Matthew 13:3

Matthew 13:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
• New International Version (NIV)Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And he told them many things in parables, saying: "A sower went out to sow.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow.

Context of Matthew 13:3

1That same day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting beside the sea [of Galilee]. 2But such large crowds gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat there [positioning Himself as a teacher], while the whole crowd stood on the shore. He told them many things in parables, saying, “Listen carefully: a sower went out to sow [seed in his field]; 4and as he sowed, some seed fell beside the road [between the fields], and the birds came and ate it. 5Other seed fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil; and at once they sprang up because they had no depth of soil.

Matthew 13:3 word by word

καὶ ἐλάλησεν αὐτοῖς πολλὰ ἐν παραβολαῖς λέγων· ἰδοὺ ἐξῆλθεν ὁ σπείρων τοῦ σπείρειν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• he spakeλαλέωlaleō · to speakG2980
• many thingsπολύςpolus polos · muchG4183
• unto themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• parablesπαραβολήparabolē · parableG3850
• sayingλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• Beholdὁράωhoraō · to see: seeG3708
• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• a sowerσπείρωspeirō · to sowG4687
• went forthἐξέρχομαιexerchomai · to go outG1831

Cross-references for Matthew 13:3

• Matthew 13:10Then the disciples came to Him and asked, “Why do You speak to the crowds in parables?”
• Matthew 22:1Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying,
• Matthew 24:32“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its young shoots become tender and it puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near;
• Judges 9:8Once the trees went forth to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us!’
• 2 Samuel 12:1And the Lord sent Nathan [the prophet] to David. He came and said to him, “There were two men in a city, one rich and the other poor.
• Psalms 49:4I will incline my ear and consent to a proverb; On the lyre I will unfold my riddle.
• Psalms 78:2I will open my mouth in a parable [to instruct using examples]; I will utter dark and puzzling sayings of old [that contain important truth]—
• Isaiah 5:1Now let me sing for my greatly Beloved [Lord] A song of my Beloved about His vineyard (His chosen people). My greatly Beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile slope (the promised land, Canaan).
• Ezekiel 17:2“Son of man, ask a riddle and tell a parable to the house of Israel,
• Ezekiel 20:49Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! They are saying of me, ‘Is he not [just] speaking in parables and making allegories?’ ”
• Ezekiel 24:3Speak a parable against the rebellious house [of Judah] and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Put on a pot; put it on and also pour water into it;
• Micah 2:4On that day they shall take up a [taunting, deriding] parable against you And wail with a doleful and bitter song of mourning and say, ‘We are completely destroyed! God exchanges the inheritance of my people; How He removes it from me! He divides our fields to the rebellious [our captors].’
• Habakkuk 2:6“Will all these [victims of his greed] not take up a taunting song against him, And in mocking derision against him Say, ‘Woe (judgment is coming) to him who increases that which is not his— How long [will he possess it]? And [woe to him who] makes himself wealthy with loans.’
• Mark 3:23So He called them to Himself and spoke to them in parables, “How can Satan drive out Satan?
• Mark 4:2And He taught them many things in parables, and in His teaching He said to them,
• Mark 12:1Jesus began to speak to them [the chief priests, scribes and elders who were questioning Him] in parables: “A man planted a vineyard and put a wall around it, and dug a pit for the wine press and built a tower; and he rented it out to tenant farmers and left the country.

Commentaries on Matthew 13:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3He spake many things unto them in parables - Parable, from , near, and , I cast, or put. A comparison or similitude, in which one thing is compared with another, especially spiritual things with natural, by which means these spiritual things are better understood, and make a deeper impression on an attentive mind. Or, a parable is a representation of any matter accommodated, in the way of similitude, to the real subject, in order to delineate it with the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3-9Verses 3-9 In parables - The word “parable” is derived from a Greek word signifying “to compare together,” and denotes a similitude taken from a natural object to illustrate a spiritual or moral subject. It is a narrative of some fictitious or real event, in order to illustrate more clearly some truth that the speaker wished to communicate. In early ages it was much used. Pagan writers, as Aesop, often employed it. In the time of Christ it was in common…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-9This parable (explained in Matthew 13:18–23) discusses the mostly negative reactions of the Jewish people to Jesus and his message. Parables (Greek parabolē): These are stories that use everyday life to explain a spiritual truth. To understand a parable, find the main comparison (analogy) and consider its historical and gospel context. Then a person can understand the main message. Avoid finding unintended symbolic meanings in every part of a parable.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 33. And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, &c.--These parables are SEVEN in number; and it is not a little remarkable that while this is the sacred number, the first FOUR of them were spoken to the mixed multitude, while the remaining THREE were spoken to the Twelve in private--these divisions, four and three, being themselves notable in the symbolical arithmetic of Scripture. Another thing remarkable in the structure of these parables is…Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 13:3

• Agriculture
• Galilee
• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Minister, Christian
• Sermon
• Sower
• Word of God

In the dictionaries

• Agriculture
• Anon
• Choke
• Church
• Fishing, the art of
• Furnace
• Gather
• Harvest
• Householder
• Root

Commentaries on Matthew 13

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings