Matthew 13:32

“it is smaller than all the seeds, but when it has grown, it is greater than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches.””
Matthew 13:32 · direct translation from the Greek

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As small as a mustard seed or a bit of leaven, yet it ends up largeThe Kingdom of God

With the Greek beneath

itὃisἐστινsmallerμικρότερονthan allπάντωνthe seeds,τῶν σπερμάτωνbutδὲwhenὅτανit has grown,αὐξηθῇit isἐστὶνgreaterμεῖζονthan the garden plantsτῶν λαχάνωνandκαὶbecomesγίνεταιa tree,δένδρονso thatὥστεthe birdsτὰ πετεινὰof the skyτοῦ οὐρανοῦcomeἐλθεῖνandκαὶnestκατασκηνοῦνinἐνitsαὐτοῦbranches.”τοῖς κλάδοις

Allusion · Daniel 4:12

Go to Daniel 4:12

Both texts speak of a tree in whose branches the birds of the sky nest.

They share words that are rare in the original, without a quotation.

κλάδοιςkladoisG2798עַנְפוֹanfoH6056“branch”
πετεινὰpeteinaG4071צִפֲּרֵיtsipareH6853“bird”
οὐρανοῦouranouG3772שְׁמַיָּshemayaH8065“heaven”

Matthew 13:32, word by word

isἐστινestin

To be: says who or what something is.

Where else “estin” appears

smallerμικρότερονmikroteron

small

Of little size, little age or little importance before others.

Where else “mikroteron” appears

the seedsσπερμάτωνspermatōn

seed

What is sown in the ground so that a plant will grow.

Where else “spermatōn” appears

whenὅτανhotan

when, whenever

When, whenever.

Where else “hotan” appears

it has grownαὐξηθῇauxēthēi

grow

To become larger or stronger over time, like a plant or a child.

Where else “auxēthēi” appears

greaterμεῖζονmeizon

large

Of great size, taking up much space.

Where else “meizon” appears

than the garden plantsλαχάνωνlachanōn

garden plant

Vegetable, garden plant.

Where else “lachanōn” appears

becomesγίνεταιginetai

become

To turn into something new, different from before.

Where else “ginetai” appears

a treeδένδρονdendron

tree

Tree.

Where else “dendron” appears

so thatὥστεhōste

so that

So much that, to the point that.

Where else “hōste” appears

the birdsπετεινὰpeteina

bird

Bird.

Where else “peteina” appears

of the skyοὐρανοῦouranou

sky

The vault we see above the earth, where birds fly and the stars are.

Where else “ouranou” appears

comeἐλθεῖνelthein

come

To move to where someone is or to a place, and be present there.

Where else “elthein” appears

nestκατασκηνοῦνkataskēnoun

nest, dwell

Nest, settle down to live.

Where else “kataskēnoun” appears

branchesκλάδοιςkladois

branch

Branch.

Where else “kladois” appears

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

The mustard seed

Mark 4:30-32 Luke 13:18-19

See them side by side

Matthew 13:31-32

³¹He put before them another parable, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard, which a man took and sowed in his field; ³²it is smaller than all the seeds, but when it has grown, it is greater than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the sky come and nest in its branches.”

Mark 4:30-32

³⁰And he was saying, “How shall we compare the kingdom of God, or in what parable shall we put it? ³¹It is like a grain of mustard, which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds that are on the earth; ³²and when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the sky can nest under its shade.”

Luke 13:18-19

¹⁸So he was saying, “What is the kingdom of God like, and to what shall I compare it? ¹⁹It is like a grain of mustard, which a man took and put in his own garden; and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the sky nested in its branches.”

The context

31He put before them another parable, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard, which a man took and sowed in his field;

32 · This verse (above)

33He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”

Read all of Matthew 13

To study Matthew 13 in a group

1. What it says
On which four kinds of ground did the sower's seed fall (vv. 4–8)?
2. What it means
Why did Jesus teach the crowds in parables (vv. 10–13)?
3. How I live it
In the sower's parable, worry can choke the word (v. 22). What chokes it most in your day?

How to use it