Matthew 13:13 kjv
Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
Matthew 13:13 nkjv
Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
Matthew 13:13 niv
This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
Matthew 13:13 esv
This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
Matthew 13:13 nlt
That is why I use these parables, For they look, but they don't really see.
They hear, but they don't really listen or understand.
Matthew 13 13 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 6:9-10 | Go and tell this people: “Keep on listening, but do not perceive; keep on seeing, but do not understand.” Make the heart of this people dull... | OT prophecy of spiritual hardening |
| Mark 4:12 | ...so that ‘seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand...' | Parallel account, outcome of parables |
| Luke 8:10 | ...so that 'seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.' | Parallel account, outcome of parables |
| John 12:40 | "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see... and understand..." | John's quote of Isa 6:10, unbelief as cause |
| Acts 28:26-27 | 'Go to this people and say, "You will indeed hear but never understand..."' | Paul's quote of Isa 6:9-10 to resistant Jews |
| Deut 29:4 | But to this day the Lord has not given you a heart to understand... | Lack of spiritual receptivity as a judgment |
| Jer 5:21 | 'Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes, but see not...' | Prophetic lament over spiritual dullness |
| Prov 20:12 | The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord has made them both. | God's original design for true perception |
| Rom 11:8-10 | ...God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see and ears that could not hear, down to this very day. | God's act in blinding some in Israel |
| 2 Cor 3:14-16 | ...their minds were hardened. For to this day... a veil lies over their heart... | Veil over hearts of those who don't turn |
| 2 Cor 4:3-4 | And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving... | Satan's role in spiritual blindness |
| Eph 4:18 | They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance... | Gentile spiritual alienation |
| John 9:39-41 | "For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind." | Judgment on self-proclaimed sighted |
| Matt 11:25-26 | "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children..." | Divine sovereignty in revelation |
| Luke 10:23-24 | "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see!...many prophets and kings desired to see..." | Blessing of true spiritual sight |
| Matt 23:37-39 | "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem... How often would I have gathered your children... and you were not willing!" | God's desire and human unwillingness |
| John 3:19-20 | "And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil." | Moral reason for spiritual rejection |
| Heb 5:11-14 | ...about this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. | Believer's spiritual immaturity/dullness |
| 1 Cor 2:14 | The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God... for they are foolishness to him... | Inability of natural mind to grasp spiritual |
| Prov 28:9 | If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination. | Rejection of God's law leads to more judgment |
| Psa 119:18 | Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law. | Prayer for spiritual illumination |
| Isa 42:19-20 | Who is blind but my servant, or deaf as my messenger? Who is blind as he who is at peace... | Israel's spiritual failure as God's servant |
| Ezek 12:2 | "Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see, but do not see..." | Prophet addressing rebellious Israel |
Matthew 13 verses
Matthew 13 13 Meaning
Matthew 13:13 reveals Jesus' reason for speaking in parables to the multitudes: their existing spiritual inability to perceive and comprehend truth. While they physically see and hear Jesus, their hearts are unresponsive, leading to a profound spiritual blindness and deafness. This condition is not merely intellectual deficiency but a moral and spiritual resistance to divine truth, where the capacity to truly "see" and "hear" is absent, and thus, understanding is impossible.
Matthew 13 13 Context
Matthew chapter 13 is pivotal in Jesus' ministry, dedicated primarily to His teachings in parables. It marks a shift in His public communication method. Prior to this chapter, Jesus taught more directly, particularly in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5-7). However, due to the increasing resistance and hardness of heart among the crowds and particularly the religious leadership, Jesus adopts parables as a means of both revealing truth to receptive hearts (like His disciples) and concealing it from those who were spiritually unwilling to understand. The verse immediately follows the Parable of the Sower (Matt 13:3-9) and the disciples' question "Why do you speak to them in parables?" (Matt 13:10). Jesus' answer in Matthew 13:11-17 explains the divine prerogative in revealing kingdom mysteries, leading directly to verse 13 as the explicit reason for the parable format. This change reflects the growing separation between those who believe and those who do not, serving as a form of divine judgment upon the unresponsive.
Matthew 13 13 Word analysis
Therefore (διὰ τοῦτο - dia touto): Connects to Jesus' explanation in Matt 13:11-12 about mysteries revealed to some and withheld from others. It introduces the conclusion or reason for His teaching method.
I speak (λαλῶ - lalō): Jesus' deliberate and active declaration of His teaching approach.
to them (αὐτοῖς - autois): Refers specifically to the "multitudes" mentioned in the immediate context, the unresponsive and unrepentant crowd, contrasted with His disciples.
in parables (ἐν παραβολαῖς - en parabolais): From Greek parabolē (παραβολή), signifying a comparison or illustrative narrative. These earthly stories carry heavenly meanings, functioning both to reveal truth to receptive hearts and to obscure it from resistant ones.
because (ὅτι - hoti): This crucial conjunction indicates the direct reason for Jesus' parabolic teaching, emphasizing the pre-existing spiritual condition of His hearers. It highlights their culpability rather than a sole divine determination.
seeing (βλέποντες - blepontes): Denotes physical observation; they visually witness Jesus' actions and teachings.
they do not see (οὐ βλέπουσιν - ou blepousin): A strong negation. Despite physical sight, they lack spiritual perception and fail to grasp the deeper significance or divine identity behind what they observe. It's a willful spiritual blindness.
and hearing (ἀκούοντες - akouontes): Denotes physical audition; they hear Jesus' words audibly.
they do not hear (οὐκ ἀκούουσιν - ouk akouousin): Another strong negation. Despite physical hearing, they lack spiritual understanding or receptive obedience. They don't comprehend the message nor are they inclined to act upon it.
nor do they understand (οὐδὲ συνίουσιν - oude syniousin): From syniemi (συνίημι), meaning to comprehend or put together. This phrase indicates a complete failure to synthesize meaning, a deep absence of spiritual insight that extends beyond simple sensory processing to true discernment.
"seeing they do not see": This idiom illustrates a profound spiritual blindness. While they observe with their eyes, their hearts and minds are closed to the spiritual reality of who Jesus is and what He is doing, preventing genuine apprehension.
"hearing they do not hear": Similar to the visual inability, this phrase points to an auditory reception that fails to translate into spiritual comprehension or heartfelt obedience. The words are heard but remain unreceived by the inner being.
"nor do they understand": This summarizes their complete spiritual incapacitation. It is not merely a superficial misunderstanding, but an utter inability to grasp the profound truths of the Kingdom, a state resulting from their persistent spiritual resistance.
Matthew 13 13 Bonus section
The phraseology "seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear" echoes throughout the Old Testament (e.g., Deut 29:4, Jer 5:21, Ezek 12:2, Isa 42:19-20) consistently lamenting Israel's spiritual stubbornness and often implying divine judgment as a consequence of their persistent unresponsiveness. Jesus' use of this idiom confirms that He viewed the current generation as manifesting the same historical spiritual deficiency as their forefathers. It highlights that the problem lay not in the clarity of the message or the power of the Messenger, but in the heart condition of the hearers. This verse, therefore, implicitly serves as a warning against spiritual complacency and a call for humility and receptivity when encountering God's Word. The ability to truly see and hear kingdom truths is not inherently human but is a divine enablement given to those prepared to receive. The spiritual state described here is often linked to the unpardoned condition of those who reject God's revelation.
Matthew 13 13 Commentary
Matthew 13:13 concisely articulates Jesus' pedagogical shift, revealing that parables served a dual purpose: illuminating truth for the receptive and veiling it from the resistant. The fundamental "because" emphasizes that His parabolic teaching was a direct response to the spiritual condition of the crowds. They possessed physical senses – eyes to see miracles, ears to hear divine teaching – yet remained devoid of true spiritual understanding and heart responsiveness. This state was not merely a passive lack of intelligence but an active spiritual unresponsiveness, often stemming from moral resistance, pride, or attachment to worldly systems. Thus, the parables intensified a judgment already at work: those unwilling to embrace the light were confirmed in their darkness, while those truly seeking were granted deeper revelation. This principle holds for all who encounter Christ: genuine seeing and hearing are not merely physical acts, but a divine work in a willing heart, essential for true understanding and entrance into the Kingdom mysteries.
- A person might physically read the Bible and attend sermons for years, yet never truly grasp the essence of saving grace or feel compelled to follow Christ, demonstrating physical "seeing" and "hearing" without spiritual comprehension.
- Someone might observe undeniable evidences of God's power and work in the world but actively seek alternative, secular explanations, illustrating their unwillingness to "see" spiritually.