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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 13:2 mean?

Explanation

Matthew 13:2 describes a scene in which Jesus is drawing a large crowd due to his teachings and miracles, and for practical purposes, he steps into a boat to address the crowd.

This gives us a visual of Jesus' popularity and also the practical wisdom he used to address logistical challenges.

By getting into the boat, Jesus not only creates distance but also a natural amphitheater with the waters of the Sea of Galilee, enabling his voice to carry further to reach the multitude on the shore.

The detail that the multitude stood on the shore also indicates the eagerness and reverence they had for Jesus’ teachings, as they were willing to stand and listen to him, possibly for a prolonged period.

Moreover, it sets the stage for the parables that follow, as Jesus begins to teach in a way that will both reveal and conceal the secrets of the kingdom of heaven.

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Historical Context

The verse is part of the Gospel of Matthew, written approximately between 70 and 110 AD. This context suggests that the audience of this Gospel may have been primarily Jewish Christians.

The setting of the verse is the Sea of Galilee, a freshwater lake in the region of Galilee where Jesus conducted much of his early ministry. At the time of Jesus' ministry, teaching by the sea was not uncommon as waterways were central places for travel, commerce, and gathering.

Theological Insights

From a theological perspective, this verse serves as an introduction to the Parable of the Sower, which follows immediately after.

It sets the tone for understanding that Jesus’ message will be received in various ways, much like the diverse grounds upon which seeds may fall.

Different Christian traditions have emphasized the universality of Jesus' message, shown by the "great multitudes," as well as the importance of being a receptive listener, symbolized by the crowd's attentive standing on the shore.

Practical Applications

On a practical level, Matthew 13:2 can inspire individuals to find effective ways to communicate and listen to important messages.

For Christians, it underscores the value of gathering to listen to the teachings of Jesus.

It also encourages people to come to Christ with eagerness and anticipation, ready to receive wisdom just as the multitude stood ready on the shore.

Cross-References

Mark 4:1: "And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land."
Luke 5:3: "And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land.

And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship."

Language Study

In this verse, the key words in the original Greek manuscript include:

"Multitudes" (πλῆθος, plēthos): Referring to a large number of people, denoting popularity or a significant crowd.
"Gathered together" (συνάγω, synagō): Literally means to bring together or assemble and is the root for the word synagogue.
"Ship" (πλοῖον, ploion): A generic term for boat, indicating the vessel Jesus used as his platform.
"Stood" (ἑστηκυῖα, hestēkuia): The perfect tense of 'to stand,' indicating that the crowd was standing firmly or had established themselves in their position to listen.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

In various ancient cultures, bodies of water were seen as places of wisdom and teaching.

For instance, in Greek mythology, the oracles sometimes delivered prophecies near water.

In Eastern traditions, wise sages would often teach by rivers or lakes for the serene environment and gathering spaces.

Comparatively, Jesus teaching by the Sea of Galilee reflects a universal theme of spiritual leaders using the natural environment to enhance their message.

Scientific Perspectives

From a scientific standpoint, the acoustics of Jesus teaching from a boat may have been beneficial.

Sound travels well over water due to less obstruction and the reflective surface of the sea, which may have amplified Jesus' voice.

This is an example where practical science intersects with historical accounts.

Commentaries

Bible scholars and theologians offer different perspectives on this verse.

Some commentaries, like Matthew Henry's, suggest the use of the boat symbolizes the church as a vessel in the world, from which Christ teaches.

Others, such as the New International Commentary on the New Testament, focus more on the historical and social implications of Jesus' teaching method and how his use of parables would become a cornerstone of his teaching ministry.

They often point out the strategic nature of Jesus' location, both in terms of drawing a crowd and as a metaphor for spreading his message.

Matthew 13

Matthew 13

What does Matthew 13:2 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 13:2 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?