This
τοῦτο (touto)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's Greek 3778: This; he, she, it.

is why
διὰ (dia)
Preposition
Strong's Greek 1223: A primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through.

I speak
λαλῶ (lalō)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's Greek 2980: A prolonged form of an otherwise obsolete verb; to talk, i.e. Utter words.

to them
αὐτοῖς (autois)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's Greek 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

in
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's Greek 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

parables:
παραβολαῖς (parabolais)
Noun - Dative Feminine Plural
Strong's Greek 3850: From paraballo; a similitude, i.e. fictitious narrative, apothegm or adage.

‘Though
Ὅτι (Hoti)
Conjunction
Strong's Greek 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.

seeing,
βλέποντες (blepontes)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's Greek 991: (primarily physical), I look, see, perceive, discern. A primary verb; to look at.

they do not see;
βλέπουσιν (blepousin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's Greek 991: (primarily physical), I look, see, perceive, discern. A primary verb; to look at.

[though]
Καὶ (Kai)
Conjunction
Strong's Greek 2532: And, even, also, namely.

hearing,
ἀκούοντες (akouontes)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's Greek 191: To hear, listen, comprehend by hearing; pass: is heard, reported. A primary verb; to hear.

they do not hear
ἀκούουσιν (akouousin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's Greek 191: To hear, listen, comprehend by hearing; pass: is heard, reported. A primary verb; to hear.

[or]
οὐδὲ (oude)
Conjunction
Strong's Greek 3761: Neither, nor, not even, and not. From ou and de; not however, i.e. Neither, nor, not even.

understand.’
συνίουσιν (syniousin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's Greek 4920: To consider, understand, perceive. From sun and hiemi; to put together, i.e. to comprehend; by implication, to act piously.
(13) Because they seeing see not.--As the words stand in St. Matthew, they might mean that our Lord adopted the method of parables as a condescension to their infirmities, feeding them, as babes in knowledge, with milk, and not with meat. In St. Mark and St. Luke the reason given assumes a penal character, "that seeing they might not see;" as though they were not only to be left in their ignorance, but to be plunged deeper in it. And this, it is obvious, is even here the true meaning, for only thus does this clause answer to the conclusion of the proverb of Matthew 13:12, "From him shall be taken away even that which he hath." In one aspect, then, the parable was a veil hiding the truth from them, because they did not seek the truth, and this was the working of the divine law of retribution. But even here we may venture to trace beneath the penalty an element of mercy. The parable could, at all events, do men no harm. It could not rouse the fierce enmity that had been kindled by truth spoken in its plainness. And it might prepare the way, might set men thinking and questioning, and if so, that was at least one step towards the "having," though it were but a very little, which might place them among those to whom more shall be given.

Verse 13. - Therefore (διὰ τοῦτο). To carry out the principle of the whole preceding verse, but with special reference to the second half of it. Because, in this case, they "have not," therefore I speak to them thus. Speak I to them in parables because. In the parallel passages Christ says that he speaks in parables "in order that seeing," etc.; but here, "because seeing," etc. The difference of the thought, which is more formal than real, is that

(1) in the parallel passages their moral blindness and deafness are represented as the effect of what he says, parables being used to bring about the punishment for what was presumably earlier sloth (thus laying stress on the idea of "shall be taken away "in our ver. 12; cf. "that they which see not may be made blind," John 9:39; and Bishop Westcott's note).

(2) In Matthew their present moral blindness and deafness are represented as the reason for the use of parables. Parables are themselves the punishment; the people are fit for nothing else (thus laying stress on the "has not" of ver. 12); therefore Christ speaks to them in parables. They seeing see not (seeing they see not, Revised Version, keeping the order of the Greek, as even the Authorized Version in the next clause); and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. The participles "seeing," "hearing," in Matthew and Luke, probably do not represent the Hebrew infinitive in its common usage of giving intensity or continuance to the idea of the finite verb to which it is joined (so in the original passage of Isaiah, and perhaps in Mark; compare also "seeing" in the next verse), but are to be taken separately, i.e." Though they have powers of seeing and of hearing, they nevertheless do not so use these powers as to see and hear" (for the thought, cf. Jeremiah 5:21; Ezekiel 12:2). Thus in meaning, though not in form, as compared with the next verse, seeing is equivalent to "seeing ye shall see;" they see not, to "and shall in no wise perceive;" hearing, to "hearing ye shall hear;" they hear not, to "and shall in no wise understand." 13:1-23 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, Heb 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.Ear Figurative Form Hear Hearing Language Parables Reason Sense Similes Speak Stories UnderstandEar Figurative Form Hear Hearing Language Parables Reason Sense Similes Speak Stories UnderstandMatthew 13:13 NIV
Matthew 13:13 NLT
Matthew 13:13 ESV
Matthew 13:13 NASB
Matthew 13:13 KJV

Matthew 13:13 Bible Apps
Matthew 13:13 Biblia Paralela
Matthew 13:13 Chinese Bible
Matthew 13:13 French Bible
Matthew 13:13 German Bible

Alphabetical: and because do hear hearing I in is nor not or parables see seeing speak them Therefore they This Though to understand while why

NT Gospels: Matthew 13:13 Therefore I speak to them in parables (Matt. Mat Mt) Christian Bible Study Resources, Dictionary, Concordance and Search Tools