Matthew 13
13
The Parable of the Sower
1On the same day Jesus went out of the house #Matt. 13:1–15; Mark 4:1–12; Luke 8:4–10and sat by the sea. 2#Luke 8:4And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that #Luke 5:3He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
3Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: #Luke 8:5“Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. 5Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. 6But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. 7And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. 8But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some #Gen. 26:12; Matt. 13:23a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9#Matt. 11:15; Mark 4:9; Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
The Purpose of Parables
10And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”
11He answered and said to them, “Because #(Matt. 11:25; 16:17); Mark 4:10, 11; (John 6:65; 1 Cor. 2:10; Col. 1:27; 1 John 2:20, 27)it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12#Matt. 25:29; Mark 4:25; Luke 8:18; 19:26For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:
#Is. 6:9, 10; Ezek. 12:2; Mark 4:12; Luke 8:10; John 12:40; Acts 28:26, 27; Rom. 11:8; (2 Cor. 3:14, 15)‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand,
And seeing you will see and not #(John 3:36)perceive;
15For the hearts of this people have grown dull.
Their ears #Ps. 119:70; Zech. 7:11; 2 Tim. 4:4; Heb. 5:11are hard of hearing,
And their eyes they have #Luke 19:42closed,
Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,
Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,
So that I should #Acts 28:26, 27heal them.’
16But #(Prov. 20:12; Matt. 16:17); Luke 10:23, 24; (John 20:29)blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; 17for assuredly, I say to you #John 8:56; Heb. 11:13; 1 Pet. 1:10, 11that many prophets and righteous men desired 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#Mark 4:13–20; Luke 8:11–15“Therefore hear the parable of the sower: 19When anyone hears the word #Matt. 4:23of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. 20But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately #Is. 58:2; Ezek. 33:31, 32; John 5:35receives it with joy; 21yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when #(Acts 14:22)tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately #Matt. 11:6; 2 Tim. 1:15he stumbles. 22Now #Matt. 19:23; Mark 10:23; Luke 18:24; 1 Tim. 6:9; 2 Tim. 4:10he who received seed #Jer. 4:3among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. 23But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears #(John 15:5); Phil. 1:11; Col. 1:6fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares
24Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. 26But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 27So 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?’ 28He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ 29But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30Let 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 #Matt. 3:12gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
31Another parable He put forth to them, saying: #(Is. 2:2, 3; Mic. 4:1); Mark 4:30; Luke 13:18, 19“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, 32which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a #Ps. 104:12; Ezek. 17:22–24; 31:3–9; Dan. 4:12tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”
The Parable of the Leaven
33#Luke 13:20, 21Another parable He spoke to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till #(1 Cor. 5:6; Gal. 5:9)it was all leavened.”
Prophecy and the Parables
34#Mark 4:33, 34; John 10:6; 16:25All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them, 35that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:
#Ps. 78:2“I will open My mouth in parables;
#Rom. 16:25, 26; 1 Cor. 2:7; Eph. 3:9; Col. 1:26I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world.”
The Parable of the Tares Explained
36Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.”
37He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38#Matt. 24:14; 28:19; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:47; Rom. 10:18; Col. 1:6The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are #Gen. 3:15; John 8:44; Acts 13:10the sons of the wicked one. 39The enemy who sowed them is the devil, #Joel 3:13; Rev. 14:15the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. 40Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. 41The Son of Man will send out His angels, #Matt. 18:7; 2 Pet. 2:1, 2and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, 42#Matt. 3:12; Rev. 19:20; 20:10and will cast them into the furnace of fire. #Matt. 8:12; 13:50There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43#(Dan. 12:3; 1 Cor. 15:42, 43, 58)Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. #Matt. 13:9He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
The Parable of the Hidden Treasure
44“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and #Phil. 3:7, 8sells all that he has and #(Is. 55:1; Rev. 3:18)buys that field.
The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price
45“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, 46who, when he had found #Prov. 2:4; 3:14, 15; 8:10, 19one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
The Parable of the Dragnet
47“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and #Matt. 22:9, 10gathered some of every kind, 48which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. 49So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, #Matt. 25:32separate the wicked from among the just, 50and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
51Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all these things?”
They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”
52Then He said to them, “Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure #Song 7:13things new and old.”
Jesus Rejected at Nazareth
53Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there. 54#Ps. 22:22; Matt. 2:23; Mark 6:1; Luke 4:16; John 7:15When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? 55#Is. 49:7; Mark 6:3; (Luke 3:23); John 6:42Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And #Matt. 12:46His brothers #Mark 15:40James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? 56And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?” 57So they #Matt. 11:6; Mark 6:3, 4were offended at Him.
But Jesus said to them, #Luke 4:24; John 4:44“A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.” 58Now #Mark 6:5, 6; John 5:44, 46, 47He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
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Matthew 13: NKJV
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.