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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 13:49 mean?

Explanation

The verse "So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just," is found in Matthew 13:49.

This verse illustrates the conclusion of a parable, often titled "The Parable of the Net," that Jesus tells to His disciples.

The parable compares the kingdom of heaven to a net that was cast into the sea and gathered every kind of fish.

Once the net is full, fishermen draw it to shore, sit down, and sort the good fish into containers while casting away the bad.

The verse serves as a metaphor for the final judgment, when the righteous will be separated from the wicked.

The "angels" are depicted as the divine agents of this separation.

The "end of the world" refers to the eschatological event known as the Last Judgment or the end times.

The "wicked" and the "just" symbolize individuals who have done evil and those who have lived righteously, respectively.

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Historical Context

Matthew 13:49 was written during the first century AD, at a time when Christianity was in its early stages.

The target audience for the Gospel of Matthew was primarily Jewish Christians, and the narrative style often draws on Old Testament imagery and prophecy to support the message of Jesus as the Messiah.

This particular parable and explanation are part of a series that Jesus taught to explain the nature of the Kingdom of Heaven, using familiar terms and contexts, such as fishing, which would have been well-known to his audience in a predominantly agrarian and fishing-based economy.

Theological Insights

From a theological perspective, this verse touches on several doctrines:

Eschatology - The study of end times; this verse refers directly to the end of the world and God's final judgment.
Angelic Ministry - It suggests a role for angels as agents who execute God’s will at the final judgment.
Divine Justice - It reinforces the idea of an ultimate reckoning where the morally good are rewarded and the wicked are punished.
The Parousia - Some see this verse as related to the Second Coming of Christ, anticipating His role as judge.

Different Christian denominations have diverse interpretations of the end times, but most agree on the belief in a final judgment.

Pre-millennialists, for example, may read this verse as a literal description of events to happen before a thousand-year reign of peace, whereas amillennialists may interpret it more symbolically or spiritually.

Practical Applications

The lesson of Matthew 13:49 can inspire believers to live righteously, with an awareness of the eventual judgment and sorting that separates the good from the evil.

It can also serve as a reminder to refrain from harshly judging others, as the ultimate judgment comes from God and will be carried out by divine officials, here symbolized by angels.

Cross-References

Matthew 25:31-33: "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory..."
Revelation 14:15: "And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap..."
2 Thessalonians 1:7-9: "...when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels."
Matthew 13:47-48: The preceding verses which describe the Parable of the Net.

Language Study

Key words in the original Greek text of Matthew 13:49:

αἰών (aion) – Translated as "world" but may also refer to an "age" or "era."
δικαίων (dikaiōn) – The "just" or "righteous," those who live according to God’s laws.
αδίκων (adikōn) – The "wicked" or "unjust," those who live contrary to God’s laws.
ἀποστελλω (apostellō) - "Shall come forth," often used in the context of being sent with a purpose, echoing the role of angels as divine messengers.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Ancient cultures often had myths about a time of judgment or a sorting of souls.

For example, in ancient Egyptian religion, the concept of judgment after death involved weighing the heart against a feather to determine the soul’s fate.

In Greek mythology, the concept of the afterlife in Hades with different fates for righteous or unrighteous souls has parallels with Christian eschatology.

Scientific Perspectives

The verse Matthew 13:49 does not intersect directly with scientific understandings, as it relates to beliefs about the supernatural and eschatology, areas outside the scope of empirical science.

Science does not attempt to prove or disprove spiritual doctrines or the metaphysical concepts of angels or final judgment.

Commentaries

Various biblical scholars and theologians offer their interpretations of Matthew 13:49:

John Calvin: Calvin saw this parable as a warning that the church would contain both true believers and hypocrites until the end, at which point God would separate them.
William Barclay: Barclay emphasized the idea that the time of the sorting is unknown, and therefore individuals must be prepared at all times.
**R.T.

France**: France highlights that the term "end of the age" is a common way of referring to the end time in Matthew, contextualizing the passage within Jewish apocalyptic expectation. 4. **Craig S.

Keener**: Keener discusses how Matthew’s account reflects Jesus' teachings to a mixed crowd, suggesting practical and direct applications for those who heard Him. 5. **N.T.

Wright**: Wright might suggest the verse is not just about end times but also about God's kingdom being present and active in the life of the believers.

Matthew 13

Matthew 13

What does Matthew 13:49 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 13:49 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?