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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 13:14 mean?

Explanation

Matthew 13:14 references a prophecy made by the prophet Isaiah.

In this verse, spoken by Jesus, the condition of the people's hearts is highlighted.

They have the faculties of hearing and sight, yet they do not truly understand or perceive the message being conveyed to them.

The deeper meaning of this verse lies in the spiritual blindness and deafness of the people.

They are exposed to the teachings and miracles of Jesus, but their hearts are closed off.

They can physically see and hear, but they are not open to the transformation these sensory experiences should prompt in their understanding of God's kingdom.

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Historical Context

Written in the context of first-century Palestine, the Gospel of Matthew narrates the ministry of Jesus Christ.

At this time, Jesus was speaking to a Jewish audience familiar with the prophecies of the Old Testament.

The quote from Isaiah was well known to them, serving as a warning against the hardness of heart that would lead to a lack of understanding of divine messages.

This historical setting is critical because it demonstrates Jesus' appeal to authority recognized by his audience to address their skepticism and challenges.

Theological Insights

From a theological standpoint, this verse illustrates the concept of divine judgment through judicial hardening, where God gives humans over to their hardened hearts.

It also touches upon the concept of progressive revelation, the idea that God reveals His truth progressively over time and that the full understanding of the Gospel was yet to be comprehended by Jesus' original audience.

Different theological perspectives may interpret this verse as a message about predestination, free will, or human responsibility.

Practical Applications

The verse calls upon individuals to self-reflect on their openness to spiritual truths. A practical application would be to evaluate whether one is merely going through the motions of religious observance or actively seeking to understand and apply divine teachings.

It suggests that individuals be humble, teachable, and willing to transform when confronted with truth.

Cross-References

Isaiah 6:9-10 (KJV): "And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not."
Matthew 13:15 (KJV): "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."
John 12:40 (KJV): "He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them."
Acts 28:26-27 (KJV): "Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:"

Language Study

The key words in this verse, as translated from the original Greek, include "hearing" (ἀκούω, akouo), which implies not just the act of perceiving sound but also understanding; "see" (βλέπω, blepo) meaning physical sight and perception; and "perceive" (νοέω, noeo) which refers to the mental component of comprehending or discerning.

These words emphasize the faculties that should lead to understanding, but in this context, point to a deficiency despite their active operation.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

In many ancient religions and myths, the idea of people being spiritually blind or deaf is common, indicating a lack of connection with or comprehension of divine truth.

For instance, in Hinduism, maya (illusion) causes individuals to be blind to spiritual reality.

In Greek mythology, certain characters were physically blinded as punishment for their inability to understand the gods' will or messages.

Scientific Perspectives

Modern psychology and cognitive science discuss the concept of confirmation bias, where individuals only perceive or acknowledge information that confirms their preexisting beliefs.

While the verse is not directly discussing scientific ideas, the concept of being closed off to new or challenging information certainly finds resonance in psychological studies about human cognition and resistance to change.

Commentaries

Commentators have offered several interpretations of this verse, typically focusing on the purpose and effect of parables in Jesus' teaching.

Renowned biblical scholars like Matthew Henry and William Barclay, for example, have noted that parables both reveal and conceal truth.

They teach that the spiritual truth encapsulated in the parables is accessible only to those whose hearts are open, while it remains hidden to those whose hearts are hardened.

Other experts reflect on this verse as emphasizing the responsibility of the listener to engage with the message in a way that leads to transformation rather than mere acknowledgment.

Matthew 13

Matthew 13

What does Matthew 13:14 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 13:14 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?