UTN uW Translation Notes:

Matthew 13 Chapter Introduction

Structure and Formatting

6. Jesus tells parables about the kingdom of God (13:1–52)
   • The parable of the sower (13:1–9)
   • Jesus explains why he uses parables (13:10–17)
   • Jesus explains the parable of the sower (13:18–23)
   • The parable of the darnel (13:24–30)
   • The parable of the mustard seed (13:31–32)
   • The parable of the yeast (13:33)
   • Summary statement (13:34–35)
   • Jesus explains the parable of the darnel (13:36–43)
   • The parable of the treasure in the field (13:44)
   • The parable of the pearl (13:45–46)
   • The parable of the net (13:47–50)
   • Jesus concludes his teaching (13:51–52)
7. Further opposition to Jesus and misunderstanding of the kingdom of God (13:53–17:27)
   • Jesus visits his hometown (13:53–58)

Some translations set each line of poetry farther to the right than the rest of the text to make it easier to read. The ULT does this with the poetry in 13:14–15, which is a quote from Isaiah 6:9–10, and in 13:35, which is a quote from Psalm 78:2.

Religious and Cultural Concepts in This Chapter

Farming

Jesus refers to many different farming practices in this chapter. In his culture, farmers often threw seeds over their fields, a process called sowing. After throwing the seeds, they would use a tool called a plow to cover the seeds with dirt. Then they would water and take care of the seeds until they sprouted and grew. Finally, when the plants produced grain or other kinds of crops, they would cut down the plants, separate the edible parts from the inedible parts, and store the edible parts in a safe place. See the notes on the verses in which Jesus discusses farming practices for specific information and translation options.

Darnel

Darnel are plants that look much like wheat plants. However, they do not produce the same kind of grain, and the grain that they do produce is somewhat poisonous. In your translation, you could refer to a plant that looks like wheat or grain plants, or you could use a descriptive phrase. See the notes for translation options.

Translation Issues in This Chapter

Parables

Throughout this chapter, Jesus uses many parables to teach the crowds and his disciples. Each parable is a short story that includes a specific lesson. Jesus uses parables to teach so that people who already know his message will learn more but people who do not know his message will not learn anything (see 13:10–17). Jesus explains three of the parables, but he does not explain any of the others. Possible explanations for each parable are included below, but only for help in translation. Your translation should not directly explain the meaning of any parable more than Jesus does. (See: figs-parables)

• The parable of the sower—In 13:3–9, Jesus tells a story about a man who sows seed and about what happens to the seed. Jesus explains this parable in 13:18–23. Even with this explanation, Christians debate who the sower is, what the seed represents, and what the different areas in the field represent. The sower could be Jesus himself, God, or anyone who preaches the gospel. The seed could be the gospel or the person who hears the gospel. The different areas in the field could be regions or areas where people hear the gospel, different kinds of people, or different ways of responding to the gospel. Most likely, the seed and the area in the field together describe what happens when people respond to the gospel in these four ways.
• The parable of the darnel—In 13:24–30, Jesus tells a story about a farmer who planted good seed and the farmer’s enemy who planted darnel seed in the same field. Jesus explains this parable in 13:37–43. Jesus is the farmer, and the good seed are people who believe in him. The enemy is the devil, and the darnel seed are people who serve him. The farmer in the story allows the darnel to grow until the harvest, when he has them cut down and burned. Similarly, Jesus allows people who serve the devil to live until this time period ends, when he will have his angels collect these people. Then, he will judge and punish them, and he will reward those who believed in him.
• The parable of the mustard seed—In 13:31–32, Jesus tells a story about how a very small seed (a mustard seed) grows into a very large plant. Most likely, he is describing how his group of followers was very small but will eventually become very large. Jesus mentions that birds nest in the branches of this large plant. Some people think that Jesus is referring to passages like Ezekiel 17:23, which could suggest that the birds represent Gentiles who become part of God’s kingdom. Others think that the detail about the birds simply illustrates how large the plant is. If possible, your translation should allow for all of these interpretations.
• The parable of the yeast—In 13:33, Jesus tells a story about how a woman leavened a large amount of flour with some yeast. Most likely, he is describing how his message and his followers will affect many things. He could be speaking about how his message completely changes people. Or, he could be speaking about how his message and his followers will spread throughout the whole world. Or, he could be speaking about how his message and his followers are small and insignificant but affect the whole world. If possible, your translation should allow for all of these interpretations.
• The parable of the treasure in the field—In 13:44, Jesus tells a story about a worker who discovered a hidden treasure in a field that belonged to someone else. To obtain the treasure, the worker sold everything that he had and bought the field. Most likely, Jesus means that being part of God’s kingdom is very valuable, like a treasure, and people should be willing to give up everything to be part of the kingdom.
• The parable of the pearl—In 13:45–46, Jesus tells a story about a merchant who wanted to obtain valuable pearls. When he saw a very expensive pearl, he sold everything that he had and bought the pearl. Most likely, Jesus means that being part of God’s kingdom is very valuable, like an expensive pearl, and that people should be willing to give up everything to be part of the kingdom.
• The parable of the net—In 13:47–48, Jesus tells a story about fishermen who use a net to catch many kinds of fish, some useful and some useless. They sort through the fish, keeping the good ones and throwing away the bad ones. Jesus explains this parable in 13:49–50. The fish are like people, and the fishermen are like angels. At the end of this time period, the angels will separate righteous people from wicked people, just like the fishermen sorted the fish. Then, the wicked people will be punished, just as the useless fish were thrown away.

Singular and plural forms of “you”

Most of the forms of “you” in this chapter appear in speeches that Jesus gives to many people around him. Because of this, most forms of “you” in this chapter are plural. You should assume forms of “you” are plural unless a note specifies that the form is singular. (See: figs-yousingular)