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Matthew 13

The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.

And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.

And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:

And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:

But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?

He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:

For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.

When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;

Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:

But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.

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?

He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?

But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.

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.

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:

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.

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.

All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:

That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.

Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.

He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;

The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;

The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.

As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.

The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;

And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:

Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:

Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.

So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,

And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord.

Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.

And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence.

And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?

Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?

And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?

And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.

And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

What does Matthew 13:35 mean?

Explanation

Matthew 13:35 refers to Jesus' use of parables as a means to convey spiritual truths. Parables are simple stories used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson.

The verse suggests that this method of teaching was intended to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet.

The "prophet" mentioned is most likely a reference to Asaph, a psalmist who is credited with writing Psalms 78:2 which says, "I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old." The deeper meaning implies that certain divine truths were hidden or "kept secret from the foundation of the world" and that Jesus is revealing them through his parables.

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Historical Context

Matthew 13:35 is set within the context of Jesus' ministry on earth, particularly his teaching in parables to the multitudes that followed him.

This form of teaching was common in the Jewish tradition, as rabbis often used stories to explain complex ideas.

Parables could both reveal and conceal truths; listeners who were open to understanding could discern the deeper meanings, while those who were not receptive or were hard-hearted would simply hear a story without grasping its significance.

Theological Insights

Different theological viewpoints focus on why Jesus spoke in parables.

Some believe that parables were used to veiled truths from those not meant to understand them, as a form of judgment. Others see parables as a merciful way to teach, providing only as much light as the listeners were prepared to receive.

Additionally, theologians often discuss the "mysteries of the kingdom of heaven" mentioned in Matthew 13 as truths made known to believers but hidden from nonbelievers.

Practical Applications

Practically, this verse reminds believers of the profoundness of Jesus' teachings and challenges them to seek the deeper meanings in His words.

The use of parables suggests that not all spiritual truths are immediately obvious and invites Christians to reflect and meditate on scripture for greater understanding.

It also underscores the importance of being open and receptive to divine truths, encouraging a humble and teachable spirit.

Cross-References

Psalms 78:2 – "I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old;"
Mark 4:11 – "And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:"
Luke 8:10 – "And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand."

Language Study

The original Greek language used in Matthew 13:35 contains significant terms that deepen our understanding of the verse:

"Open my mouth in parables" (Greek: "anoixō to stoma mou en parabolais"): This suggests a deliberate action to begin speaking in a way that uses symbolic stories.
"Utter things which have been kept secret" (Greek: "ereuxomai kekrummena"): This phrase implies revealing or proclaiming things that have been hidden or concealed.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

The use of parables and allegories to convey spiritual truth is not unique to Christianity.

Similar to the Biblical parables, many ancient mythologies used symbolic stories to express universal truths, such as Aesop's fables in ancient Greece or the parables found in Buddhism like those in the Jataka tales which are stories of the Buddha's past lives.

Scientific Perspectives

Modern science recognizes the power of storytelling in conveying complex concepts.

Narrative is an effective means to engage cognitive processing in ways that straightforward exposition often cannot.

This aligns with Jesus' use of parables to embed spiritual truths into people's memories and provoke insight and reflection.

Commentaries

Scholars and experts have analyzed Matthew 13:35 through various lenses.

Some commentaries focus on the fulfillment of prophecy aspect, noting the messianic role Jesus fulfills by using parables. Others delve into the pedagogical style of Jesus, remarking on how parables effectively engage listeners to think deeply and internalize messages.

Moreover, some commentators review the verse in light of God's plan to gradually reveal the mysteries of the Kingdom, proposing that Jesus marks a pivotal point in this unveiling.

Matthew 13

Matthew 13

What does Matthew 13:35 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Matthew Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does Matthew 13:35 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Matthew Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?