Matthew 13:3
And He told them many things in parables, saying, "A farmer went out to sow his seed.
Then He told them many things in parables, saying
Then He told them
This phrase indicates a direct action by Jesus, emphasizing His role as a teacher and communicator of divine truths. The Greek word for "told" is "ἐλάλησεν" (elalēsen), which implies speaking or uttering words. This highlights the importance of verbal communication in the transmission of spiritual knowledge. Jesus, as the Word made flesh (John 1:14), uses His voice to convey the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven. The act of telling signifies the intentionality and authority with which Jesus imparts His teachings.

many things
The phrase "many things" suggests the abundance and variety of teachings that Jesus shared. The Greek word "πολλά" (polla) indicates a multitude or a great number. This reflects the richness and depth of Jesus' teachings, which cover various aspects of life and spirituality. It underscores the comprehensive nature of His message, addressing the diverse needs and questions of His audience. The use of "many" also implies that the teachings of Jesus are inexhaustible, offering continuous revelation and insight to those who seek.

in parables
The term "parables" comes from the Greek word "παραβολαῖς" (parabolais), meaning a comparison or analogy. Parables are a distinctive teaching method used by Jesus to convey profound spiritual truths through simple, relatable stories. This method engages the listener's imagination and invites deeper reflection. Parables serve as a bridge between the known and the unknown, using familiar scenarios to reveal hidden truths about the Kingdom of God. Historically, parables were a common teaching tool in Jewish tradition, making Jesus' use of them both culturally relevant and spiritually impactful.

saying
The word "saying" introduces the content of Jesus' teaching. The Greek word "λέγων" (legōn) is a present participle, indicating an ongoing action. This suggests that Jesus' teachings are not just historical events but continue to speak to us today. The use of "saying" also implies authority and intentionality, as Jesus speaks with the purpose of instructing and transforming His listeners. It invites the audience to pay attention and engage with the message that follows, highlighting the importance of listening to and understanding the words of Christ.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jesus
The central figure in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is the one teaching the parable. He uses parables as a method to convey deeper spiritual truths to His audience.

2. The Farmer
Represents those who spread the Word of God. In the context of the parable, the farmer is a metaphor for anyone who shares the Gospel message.

3. The Seed
Symbolizes the Word of God. The seed's potential to grow and bear fruit depends on the condition of the soil, which represents the hearts of those who hear the Word.

4. The Parable
A teaching method used by Jesus to illustrate spiritual truths through simple, everyday accounts. Parables often contain hidden meanings that require reflection and spiritual insight to understand.

5. The Audience
The people listening to Jesus, including His disciples and the crowds. They represent various types of "soil" or receptivity to the message of the Kingdom.
Teaching Points
The Importance of the Word
The seed represents the Word of God, which is essential for spiritual growth and transformation. We must prioritize hearing and understanding God's Word.

The Condition of the Heart
Just as the soil affects the growth of the seed, the condition of our hearts affects how we receive and respond to God's Word. We should strive to cultivate a receptive and obedient heart.

The Role of the Sower
As followers of Christ, we are called to be sowers of the Word, sharing the Gospel with others. We must be faithful in spreading the message, trusting God for the results.

Understanding Parables
Jesus used parables to reveal truths to those who were spiritually open and to conceal them from those who were not. We should seek spiritual insight and understanding through prayer and study.

Trusting God's Sovereignty
While we are responsible for sowing the seed, it is ultimately God who brings about growth and fruitfulness. We must trust in His timing and purpose.
Bible Study Questions
1. What does the parable of the sower teach us about the different ways people respond to the Gospel message?

2. How can we ensure that our hearts are like the "good soil" that receives the Word and bears fruit?

3. In what ways can we actively participate in sowing the seed of God's Word in our communities?

4. How does understanding the original context and purpose of parables enhance our interpretation of Jesus' teachings?

5. Reflect on a time when you shared the Gospel with someone. How did this experience align with the principles found in Matthew 13:3 and related scriptures?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Isaiah 55:10-11
This passage speaks of God's Word going out and not returning void, similar to the seed sown by the farmer. It emphasizes the power and purpose of God's Word.

1 Corinthians 3:6-9
Paul discusses the roles of those who plant and water, but ultimately, it is God who gives the growth. This connects to the idea of the farmer sowing seed and the growth being dependent on God.

John 15:1-8
Jesus speaks about abiding in Him to bear fruit, which relates to the seed needing good soil to grow and produce a harvest.
Bad Soul-Conditions not UnalterableH. S. Brown.Matthew 13:3
Christ a Moral, PainterW. W. Newell.Matthew 13:3
Ministers are Christ's SeedsmenMatthew 13:3
Parable of the SowerF. W. Robertson, M. A.Matthew 13:3
Similitude Mentally StimulatingC. H. Parkhurst, D. D.Matthew 13:3
The Christian's Unfaithful Hearing of the Word not NaturalSt. Paul's Cathedral SermonsMatthew 13:3
The Design of Speaking in ParableA. Barnes D. D.Matthew 13:3
The Parable of the SowerThe Clergyman's MagazineMatthew 13:3
The Parable of the SowerG. Burder.Matthew 13:3
The Parable of the SowerG. F. Pentecost.Matthew 13:3
The Parable of the SowerH. S. Brown.Matthew 13:3
The Parable of the Sower OpenedB. Keach.Matthew 13:3
Why Our Lord Used ParablesU. M. Taylor, D. D.Matthew 13:3
Why the Word is Compared to SeedB. Keach.Matthew 13:3
The Parable of the SoilsW.F. Adeney Matthew 13:1-9
The SowerJ.A. Macdonald Matthew 13:1-9
The Beginning of ParablesP.C. Barker Matthew 13:1-23
Parable of the SowerMarcus Dods Matthew 13:3-23
People
Esaias, Isaiah, James, Jesus, Joseph, Joses, Judas, Mary, Simon
Places
Nazareth, Sea of Galilee
Topics
Behold, Farmer, Figurative, Form, Forth, Goes, Language, Parables, Saying, Seed, Similes, Sow, Sower, Spake, Spoke, Story, Teaching
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Matthew 13:3

     2363   Christ, preaching and teaching

Matthew 13:1-3

     5279   crowds

Matthew 13:1-8

     4520   thorns

Matthew 13:1-9

     4456   grain

Matthew 13:1-23

     2357   Christ, parables

Matthew 13:1-32

     4506   seed

Matthew 13:1-52

     2345   Christ, kingdom of

Matthew 13:3-6

     4504   roots
     4819   dryness

Matthew 13:3-8

     4402   plants
     4406   agriculture
     4510   sowing and reaping
     4540   weeds
     5438   parables

Matthew 13:3-9

     5433   occupations

Matthew 13:3-19

     4121   Satan, enemy of God

Matthew 13:3-43

     4007   creation, and God

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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