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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 13:42 mean?

Explanation

The verse Matthew 13:42 comes from the parable of the weeds, where Jesus compares the Kingdom of Heaven to a man who sowed good seed in his field.

This verse specifically refers to the final judgment, where the angels will separate the evil from the righteous. The 'furnace of fire' symbolizes a place of punishment and the 'wailing and gnashing of teeth' denotes extreme regret and suffering.

This verse emphasizes the finality and severity of the judgment for those deemed wicked, contrasting their fate with the righteous who will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father (Matthew 13:43).

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Historical Context

Matthew 13:42 was written in the first century AD and is part of a series of parables that Jesus taught to a large crowd.

This particular parable speaks to the presence of good and evil in the world and the eventual separation that will occur at the end of the age.

The historical context of this time was marked by Roman occupation of Judea and significant religious and political tension among the Jewish people.

The concept of a fiery furnace is reminiscent of the ancient Near Eastern practices of severe punishment and also echoes the fiery furnace from the Book of Daniel where Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are placed but miraculously saved by God.

Theological Insights

Different theological interpretations have been offered for Matthew 13:42.

In traditional Christian theology, this verse supports the belief in a final judgment and the concept of hell as a place of eternal punishment for the wicked.

Evangelical interpretations often view this as a call to repentance and a life aligned with Gospel teachings to avoid such a fate.

Some other Christian traditions consider the imagery more metaphorically and focus on the transformative aspect of God's judgment. A universalist view questions the eternal nature of the punishment, considering instead the implications of God's ultimate redemptive plan.

Practical Applications

This verse can serve as a caution against complacency in spiritual matters and an inducement to ethical behavior.

It encourages self-reflection on one's actions and their alignment with Christian values.

It further urges believers to consider the eventual consequences of their actions, pointing towards the importance of seeking forgiveness and salvation.

The verse can also motivate engagement with evangelism and social justice, highlighting the urgency of addressing both spiritual and physical needs in the world.

Cross-References

Matthew 25:41: "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:"
Revelation 20:15: "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."
Matthew 13:50: "And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth."
Matthew 22:13: "Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Language Study

In the original Greek text, key words such as "furnace" (κάμινον - kaminon) and "fire" (πυρός - pyros) carry connotations of destruction and purification.

"Wailing" (κλαυθμός - klauthmos) conveys intense sorrow, and "gnashing of teeth" (βρυγμός - brugmos) depicts anguish or grinding of teeth in anger or despair. These terms accentuate the severity of the punishment intended for the wicked.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

The imagery of fire as a means of punishment or purification is common across various cultures and religious traditions.

In ancient Mesopotamia, for example, the gods would use fire to punish or cleanse.

In Greek mythology, the Fields of Punishment in Hades contain fiery aspects for the souls of the wicked.

Compared to other religious interpretations such as reincarnation in Hinduism or Buddhism, this Christian narrative underscores a definite end-point of judgment.

Scientific Perspectives

Modern scientific understanding does not encompass the supernatural elements described in Matthew 13:42.

The concepts of a soul, afterlife, and divine judgment are beyond the scope of empirical science.

Discussions around the verse in a scientific context may focus on the psychological impact of belief in such concepts, the historical development of hell as an idea, and the use of fire imagery in various religious and cultural traditions worldwide.

Commentaries

Biblical scholars often address the role of parables to convey Jesus' teachings and the urgency of repentance.

Commentaries on Matthew 13:42 tend to emphasize the eschatological theme, highlighting the belief in an ultimate reckoning.

They may also explore the agrarian metaphors prevalent in Jesus’ parables and their effectiveness in transmitting the message to the first-century agrarian society.

Conservative scholars likely focus on the literal interpretation, while more liberal scholars may interpret the verse symbolically, suggesting it serves to illustrate the gravity of moral choices rather than depict a physical locale.

Matthew 13

Matthew 13

What does Matthew 13:42 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 13:42 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?