Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they don’t see, and hearing, they don’t hear, neither do they understand.
Parallel translations
- KJV Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
- BSB This is why I speak to them in parables: ‘Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.’
- NKJV Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
- NASB Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
- NLT That is why I use these parables, For they look, but they don’t really see. They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Ezek 12:2“Son of man, you dwell in the middle of the rebellious house, who have eyes to see, and don’t see, who have ears to hear, and don’t hear; for they are a rebellious house.
- Jer 5:21‘Hear now this, foolish people, and without understanding; who have eyes, and don’t see; who have ears, and don’t hear:
- Isa 42:18–20“Hear, you deaf, and look, you blind, that you may see.
- 2 Cor 4:3–4Even if our Good News is veiled, it is veiled in those who perish;
- John 3:19–20This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil.
- Deut 29:3–4the great trials which your eyes saw, the signs, and those great wonders.
- Matt 13:16“But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear.
- John 9:39–41Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment, that those who don’t see may see; and that those who see may become blind.”
- Isa 44:18They don’t know, neither do they consider: for he has shut their eyes, that they can’t see; and their hearts, that they can’t understand.
- Mark 8:17–18Jesus, perceiving it, said to them, “Why do you reason that it’s because you have no bread? Don’t you perceive yet, neither understand? Is your heart still hardened?
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Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 13:13 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.