Matthew 13:10-17

Mar 30, 2011 05:29 AM DONE

<a href="http://bible.cc/matthew/13-10.htm" >10</a>And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?

<a href="http://gill.biblecommenter.com/matthew/13.htm" >Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible</a>

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<li>And the disciples came, and said unto him,.... Not the twelve only, but others that were about him, as Mark says, who also were his disciples, and believed in him: these, when he was alone, came nearer to him, who, whilst he was preaching to the people, were at some little distance from him, either in the ship, or on the shore, though within the hearing of him, and addressed him after this manner;

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<li>why speakest thou unto them in parables? not that this way of speaking was new and surprising to them; but because it was not easily understood, especially not by the common people, without an explanation, which, as yet, Christ had not given: and indeed the parable was not understood by the disciples themselves; who put this question, not only for the sake of the multitude, but for their own also, hoping to be favoured with the meaning of it.</li>

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<a href="http://bible.cc/matthew/13-11.htm" >11</a>He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

<a href="http://barnes.biblecommenter.com/matthew/13.htm" >Barnes' Notes on the Bible</a>

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<li>The mysteries of the kingdom - The word "mystery," in the Bible, properly means a thing that is "concealed," or that "has been concealed." It does not mean that the thing was "incomprehensible," or even difficult to be understood.</li>

<li >The thing might be "plain" enough if revealed, but it means simply that it "had" not been before made known. Thus the "mysteries of the kingdom" do not mean any doctrines incomprehensible in themselves considered, but simply doctrines about the preaching of the gospel and the establishment of the new kingdom of the Messiah, which "had not" been understood, and which were as yet concealed from the great body of the Jews. See <a href="http://bible.cc/romans/16-25.htm" >Romans 16:25</a>; <a href="brain://3cUGwEq-rFuMEr7bgWRswA/160" class="thought-link">  </a><a href="http://bible.cc/romans/11-25.htm" >Romans 11:25</a>;<a href="http://niv.scripturetext.com/ephesians/3-3.htm" >Ephesians 3:3-4</a>, <a href="http://bible.cc/ephesians/3-9.htm" >Ephesians 3:9</a>. Of this nature was the truth that the gospel was to be preached to the Gentiles; that the Jewish polity was to cease; that the Messiah was to die, etc. To the disciples it was given to know these truths. This was important for them, as they were to carry the gospel around the globe. To the others it was not "then" given. They were too gross, too earthly; they had too, grovelling conceptions of the Messiah's kingdom to understand these truths, even if communicated to them. They were not to preach the gospel, and hence our Saviour was at particular pains to instruct his apostles in the system which they were to preach. The Pharisees, and Jews generally, were not prepared to receive the system, and would not have believed it, and therefore he purposely employed a kind of teaching which was intended for his apostles only.</li>

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<a href="http://bible.cc/matthew/13-12.htm" >12</a>For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

<a href="http://barnes.biblecommenter.com/matthew/13.htm" >Barnes' Notes on the Bible</a>

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<li >Whosoever hath ... - This is a proverbial method of speaking.</li>

<li >It means that a man who improves what light, grace, and opportunities he has, shall have them increased. From him that improves them not, it is proper that they should be taken away. The Jews had many opportunities of learning the truth, and some light still lingered among them; but they were gross and sensual, and misimproved them, and it was a just judgment that they should be deprived of them. Superior knowledge was given to the disciples of Christ: they improved it, however slowly, and the promise was that it should be greatly increased.

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<a href="http://bible.cc/matthew/13-13.htm" >13</a>Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

<a href="http://barnes.biblecommenter.com/matthew/13.htm" >Barnes' Notes on the Bible</a>

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<li >Because they seeing, see not - Mark Mar 4:12 and Luke Luke 8:10 say, "That seeing, they may not see etc.;" but there is no difference.</li>

<li >Matthew simply states the "fact," that though they saw the "natural" meaning of the story - though they literally understood the parable - yet they did not understand its "spiritual" signification. Mark and Luke do not state the "fact," but affirm that he spoke with this "intention" - implying that such "was" the result. Nor was there any dishonesty in this, or any unfair disguise. He had truths to state which he wished his "disciples particularly" to understand</li>

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<a href="http://jfb.biblecommenter.com/matthew/13.htm" >Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary</a>

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<li >13. Therefore speak I to them in parables-which our Lord, be it observed, did not begin to do till His miracles were malignantly ascribed to Satan.</li>

<li >In Mark and Luke (Mr 4:12; Lu 8:10), what is here expressed as a human fact is represented as the fulfilment of a divine purpose-"that seeing they may see, and not perceive," &c. The explanation of this lies in the statement of the foregoing verse-that, by a fixed law of the divine administration, the duty men voluntarily refuse to do, and in point of fact do not do, they at length become morally incapable of doing.</li>

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<a href="http://bible.cc/matthew/13-14.htm" >14</a>And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:

<a href="http://clarke.biblecommenter.com/matthew/13.htm" >Clarke's Commentary on the Bible</a>

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<li >In them is fulfilled - Αναπληρουται, Is Again fulfilled: this proper meaning of the Greek word has been generally overlooked. The evangelist means, that as these words were fulfilled in the Jews, in the time of the Prophet Isaiah, so they are now again fulfilled in these their posterity, who exactly copy their fathers example. These awful words may be again fulfilled in us, if we take not warning by the things which these disobedient people have suffered.</li>

<li >By hearing ye shall hear - Jesus Christ shall be sent to you, his miracles ye shall fully see, and his doctrines ye shall distinctly hear; but God will not force you to receive the salvation which is offered</li>

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<a href="http://bible.cc/matthew/13-15.htm" >15</a>For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

<a href="http://clarke.biblecommenter.com/matthew/13.htm" >Clarke's Commentary on the Bible</a>

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<li >Heart is waxed gross - Επαχυνθη, is become fat - inattentive stupid, insensible. They hear heavily with their ears - are half asleep while the salvation of God is preached unto them.</li>

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<a href="http://vws.biblecommenter.com/matthew/13.htm" >Vincent's Word Studies</a>

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<li >They have closed (ἐκάμμυσαν)</li>

<li >, κατά, down, μύω, to close, as in μυστήρια above Our idiom shuts up the eyes. The Greek shuts them down. The Hebrew, in <a href="http://niv.scripturetext.com/isaiah/6-10.htm" >Isaiah 6:10</a>, is besmear. This insensibility is described as a punishment. Compare <a href="http://bible.cc/isaiah/29-10.htm" >Isaiah 29:10</a>; <a href="http://bible.cc/isaiah/44-18.htm" >Isaiah 44:18</a>; in both of which the closing of the eyes is described as a judgment of God. Sealing up the eyes was an oriental punishment. Cheyne ("Isaiah") cites the case of a son of the Great Mogul, who had his eyes sealed up three years by his father as a punishment. Dante pictures the envious, on the second cornice of Purgatory, with their eyes sewed up:</li>

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<a href="http://bible.cc/matthew/13-16.htm" >16</a>But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

<a href="http://gill.biblecommenter.com/matthew/13.htm" >Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible</a>

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<li >But blessed are your eyes, for they see,.... Which is to be understood both of corporal and intellectual sight: it was their happiness to see Christ in the flesh, and converse with him in person, be eyewitnesses of his majesty, and see with their own eyes the miracles performed by him, the proofs and attestations of those doctrines they were to publish to all the world; and it was still their greater happiness, that they saw his glory, as the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth: many saw him in the flesh, as they did, with their bodily eyes, but saw no beauty, nor comeliness in him, nothing amiable and desirable in him; but these saw his personal and transcendent glories, as the Son of God, his fulness as mediator, his suitableness as a Saviour and Redeemer, and all the characters of the Messiah in him; and so believed, and were sure that he was the Christ, the Son of the living God: they saw Christ, not in the promise, as Abraham, and other patriarchs did; nor through types and shadows, as the saints of the Old Testament did; to them it was given to know and understand the mysteries of grace, respecting the person, offices, obedience, sufferings, and death of Christ.</li>

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<a href="http://bible.cc/matthew/13-17.htm" >17</a>For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

<a href="http://gill.biblecommenter.com/matthew/13.htm" >Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible</a>

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<li >

A way of speaking, somewhat like this, stands in the Talmud (p);

"Many have watched to expound in Mercavah (the beginning of Ezekiel's prophecy), , "and have not seen it all their days".''

(p) T. Bab. Megilla, fol. 24. 2.

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