PrevMatthew 13:47Next

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 13:47 mean?

Explanation

The verse Matthew 13:47, "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind," presents a parable shared by Jesus with his disciples.

It is part of a series of parables in which Jesus is trying to depict what the Kingdom of Heaven is like through everyday imagery that would have been familiar to his audience.

Here, the net represents the message of the Gospel, which is cast into the world (the sea) and gathers a multitude of people (every kind of fish).

This net does not discriminate, just as the kingdom of heaven is open to all who believe.

The key point here is that the kingdom brings together a diverse collection of individuals who respond to the Gospel.

The deeper meaning involves the eventual sorting of the good from the bad at the end of the age, which happens after the net is pulled in, as discussed further in the subsequent verses.

Top Rated Matthew Books

Historical Context

The parable was spoken during Jesus' ministry in Galilee, which had a significant fishing industry, making the imagery of the net particularly poignant for his listeners. The historical context includes the Jewish expectations of the Messiah and the Kingdom of God.

Many Jews anticipated a political and nationalistic kingdom that would overthrow Roman rule.

However, Jesus frequently used parables to communicate that the Kingdom of Heaven was a spiritual realm with different parameters, accessible to all who accepted his message.

Theological Insights

Different theological viewpoints offer unique insights into this parable:

Traditional Christian theology sees this as an illustration of the inclusivity of the Gospel, which is preached to all, but it also alludes to the final judgment when true believers will be separated from those who are not.
Reformed theology might emphasize the sovereignty of God in the process of gathering and sorting, suggesting that the outcome is predetermined by divine election.
Liberation theology could interpret the parable as a message of hope for the marginalized, signifying that the kingdom includes all, regardless of social status.
Catholic theology might use this parable to highlight the role of the church, often seen as the 'net', in gathering people to God.

Practical Applications

The teachings of this verse can be applied in various ways:

It can encourage believers to be inclusive and to share the Gospel message widely, as the net gathers fish of every kind.
The reminder of the final judgment can motivate individuals to live in accordance with their faith, knowing that there will be an eventual reckoning.
It can inspire church communities to be open and welcoming spaces for all seekers of truth.

Cross-References

Matthew 4:19 - "And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."
Matthew 22:10 - "So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests."
Matthew 25:32-33 - "And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left."

Language Study

In the original Greek text, key words include:

"σαγήνη" (sagene) translates to "net," which is a dragnet, a large fishing net that could encompass a wide array of fish.
"εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν" (eis tēn thalassan) means "into the sea," symbolizing the world or the realm of humanity.
"ἐκόσμισεν" (ekosmisen), translated as "gathered," implies an active collection of all kinds without discrimination.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

The use of fishing imagery is found in other cultures and religions as a metaphor for spiritual work or divine judgment. For example, in Ancient Egyptian religion, the concept of a net can be linked to the idea of trapping evil spirits or souls to be judged in the afterlife.

However, there is a distinctive Christian element in that the Kingdom of Heaven is based on grace and belief, rather than deeds or adherence to a set of laws, which differentiates it from many other religious traditions.

Scientific Perspectives

While this verse does not directly touch on scientific principles, one can draw parallels between the indiscriminate nature of a net and the way sciences like ecology study the diversity of species within an ecosystem.

Additionally, the act of fishing with a net might reflect the element of unpredictability, much like the uncertainty in quantum mechanics, where outcomes cannot be precisely determined until observed.

Commentaries

Commentaries on this verse offer varied perspectives:

Some commentators emphasize the eschatological aspect of the parable, focusing on the final sorting as an allegory for the Last Judgment.
Others draw attention to the parabolic method of Jesus' teaching, highlighting how he used common life scenes to explain profound spiritual truths.
Another common point is the universal call of the Gospel, indicated by the gathering of all kinds, which prefigures the inclusion of Gentiles as well as Jews in the kingdom.
Many scholars also converge on the idea that the parable serves as an admonition to the religious leaders of Jesus' time, suggesting that the kingdom will include people they might not expect.

Matthew 13

Matthew 13

What does Matthew 13:47 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 13:47 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?