Matthew 13:31
in Matthew 13He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man planted in his field.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Another parable set he before them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:
KJV
Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:
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This verse in Matthew 13
Commentary
4 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
See also Mar 4:30-32. The kingdom of heavens See the notes at Mat 3:2. It means here either piety in a renewed heart or the church. In either case the commencement is small. In the heart it is at first feeble, easily injured, and much exposed. In the church there were few at first, ignorant, unknown, and unhonored; yet soon it was to spread through the world. Grain of mustard-seed - The plant here described was very different from that which is known among us. It was several years before it bore fruit and became properly a tree.
This site's exposition
grain of mustard seed
on Matthew 13:31-32
The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed marks the fourth time in this chapter alone that Matthew's own signature phrase governs a parable, a term he uses thirty-two times against a mere handful of instances of kingdom of God. The seed's small beginning against its eventual size, the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches, pictures an unimpressive start yielding a shelter large enough for outsiders, a reading the bench connects to Daniel 4:12's tree image of a kingdom sheltering many nations.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
He proposed to them another parable - The former parables relate chiefly to unfruitful hearers; these that follow, to those who bear good fruit. The kingdom of heaven - Both the Gospel dispensation, and the inward kingdom.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
on Matthew 13:24-43
The parable of the wheat and tares, which occupies the chief part of these verses, is one of peculiar importance in the present day. It is eminently calculated to correct the extravagant expectations in which many Christians indulge as to the effect of missions abroad, and of preaching the Gospel at home. May we give it the attention which it deserves! In the first place, this parable teaches us that good and evil will always be found together in the professing church, until the end of the world.
The words behind it
21 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ἄλλην | allen | Another | G243 → | 155 times |
| παραβολὴν | parabolen | parable | G3850 → | 50 times |
| παρέθηκεν | paretheken | put He before | G3908 → | |
| αὐτοῖς | autois | them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| λέγων· | legon | saying; | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| ὁμοία | homoia | Like | G3664 → | 45 times |
| ἐστὶν | estin | is | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| ἡ | he | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| βασιλεία | basileia | kingdom | G932 → | 162 times |
| τῶν | ton | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| οὐρανῶν | ouranon | heavens | G3772 → | 272 times |
| κόκκῳ | kokko | to a grain | G2848 → | |
| σινάπεως, | sinapeos | of mustard, | G4615 → | |
| ὃν | hon | which | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| λαβὼν | labon | having taken | G2983 → | 257 times |
| ἄνθρωπος | anthropos | a man | G444 → | 549 times |
| ἔσπειρεν | espeiren | sowed | G4687 → | 52 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| τῷ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀγρῷ | agro | field | G68 → | 35 times |
| αὐτοῦ· | autou | of him; | G846 → | 5565 times |
ἌλληνAnother
allenG243 →155 times
παραβολὴνparable
parabolenG3850 →50 times
παρέθηκενput He before
parethekenG3908 →
αὐτοῖςthem
autoisG846 →5565 times
λέγων·saying;
legonG3004 →1325 times
ὁμοίαLike
homoiaG3664 →45 times
ἐστὶνis
estinG1510 →2333 times
ἡthe
heG3588 →19766 times
βασιλείαkingdom
basileiaG932 →162 times
τῶνof the
tonG3588 →19766 times
οὐρανῶνheavens
ouranonG3772 →272 times
κόκκῳto a grain
kokkoG2848 →
σινάπεως,of mustard,
sinapeosG4615 →
ὃνwhich
honG3739 →1405 times
λαβὼνhaving taken
labonG2983 →257 times
ἄνθρωποςa man
anthroposG444 →549 times
ἔσπειρενsowed
espeirenG4687 →52 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
τῷthe
toG3588 →19766 times
ἀγρῷfield
agroG68 →35 times
αὐτοῦ·of him;
autouG846 →5565 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Matthew 17:20“Because you have so little faith,” He answered. “For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’…
it leads to
- Luke 17:6
And the Lord answered, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.
- Matthew 21:21
“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain,…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Mark 11:23
“Truly I tell you that if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and has no doubt in his heart but believes that it will happen, it will…
- Luke 1:37
For no word from God will ever fail.”
- Luke 18:27
But Jesus said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”
- Luke 17:6
Through
Luke 17:6And the Lord answered, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.
it leads to
- Matthew 17:20
“Because you have so little faith,” He answered. “For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’…
- Mark 9:23
“If You can?” echoed Jesus. “All things are possible to him who believes!”
- Matthew 17:20
Through
Matthew 13:24Jesus put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.
it leads to
- Matthew 25:1
“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
- Matthew 25:1
Where this verse is studied
On this page
By subject
Kingdom of God35 verses
About Matthew
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Matthew; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Lightfoot, Horae Hebraicae et Talmudicae on Matthew and John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament.