This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus doesn't use parables to hide truth from everyone, but because many were already willfully ignoring the clear truth He had already spoken and shown. This method of speaking in stories was a consequence of their own spiritual blindness, not a cause of it.
This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus has just begun teaching the crowds, and in Matthew 13:1-12, he describes the parable of the sower and explains to his disciples why he teaches in parables. This specific verse explains that Jesus uses parables because the crowds, despite seeing and hearing him, are unwilling or unable to truly understand the spiritual truths he's revealing about the Kingdom of Heaven.
Jesus didn't just tell stories for fun. His parables had a deeper purpose, especially for those who were resistant to His message.
Jesus used parables as a teaching method, but not simply to make things easier to understand. In Matthew 13:13, He explains that He spoke in parables because the people, despite having eyes to see and ears to hear, were not truly perceiving or understanding His message.
There's a spiritual principle at play: when we refuse to see and hear God's truth, we risk losing the ability to do so.
The verse, particularly when read alongside its Old Testament roots in Isaiah 6, speaks to a principle of spiritual consequence. Jesus wasn't just observing the people's lack of understanding; He was highlighting a pattern where willful ignorance leads to further spiritual dullness.
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Understand the original words
parabolē · Greek Noun
A comparison or earthly story with a heavenly meaning used by Jesus to illustrate spiritual truth. It often serves to reveal truth to believers while concealing it from the spiritually hardened.
This verse reflects a turning point in Jesus' teaching ministry, where a deliberate choice is made to use parables not just to illustrate, but also to reveal and conceal truth, in response to the spiritual blindness and hostility of many during his time.
c. 740 BC
Isaiah's Prophecy
Isaiah prophesies about the people's hardened hearts, stating they will hear but not understand, and see but not perceive. This foretells a spiritual blindness that will affect their reception of God's message.
c. AD 27-30
Jesus' Public Ministry Begins
Jesus begins his public ministry, teaching and performing miracles. Initially, he often spoke plainly, but the people's continued rejection and misinterpretation of his message led him to adopt parables.
c. AD 30
Growing Opposition and Accusations
As Jesus' ministry progresses, religious leaders and many of the populace increasingly reject him, even attributing his miracles to demonic power. This hostility creates a context where direct speech could provoke immediate, violent opposition.
c. AD 30— this verse
Jesus Teaches the Parable of the Sower
Jesus teaches the parable of the Sower near the Sea of Galilee. He explains to his disciples that he now speaks in parables because the crowds are not truly understanding or receiving his message.
c. AD 30-33
Continued Use of Parables
Throughout the remainder of his ministry, Jesus continues to use parables to teach, both to reveal truths to his followers and to conceal them from those who are hostile or spiritually unreceptive.
This passage is directly quoted in Matthew 13:14-15, explaining that God intentionally spoke in ways that would not be fully understood by those with hardened hearts, fulfilling a prophecy about their spiritual blindness.
John 12:38-40This passage alludes to the same Isaiah prophecy, highlighting that Jesus' words, though clear, were not perceived by many because their hearts were closed, leading to a deeper fulfillment of the prophecy.
Matthew 11:25-26Jesus rejoices that the Father has hidden these truths from the wise and learned but revealed them to infants, drawing a parallel to why He uses parables for the masses but reveals mysteries to His disciples.
Acts 28:25-27Paul quotes the same Isaiah prophecy to the Jewish leaders in Rome, showing that the message of the kingdom, when rejected, leads to a hardening of hearts and a deliberate turning away from understanding.
Romans 11:7-8This passage explains how a remnant is saved by grace, while the rest were hardened, directly linking their spiritual state to the fulfillment of the prophecy Jesus quoted in Matthew 13.
bensonMatthew 13:13: "Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand."
Matthew 13:13-15 . Therefore speak I to them in parables, because they seeing, see not — In pursuance of this general rule, I do not give more knowledge to this people, because they use not that which they have already: having all the means of seeing, hearing, and understanding, they use none of them; they do not effectually see, or hear, or understand any…
barnesMatthew 13:13: "Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand."
Because they seeing, see not - Mark Mar 4:12 and Luke Luk 8:10 say, "That seeing, they may not see etc.;" but there is no difference. Matthew simply states the "fact," that though they saw the "natural" meaning of the story - though they literally understood the parable - yet they did not understand its "spiritual" signification. Mark and Luke do not state…
Jesus doesn't use parables to hide truth from everyone, but because many were already willfully ignoring the clear truth He had already spoken and shown. This method of speaking in stories was a consequence of their own spiritual blindness, not a cause of it.
Jesus has just begun teaching the crowds, and in Matthew 13:1-12, he describes the parable of the sower and explains to his disciples why he teaches in parables. This specific verse explains that Jesus uses parables because the crowds, despite seeing and hearing him, are unwilling or unable to truly understand the spiritual truths he's revealing about the Kingdom of Heaven.
Jesus has just begun teaching the crowds, and in Matthew 13:1-12, he describes the parable of the sower and explains to his disciples why he teaches in parables. This specific verse explains that Jesus uses parables because the crowds, despite seeing and hearing him, are unwilling or unable to truly understand the spiritual truths he's revealing about the Kingdom of Heaven.
"This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand." — Jesus doesn't use parables to hide truth from everyone, but because many were already willfully ignoring the clear truth He had already spoken and shown. This method of speaking in stories was a co…
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Last reviewed October 2026