Matthew 13:10

English Revised Version

And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then the disciples came up and asked him, “Why are you speaking to them in parables?”

King James Version (1611)
And the disciples came, and sayd vnto him, Why speakest thou vnto them in parables?

King James Version
And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?

English Standard Version
Then the disciples came and said to him, "Why do you speak to them in parables?"

New American Standard Bible
And the disciples came up and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?"

New Century Version
The followers came to Jesus and asked, "Why do you use stories to teach the people?"

Amplified Bible
Then the disciples came to Him and asked, "Why do You speak to the crowds in parables?"

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then the disciples came, and said to him, Why speakest thou to them in parables?

New American Standard Bible (1995)
And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?"

Legacy Standard Bible
And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?"

Berean Standard Bible
Then the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Why do You speak to the people in parables?"

Contemporary English Version
Jesus' disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you use nothing but stories when you speak to the people?"

Complete Jewish Bible
Then the talmidim came and asked Yeshua, "Why are you speaking to them in parables?"

Darby Translation
And the disciples came up and said to him, Why speakest thou to them in parables?

Easy-to-Read Version
The followers came to Jesus and asked, "Why do you use these stories to teach the people?"

George Lamsa Translation
Then his disciples drew near to him and said, Why do you speak to them in parables?

Good News Translation
Then the disciples came to Jesus and asked him, "Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?"

Lexham English Bible
And the disciples came up and said to him, "Why do you speak to them in parables?"

Literal Translation
And coming near, the disciples said to Him, Why do You speak to them in parables?

American Standard Version
And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?

Bible in Basic English
And the disciples came and said to him, Why do you say things to them in the form of stories?

Hebrew Names Version
The talmidim came, and said to him, "Why do you speak to them in parables?"

International Standard Version
Then the disciples came and said to Jesus,him">[fn] "Why do you speak to peopleto them">[fn] in parables?"

Etheridge Translation
And his disciples approached, saying to him, Why dost thou speak to them in parables ?

Murdock Translation
And his disciples came and said to him, Why discoursest thou to them in similitudes?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the disciples came, and sayde vnto hym: Why speakest thou to them by parables?

World English Bible
The disciples came, and said to him, "Why do you speak to them in parables?"

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And the disciples came and said to him, Why speakest thou to them in parables?

Weymouth's New Testament
(And His disciples came and asked Him, "Why do you speak to them in figurative language?"

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the disciplis camen nyy, and seiden to him, Whi spekist thou in parablis to hem?

Update Bible Version
And the disciples came, and said to him, Why do you speak to them in parables?

Webster's Bible Translation
And the disciples came, and said to him, Why speakest thou to them in parables?

New English Translation
Then the disciples came to him and said, "Why do you speak to them in parables?"

New King James Version
Mark 4:10-12; Luke 8:9,10">[xr] And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?"

New Living Translation
His disciples came and asked him, "Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?"

New Life Bible
The followers of Jesus came to Him and said, "Why do You speak to them in picture-stories?"

New Revised Standard
Then the disciples came and asked him, "Why do you speak to them in parables?"

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And the disciples, coming near, said to him, Wherefore, in parables, art thou speaking to them?

Douay-Rheims Bible
And his disciples came and said to him: Why speakest thou to them in parables?

Revised Standard Version
Then the disciples came and said to him, "Why do you speak to them in parables?"

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And the disciples came and sayde to him: Why speakest thou to the in parables?

Young's Literal Translation
And the disciples having come near, said to him, `Wherefore in similes dost thou speak to them?'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And the disciples came vnto him, and sayde: Why speakest thou to the by parables?

Mace New Testament (1729)
And the disciples came, and said to him, why do you speak to them in parables?

THE MESSAGE
The disciples came up and asked, "Why do you tell stories?"

Simplified Cowboy Version
His cowboys came up to him and asked Jesus, "How come you just tell stories to people?"

Contextual Overview

¹ On that day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. ² And there were gathered unto him great multitudes, so that he entered into a boat, and sat; and all the multitude stood on the beach. ³ And he spake to them many things in parables, saying, Behold, the sower went forth to sow; ⁴ and as he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the birds came and devoured them: ⁵ and others fell upon the rocky places, where they had not much earth: and straightway they sprang up, because they had no deepness of earth: ⁶ and when the sun was risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. ⁷ And others fell upon the thorns; and the thorns grew up, and choked them: ⁸ and others fell upon the good ground, and yielded fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. ⁹ He that hath ears, let him hear. ¹⁰ And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Why: Mark 4:10, Mark 4:33, Mark 4:34

Reciprocal: Proverbs 1:6 - a proverb Zechariah 11:9 - I will Matthew 13:3 - in Matthew 24:3 - the disciples Mark 4:2 - by parables Mark 7:17 - General Mark 9:28 - asked Mark 12:1 - he began Mark 13:3 - privately Luke 8:9 - What John 16:25 - proverbs

Cross-References

Genesis 3:6
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat; and she gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat.

Genesis 6:2
that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all that they chose.

Genesis 13:1
And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the South.

Genesis 13:8
And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we are brethren.

Genesis 13:10
And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the Plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou goest unto Zoar.

Genesis 13:15
for all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.

Genesis 13:16
And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.

Genesis 13:17
Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for unto thee will I give it.

Genesis 14:2
that they made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the same is Zoar).

Genesis 14:8
And there went out the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the same is Zoar); and they set the battle in array against them in the vale of Siddim;

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the disciples came, and said unto him,.... Not the twelve only, but others that were about him, as Mark says, who also were his disciples, and believed in him: these, when he was alone, came nearer to him, who, whilst he was preaching to the people, were at some little distance from him, either in the ship, or on the shore, though within the hearing of him, and addressed him after this manner;

why speakest thou unto them in parables? not that this way of speaking was new and surprising to them; but because it was not easily understood, especially not by the common people, without an explanation, which, as yet, Christ had not given: and indeed the parable was not understood by the disciples themselves; who put this question, not only for the sake of the multitude, but for their own also, hoping to be favoured with the meaning of it.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Christ, in these verses, gives a “reason” why he used this manner of instruction. See also Mark 4:10-12; Luke 8:9-10.

Matthew 13:11

The mysteries of the kingdom - The word “mystery,” in the Bible, properly means a thing that is “concealed,” or that “has been concealed.” It does not mean that the thing was “incomprehensible,” or even difficult to be understood.

The thing might be “plain” enough if revealed, but it means simply that it “had” not been before made known. Thus the “mysteries of the kingdom” do not mean any doctrines incomprehensible in themselves considered, but simply doctrines about the preaching of the gospel and the establishment of the new kingdom of the Messiah, which “had not” been understood, and which were as yet concealed from the great body of the Jews. See Romans 16:25; Romans 11:25; Ephesians 3:3-4, Ephesians 3:9. Of this nature was the truth that the gospel was to be preached to the Gentiles; that the Jewish polity was to cease; that the Messiah was to die, etc. To the disciples it was given to know these truths. This was important for them, as they were to carry the gospel around the globe. To the others it was not “then” given. They were too gross, too earthly; they had too, grovelling conceptions of the Messiah’s kingdom to understand these truths, even if communicated to them. They were not to preach the gospel, and hence our Saviour was at particular pains to instruct his apostles in the system which they were to preach. The Pharisees, and Jews generally, were not prepared to receive the system, and would not have believed it, and therefore he purposely employed a kind of teaching which was intended for his apostles only.

Matthew 13:12

Whosoever hath ... - This is a proverbial method of speaking.

It means that a man who improves what light, grace, and opportunities he has, shall have them increased. From him that improves them not, it is proper that they should be taken away. The Jews had many opportunities of learning the truth, and some light still lingered among them; but they were gross and sensual, and misimproved them, and it was a just judgment that they should be deprived of them. Superior knowledge was given to the disciples of Christ: they improved it, however slowly, and the promise was that it should be greatly increased.

Matthew 13:13

Because they seeing, see not - Mark Mark 4:12 and Luke Luke 8:10 say, “That seeing, they may not see etc.;” but there is no difference.

Matthew simply states the “fact,” that though they saw the “natural” meaning of the story - though they literally understood the parable - yet they did not understand its “spiritual” signification. Mark and Luke do not state the “fact,” but affirm that he spoke with this “intention” - implying that such “was” the result. Nor was there any dishonesty in this, or any unfair disguise. He had truths to state which he wished his “disciples particularly” to understand. They were of great importance to their ministry. Had he clearly and fully stated them to the Jews, they would have taken his life long before they did. He therefore chose to state the doctrines so that if their hearts had been right, and if they had not been malignant and blind, “they might have understood them.” His doctrines he stated in the best possible way, and it was not his fault if they did not understand him. By little and little, in this way, he prepared many even of the Jews to receive the truth; by the only possible way of ever gaining access to their minds. It was, moreover, entirely proper and right to impart instruction to his disciples which he did not “intend” for others.

Matthew 13:14

And in them is fulfilled ... - This place is quoted substantially from Isaiah 6:9-10. It was literally fulfilled in the time of Isaiah. In the time of Christ the people had the same character. Like them, they closed their eyes upon the truth, and rejected the divine teaching. The words of Isaiah were therefore “as well fitted” to express the character of the people in the time of Christ as in that of the prophet. In this sense they were “fulfilled,” or “filled up;” that is, “a case occurred that corresponded to their meaning.” See the notes at Matthew 1:22. It is not by any means intended that Isaiah, when he spoke these words, had any reference to the time of Christ. The meaning in both places is, that the people were so gross, sensual, and prejudiced, that they “would” not see the truth, or understand anything that was contrary to their grovelling opinions and sensual desires; a case by no means uncommon in the world. See the passage more fully explained in my notes at Isaiah 6:0.

Waxed gross - Literally, “has become fat.” This language is commonly applied to “the body,” but is also used to denote one who is stupid and foolish in mind. Here it means that the people were so sensual and corrupt that they did not see or understand the pure spiritual principles of the gospel.

Lest they should see ... - Lest they should see their lost condition as sinners, and turn and live. The reason given here why they did not hear and understand the gospel is, that their “heart” was “wrong.” They “would” not attend to the things that belonged to their peace.

I should heal them - Should pardon, sanctify, and save them. Sin is often represented as a disease, and the pardon and recovery of the soul from sin as “healing.”

Matthew 13:16

Blessed are your eyes ... - That is, you are happy that you are permitted to see truth which they will not see.

You are permitted to understand the spiritual meaning of the parables, and in some degree the plan of salvation.

Matthew 13:17

Many prophets and righteous men ... - They wished to see the times of the Messiah.

They looked to it as a time when the hopes of the world would be fulfilled, and when the righteous would be happy, John 8:56. “Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it and was glad.” Compare also 1 Peter 1:10-12; Hebrews 11:13. So Isaiah and the prophets looked forward to the coming of the Messiah as the consummation of their wishes and the end of the prophecies, Revelation 19:10. The object always dearest to the hearts of all righteous people is to witness the coming and advancement of the kingdom of Christ. Compare Revelation 22:20.