Mattityahu 13

1 3 On that day, having gone out of the bais, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach sat beside the lake.

2 And many multitudes gathered together to him so that he got into a sirah (boat) to sit down, and the entire multitude stood along the shore.

3 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach told them many things in meshalim (parables), saying Hinei! The Sower went out to sow [seeds].

4 And while he sowed, on the one hand, this [seed] fell along the road, and the birds having come, devoured them.

5 And others fell upon the rocky places, where there is not much soil, and immediately it sprouts on account of the lack of the soil’s depth.

6 And when the shemesh (sun) arose, the zera (seed) was scorched, and because it did not have a root, it withered.

7 And others fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.

8 But others fell on the adamah tovah (good ground), and they yielded fruit: the one, one hundred, the other, sixty, the other, thirty.

9 The one having oznayim (spiritual ears), let him hear!

10 And, approaching, the talmidim said to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, Why in meshalim (parables) are you speaking to them?

11 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach answered them, Because to you it has been granted to have daas of the razim (mysteries) of the Malchut HaShomayim, but to those it has not been granted.

12 For whoever has, [more] will be given to him, and he will have an abundance. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him (see Mt 25:14-29).

13 For this reason in meshalim I am speaking to them, for while seeing they do not see, and [while] hearing they do not hear, nor do they have binah (understanding).

14 And in them is fulfilled the nevuah (prophecy) of Yeshayah HaNavi, saying, SHIMU SHAMOA VAL TAVINU UREU RAO VAL TEIDAU (In hearing you will hear and by no means understand, and seeing you will see and by no means perceive).

15 HASHMEIN LEV HAAM HAZEH VAZNAV HACHBEID VEINAV HASHA, PEN YIREH VEINAV UVEAZNAV YISHMAH ULEVAVO YAVIN, VSHAV NRAFAH LOH. (For the heart of this people has been made dull, and with [their] ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes are shut, lest they see with the their eyes and with [their] ears they hear, and with the lev (heart) they understand and they turn and I will give them refuah [healing] YESHAYAH 6:9-10).

16 But ashrey are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.

17 For truly I say to you that many Neviim and tzaddikim desired to see what you see, and they did not see [it], and to hear what you hear, and they did not hear it.

18 You, therefore, listen to the mashal of the sower.

19 When anyone hears the Dvar HaMalchut and does not have binah, HaRah (the Evil one) comes and seizes that which was sown in his lev (heart). This is the zera (seed) sown along the path.

20 And the zera sown upon the rocky places is the person listening to the Dvar Hashem and immediately with simcha receives it.

21 Yet he has no root in himself but is short-lived, and when ES TZARAH comes or persecution on account of the Dvar Hashem, immediately he ceases being a maamin Meshichi (Messianic believer) and becomes meshummad (apostate), falling away and giving up the [true Orthodox Jewish] faith. [YIRMEYAH 30:7]

22 And the [zera] sown among the thorns is the one hearing the dvar (word), and the rogez HaOlam Hazeh (the anxiety of this age, DEVARIM 28:65) and the mirmah (deceit) of riches, choke the Dvar Hashem and it becomes unfruitful. [YESHAYAH 53:9]

23 And the zera sown upon the adamah tovah (the good ground), this is the one who hears the Dvar Hashem and, understanding [it], indeed bears pri and, one produces a hundred, the other sixty, the other thirty.

24 Another mashal Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach placed before them, saying, The Malchut HaShomayim is like a man sowing zera tov (good seed) in his field.

25 But while men slept, his oyev (enemy) came and oversowed weeds in between the wheat and went away.

26 But when the wheat sprouted and produced pri, then the weeds also appeared.

27 So the servants of the Baal Bayit said to him, Adoneinu, did you not sow zera tov (good seed) in your field? How then does it have weeds?

28 And he said to them, An oyev did this. So the servants say to him, Do you want us to go and pull them all?

29 But he says, No, lest gathering the weeds you should uproot the wheat together with them.

30 Permit both to grow together until the Katzir (harvest); and in time of the Katzir, I will say to the kotzerim, Collect first the weeds, and bind them into bundles to burn them. But the wheat gather into my storehouse.

31 Another mashal Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach placed before them, saying, The Malchut HaShomayim is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field.

32 This that is indeed less than all the zeraim (seeds), but when it grows, it is larger than the garden vegetables and it becomes an etz (tree), so that the OPH HASHOMAYIM IYOV 35:11) come and dwell in its branches.

33 Another mashal Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach spoke to them. The Malchut HaShomayim is like seor (leaven), which having taken, a woman hid in three satas of wheat flour until the whole was leavened.

34 All these things Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach spoke in meshalim to the multitudes. And apart from meshalim Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach did not speak to them:

35 So that might be fulfilled what was spoken through the Navi, saying, EFTCHA VMASHAL PI AVIAH CHIDOT (I will open my mouth with parables, I will utter things having been hidden) from the foundation of the world. [TEHILLIM 78:2]

36 Then having sent away the multitudes, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach came into the bais (house). And Moshiach’s talmidim approached him, saying, Explain to us the mashal of the weeds of the field.

37 And answering, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said, The Sower of the zera tov is the Ben HaAdam (Moshiach).

38 The field is HaOlam Hazeh. And the zera tov, the good seed, these are the Bnei HaMalchut, and the weeds, these are the bnei HaRah (sons of the Evil one, BERESHIS 3:15).

39 And the Oyev (the Enemy) sowing them is Hasatan. And the Katzir (Harvest), this is HaKetz HaOlam (the end of the age). And the kotzerim (reapers, harvesters) are malachim (angels).

40 As the weeds are pulled up and gathered and are consumed with Eish (Fire), so also it will be at the Ketz HaOlam.

41 The Ben HaAdam [Moshiach] will send forth his malachim, and they will pull up and gather out of the Moshiach’s Malchut all the things making meshummad (apostate) and the ones who are without Torah and antinomian.

42 And Moshiach’s malachim will throw them into the furnace of Eish; there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.

43 Then the tzaddikim will shine as the shemesh (sun) in the Malchut of their Father. The one having oznayim (spiritual ears), let him hear.

44 The Malchut HaShomayim is like otzar (treasure) hidden in the field, which, having found, a man hid. And from the simcha he experienced, he goes away and sells everything he has and buys that field.

45 Again, the Malchut HaShomayim is like a merchant searching for fine pearls.

46 And having found one precious peninah (pearl), he went away and liquidated everything he had and acquired it.

47 Again, the Malchut HaShomayim is like a reshet (net) having been cast into the lake, a reshet collecting and gathering dagim (fish) of all descriptions,

48 which, when this reshet (net) was filled, they hoisted it upon the shore, sat down, collected the tov (good) into a creel, and the rah (evil), they threw out.

49 Thus it will be at HaKetz HaOlam Hazeh (The End of This World). The malachim will go out and they will separate the reshaim from among the tzaddikim.

50 And they will throw the reshaim into the furnace of Eish. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

51 Did you have binah of all these things? They say to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, Ken.

52 So Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said to them, Therefore, every sofer (scribe, Torah teacher, rabbi) who becomes a talmid of the Malchut HaShomayim is like a man [who is] a Baal Bayit, who takes out of his otzar (treasure), chadashot (new things) and also yeshanot (old things).

53 And it came about when Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach finished these meshalim, that he went away from there.

54 And having come into Moshiach’s shtetl, he began ministering as a moreh (teacher) in their shul, so that they were amazed and said, From where did this chochmah come to this one, this chochmah and these moftim (miracles, wonders, omens)?

55 Is this not the ben hanaggar (the carpenter’s son)? Is not his Em called Miryam? And are not his achim Yaakov*, Yosef, Shimon and Yehuda**?

56 And are not his achayot (sisters) with us? From where, therefore, came to this one all these things?

57 And they were taking offense at Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach. But Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said to them, A Navi (prophet) is not without honor except in his hometown and in his bais.

58 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach did not accomplish in that place many moftim, because of their lack of emunah (faith) and bitachon (trust).

Mattityahu 13 Commentary

Chapter 13

The parable of the sower. (1-23) The parable of the tares. (24-30; 36-43) The parables of the mustard-seed and the leaven. (31-35) The parables of the hidden treasure, the pearl of great price, the net cast into the sea, and the householder. (44-52) Jesus is again rejected at Nazareth. (53-58)

Verses 1-23 Jesus entered into a boat that he might be the less pressed, and be the better heard by the people. By this he teaches us in the outward circumstances of worship not to covet that which is stately, but to make the best of the conveniences God in his providence allots to us. Christ taught in parables. Thereby the things of God were made more plain and easy to those willing to be taught, and at the same time more difficult and obscure to those who were willingly ignorant. The parable of the sower is plain. The seed sown is the word of God. The sower is our Lord Jesus Christ, by himself, or by his ministers. Preaching to a multitude is sowing the corn; we know not where it will light. Some sort of ground, though we take ever so much pains with it, brings forth no fruit to purpose, while the good soil brings forth plentifully. So it is with the hearts of men, whose different characters are here described by four sorts of ground. Careless, trifling hearers, are an easy prey to Satan; who, as he is the great murderer of souls, so he is the great thief of sermons, and will be sure to rob us of the word, if we take not care to keep it. Hypocrites, like the stony ground, often get the start of true Christians in the shows of profession. Many are glad to hear a good sermon, who do not profit by it. They are told of free salvation, of the believer's privileges, and the happiness of heaven; and, without any change of heart, without any abiding conviction of their own depravity, their need of a Saviour, or the excellence of holiness, they soon profess an unwarranted assurance. But when some heavy trial threatens them, or some sinful advantage may be had, they give up or disguise their profession, or turn to some easier system. Worldly cares are fitly compared to thorns, for they came in with sin, and are a fruit of the curse; they are good in their place to stop a gap, but a man must be well armed that has much to do with them; they are entangling, vexing, scratching, and their end is to be burned, ( Hebrews 6:8 ) . Worldly cares are great hinderances to our profiting by the word of God. The deceitfulness of riches does the mischief; they cannot be said to deceive us unless we put our trust in them, then they choke the good seed. What distinguished the good ground was fruitfulness. By this true Christians are distinguished from hypocrites. Christ does not say that this good ground has no stones in it, or no thorns; but none that could hinder its fruitfulness. All are not alike; we should aim at the highest, to bring forth most fruit. The sense of hearing cannot be better employed than in hearing God's word; and let us look to ourselves that we may know what sort of hearers we are.

24-30, 36-43 This parable represents the present and future state of the gospel church; Christ's care of it, the devil's enmity against it, the mixture there is in it of good and bad in this world, and the separation between them in the other world. So prone is fallen man to sin, that if the enemy sow the tares, he may go his way, they will spring up, and do hurt; whereas, when good seed is sown, it must be tended, watered, and fenced. The servants complained to their master; Sir, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field? No doubt he did; whatever is amiss in the church, we are sure it is not from Christ. Though gross transgressors, and such as openly oppose the gospel, ought to be separated from the society of the faithful, yet no human skill can make an exact separation. Those who oppose must not be cut off, but instructed, and that with meekness. And though good and bad are together in this world, yet at the great day they shall be parted; then the righteous and the wicked shall be plainly known; here sometimes it is hard to distinguish between them. Let us, knowing the terrors of the Lord, not do iniquity. At death, believers shall shine forth to themselves; at the great day they shall shine forth before all the world. They shall shine by reflection, with light borrowed from the Fountain of light. Their sanctification will be made perfect, and their justification published. May we be found of that happy number.

Verses 31-35 The scope of the parable of the seed sown, is to show that the beginnings of the gospel would be small, but its latter end would greatly increase; in this way the work of grace in the heart, the kingdom of God within us, would be carried on. In the soul where grace truly is, it will grow really; though perhaps at first not to be discerned, it will at last come to great strength and usefulness. The preaching of the gospel works like leaven in the hearts of those who receive it. The leaven works certainly, so does the word, yet gradually. It works silently, and without being seen, ( Mark 4:26-29 ) , yet strongly; without noise, for so is the way of the Spirit, but without fail. Thus it was in the world. The apostles, by preaching the gospel, hid a handful of leaven in the great mass of mankind. It was made powerful by the Spirit of the Lord of hosts, who works, and none can hinder. Thus it is in the heart. When the gospel comes into the soul, it works a thorough change; it spreads itself into all the powers and faculties of the soul, and alters the property even of the members of the body, ( Romans 6:13 ) . From these parables we are taught to expect a gradual progress; therefore let us inquire, Are we growing in grace? and in holy principles and habits?

Verses 44-52 Here are four parables. 1. That of the treasure hid in the field. Many slight the gospel, because they look only upon the surface of the field. But all who search the Scriptures, so as in them to find Christ and eternal life, ( John 5:39 ) , will discover such treasure in this field as makes it unspeakably valuable; they make it their own upon any terms. Though nothing can be given as a price for this salvation, yet much must be given up for the sake of it. 2. All the children of men are busy; one would be rich, another would be honourable, another would be learned; but most are deceived, and take up with counterfeits for pearls. Jesus Christ is a Pearl of great price; in having him, we have enough to make us happy here and for ever. A man may buy gold too dear, but not this Pearl of great price. When the convinced sinner sees Christ as the gracious Saviour, all things else become worthless to his thoughts. 3. The world is a vast sea, and men, in their natural state, are like the fishes. Preaching the gospel is casting a net into this sea, to catch something out of it, for His glory who has the sovereignty of this sea. Hypocrites and true Christians shall be parted: miserable is the condition of those that shall then be cast away. 4. A skilful, faithful minister of the gospel, is a scribe, well versed in the things of the gospel, and able to teach them. Christ compares him to a good householder, who brings forth fruits of last year's growth and this year's gathering, abundance and variety, to entertain his friends. Old experiences and new observations, all have their use. Our place is at Christ's feet, and we must daily learn old lessons over again, and new ones also.

Verses 53-58 Christ repeats his offer to those who have repulsed them. They upbraid him, Is not this the carpenter's son? Yes, it is true he was reputed to be so; and no disgrace to be the son of an honest tradesman; they should have respected him the more because he was one of themselves, but therefore they despised him. He did not many mighty works there, because of their unbelief. Unbelief is the great hinderance to Christ's favours. Let us keep faithful to him as the Saviour who has made our peace with God.