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“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.
Matthew 13:44 · New American Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found, and hid. In his joy, he goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field.
  • KJV 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.
  • BSB 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.
  • NKJV “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.
  • NLT “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.

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.

Quick answer

The Kingdom is like hidden treasure a man joyfully sells everything to obtain. The Kingdom's surpassing worth makes any sacrifice to gain it a joy.

Overview

Jesus likens the Kingdom to a treasure discovered in a field, so valuable that the finder gladly sells all he has to buy it. The emphasis falls on the supreme worth of the Kingdom and the joy that motivates full surrender. Far from grudging cost, the disciple counts everything well lost to gain Christ and His reign.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 26

  • Prov 2:2–5So as to turn your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding;
  • Col 2:3in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden.
  • Phil 3:7–9However, I consider those things that were gain to me as a loss for Christ.
  • Matt 6:21for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
  • Luke 14:33So therefore whoever of you who doesn’t renounce all that he has, he can’t be my disciple.
  • Heb 11:24–26By faith, Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter,
  • Matt 19:29Everyone who has left houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive one hundred times, and will inherit eternal life.
  • Prov 16:16How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! Yes, to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.
  • Prov 23:23Buy the truth, and don’t sell it. Get wisdom, discipline, and understanding.
  • Luke 18:23–24But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was very rich.
  • Rev 3:18I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, that you may become rich; and white garments, that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see.
  • Col 3:3–4For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
  • 1 Cor 2:9–10But as it is written, “Things which an eye didn’t see, and an ear didn’t hear, which didn’t enter into the heart of man, these God has prepared for those who love him.”
  • Matt 19:27Then Peter answered, “Behold, we have left everything, and followed you. What then will we have?”
  • Isa 55:1“Hey! Come, everyone who thirsts, to the waters! Come, he who has no money, buy, and eat! Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
  • Matt 19:21Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
  • Rom 15:4For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that through perseverance and through encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
  • Acts 2:44–47All who believed were together, and had all things in common.
  • Luke 19:6–8He hurried, came down, and received him joyfully.
  • Matt 13:24He set another parable before them, saying, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field,
  • John 6:35Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will not be hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.
  • Heb 10:34For you both had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your possessions, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and an enduring one in the heavens.
  • Prov 17:16Why is there money in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom, since he has no understanding?
  • Acts 4:32–35The multitude of those who believed were of one heart and soul. Not one of them claimed that anything of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common.
  • Col 3:16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord.
  • Prov 18:1An unfriendly man pursues selfishness, and defies all sound judgment.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (6)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Matthew videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Matthew 13:44YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on MatthewMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

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 13:44 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.