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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 13:3 mean?

Explanation

Matthew 13:3 starts the parable of the sower, one of Jesus Christ's many parables used to teach a moral or spiritual lesson.

In this verse, Jesus begins his story by describing a sower, which in agrarian terms is a person who plants seeds.

The act of sowing involves scattering seeds on the ground, which is meant to result in the growth of crops.

On its face, this parable is about agricultural practice familiar to Jesus' audience.

However, as with all parables, the literal meaning is secondary to the deeper spiritual meaning.

The deeper significance lies in the symbolism of the sower (who represents the Son of Man-Jesus, or more broadly, anyone spreading the word of God), and the seed (which represents the word of the kingdom, God's message).

The rest of the parable, which follows in subsequent verses, explains how the seeds fare differently depending on the type of ground they land on, symbolizing the various responses to the word of God based on the condition of one's heart.

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Historical Context

Matthew 13:3 is located in the context of Jesus' ministry in Galilee, as part of a larger section known as the "Discourse of Parables." The book of Matthew was written primarily for a Jewish audience, and it has a strong emphasis on showing how Jesus fulfills Old Testament prophecies.

Culturally and historically, the majority of Jesus' audience were agrarian, meaning they lived in predominantly rural areas and worked the land.

They would have been very familiar with the sowing of seeds and the factors influencing agricultural success or failure.

By using this parable, Jesus tapped into the common knowledge and daily experiences of his listeners to impart spiritual and ethical teaching.

Theological Insights

From a theological perspective, this verse introduces a parable that reveals aspects of the Kingdom of Heaven and the nature of divine revelation. Different theological viewpoints highlight different aspects of the parable:

Traditional Christian theology often views the sower as Christ or those called to spread His message, while the seed is likened to the Gospel or the Word of God.
Arminian theology may emphasize the responsibility of human beings in responding appropriately to the message.
Calvinistic theology might focus on the sovereignty of God in the process of spiritual growth and the 'types of soil' as representative of predetermined responses.
Liberation theology could interpret the sower as those working toward justice and the seed as the liberating message of the Gospel.

Practical Applications

The parable highlights several practical applications for daily life:

It encourages individuals to examine the condition of their own hearts, assessing how receptive they are to spiritual teachings.
It is a call to patience and perseverance for those who spread spiritual or moral messages, recognizing that not all efforts will bear fruit.
It serves as a reminder that only the right conditions allow for growth, emphasizing the importance of preparing oneself to receive and foster spiritual truths.

Cross-References

Mark 4:3-20: contains Mark's account of the sower parable and Jesus' explanation of it.
Luke 8:5-15: Luke's version of the parable, also with an explanation by Jesus.
Isaiah 55:10-11: compares God's word to rain that nourishes the earth and ensures productivity.
Jeremiah 4:3: this verse uses similar agricultural language to call for repentance and good works.

Language Study

In the original Greek text, significant words to analyze include:

"Sower" (Greek: "speirōn"), which contains the idea of scattering and planting seeds.
"Went forth" (Greek: "exelthen"), implying a departure to perform a task with a specific purpose.
"To sow" (Greek: "speirein"), meaning to scatter seed.

The continuous present tense here can also imply an ongoing action.

The Greek words used here are very much tied to the agrarian lifestyle and would have been well understood in their literal sense by Jesus' audience.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

In many ancient cultures, agriculture was seen as a collaboration between divine forces and humans, with gods often credited for the fertility of the land or invoked for bountiful harvests.

This parable would resonate by suggesting a partnership between divine message and human reception.

Parables and fables with agricultural motifs are common in many religious traditions, such as the Hindu "Parable of the Seeds" which also emphasizes spiritual growth and the conditions necessary for it.

Scientific Perspectives

Scientifically, the process of sowing seeds and the factors affecting their germination and growth are well understood. The parable's deeper metaphorical meaning does not contradict scientific understanding but transcends it by using the natural process as an analogy for spiritual and moral truth.

Commentaries

John Calvin saw the sower as Christ and the various types of soils as representing various responses of the heart to the Word of God.
William Barclay interpreted the parable as a realistic observation of human response, highlighting that not all will accept the gospel message and that this is a natural part of the proclamation of the word.
John MacArthur emphasizes the sovereignty of God in the process of salvation and the importance of understanding Jesus' teaching for true belief.

Matthew 13

Matthew 13

What does Matthew 13:3 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 13:3 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?