Matthew 13:31 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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Other translations
New International Version
He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field.
New Living Translation
Here is another illustration Jesus used: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field.
English Standard Version
He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field.
Berean Study Bible
He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man planted in his field.
Berean Literal Bible
He put before them another parable, saying: “The kingdom of the heavens is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man having taken, sowed in his field,
New King James Version
Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field,
New American Standard Bible
He presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a person took and sowed in his field;
NASB 1977
NASB 1995
He presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field;
Amplified Bible
He gave them another parable [to consider], saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field;
Word by word
The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed.
The two parables that follow are left without an explanation, as though to train the disciples in the art of interpreting for themselves. And, so far as we can judge, they seem to have been equal to the task. They ask for the meaning of the Tares, but we read of no question about these.
It is scarcely necessary to discuss at any length the botany of the parable.
What we call mustard (Sinapis nigra) does not grow in the East, any more than with us, into anything that can be called a tree.
Probably, however, the name was used widely for any plant that had the pungent flavour of mustard, and botanists have suggested the Salvadora persica as answering to the description.
The interpretation of the parable lies almost on the surface.
Here again the sower is the Son of Man; but the seed in this case is not so much the “word,” as the Christian society, the Church, which forms, so to speak, the firstfruits of the word.
As it then was, even as it was on the day of Pentecost, it was smaller than any sect or party in Palestine or Greece or Italy.
It was sown in God’s field of the world, but it was to grow till it became greater than any sect or school, a tree among the trees of the forest, a kingdom among other kingdoms (comp. the imagery of Ezekiel 31:3; Daniel 4:10), a great organised society; and the “birds of the air” (no longer, as before, the emblems of evil) — i.e., the systems of thought, institutions, and the like, of other races — were to find refuge under its protection.
History has witnessed many fulfilments of the prophecy implied in the parable, and those who believe that the life of Christendom is an abiding life will look for yet more.
Greek
[Jesus] put before ☆ παρέθηκεν (parethēken) ☆ Verb – Aorist Indicative Active – 3rd Person Singular ☆ From para and tithemi; to place alongside, i.e. Present; by implication, to deposit.
Them ☆ αὐτοῖς (autois) ☆ Personal / Possessive Pronoun – Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural ☆ He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.
Another ☆ Ἄλλην (Allēn) ☆ Adjective – Accusative Feminine Singular ☆ Other, another (of more than two), different. A primary word; ‘else, ‘ i.e. Different.
Parable ☆ παραβολὴν (parabolēn) ☆ Noun – Accusative Feminine Singular ☆ From paraballo; a similitude, i.e. fictitious narrative, apothegm or adage.
The ☆ ἡ (hē) ☆ Article – Nominative Feminine Singular ☆ The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.
Kingdom ☆ βασιλεία (basileia) ☆ Noun – Nominative Feminine Singular ☆ From basileus; properly, royalty, i.e. rule, or a realm.
Of ☆ τῶν (tōn) ☆ Article – Genitive Masculine Plural ☆ The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.
Heaven ☆ οὐρανῶν (ouranōn) ☆ Noun – Genitive Masculine Plural ☆ Perhaps from the same as oros; the sky; by extension, heaven; by implication, happiness, power, eternity; specially, the Gospel.
Is ☆ ἐστὶν (estin) ☆ Verb – Present Indicative Active – 3rd Person Singular ☆ I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.
Like ☆ Ὁμοία (Homoia) ☆ Adjective – Nominative Feminine Singular ☆ Like, similar to, resembling, of equal rank. From the base of homou; similar.
A mustard ☆ σινάπεως (sinapeōs) ☆ Noun – Genitive Neuter Singular ☆ Mustard (probably the shrub, not the herb). Perhaps from sinomai; mustard.
Seed ☆ κόκκῳ (kokkō) ☆ Noun – Dative Masculine Singular ☆ A kernel, grain, seed. Apparently a primary word; a kernel of seed.
That ☆ ὃν (hon) ☆ Personal / Relative Pronoun – Accusative Masculine Singular ☆ Who, which, what, that.
A man ☆ ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) ☆ Noun – Nominative Masculine Singular ☆ A man, one of the human race. From aner and ops; man-faced, i.e. A human being.
Planted ☆ ἔσπειρεν (espeiren) ☆ Verb – Aorist Indicative Active – 3rd Person Singular ☆ To sow, spread, scatter. Probably strengthened from spao; to scatter, i.e. Sow.
In ☆ ἐν (en) ☆ Preposition ☆ In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; ‘in, ‘ at, on, by, etc.
His ☆ αὐτοῦ (autou) ☆ Personal / Possessive Pronoun – Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular ☆ He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.
Field ☆ ἀγρῷ (agrō) ☆ Noun – Dative Masculine Singular ☆ From ago; a field; genitive case, the country; specially, a farm, i.e. Hamlet.
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