Bible Strands
Matthew 13:31
He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in his field.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Jesus addresses his gathered listeners immediately after concluding the parable of the wheat and weeds, introducing a new teaching on the kingdom. He presents this comparison to the crowd and his disciples following the harvest instruction in Matthew 13:30.
The words — The term παραβολὴν (parabolēn) denotes a parable, while παρέθηκεν (parethēken) literally means "He put before," indicating Jesus placing this teaching directly in front of his audience.
The thread — The mustard seed comparison appears in Luke 13:18 and Mark 4:30 as a direct inquiry about the kingdom of God, while Matthew 17:20 applies the seed's size to the nature of faith. The immediate context in Matthew 13:32 completes the image by describing the seed's growth into a large plant.
Why it lands — The text states that the kingdom of heaven begins with a man planting a tiny seed in a field, establishing a pattern of humble origins. Readers must observe how the kingdom's visible expansion operates through ordinary, grounded action rather than immediate grandeur.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
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:
Cross-references
- Luke 13:18 Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? To what can I compare it?
- Matthew 17:20 “Because you have so little faith,” He answered. “For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
- Mark 4:30 Then He asked, “To what can we compare the kingdom of God? With what parable shall we present it?
- Luke 17:6 And the Lord answered, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.
- Matthew 13:24 Jesus put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.
- Luke 20:9 Then He proceeded to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, rented it out to some tenants, and went away for a long time.
- Luke 19:11 While the people were listening to this, Jesus proceeded to tell them a parable, because He was near Jerusalem and they thought the kingdom of God would appear imminently.