Matthew 13:17
For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
For truly I tell you
This phrase is a solemn declaration by Jesus, often used to emphasize the truth and importance of what follows. The Greek word "ἀμὴν" (amen) is used here, which is a term of affirmation, meaning "truly" or "verily." It underscores the certainty and authority of Jesus' words, inviting the listener to pay close attention to the profound truth being revealed.

many prophets and righteous men
The reference to "prophets and righteous men" evokes the long history of Israel, where prophets were God's messengers, and righteous men were those who lived in accordance with God's laws. These individuals, such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel, were revered for their faithfulness and dedication to God's will. They were given glimpses of God's plan but did not witness its fulfillment in their lifetimes. This highlights the privilege of the disciples who are witnessing the fulfillment of prophecies in Jesus.

longed to see what you see
The word "longed" conveys a deep, earnest desire. The Greek word "ἐπεθύμησαν" (epethymēsan) suggests an intense yearning or craving. The prophets and righteous men yearned for the coming of the Messiah and the establishment of God's kingdom. This longing reflects the hope and anticipation that characterized the faithful throughout the Old Testament, who awaited the redemption and restoration promised by God.

but did not see it
This phrase emphasizes the unfulfilled desires of the prophets and righteous men. Despite their longing and anticipation, they did not live to see the Messiah's arrival. This underscores the unique privilege of the disciples and the people of Jesus' time, who are witnessing the fulfillment of God's promises. It also serves as a reminder of God's perfect timing and the unfolding of His divine plan.

and to hear what you hear
Hearing, in the biblical context, often implies understanding and receiving divine revelation. The Greek word "ἀκοῦσαι" (akousai) means to hear or listen, but it also suggests comprehension and acceptance. The disciples are not only hearing Jesus' teachings but are also receiving the revelation of God's kingdom, which was hidden from previous generations.

but did not hear it
This final phrase reiterates the privilege of the disciples. The prophets and righteous men heard God's promises and prophecies but did not hear the fulfillment of those promises in the person and teachings of Jesus. This highlights the blessedness of those who are present with Jesus, as they are receiving firsthand the revelation of God's redemptive plan through Christ. It serves as an encouragement to value and cherish the revelation and teachings of Jesus, recognizing the fulfillment of God's promises in Him.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jesus Christ
The speaker of this verse, Jesus is addressing His disciples, revealing the privilege they have in witnessing His ministry and teachings firsthand.

2. Prophets
Refers to the Old Testament prophets who foretold the coming of the Messiah and longed to see the fulfillment of their prophecies.

3. Righteous Men
These are individuals from the Old Testament who lived by faith and desired to witness the coming of God's kingdom.

4. Disciples
The immediate audience of Jesus' teaching, who are blessed to see and hear the fulfillment of God's promises through Jesus.

5. The Kingdom of Heaven
The central theme of Jesus' teachings, representing God's reign and the fulfillment of His promises through Christ.
Teaching Points
The Privilege of Revelation
Recognize the immense privilege we have in having access to the full revelation of God's plan through Jesus Christ and the Scriptures.

Longing for Fulfillment
Understand the deep longing of the prophets and righteous men for the Messiah, and cultivate a similar longing for Christ's return and the full realization of His kingdom.

Gratitude for Spiritual Insight
Be grateful for the spiritual insight and understanding we have through the Holy Spirit, which even the prophets did not fully possess.

Responsibility of Witness
With the privilege of revelation comes the responsibility to share the gospel and live out its truths in our daily lives.

Faith and Patience
Emulate the faith and patience of the prophets and righteous men, trusting in God's promises even when fulfillment seems distant.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does understanding the longing of the prophets and righteous men enhance our appreciation for the New Testament revelation of Jesus Christ?

2. In what ways can we cultivate a deeper longing for the fulfillment of God's promises in our own lives?

3. How does the privilege of having access to the full revelation of Scripture impact our daily walk with Christ?

4. What responsibilities do we have as modern-day disciples in light of the revelation we have received through Jesus?

5. How can the examples of faith and patience from the Old Testament figures inspire us in our current spiritual journey?
Connections to Other Scriptures
1 Peter 1:10-12
This passage speaks of the prophets who searched and inquired about the salvation that was to come, highlighting their longing to understand the grace that would be revealed in Christ.

Hebrews 11:13
This verse discusses how the faithful of the Old Testament died without receiving the promises, but they saw them from a distance and welcomed them.

Luke 10:23-24
Jesus similarly tells His disciples that they are blessed to see and hear what many prophets and kings desired to see and hear.
Christians Enjoying What Prophets DesiredW.F. Adeney Matthew 13:17
The Beginning of ParablesP.C. Barker Matthew 13:1-23
Parable of the SowerMarcus Dods Matthew 13:3-23
DeceitfulnessW. Jay.Matthew 13:7-22
Riches Like ThornsVenning.Matthew 13:7-22
The Deceitfulness of RichesMatthew 13:7-22
The Deceitfulness of RichesH. W. Beecher.Matthew 13:7-22
The Soul has a Limited Capacity for GrowthF. W. Robertson.Matthew 13:7-22
The Word ChokedMatthew 13:7-22
WorldlinessMatthew 13:7-22
Good GroundB. Keach.Matthew 13:8-23
Growth Precious Because PerilousF. W. Robertson.Matthew 13:8-23
Qualifications for the Reception of God's TruthMatthew 13:8-23
The Reason of the ParableJ.A. Macdonald Matthew 13:10-17
Divine IlluminationF. Close. M. A.Matthew 13:13-17
People
Esaias, Isaiah, James, Jesus, Joseph, Joses, Judas, Mary, Simon
Places
Nazareth, Sea of Galilee
Topics
Behold, Certainly, Desire, Desired, Didn't, Ears, Holy, Longed, Prophets, Righteous, Sights, Solemnly, Truly, Upright, Verily
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Matthew 13:1-23

     2357   Christ, parables

Matthew 13:1-32

     4506   seed

Matthew 13:1-52

     2345   Christ, kingdom of

Matthew 13:3-19

     4121   Satan, enemy of God

Matthew 13:3-43

     4007   creation, and God

Matthew 13:9-17

     5159   hearing

Matthew 13:10-17

     2369   Christ, responses to
     6710   privileges

Matthew 13:11-17

     6185   imagination, desires

Matthew 13:13-23

     8319   perception, spiritual

Matthew 13:16-17

     2318   Christ, as prophet
     8330   receptiveness

Library
Toleration
(Preached at Christ Church, Marylebone, 1867, for the Bishop of London's Fund.) MATTHEW xiii. 24-30. The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the household came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He
Charles Kingsley—Discipline and Other Sermons

'To Him that Hath Shall be Given'
'Whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.'-- MATT. xiii. 12. There are several instances in the Gospels of our Lord's repetition of sayings which seem to have been, if we may use the expression, favourites with Him; as, for instance, 'There are first which shall be last, and there are last which shall be first'; or, again, 'The servant is not greater than his master, nor the disciple than his lord.'
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Leaven
'The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and bid to three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.'--MATT. xiii. 33. How lovingly and meditatively Jesus looked upon homely life, knowing nothing of the differences, the vulgar differences, between the small and great! A poor woman, with her morsel of barm, kneading it up among three measures of meal, in some coarse earthenware pan, stands to Him as representing the whole process of His work in the world. Matthew brings
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Ears and no Ears
'Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.--MATT. xiii. 8. This saying was frequently on our Lord's lips, and that in very various connections. He sometimes, as in the instance before us, appended it to teaching which, from its parabolic form, required attention to disentangle the spiritual truth implied. He sometimes used it to commend some strange, new revolutionary teaching to men's investigation--as, for instance, after that great declaration of the nullity of ceremonial worship, how that nothing
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Seeing and Blind
'They seeing, see not.'--MATT. xiii, 13. This is true about all the senses of the word 'seeing'; there is not one man in ten thousand who sees the things before his eyes. Is not this the distinction, for instance, of the poet or painter, and man of science--just that they do see? How true is this about the eye of the mind, what a small number really understand what they know! But these illustrations are of less moment than the saddest example--religious indifference. I wish to speak about this now,
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Four Sowings and one Ripening
'The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. 2. And great multitudes were gathered together unto Him, so that He went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. 8. And He spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; 4. And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: 6. Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Mingled in Growth, Separated in Maturity
'Another parable put He forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: 25. But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 26. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 27. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? 28. He said unto them, An enemy hath done this.
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Treasure and Pearl
The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. 45. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchantman, seeking goodly pearls: 46. Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.'--MATT. xiii. 44-46. In this couple of parables, which are twins, and must be taken together, our Lord utilises two very familiar facts
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

On the Words of the Gospel, Matt. xiii. 19, Etc. , Where the Lord Jesus Explaineth the Parables of the Sower.
1. Both yesterday and to-day ye have heard the parables of the sower, in the words of our Lord Jesus Christ. Do ye who were present yesterday, recollect to-day. Yesterday we read of that sower, who when he scattered seed, "some fell by the way side," [2507] which the birds picked up; "some in stony places," which dried up from the heat; "some among thorns, which were choked," and could not bring forth fruit; and "other some into good ground, and it brought forth fruit, a hundred, sixty, thirty fold."
Saint Augustine—sermons on selected lessons of the new testament

On the Words of the Gospel, Matt. xiii. 52, "Therefore Every Scribe who Hath Been Made a Disciple to the Kingdom of Heaven," Etc.
1. The lesson of the Gospel reminds me to seek out, and to explain to you, Beloved, as the Lord shall give me power, who is "that Scribe instructed in the kingdom of God, who is "like unto an householder bringing out of his treasure things new and old." [2524] For here the lesson ended. "What are the new and old things of an instructed Scribe?" Now it is well known who they were, whom the ancients, after the custom of our Scriptures, called Scribes, those, namely, who professed the knowledge of the
Saint Augustine—sermons on selected lessons of the new testament

Sown among Thorns
WHEN that which comes of his sowing is unfruitful, the sower's work is wasted: he has spent his strength for nothing. Without fruit the sower's work would even seem to be insane, for he takes good wheat, throws it away, and loses it in the ground. Preaching is the most idle of occupations if the Word is not adapted to enter the heart, and produce good results. O my hearers, if you are not converted, I waste time and energy in standing here! People might well think it madness that one whole day in
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 34: 1888

The Parable of the Tares, by Bishop Latimer, Preached on the 7Th of February, 1553.
MATTHEW XIII.--The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way, &c. This is a parable or similitude wherein our Saviour compared the kingdom of God, that is, the preaching of his word, wherein consisteth the salvation of mankind, unto a husbandman who sowed good seed in his field. But before we come unto the matter, you shall first learn to understand what this word parable, which
John Knox—The Pulpit Of The Reformation, Nos. 1, 2 and 3.

A Man Reaps More than He Sows.
A MAN REAPS MORE THAN HE SOWS. "But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold."--Matt. xiii: 8. If I sow a bushel, I expect to reap ten or twenty bushels. I can sow in one day what will take ten men to reap. The Spaniards have this proverb: "Sow a thought and reap an act. Sow an act, and reap a habit. Sow a habit, and reap a character. Sow a character and reap a destiny." And it takes a longer time to reap than to sow. I have heard
Dwight L. Moody—Sowing and Reaping

The Christian Society
Scripture references: Matthew 13:31-33; 5:21-24; Mark 8:1-9; John 2:1-11; Luke 5:29; 14:13; 1 Peter 2:17; Galatians 6:9; Matthew 11:28-30; 12:50; Luke 15:5,6,8-10; John 17:11-15; Luke 5:29,30; Mark 1:28-33; Matthew 6:33; Luke 12:13-15. THE SOCIAL CIRCLE The Word Society is used to designate the set of people with whom we are on more intimate terms of acquaintanceship--whom we call friends--and those whom we do not know so well, and whom we call acquaintances. The term society may also have other
Henry T. Sell—Studies in the Life of the Christian

The First Great Group of Parables.
(Beside the Sea of Galilee.) Subdivision A. Introduction. ^A Matt. XIII. 1-3; ^B Mark IV. 1, 2; ^C Luke VIII. 4. ^a 1 On that day went Jesus out of the house [It is possible that Matthew here refers to the house mentioned at Mark iii. 19. If so, the events in Sections XLVIII.-LVI. all occurred on the same day. There are several indications in the gospel narratives that this is so], and sat by the sea side. ^b 1 And again he began again to teach by the sea side. [By the Sea of Galilee.] And there
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Jesus visits Nazareth and is Rejected.
^A Matt. XIII. 54-58; ^B Mark VI. 1-6; ^C Luke IV. 16-31. ^b 1 And he went out from thence [from Capernaum] ; and he cometh { ^a And coming} ^b into his own country; and his disciples follow him. ^c 16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up [As to this city, see pages 14 and 55. As to the early years of Jesus at Nazareth, see page 60]: ^b 2 And when the sabbath was come ^c he entered, as his custom was, into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up to read. [This does not mean
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

New Teaching in Parables' - the Parables to the People by the Lake of Galilee, and those to the Disciples in Capernaum
We are once more with Jesus and His disciples by the Lake of Galilee. We love to think that it was in the early morning, when the light laid its golden shadows on the still waters, and the fresh air, untainted by man, was fragrant of earth's morning sacrifice, when no voice of human discord marred the restfulness of holy silence, nor broke the Psalm of Nature's praise. It was a spring morning too, and of such spring-time as only the East, and chiefly the Galilean Lake, knows - nor of mingled sunshine
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Second visit to Nazareth - the Mission of the Twelve.
It almost seems, as if the departure of Jesus from Capernaum marked a crisis in the history of that town. From henceforth it ceases to be the center of His activity, and is only occasionally, and in passing, visited. Indeed, the concentration and growing power of Pharisaic opposition, and the proximity of Herod's residence at Tiberias [3013] would have rendered a permanent stay there impossible at this stage in our Lord's history. Henceforth, His Life is, indeed, not purely missionary, but He has
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Infancy and Youth of Jesus --His First Impressions.
Jesus was born at Nazareth,[1] a small town of Galilee, which before his time had no celebrity.[2] All his life he was designated by the name of "the Nazarene,"[3] and it is only by a rather embarrassed and round-about way,[4] that, in the legends respecting him, he is made to be born at Bethlehem. We shall see later[5] the motive for this supposition, and how it was the necessary consequence of the Messianic character attributed to Jesus.[6] The precise date of his birth is unknown. It took place
Ernest Renan—The Life of Jesus

The Leaven.
"Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened."--MATT. xiii. 33. In the mustard-seed we saw the kingdom growing great by its inherent vitality; in the leaven we see it growing great by a contagious influence. There, the increase was attained by development from within; here, by acquisitions from without. It is not that there are two distinct ways in which the Gospel may gain complete
William Arnot—The Parables of Our Lord

The Hidden Treasure.
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field."--MATT. xiii. 44. These two parables, the hidden treasure and the costly pearl, are even more closely allied to each other than the two which precede them. Generically they teach the same truth; but they teach it with distinct specific differences. It will be most convenient to notice in connection with the first,
William Arnot—The Parables of Our Lord

The Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Prodigal Son.
LUKE xv. The three parables of this chapter, like the seven in Matt. xiii., constitute a connected series. As soon as we begin to look into their contents and relations, it becomes obvious that they have been arranged according to a logical scheme, and that the group so framed is not fragmentary but complete. We cannot indeed fully comprehend the reciprocal relations of all until we shall have examined in detail the actual contents of each; and yet, on the other hand, a preliminary survey of the
William Arnot—The Parables of Our Lord

The Group in Matt. xiii.
"The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. And he spake many things unto them in parables."--MATT. xiii. 1-3. In Matthew's narrative, the first specimen of that peculiar pictorial method which characterized the teaching of our Lord, is not an isolated parable occurring in the midst of a miscellaneous discourse, but a group of seven presented
William Arnot—The Parables of Our Lord

The Sower.
"The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; and when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness
William Arnot—The Parables of Our Lord

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