Matthew 13:44
Again, the kingdom of heaven
is like unto treasure hid in a field;
the which when a man hath found,
he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth
and selleth all that he hath,
and buyeth that field.
Study
Other translations
New International Version
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
New Living Translation
“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field.
English Standard Version
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Berean Study Bible
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and in his joy he went and sold all he had and bought that field.
Berean Literal Bible
The kingdom of the heavens is like treasure having been hidden in the field, which a man having found, hid. And for joy over it, he goes and he sells all that he has, and buys that field.
New King James Version
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
New American Standard Bible
“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells everything that he has, and buys that field.
NASB 1995
“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
NASB 1977
“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field.
Amplified Bible
“The kingdom of heaven is like a [very precious] treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid again; then in his joy he goes and sells all he has and buys that field [securing the treasure for himself].
Word by word
The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field.
Probably no parable in the whole series came more home to the imagination of the disciples than this. Every village had its story of men who had become suddenly rich by finding some hidden hoard that had been hastily concealed in time of war or tumult.
Then, as now, there were men who lived in the expectation of finding such treasures, and every traveller who was seen searching in the ruins of an ancient town was supposed to be hunting after them.
As far back as the days of Solomon such a search had become a parable for the eager pursuit of wisdom (Proverbs 2:4).
Now they were told to find that which answered to it in their own experience.
The conduct of the man who finds the treasure, in concealing the fact of his discovery from the owner of the field, hardly corresponds with our notions of integrity, but parables — as in the case of the Unjust Steward (Luke 16:1) and the Unjust Judge (Luke 18:2) — do not concern themselves with these questions, and it is enough if they bring out the salient points — in this case, the eagerness of the man to obtain the treasure, and the sacrifice he is ready to make for it. Jewish casuistry, in such matters, applied the maxim, Caveat emptor, to the seller rather than the buyer, and the minds of the disciples would hardly be shocked at what would seem to them a natural stroke of sharpness.
In the interpretation of the parable, the case described is that of a man who, not having started in the pursuit of holiness or truth, is brought by the seeming accidents of life — a chance meeting, a word spoken in season, the example of a living holiness — to the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus, i.e., to Christ Himself, and who, finding in Him a peace and joy above all earthly treasure, is ready to sacrifice the lower wealth in order to obtain the higher.
Such, we may well believe, had been the history of the publicans and the fishermen who made up the company of the Twelve.
The parable had its fulfilment in them when they, at the bidding of their Lord, “forsook all and followed Him.” Such, it need hardly be said, has been the story of thousands of the saints of God in every age of the Church’s life from that day to this.
Greek
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.
treasure
θησαυρῷ (thēsaurō)
Noun – Dative Masculine Singular
A store-house for precious things; hence: a treasure, a store. From tithemi; a deposit, i.e. Wealth.
hidden
κεκρυμμένῳ (kekrymmenō)
Verb – Perfect Participle Middle or Passive – Dative Masculine Singular
To hide, conceal, lay up. A primary verb; to conceal.
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.
a field.
ἀγρῷ (agrō)
Noun – Dative Masculine Singular
From ago; a field; genitive case, the country; specially, a farm, i.e. Hamlet.
[When 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.
found
εὑρὼν (heurōn)
Verb – Aorist Participle Active – Nominative Masculine Singular
A prolonged form of a primary heuro, which heureo is used for it in all the tenses except the present and imperfect to find.
[it]
ὃν (hon)
Personal / Relative Pronoun – Accusative Masculine Singular
Who, which, what, that.
he hid [it again],
ἔκρυψεν (ekrypsen)
Verb – Aorist Indicative Active – 3rd Person Singular
To hide, conceal, lay up. A primary verb; to conceal.
and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
And, even, also, namely.
in
ἀπὸ (apo)
Preposition
From, away from. A primary particle; ‘off, ‘ i.e. Away, in various senses.
[his]
τῆς (tēs)
Article – Genitive Feminine Singular
The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.
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.
joy
χαρᾶς (charas)
Noun – Genitive Feminine Singular
Joy, gladness, a source of joy. From chairo; cheerfulness, i.e. Calm delight.
he went
ὑπάγει (hypagei)
Verb – Present Indicative Active – 3rd Person Singular
To go away, depart, begone, die. From hupo and ago; to lead under, i.e. Withdraw or retire, literally or figuratively.
and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
And, even, also, namely.
sold
πωλεῖ (pōlei)
Verb – Present Indicative Active – 3rd Person Singular
To sell, exchange, barter. Probably ultimately from pelomai; to barter, i.e. To sell.
all
‹πάντα› (panta)
Adjective – Accusative Neuter Plural
All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.
he had
ἔχει (echei)
Verb – Present Indicative Active – 3rd Person Singular
To have, hold, possess. Including an alternate form scheo skheh’-o; a primary verb; to hold.
and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
And, even, also, namely.
bought
ἀγοράζει (agorazei)
Verb – Present Indicative Active – 3rd Person Singular
To buy. From agora; properly, to go to market, i.e. to purchase; specially, to redeem.
that
ἐκεῖνον (ekeinon)
Demonstrative Pronoun – Accusative Masculine Singular
That, that one there, yonder. From ekei; that one (neuter) thing); often intensified by the article prefixed.
field
ἀγρὸν (agron)
Noun – Accusative Masculine Singular
From ago; a field; genitive case, the country; specially, a farm, i.e. Hamlet.
□ ■ □
Read more of these messages at: https://devotionals.harryschoemaker.nl
Download your Bible pictures from: http://bijbelplaatjes.nl
Email: devotionals@harryschoemaker.nl
Twitter: @SchoemakerHarry
About Author
