Matthew 13

1 That same day [on that specific day, at that time] Jesus [Joshua, God is salvation] went out [departed, came out] of the house [home, dwelling place] and sat [was seated, took a seat] by [beside, near] the sea [large body of water, Mediterranean]. word study 2 Such [great, large] large crowds [multitudes, gatherings] gathered [assembled, came together] around Him [to/with Him] that He got into a [the] boat [ship, vessel] and sat down [to teach, to rest], while all [the whole] the people [multitude, crowd] stood [were standing, remained] on the shore [beach, shoreline]. word study 3 And He told [spoke, shared] them many things [much, a great amount] in parables [stories that teach, comparisons], saying, “A farmer [sower, one who scatters seed] went out [came forth, departed] to sow [scatter seed, plant] his seed [the message of God, spiritual truth]. word study 4 And as he was sowing [scattering seed], some seed fell along the path [by the way side, beside the road], and the birds [fowls, flying creatures] came and devoured [ate up, consumed completely] it. word study 5 Some fell on [stony, rocky] rocky ground, where it did not have much [a large amount of] soil [earth, ground]. It sprang up quickly [immediately, straight away] because the soil [earth, ground] was shallow [lacking depth]. word study 6 But when the sun [the life-giving star] rose, the seedlings [young plants] were scorched [burned, parched], and they withered [dried up, became barren] because they had no [absence of] root [source of nourishment, foundation]. word study 7 Other seed [from a different source, various kinds] fell among thorns [prickly plants, briers], which grew up [ascended, sprang up] and choked [overwhelmed, suffocated] the seedlings [young plants, tender shoots]. word study 8 Still other seed [some seeds] fell on good [fair, beautiful] soil [ground, earth] and produced a crop [yielded fruit, brought forth grain]—a hundredfold [one hundred times as much, 100 times more], sixtyfold [sixty times as much], or thirtyfold [thirty times as much]. word study 9 He who has [possesses, holds] ears [the ability to hear and understand], let him hear [listen carefully, give attention].” word study 10 Then the disciples [who followed Jesus, learners] came to Jesus and asked, “Why do You speak [to utter words, teach] to the people [the crowd, them] in parables [stories that teach, illustrations, similes]?” word study 11 He replied, “The knowledge [insight, understanding] of the mysteries [secrets, hidden truths] of the kingdom [royal power, dominion] of heaven [the spiritual realm, God’s throne] has been given [bestowed, granted] to you, but not [it is not given] to them [those who are not privileged]. word study 12 Whoever [possesses spiritual understanding] has will be given more, and he will have [an overflowing abundance, more than enough] an abundance. Whoever [lacks spiritual insight] does not have, even what he has [possesses or thinks he has] will be taken away from him. word study 13 This is why [because of this reason, due to this circumstance] I speak to them in parables [stories that teach moral lessons, comparisons]: ‘Though seeing [perceiving with their eyes, yet not understanding], they do not see [truly perceive, discern]; though hearing [listening with their ears, yet not comprehending], they do not hear [listen attentively, obey] or understand [comprehend, grasp the meaning].’ word study 14 In them [as a fulfillment of God’s plan] the prophecy [a message from God, spoken through a prophet] of Isaiah [a prophet who spoke God’s words] is fulfilled [completed, brought to pass]: ‘You will be ever hearing [receiving sound, but not understanding] but never understanding [comprehending, perceiving the truth]; you will be ever seeing [perceiving with your eyes, but not discerning] but never perceiving [discerning, grasping the meaning]. word study 15 For this people’s heart [has become hardened, waxed gross] has grown callous [insensitive, unresponsive]; they hardly hear [listen, obey] with their ears [physical and spiritual], and they have closed [shut, refused to see] their eyes [physical and spiritual vision]. Otherwise they might see [perceive, understand] with their eyes [physical and spiritual], hear [listen, comprehend] with their ears [physical and spiritual], understand [comprehend, discern] with their hearts [the seat of thoughts, feelings, and emotions], and turn [repent, convert], and I would heal [cure, restore, make whole] them.’ word study 16 But blessed [happy, supremely fortunate] are your eyes [sight, vision, perception] because they see [perceive, understand, discern], and your ears [hearing, ability to comprehend] because they hear [listen, obey, respond to]. word study 17 For truly [verily, with utmost certainty] I tell you, many [a large multitude of] prophets [those who speak forth God’s will] and righteous [just, upright, innocent] men longed [desired deeply, yearned] to see [perceive, behold] what you see [are gazing at, witnessing] but did not see [were not granted sight of] it, and to hear [listen to, understand] what you hear [are perceiving with your ears] but did not hear [were not privileged to listen to] it. word study 18 Consider [hear, listen, and understand], then [in light of this, therefore], the parable [a story that teaches a moral lesson, comparing two things] of the sower [the one who scatters seed, figuratively or literally]: word study 19 When anyone [every person, all who] hears the message [word, logos] of the kingdom [God’s royal power, divine reign] but does not understand [comprehend, grasp] it, the evil one [wicked, bad] comes and snatches away [seizes, takes by force] what was sown [spread, scattered] in his heart [inner being, mind]. This is the seed [spiritual truth, divine word] sown [scattered, spread] along the path [road, way, odon, beside the way]. word study 20 The seed [sown upon the rocky places] sown on rocky [stony, shallow] ground is the one who hears [listens and understands] the word [Logos, message] and at once [immediately, with joy] receives it [takes and accepts] with joy [deep and lasting happiness]. word study 21 But since he has [no true, no deep] no root [the source of strength], he remains for only [a short time, temporarily] a season [lasting briefly]. When [tribulation, pressure] trouble or [unfair treatment, harassment] persecution [being pursued for one’s faith] comes because of the [message, teaching, divine word] word, he quickly [immediately, without hesitation] falls away [is offended, stumbles, becomes scandalized]. word study 22 The seed sown [in a thorny environment] among the thorns is the one who hears the word [Logos, the divine message], but the worries [cares, anxieties] of this life [age, worldly concerns] and the deceitfulness [false promises, seductiveness] of wealth [riches, material possessions] choke the word, and it becomes [is made, rendered] unfruitful [barren, without spiritual fruit]. word study 23 But the seed sown [scattered on] on good soil [fair, beautiful ground] is the one who hears [listens to, obeys] the word [Logos, the divine message] and understands [comprehends, grasps] it. He indeed bears [produces, yields] fruit [spiritual results, a harvest] and produces [brings forth, yields] a crop [a harvest, a yield]—a hundredfold [one hundred times more], sixtyfold [sixty times more], or thirtyfold [thirty times more].” word study 24 Jesus put before them [set forth, proposed] another [different, additional] parable [story, illustration]: “The kingdom [royal power, dominion] of heaven [the sky, God’s dwelling place] is like [similar to, comparable with] a man [a human being, person] who sowed [scattered, planted] good [beautiful, excellent] seed [offspring, descendants] in his field [land, countryside]. word study 25 But while everyone [all the people, men] was asleep [in a state of spiritual or physical slumber], his enemy [one who is hostile, an adversary] came [approached, arrived] and sowed [scattered seed, planted] weeds [tares, darnel, a type of harmful plant] among [in the midst of, surrounded by] the wheat [grain], and slipped away [departed, went his way]. word study 26 When [at a specific point in time] the wheat [grain] sprouted [to germinate] and bore [produced] grain [fruit], then [at that moment] the weeds [tares, darnel] also [too] appeared [became visible]. word study 27 The owner’s [householder, master of the estate] servants came to him and said, ‘Sir [lord, master], didn’t you sow [scatter seed] good [beautiful and fair] seed in your [belonging to you, thine] field [agricultural land, countryside]? Where [from what source, whence] then did the weeds [tares, darnel, evil plants] come from [originate, arise]?’ word study 28 ‘An enemy [a hostile person] did this,’ he replied. So the servants [slaves or attendants] asked him, ‘Do you want [to will or desire] us to go [to depart] and pull [to collect] them up [these things]?’ word study 29 ‘No [a strong denial],’ he said, ‘if you pull [gather, collect] the weeds [ta zizania, tares] now, you might [lest, in case] uproot [completely remove] the wheat [ton siton, grain] with them [ama, together]. word study 30 Let both [together, as one] grow together [simultaneously, in the same field] until the harvest [time of reaping, gathering]. At that time [opportune moment, season] I will tell the harvesters [reapers, gatherers]: First [before all else, initially] collect the weeds [tares, darnel] and tie them in bundles [sheaves, binds] to be burned [consumed by fire, destroyed]; then gather the wheat [grain, crop] into my barn [storehouse, granary].’” word study 31 He put before them another [different, additional] parable: “The kingdom [royal power, dominion] of heaven [the sky, God’s dwelling place] is like [similar to, comparable with] a mustard [a small seed] seed that a man [a human being] planted [sowed, scattered] in his field [a cultivated area]. word study 32 Although it is the smallest [least of all seeds] of all seeds, yet it grows [becomes larger, increases] into the largest [greatest among herbs] of garden plants and becomes [is transformed into] a tree, so that the birds [flying creatures, winged animals] of the air [heaven, the sky] come and nest [lodge, dwell] in its branches [small parts of the tree].” word study 33 He told them still another [different, additional] parable [illustrated story, moral lesson]: “The kingdom [royal power, dominion] of heaven [the sky, God’s dwelling place] is like [similar to, comparable with] leaven [yeast, a moral influence] that a woman [a female, a wife] took [received, accepted] and mixed [hid, put] into three [a specific number, a quantity] measures [pecks, units of dry measurement] of flour [the kind used for baking bread], until [till the time when] all [the whole, everything] of it was leavened [raised, influenced].” word study 34 Jesus [the Greek name for Joshua, meaning God is salvation] spoke all these things [referring to a specific person or thing] to the crowds [large groups of people, including multitudes] in parables [stories that teach moral lessons by comparing two things, such as illustrated stories]. He did not tell them [a strong denial, meaning not at all] anything [all or every thing] without using a parable. word study 35 So was fulfilled [came to pass, was accomplished] what was spoken [uttered, proclaimed] through [by means of, because of] the prophet [one who speaks for God]: “I will open [make known, reveal] My mouth [the source of my speech] in parables [stories, comparisons]; I will utter [speak aloud, proclaim] things [mysteries, truths] hidden [concealed, kept secret] since [from the time of, before] the foundation [beginning, creation] of the world [the universe, human existence].” word study 36 Then Jesus [sent away] dismissed the crowds [multitudes, large groups of people] and went into the house [home, a physical dwelling]. His disciples [learners, followers] came to Him and said, “Explain [declare, make clear] to us the parable [story that teaches a moral lesson] of the weeds [tares, darnel, a type of unwanted plant] in the field [countryside, a place of growth].” word study 37 He replied, “The One [who is the source of all good] who sows [scatters, plants] the good [beautiful, noble] seed [offspring, descendants] is the Son [child, descendant] of Man [a human, the representative of humanity]. word study 38 The field [the world with its inhabitants] is the world [the orderly arrangement of God’s creation], and the good seed [the sons of God, having God’s nature] represents the sons [children, descendants] of the kingdom [God’s royal power and dominion]. The weeds [tares, darnel, or cockle] are the sons [children, followers] of the evil one [the wicked one, the devil], word study 39 and the enemy [the devil, Satan] who sows them is the devil [the deceiver, adversary]. The harvest [the time of reaping, gathering] is the end [consummation, completion] of the age [a long period of time, eternity], and the harvesters [reapers, gatherers] are angels [messengers of God, heavenly beings]. word study 40 As the [tares, darnel, or weeds] weeds [a type of noxious plant] are collected [gathered, harvested] and burned [kindled, set on fire] in the fire [flames], so will it be at the [consummation] end of the age [a long period of time, or eternity]. word study 41 The Son of Man [the Messiah, God’s appointed King] will send out His angels [heavenly messengers, divine agents], and they will weed out [gather, collect, remove] of His kingdom [God’s royal power, dominion, reign] every cause of sin [stumbling block, offense, lawlessness] and all who practice [commit, do, make] lawlessness [wickedness, iniquity, rebellion against God]. word study 42 And they will throw [cast, toss] them into the fiery [blazing, of fire] furnace [oven], where [to that place] there will be weeping [intense crying, lamentation] and [also, additionally] gnashing [grinding] of teeth [in anger, pain, or frustration]. word study 43 Then [at that specific point in time] the righteous [just, fair, and innocent] will shine [be resplendent, like a light] like [as, when] the sun [the celestial body] in [within, among] the kingdom [God’s royal power and dominion] of their Father [the male parent, divine authority]. He who has [possesses, holds] ears [the ability to hear and understand], let him hear [listen carefully, comprehend]. word study 44 The kingdom [domain, royal power] of heaven [the spiritual realm, God’s throne] is like treasure [hidden riches, precious wealth] hidden [concealed, secret] in a field [a plot of land, the world]. When a man [a human being, an individual] found [discovered, stumbled upon] it, he hid [concealed, kept secret] it again, and in his joy [deep happiness, spiritual delight] he went and sold [gave up, exchanged] all he had [possessed, owned] and bought [purchased, acquired] that field [the land, the world]. word study 45 Again [once more, at another time], the kingdom [God’s royal power and dominion] of heaven [the sky, God’s home] is like [similar to, comparable with] a merchant [trader, one who buys and sells] in search [seeking diligently, looking for] of fine [beautiful, valuable] pearls [precious gems, highly valued treasures]. word study 46 When he found [came across, discovered] one very [extremely, highly] precious [valuable, costly] pearl [a valuable gemstone], he went away [departed, left] and sold [disposed of, exchanged] all [everything, every possession] he had [possessed, owned] and bought [purchased, acquired] it [the pearl, this treasure]. word study 47 Once again [from the beginning, anew], the kingdom [God’s royal power and dominion] of heaven [the sky, God’s dwelling place] is like [similar to, comparable with] a net [a dragnet or seine] that was cast [thrown, tossed] into the sea [the vast ocean] and caught [gathered, collected] all kinds [every sort, various types] of fish [living creatures]. word study 48 When it was full [completely filled, satisfied], the men pulled it ashore [to the beach, onto the land]. Then they sat down [to rest, to seat themselves] and sorted the good [fair, beautiful] fish into containers [vessels, jars], but threw the bad [rotten, worthless] away [outside, into rejection]. word study 49 So will it be at the end [consummation, completion] of the age [a long period of time, eternity]: The angels [heavenly messengers] will come and separate [set apart, divide] the wicked [evil, morally wrong] from the righteous [just, innocent, having God’s nature], word study 50 and throw [cast with force] them into the fiery [blazing, furnace of] furnace [oven, place of burning], where [to that place] there will be [exist, take place] weeping [intense crying, lamentation] and [also, additionally] gnashing [grinding, crushing] of teeth [a sign of anguish, pain]. word study 51 Have you [fully grasped] understood all these things [parables, teachings]?” “Yes [verily, indeed],” they answered [said to him, replied]. word study 52 Then He told them, “For this reason [because of this understanding], every scribe [teacher of the law, scholar] who has been discipled [instructed, trained] in the kingdom [reign, dominion] of heaven [the spiritual realm, God’s throne] is like a homeowner [master of the house, householder] who brings out of his storeroom [treasure room, repository] new [fresh, recently acquired] treasures as well as old [established, long-standing].” word study 53 When Jesus [the Messiah, God’s salvation] had finished [completed, brought to an end] these parables [stories that teach spiritual truths, comparisons], He withdrew [departed, left] from that place [thence, from there]. word study 54 Coming to His [own, native] hometown, He taught [instructed, guided] the people in their synagogue [gathered assembly, place of worship], and they were astonished [amazed, struck with wonder]. “Where did this man get [acquire, receive] such wisdom [spiritual understanding, discernment] and miraculous powers [mighty works, divine abilities]?” they asked. word study 55 “Isn’t this [the Messiah, Jesus] the carpenter’s [skilled craftsman, possibly a woodworker] son? Isn’t His mother’s [female parent, nurturer] name Mary [a common Hebrew name, meaning ‘bitter’ or ‘wished-for child’], and aren’t His brothers [male siblings, fellow believers] James [a common Jewish name, meaning ‘supplanter’], Joseph [a Hebrew name, meaning ‘he will add’], Simon [a Greek name, meaning ‘hearing’], and Judas [a Hebrew name, meaning ‘praised’]? word study 56 Aren’t all [his biological and spiritual] His sisters [female believers or relatives] with us [in our midst or among us] as well? Where [from what source or origin] then did this man [this specific person] get [acquire or receive] all [everything or every kind of] these things [these specific or remarkable things]?” word study 57 And they took offense [were stumbled, scandalized] at Him. But Jesus said to them, “Only [except] in his hometown [fatherland, native country] and in his own household [home, family] is a prophet [one who speaks forth God’s will] without honor [dishonored, disrespected].” word study 58 And He did not do [perform, work] many [numerous, abundant] miracles [mighty works, signs] there [in that place, location], because of [through, on account of] their [the people’s, their own] unbelief [lack of faith, disobedience]. word study