Mat 13:10-23 | ESV | STEP | Then the disciples came and said to him , Why do you speak to them in parables ?

m[See ver. 16 above]

n Heb. 11:13; 1 Pet. 1:10-12; [John 8:56]

oFor ver. 18-23, see Mark 4:13-20; Luke 8:11-15

p ver. 38; ch. 4:23; 8:12

qSee ver. 13

r John 17:15; Eph. 6:16; 2 Thess. 3:3; 1 John 2:13, 14; 3:12; 5:18, 19

s[Isa. 58:2; Ezek. 33:31, 32; Mark 6:20; John 5:35]

t Gal. 1:6; [Hos. 6:4; Gal. 5:7]

uSee ch. 11:6

wSee ch. 6:25

x 2 Tim. 4:10

y 1 Tim. 6:9, 10, 17; [ch. 19:23; Mark 10:23; Acts 5:1-11; Heb. 3:13]

z[See ver. 19 above]

aa Hos. 14:8; John 15:5, 16; Phil. 1:11; Col. 1:6

ab ver. 8

Matthew 13:10-23

The Purpose of the Parables

10 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11 And he answered them, ^a“To you it has been given to know ^bthe secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 ^cFor to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, ^deven what he has will be taken away. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because ^eseeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, ^fnor do they understand. 14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:

^g“‘“You will indeed hear but never understand,
and you will indeed see but never perceive.”
15 For this people’s heart has grown dull,
and with their ears ^hthey can barely hear,
and ⁱtheir eyes they have closed,
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and ^junderstand with their heart
and ^kturn, and I would heal them.’
16 But ^lblessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17 ^mFor truly, I say to you, ⁿmany prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

The Parable of the Sower Explained

18 ^o“Hear then the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of ^pthe kingdom and ^qdoes not understand it, ^rthe evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately ^sreceives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but ^tendures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately ^uhe falls away. ^{▼▼Or stumbles} 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but ^wthe cares of ^xthe world and ^ythe deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and ^zunderstands it. He indeed ^aabears fruit and yields, in one case ^aba hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”