The Mustard Seed and the Yeast
Matthew 13:31-35
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Matt.13.31 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- Αλλην: ADJ,acc,sg,f
- παραβολην: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- παρεθηκεν: VERB,aor,pass,ind,3,sg
- αυτοις: PRON,dat,pl,m
- λεγων·Ομοια: VERB,pres,act,ptcp,nom,sg,m
- εστιν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- η: ART,nom,sg,f
- βασιλεια: NOUN,nom,sg,f
- των: ART,gen,pl,m
- ουρανων: NOUN,gen,pl,m
- κοκκω: NOUN,dat,sg,m
- σιναπεως: NOUN,gen,sg,n
- ον: PRON,acc,sg,m
- λαβων: VERB,aor,act,ptcp,nom,sg,m
- ανθρωπος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- εσπειρεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- εν: PREP
- τω: ART,dat,sg,m
- αγρω: NOUN,dat,sg,m
- αυτου·: PRON,gen,sg,m
Parallels
- Mark 4:30-32 (verbal): Parallel version of the mustard seed parable; closely matches wording and imagery about the kingdom starting from the smallest seed and growing into a large plant.
- Luke 13:18-19 (verbal): Luke's rendition of the mustard seed parable, phrased as 'What is the kingdom like?—like a mustard seed,' mirroring Matthew's comparison.
- Mark 4:26-29 (thematic): Another seed-growth parable emphasizing mysterious, hidden growth of the kingdom from small beginnings—complements the mustard-seed theme of gradual expansion.
- Matthew 17:20 (allusion): Uses mustard-seed imagery for faith—echoes the same small-origin/large-effect motif applied to faith rather than the kingdom, showing common symbolic use of the mustard seed.
Alternative generated candidates
- He set before them another parable, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field.'
- He set before them another parable, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field.'
Matt.13.32 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- μικροτερον: ADJ,comp,nom,sg,ne
- μεν: PART
- εστιν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- παντων: ADJ,gen,pl,ne
- των: ART,gen,pl,m
- σπερματων: NOUN,gen,pl,ne
- οταν: CONJ,sub
- δε: CONJ
- αυξηθη: VERB,aor,pass,sub,3,sg
- μειζον: ADJ,comp,nom,sg,ne
- των: ART,gen,pl,m
- λαχανων: NOUN,gen,pl,ne
- εστιν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- και: CONJ
- γινεται: VERB,pres,mid,ind,3,pl
- δενδρον: NOUN,nom,sg,ne
- ωστε: CONJ
- ελθειν: VERB,aor,act,inf
- τα: ART,nom,pl,neut
- πετεινα: NOUN,nom,pl,n
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- ουρανου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- και: CONJ
- κατασκηνουν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,pl
- εν: PREP
- τοις: ART,dat,pl,m
- κλαδοις: NOUN,dat,pl,m
- αυτου: PRON,gen,sg,3,m
Parallels
- Mark 4:31-32 (verbal): Parallel account of the mustard-seed parable in Mark; wording and imagery (smallest seed becoming the greatest of herbs and birds lodging in its branches) are nearly identical.
- Luke 13:18-19 (verbal): Parallel version in Luke; the same illustration of the tiny seed growing into a large plant/tree that provides shelter for the birds.
- Daniel 4:10-12 (thematic): Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of a great tree whose branches provide lodging for birds and beasts uses the same tree-as-refuge image—echoed in Jesus’ mustard-seed parable.
- Ezekiel 17:22-23 (thematic): Prophetic image of God planting a tree that will become large and provide nesting for every kind of bird; thematically parallels the mustard seed’s growth into a sheltering tree.
Alternative generated candidates
- 'Though it is the least of all seeds, when it has grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in its branches.'
- Though it is the smallest of all seeds, when it has grown it is greater than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in its branches.
Matt.13.33 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- Αλλην: ADJ,acc,sg,f
- παραβολην: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- ελαλησεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- αυτοις·Ομοια: PRON,dat,pl,m+ADJ,nom,sg,f
- εστιν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- η: ART,nom,sg,f
- βασιλεια: NOUN,nom,sg,f
- των: ART,gen,pl,m
- ουρανων: NOUN,gen,pl,m
- ζυμη: NOUN,nom,sg,f
- ην: VERB,impf,act,ind,3,sg
- λαβουσα: VERB,aor,act,part,nom,sg,f
- γυνη: NOUN,nom,sg,f
- ενεκρυψεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- εις: PREP
- αλευρου: NOUN,gen,sg,n
- σατα: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- τρια: NUM,acc,pl,n
- εως: CONJ
- ου: PART
- εζυμωθη: VERB,aor,pass,ind,3,sg
- ολον: ADJ,acc,sg,n
Parallels
- Luke 13:20-21 (quotation): Near-verbatim parallel of the same parable in Luke: the kingdom is likened to leaven hidden in three measures of flour until the whole is leavened.
- Matt.13:31 (thematic): Another kingdom parable in Matthew (the mustard seed) that, like the leaven, emphasizes small beginnings producing expansive kingdom growth.
- Mark 4:30-32 (thematic): Mark's version of the mustard-seed parable parallels Matthew 13:33 thematically in portraying the kingdom's unexpected and pervasive growth from small origins.
- 1 Corinthians 5:6-7 (verbal): Paul uses leaven imagery ('a little leaven leavens the whole lump') to illustrate pervasive influence, echoing the leaven-as-transforming-agent language found in Matthew 13:33.
- Galatians 5:9 (verbal): Paul's proverb-like statement ('a little leaven leavens the whole lump') recalls the leaven motif and its principle of small causes producing widespread effect, resonant with the kingdom-parable in Matthew 13:33.
Alternative generated candidates
- He told them another parable: 'The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until the whole was leavened.'
- He told them another parable: 'The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until the whole was leavened.'
Matt.13.34 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- Ταυτα: PRON,acc,pl,n
- παντα: ADJ,acc,pl,n
- ελαλησεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- Ιησους: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- εν: PREP
- παραβολαις: NOUN,dat,pl,f
- τοις: ART,dat,pl,m
- οχλοις: NOUN,dat,pl,m
- και: CONJ
- χωρις: PREP
- παραβολης: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- ουδεν: PRON,acc,sg,n
- ελαλει: VERB,impf,act,ind,3,sg
- αυτοις·: PRON,dat,pl,m
Parallels
- Mark 4:33-34 (verbal): Near-verbatim parallel: Mark records that Jesus spoke the word to the crowds in many parables and did not speak to them without a parable, explaining privately to the disciples.
- Luke 8:10 (allusion): Luke gives the purpose of Jesus' use of parables—revealing kingdom secrets to disciples while speaking in parables to others—echoing Matthew's note about parabolic speech to the crowds.
- Matthew 13:10-11 (structural): Immediate contextual parallel within Matthew: the disciples ask why Jesus speaks in parables, and Jesus explains the revelatory/hidden function of parables for insiders vs. outsiders.
- Matthew 13:35 (quotation): Matthew immediately cites Scripture after 13:34, stating that Jesus spoke in parables to fulfill the saying 'I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world.'
- Psalm 78:2 (quotation): The Old Testament source Matthew cites (Psalm 78:2 LXX/Hebrew) as the prophetic precedent for Jesus' use of parables: 'I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter dark sayings of old.'
Alternative generated candidates
- All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables; and apart from a parable he did not speak to them,
- All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables; and without a parable he did not speak to them.
Matt.13.35 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- οπως: CONJ
- πληρωθη: VERB,aor,pass,subj,3,sg
- το: ART,nom,sg,n
- ρηθεν: PART,aor,pass,acc,n,sg
- δια: PREP
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- προφητου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- λεγοντος·Ανοιξω: PART,pres,act,gen,m,sg+VERB,fut,act,ind,1,sg
- εν: PREP
- παραβολαις: NOUN,dat,pl,f
- το: ART,nom,sg,n
- στομα: NOUN,acc,sg,n
- μου: PRON,gen,sg,1
- ερευξομαι: VERB,fut,mid,ind,1,sg
- κεκρυμμενα: PART,perf,pass,acc,n,pl
- απο: PREP
- καταβολης: NOUN,gen,sg,f
Parallels
- Psalm 78:2 (quotation): Direct source quoted by Matthew: 'I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter dark sayings from of old.' (LXX/MT wording parallels Matthew's citation.)
- Mark 4:11 (verbal): Jesus explains the purpose of parables—'To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God...'—echoing Matthew's link between parables and hidden/deeper revelation.
- Luke 8:10 (verbal): Parallel saying to Mark 4:11: Jesus indicates parables conceal truth from outsiders while revealing the secrets of the kingdom to insiders, reflecting Matthew's fulfillment citation.
- Isaiah 6:9–10 (allusion): Prophetic motif of God causing people to hear but not understand (eyes closed, hearts hardened) provides theological background to why Jesus speaks in parables that hide or reveal truth.
- Matthew 11:25 (thematic): Jesus' thanksgiving that the Father has hidden truths from the wise and revealed them to 'little children' parallels the theme of revelation and concealment expressed in the parable citation.
Alternative generated candidates
- to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: 'I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world.'
- This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet: 'I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world.'
He set before them another parable, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field.
It is the smallest of all seeds; yet when it has grown it is greater than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in its branches.'
He set before them another parable, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is like leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until the whole was leavened.'
All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables; and without a parable he did not speak to them. So was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet: 'I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden since the foundation of the world.'