Matthew 13:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: He who has ears, let him hear."

NIV: Whoever has ears, let them hear."

NASB: The one who has ears, let him hear.'

CSB: Let anyone who has ears listen."

NLT: Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.'

KJV: Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

NKJV: He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

After concluding His first of several parables to the crowd gathered on the beach (Matthew 13:1–8), Jesus proclaims from His spot in the boat, "He who has ears, let him hear." This phrase is used as a clue for listeners to carefully review what He has just said and to work to understand it.

In the following verses, Jesus' disciples will ask Him why He teaches in parables. His answer will reveal that not everyone "has ears," in a spiritual sense. Not all people want to listen, or understand, and Jesus does not intend for everyone who hears His parables to fully understand them.

Matthew 13:1–9 turns the focus back to Jesus' spiritual teachings, with the parable of the sower. As Jesus sits in a boat just offshore, He tells the crowd about a seed-thrower whose seed fell on a path, on rocky soil, among thorns, and on good soil. Only the seed on the good soil is productive. Jesus later explains the meaning of the parable to His disciples (Matthew 13:18–23), but He does not fully explain it for the crowds.

Matthew 13 focuses mainly on a series of parables. Jesus first describes these to a large crowd along the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Later, in a house, He explains to the disciples the meanings of the parables of the sower, the weeds, and the fish caught in the net. Jesus then travels to Nazareth, teaches in the synagogue, and is rejected by the people of His original hometown.

Matthew 13 follows Jesus from the overcrowded house at the end of the previous chapter to a crowded beach on the Sea of Galilee. He teaches a large crowd in a series of parables, which He doesn't fully explain. However, He reveals their meaning to His disciples inside a nearby house. Jesus pictures the kingdom of heaven as a sower, a sabotaged field of wheat, a mustard seed, and a pearl dealer, among other things. He then travels to His original hometown of Nazareth where He is rejected by the people He grew up with. This leads Matthew back to depictions of Jesus' miracles, after sadly recording John the Baptist's death.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.

Accessed 11/21/2024 8:20:05 AM