9–10
- Matthew 13:17 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- Matthew 13:17 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- Matthew 13:19 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“hears”)
- Matthew 13:19 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- Matthew 13:21 Literally “is temporary”
- Matthew 13:21 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“happens”)
- Matthew 13:22 Some manuscripts have “of the world”
- Matthew 13:23 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- Matthew 13:25 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
- Matthew 13:25 A weed that looks similar to wheat but has poisonous seeds
- Matthew 13:26 Literally “grass,” “hay,” but in this context referring to the good plants as opposed to the weeds
- Matthew 13:27 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“came”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 13:28 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“go”) has been translated as an English infinitive
- Matthew 13:29 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“gather”) which is understood as temporal
- Matthew 13:31 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“took”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 13:32 Literally “which,” but a new sentence is started here in the English translation
- Matthew 13:33 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“took”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 13:35 A quotation from Ps 78:2
- Matthew 13:35 Some manuscripts have “since the creation of the world”
- Matthew 13:36 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“left”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 13:37 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“answered”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 13:40 Some manuscripts have “burned up”
- Matthew 13:42 An allusion to Dan 3:6
- Matthew 13:43 An allusion to Dan 12:3
- Matthew 13:44 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“found”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 13:46 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“found”) which is understood as temporal
- Matthew 13:46 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“went”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 13:47 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- Matthew 13:48 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“sat down”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 13:48 Here the word “fish” is not in the Greek text but is implied
- Matthew 13:50 An allusion to Dan 3:6
- Matthew 13:54 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“came”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 13:54 The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to teach”)
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