Matthew 13:34 kjv
All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:
Matthew 13:34 nkjv
All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them,
Matthew 13:34 niv
Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable.
Matthew 13:34 esv
All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable.
Matthew 13:34 nlt
Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds. In fact, he never spoke to them without using such parables.
Matthew 13 34 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 78:2 | I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old... | Direct prophetic fulfillment. |
| Matt 13:10-11 | ...why do you speak to them in parables? He answered, "...to you it has been granted to know the mysteries...to them it has not." | Purpose of parables: revelation vs. concealment. |
| Matt 13:13 | "This is why I speak to them in parables: Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand." | Parables illustrate spiritual blindness/deafness. |
| Matt 13:16 | "But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear." | Blessedness of true understanding for disciples. |
| Mk 4:11-12 | "To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside, everything is in parables..." | Kingdom mysteries revealed to insiders. |
| Lk 8:9-10 | ...what this parable meant. He said, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom...but for the rest, it is in parables..." | Reveals truth to disciples, obscures from others. |
| Isa 6:9-10 | "Go and tell this people: 'Be ever hearing, but never understanding...'" | Prophecy of judicial hardening through veiled speech. |
| Jn 7:46 | "No one ever spoke like this man!" | Jesus's unique and authoritative teaching. |
| Matt 7:28-29 | ...the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority... | Jesus's teaching method underscored his authority. |
| Jer 23:29 | "Is not my word like fire," declares the Lord, "and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?" | God's word having both revealing and hardening effects. |
| Dan 12:8-10 | "I heard, but I did not understand...go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end..." | Prophecy can be veiled for a time, then understood. |
| Matt 11:25 | "...You have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children..." | Divine revelation chooses its recipients. |
| Jn 16:25 | "I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures but will tell you plainly..." | Future progressive revelation to disciples. |
| 1 Cor 2:7-8 | "But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages...which none of the rulers of this age understood." | Divine wisdom hidden from the world's wisdom. |
| 1 Cor 2:14 | The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God...spiritually discerned. | Spiritual truth requires spiritual discernment. |
| Heb 5:12 | ...you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food... | Analogy of 'milk' vs. 'solid food' relates to spiritual capacity for understanding. |
| Mk 4:33-34 | "With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything." | Corroborates public parabolic teaching, private explanation. |
| Jn 10:6 | Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them. | The lack of understanding among many for Jesus's deeper meanings. |
| Ps 49:4 | I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will open my riddle on the lyre. | Using parabolic or symbolic language to convey wisdom. |
| Rev 13:9 | If anyone has an ear, let him hear. | Repeated call for spiritual hearing. |
| Rom 10:17 | So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. | Necessity of hearing God's word for understanding and faith. |
Matthew 13 verses
Matthew 13 34 Meaning
Matthew 13:34 signifies Jesus's deliberate and consistent pedagogical approach to the multitude. It emphasizes that He routinely spoke to the large crowds exclusively in parables, an earthly story conveying a spiritual truth. This method served both to illuminate spiritual realities for those with receptive hearts and to veil understanding from those hardened by unbelief, simultaneously fulfilling Old Testament prophecy.
Matthew 13 34 Context
Matthew 13 is a pivotal chapter known as "the Parables Chapter." It primarily records a series of parables spoken by Jesus from a boat to large crowds gathered on the shore, particularly the parable of the sower. The disciples then privately ask Jesus why He speaks in parables (Matt 13:10). His explanation, given in Matt 13:11-17, highlights the dual purpose of parables: to reveal truth to those to whom it has been "given" (the disciples) and to conceal it from those who are "outside" or hardened (the crowds, in fulfillment of Isa 6:9-10). Verse 34 serves as a concluding statement to this teaching session, reiterating the deliberate choice by Jesus to communicate publicly using only parables. The immediate following verse (Matt 13:35) then directly links this practice to the Old Testament prophecy from Psalm 78:2, confirming Jesus's messianic identity and the divine design behind His teaching method.
Matthew 13 34 Word analysis
All these things (ταῦτα πάντα - tauta panta): Refers collectively to the preceding parables Jesus taught to the crowd, particularly those presented earlier in Matthew 13: the Sower, the Weeds, the Mustard Seed, and the Leaven. This phrase emphasizes the entirety of His public discourse at that time.
Jesus (Ἰησοῦς - Iēsous): The central figure, God Incarnate, whose divine authority undergirds His unique teaching method.
said (ἐλάλησεν - elalēsen): From laleō, meaning to speak, utter, or declare. It signifies verbal communication. The aorist tense implies a specific instance of speaking or a customary practice being described.
to the crowds (τοῖς ὄχλοις - tois ochlois): Denotes the large, unspecific groups of people, the general public who followed Jesus. This differentiates them from His inner circle of disciples to whom He would later provide private explanations (Mk 4:34).
in parables (ἐν παραβολαῖς - en parabolais): Parabolē (from paraballō meaning to throw alongside or compare) signifies a story, comparison, or illustrative narrative. It is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning, often used to convey spiritual truth through familiar images. Jesus's use of parables was common but distinctively purposeful.
and (καί - kai): A simple conjunction connecting the preceding statement to the following, emphasizing its continuous nature.
without (χωρίς - chōris): Signifies apart from, separate from, or without the aid of. It emphasizes the exclusivity of His method for the crowds.
a parable (παραβολῆς - parabolēs): Reinforces the specific form of communication.
He did not speak (οὐκ ἐλάλει - ouk elalei): The imperfect tense of laleō combined with the negative ouk suggests a habitual, continuous action or consistent practice. For the crowds, His teaching was always parabolic; He did not switch to plain discourse.
"All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables": This phrase establishes the consistent and intentional nature of Jesus's public teaching strategy. It shows that the parables were not merely one teaching tool among many but His primary and habitual mode of address to the masses, acting as a filter for spiritual understanding.
"and without a parable He did not speak to them": This strong negative assertion (double negative in English, emphatic in Greek imperfect tense) confirms the exclusive nature of parabolic teaching to the crowds. It means His communication was never non-parabolic when addressing the general populace. This served to veil the deeper truths from those not given to understand while drawing out spiritual seekers.
Matthew 13 34 Bonus section
The consistent use of parables for the crowds and direct explanation for disciples indicates a deliberate 'economy of revelation' in Jesus's ministry. This meant that the full depth of Kingdom truths was progressively unveiled only to those truly committed to Him, emphasizing that the mysteries of God are discerned spiritually, not merely intellectually. The very form of Jesus's public teaching served as a litmus test for spiritual receptivity. It invited sincere seekers to press in for deeper understanding while leaving those who were casual hearers without clear revelation. This distinction highlights that while God desires all to be saved, spiritual illumination often comes to those who earnestly seek it and follow the revealed path.
Matthew 13 34 Commentary
Matthew 13:34 acts as a critical interpretative statement regarding Jesus's public ministry, particularly concerning His teaching methodology. It reveals a divinely appointed strategy where Jesus deliberately spoke to the common people in parables exclusively. This wasn't merely a stylistic choice but a strategic pedagogical act with dual implications: illumination and obfuscation. For those whose hearts were prepared and whose ears were receptive, the parables served as doorways to profound spiritual insight. For others, particularly those spiritually hardened or unwilling to follow, the parables, while engaging stories, concealed the deeper mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, serving as a judgment on their unbelief (Isa 6:9-10). This verse underscores the fulfillments of prophecy concerning the Messiah's speech (Ps 78:2), affirming Jesus's identity. His refusal to speak plainly to the crowds contrasted with His private explanations to His disciples, highlighting the differentiated nature of revelation based on spiritual receptivity and divine election. It teaches that understanding divine truth is not automatic but requires spiritual insight and a willing heart, given by God.