Matthew 13
1 That same day, after Jesus went out from the house, he sat by the lake,a 2 and a crowd gathered around him so large that he got into a boat and sat down, with the whole crowd on the shore. 3 He said many things to them in parables:b
“Listen carefully!c Once, someone went out to plant seed. 4 As the person scattered the seed, some of it landed along the path, and birds came and devoured it. 5 Other seeds landed on rockd where they had only a thin layer of soil. The seedlings grew up right away because they were not deep in the soil. 6 When the sun rose, they were scorched, and they wilted because they had no roots. 7 Other seeds landed among the thorn bushes, and the thorn bushes grew and choked the seedlings. 8 Finally, other seeds landed in fertile soil and produced crops, some multiplying by a hundred, some by sixty, and some by thirty. 9 Whoever has ears, listen!”
10 His students approached him and asked, “Why are you speaking to them with parables?”
11 He answered, “Because you’ve been given understanding of the mysteries of the Heavenly Reign, but it hasn’t been given to them. 12 You see, whoever has some understanding, more will be given and it will be filled to overflowing, but whoever doesn’t have any understanding will have even what they do have taken from them. 13 Here’s why I speak to them with parables: They see but don’t see. They hear but don’t hear or put things together, 14 and what Isaiah the prophet said is truly being brought aboute where he said,
With hearing, you will hear but you will not put things together,f
And with seeing, you will see but you will not recognize.g
15 Because the heart of this people has grown numb,
And they have shut their eyes;
Otherwise, they would recognize with their eyes
And listen with their ears
And put things togetherh with their hearts
And they would turn back, and I would restorei them.j
16 But your eyes have reason for gratitude because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 I’m telling you, honestly, many prophets and teachers longed to see what you see but didn’t recognize it, and to hear what you hear but didn’t listen.”
18 “Therefore, listen to the parable of planting seeds. 19 This is the seed planted along the path: Every time someone hears the message of the Reign and doesn’t put things together, hardshipk comes and snatches away what had been planted in their heart. 20 The seeds planted on the rock with shallow soil—this is those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy, 21 but since it hasn’t taken rootl within them, it’s only momentary;m when oppression or persecutionn happen because of the message, they falter immediately. 22 Now, the seeds in the thorn bushes—this is whoever hears the message but the concerns of this Ageo and love for wealth choke out the message, and it doesn’t produce any crop. 23 Finally, the seeds planted in the fertile soil—this is whoever hears the message and puts things together; they will produce crops, some multiplying by a hundred, some by sixty, and some by thirty.”
24 He presented another parablep to them: “The Heavenly Reign is like a person who planted the properq seeds in their field, 25 but while everyone was asleep, a malicious personr came and planted darnels among the wheat and went away. 26 When the plants sprouted and produced grain, the darnel also appeared. 27 Then the enslaved laborers came to the landowner and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you plant the proper seed in your field? So where did the darnel come from?’ 28 ‘A malicious person has done this!’ he declared. Then the enslaved laborers asked him, ‘So, do you want us to go pull it out?’ 29 But he told them, ‘No, pulling out the darnel might also uproot the wheat with it. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time, tell the harvesters, “First pull out the darnel and tie it in bundles to be burned, and then gather the wheat in my barn.”’”
31 He presented another parable to them: “The Heavenly Reign is like a mustard seed, which someone planted in their field. 32 It’s the tiniest of seeds,t but when it’s grown, it is a hugeu garden plant and becomes a large shrub, so that birds come from the heavens and live in its branches.”
33 He told them another parable: “The Heavenly Reign is like yeast, which a woman mixed into three satav of flour until all of it had been leavened.”
34 Jesus said all these things to the crowd in parables, and he did not speak to them without a parable. 35 In that way, what the prophet said was lived out where he said, "I will open my mouth with parables; I will announce publicly what has been hidden, since the founding of the world."w
36 Then Jesusx dismissed the crowds and went back into the house. His students approached him and said, “Explain the parable of darnel in the field to us.” 37 So he answered, “The one who planted the proper seed is the Son of Humanity, 38 the field is the whole world,y and this proper seed is the childrenz of the Reign. The darnel is the children of harm,aa 39 the malicious person who plants them is the False Accuser, the harvest is the completionbb of the age, and the harvesters are messengers.cc 40 Therefore, just as the darnel is collected and burned up in a fire, that’s how it will be at the completion of the age. 41 The Son of Humanity will commission his messengers, and they will collect out from his Reign everything that trips people up and those who do what is against the Torah.dd 42 They will throw them into the fiery furnace;ee There will be weeping and teeth gnashing there. 43 Then those who live justlyff will shine like the sun in their Father’s Reign.gg Whoever has ears, listen!
44 “The Heavenly Reign is like valuables hidden in a field, which a person found and hid them again and, in their excitement, went and sold everything they owned and bought that field.
45 “Again, the Heavenly Reign is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. 46 When they found a highly valuable one, they went out and sold everything they had and bought it.
47 “Again, the Heavenly Reign is like a fishing net thrown into the sea, catching all kinds of fish. 48 When it was full, the fishing crew pulled it up on the shore, and after they sat down, they sorted the suitable ones into containers, and they threw the worthless ones away. 49 This is how it will be when the age is complete. The messengers will go out and identify those who cause hardship from among those who live justlyhh 50 and throw them into the fiery furnace;ii there will be weeping and teeth gnashing there.
51 “Are you putting things together?”
“Yes,” they replied.
52 So he told them, “That’s why every Bible scholar who becomes a student in the Heavenly Reign is like someone who owns a house and pours outjj old and new things from the storeroom.”
53 When Jesus had come to the end of these parables, he moved on from there. 54 He came to his hometownkk and began to teach them in their synagogue, and it shocked them. They asked, “Where are this wisdom and these powerful acts from? 55 Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother named Miriam and his brothers Jacob,ll Joseph, Simeon, and Judah?mm 56 And aren’t all his sisters with us? Then where are these things coming from?” 57 And they were tripped up by him.
So Jesus said to them, “Only in their hometown and in their own house is a prophet disregarded.”nn 58 He did not do many powerful acts there because of their lack of trust.
FOOTNOTES:
a This is in reference to the Sea of Galilee. It is freshwater, so technically not a ‘sea’ in the modern definition; however, the Ancient Near Eastern classifications were not the same as today.
b A parable is a short, straightforward story that uses everyday scenarios and relatable characters to convey a deeper message or lesson. In the Bible, Jesus often used parables as teaching tools, helping people grasp essential spiritual truths and life insights in a way that was accessible and memorable. Rather than providing direct answers, parables invite listeners to ponder and draw connections to their own lives, sparking personal reflection and understanding. While some parables may be presented like allegories—stories in which each element has a specific symbolic meaning, like a farmer representing God—most parables don’t work this way. Instead, they aim to communicate a central truth or theme without requiring readers to match each part of the story to a specific counterpart.
c The Greek is idou, which literally means ‘look.’ It is an idiomatic way to catch the audience’s attention and point out that something noteworthy is happening.
d The ‘rocky ground’ in Palestine is limestone right under the surface.
e Traditionally, ‘fulfilled.’ It could be translated as something like ‘given a fuller meaning.’ It literally means ‘filled full.’ Much like ‘order fulfillment’ when purchasing an order to be delivered, it means to act on something and bring it to reality in a new way.
f Or ‘make the connection’ or ‘understand’ or ‘realize’
g The Greek words for ‘see’ (blepo) and ‘recognize’ (eidon) are both words that can be translated as ‘see,’ but eidon is also used to convey ‘coming to know’ or ‘understanding’ or ‘recognizing’ something.
h Or ‘make the connection’ or ‘understand’ or ‘realize’
i Or ‘heal’ or ‘make whole’
j Citation of Isaiah 6:9-10
k Traditionally, ‘evil.’ The Greek term poneros, includes a range of meanings beyond moral depravity, including harm, decay, and burden. Rooted in ponos—which conveys toil, suffering, and hardship—poneros emphasizes oppressive, harmful conditions. Rather than simply moral "evil," this term often indicates harmful external impacts, focusing on social and personal harm rather than abstract judgment.
l Literally, ‘it has no root’
m Or ‘temporary’ or ‘fleeting’
n This word carries the idea of pursuing someone to harm them, like harassment or ‘hunting them down’ or finding violent or corrupt ways to make their life harder or even take their life.
o Literally, this is ‘age’ as in ‘aeon’ or ‘era.’ Some versions translate it as ‘worldly’ which reflects the idea behind it as ‘the way things are’ in this Age. However, it is not kosmos which is the usual word for ‘world.’
p A parable is a short, straightforward story that uses everyday scenarios and relatable characters to convey a deeper message or lesson. In the Bible, Jesus often used parables as teaching tools, helping people grasp essential spiritual truths and life insights in a way that was accessible and memorable. Rather than providing direct answers, parables invite listeners to ponder and draw connections to their own lives, sparking personal reflection and understanding. While some parables may be presented like allegories—stories in which each element has a specific symbolic meaning, like a farmer representing God—most parables don’t work this way. Instead, they aim to communicate a central truth or theme without requiring readers to match each part of the story to a specific counterpart.
q This word is kalos, which has been elsewhere translated as ‘healthy’ and ‘appealing’ and ‘excellent.’ It carries a meaning of something positive, typically with an outwardly apparent aspect to its positive quality.
r Traditionally, ‘an enemy.’ It’s important to note that the word echthros is someone who has enmity toward you and acts on that enmity, not someone for whom you have enmity.
s Darnel is a poisonous weed that looks like wheat until after the ears of grain appear.
t It is demonstrably not the very smallest seed planted by farmers of the region. This phrase is hyperbole to make a point with the contrast.
u Traditionally, ‘greatest’ or ‘largest.’ Again, it is demonstrably not the largest plant in gardens of the region, so this another instance of hyperbole to make a point with the contrast.
v Three sata (singular saton) was about 50 pounds. Saton was the Greek word for the Hebrew seah.
w Citation of Psalm 78:2
x Literally, ‘he’
y The Greek kosmos can be translated as ‘world’ but could also be translated as ‘universe.’ In some places, it is translated as ‘The World System.’ Here it means where everyone lives.
z The most direct translation is ‘sons,’ but the word huios was also regularly used more figuratively to refer to an heir or descendants more broadly as well as those who were dedicated to following a particular movement or figure and emulating them.
aa Traditionally, ‘evil.’ The Greek term poneros, includes a range of meanings beyond moral depravity, including harm, decay, and burden. Rooted in ponos—which conveys toil, suffering, and hardship—poneros emphasizes oppressive, harmful conditions. Rather than simply moral "evil," this term often indicates harmful external impacts, focusing on social and personal harm rather than abstract judgment.
bb This isn’t just the word telos for ‘end’ but is suntelia which is more about ‘completion’ or bringing something to fruition.
cc The word angelos means ‘messenger,’ possibly used for spirit beings, but also used for human agents of God (or other people) and sometimes even for natural phenomena. It conveys the meaning of someone authorized to speak—or act—on behalf of another. If the reader wants to read these messengers (acting on God’s behalf) as celestial beings, great. If as humans, great. The word angelos, even for spirit-beings, is a job title, not a ‘species’ classification. The work of Michael S. Heiser is a great source of information on this topic.
dd Very literally, it’s something like “those who do the not-law.” The Greek term nomos, traditionally translated as "law," is rendered here as "Torah" because it is referring to the Hebrew "Torah"—the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, including teachings, stories, and instructions. "Torah" stems from a Hebrew root meaning "to guide" or "to throw," symbolizing divine guidance as instruction rather than a legalistic rule. This translation approach preserves the Jewish context and conveys Torah's role as a guiding revelation rather than a restrictive legal code.
ee Citation of Daniel 3:6
ff The Greek term dikaios, traditionally translated as “righteous,” fundamentally describes a condition of alignment with divine justice and relational integrity. Dikaios signifies more than personal virtue; it describes congruence with ethical or moral standards that are socially visible and enacted, in harmony with God’s standards of justice, particularly as defined by the Torah. This alignment is about embodying justice in ways that honor and uplift those who are vulnerable and marginalized.
gg Citation of Daniel 12:3 and possibly also an allusion to Daniel 3:25. Both 12:3 and 3:25 are about people who help those whom the fire was intended to burn. Jesus wants those who know Daniel to hear that the ‘wheat’ are there to shine so brightly as to inspire the many ‘darnel’ to come over to being just.
hh The Greek term dikaios, traditionally translated as “righteous,” fundamentally describes a condition of alignment with divine justice and relational integrity. Dikaios signifies more than personal virtue; it describes congruence with ethical or moral standards that are socially visible and enacted, in harmony with God’s standards of justice, particularly as defined by the Torah. This alignment is about embodying justice in ways that honor and uplift those who are vulnerable and marginalized.
ii Reference to Daniel 3:6
jj Or ‘takes out’ or ‘throws outside’
kk This is referring to Nazareth.
ll Traditionally: ‘James.’ The Greek is Iakob, which is the same as it uses for Jacob, son of Isaac and Jacob grandfather of Jesus. Jacob is the English name as it came through German, and James is the English name as it came through French. That way, it turned into two names in English, but it started as the same name in Hebrew and Greek.
mm All the typical spellings of the names are English renderings of Greek versions of Hebrew names.
nn The Greek word atimos traditionally translates as "without honor" or "dishonored," but its core meaning includes lacking recognition, status, or respect within a social context. In this passage, the sense implies a dismissal of the prophet's authority or value rather than active dishonor.