Matthew 13:48

48 which when it was filled they pulled to shore and sat down [and] collected the good [fish] into containers, but the bad they threw out.

Matthew 13:48 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 13:48

Which when, it was full
As the Gospel, and the Gospel church state may be said to be, when all the ends of the preaching of the word are answered; when all are called by the one, and into the other, that were designed to be called; when the fulness of the Gentiles shall be brought in, and all Israel shall be saved.

They drew to the shore;
which will be done, when the end of the world comes; then will an end be put to the Gospel ministry, the net will be drawn to shore; the preaching of the Gospel will cease, and no more use be made of it:

and sat down;
the ministers of the word having done their work, enter into the joy of their Lord, and rest from their labours:

and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away;
as fishermen used to do; though this last office seems, by the application of the parable, to be what will be performed by angels; who, as many as they find to have a good work of grace wrought and finished in their souls, they will gather into Christ's barn, into the everlasting habitations, the mansions in Christ's Father's house, he is gone to prepare: but as for the bad, who shall appear to be destitute of the grace of God, and righteousness of Christ, notwithstanding their profession of religion, they shall be rejected, as good for nothing, and shall be cast into the lake which burns with fire and brimstone.

Matthew 13:48 In-Context

46 And [when he] found one very valuable pearl, he went [and] sold everything that he possessed and purchased it.
47 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was thrown into the sea and gathered [fish] of every kind,
48 which when it was filled they pulled to shore and sat down [and] collected the good [fish] into containers, but the bad they threw out.
49 Thus it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the evil from among the righteous
50 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. *Here "[and]" is supplied because the previous participle ("sat down") has been translated as a finite verb
  • [b]. *Here the word "[fish]" is not in the Greek text but is implied
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.