Luke 13:19

19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches.”

Luke 13:19 in Other Translations

19 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it.

19 It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches."

19 It is like a tiny mustard seed that a man planted in a garden; it grows and becomes a tree, and the birds make nests in its branches.”

19 It's like a pine nut that a man plants in his front yard. It grows into a huge pine tree with thick branches, and eagles build nests in it."

19 It's like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the sky nested in its branches."

Luke 13:19 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 13:19

It is like a grain of mustard seed
Both for its smallness at first, and its after increase; wherefore both the Evangelists Matthew and Mark observe, that it "is the least of all seed": which is true of the ministry of the Gospel, of the Gospel church state, and of the grace of God in the hearts of his people:

which a man took and cast into his garden;
the Ethiopic version renders it, "and sowed in his field", as in ( Matthew 13:31 ) though mustard used to be sowed in gardens as well as in fields. ^F24 Says R. Simeon ben Chelphetha, I have one stalk of mustard seed, (ylv dwtb) , "in my garden": so ^F25 Buxtorf translates it. And by the place in the text, where this seed is cast, may be meant, either the "field" of the world, where the Gospel is preached, and churches are raised; or the "garden" of the church, where the word and ordinances are administered, and in the hearts of the members of it, the grace of God is implanted and increased; see ( Song of Solomon 4:12 Song of Solomon 4:13 )

and it grew and waxed a great tree,
which may design the spread of the Gospel in the world, the flourishing state of the church of Christ, and the growth of grace in the hearts of believers.

And the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it;
the Syriac version reads in the singular number, "the fowl of the air"; not Satan, and his principalities and powers, which devour the seed sown by the wayside; nor the angels of heaven; but rather gracious men on earth, who sit under the shadow of a Gospel ministry with great delight; and "make their nests", as the Persic version here renders the words, and take up their residence in Gospel churches; (See Gill on Matthew 13:31), (See Gill on Matthew 13:32), (See Gill on Mark 4:31), (See Gill on Mark 4:32).

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FOOTNOTES:

F24 T. Hieros. Peah, fol 20. 2.
F25 Lex. Talmud. col. 823.

Luke 13:19 In-Context

17 When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.

18 Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to?

19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches.”

20 Again he asked, “What shall I compare the kingdom of God to?

21 It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty poundsof flour until it worked all through the dough.”

Cross References

• 1. Luke 17:6
• 2. S Matthew 13:32