# Matthew 13.31-32

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-05-06 | updated: 2026-05-06 -->

**Book:** [Matthew](/codex/matthew-the-apostle/) · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> 29. But he saith, <span class="rl-speech">Nay; lest haply while ye gather up the tares, ye root up the wheat with them.</span> 30. <span class="rl-speech">Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather up first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.</span>
>
> **31. <span class="rl-speech">Another parable set he before them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:</span> 32. <span class="rl-speech">which indeed is less than all seeds; but when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the heaven come and lodge in the branches thereof.</span>**
>
> 33. <span class="rl-speech">Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till it was all leavened.</span> 34. <span class="rl-speech">All these things spake Jesus in parables unto the multitudes; and without a parable spake he nothing unto them:</span> (Matthew 13:29-34, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> 29. “But he said, <span class="rl-speech">‘No, lest perhaps while you gather up the darnel weeds, you root up the wheat with them.</span> 30. <span class="rl-speech">Let both grow together until the harvest, and in the harvest time I will tell the reapers, “First, gather up the darnel weeds, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”</span>
>
> **31. <span class="rl-speech">He set another parable before them, saying, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field;</span> 32. <span class="rl-speech">which indeed is smaller than all seeds. But when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in its branches.”</span>**
>
> 33. <span class="rl-speech">He spoke another parable to them. “The Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, until it was all leavened.”</span> 34. <span class="rl-speech">Jesus spoke all these things in parables to the multitudes; and without a parable, he didn’t speak to them,</span> (Matthew 13:29-34, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> 29. But he said, <span class="rl-speech">Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.</span> 30. <span class="rl-speech">Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.</span>
>
> **31. <span class="rl-speech">Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:</span> 32. <span class="rl-speech">Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.</span>**
>
> 33. <span class="rl-speech">Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. <sup>measures: the word in the Greek is a measure containing about a peck and a half, wanting a little more than a pint</sup></span> 34. <span class="rl-speech">All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:</span> (Matthew 13:29-34, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> 29. 'And he said, <span class="rl-speech">No, lest, gathering up the darnel, ye root up with it the wheat,</span> 30. <span class="rl-speech">suffer both to grow together till the harvest, and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather up first the darnel, and bind it in bundles, to burn it, and the wheat gather up into my storehouse.'</span>
>
> **31. <span class="rl-speech">Another simile he set before them, saying: 'The reign of the heavens is like to a grain of mustard, which a man having taken, did sow in his field,</span> 32. <span class="rl-speech">which less, indeed, is than all the seeds, but when it may be grown, is greatest of the herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the heaven do come and rest in its branches.'</span>**
>
> 33. <span class="rl-speech">Another simile spake he to them: 'The reign of the heavens is like to leaven, which a woman having taken, hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.'</span> 34. All these things spake Jesus in similes to the multitudes, and without a simile he was not speaking to them, (Matthew 13:29-34, YLT)

## Setting

- **Speaker:** Matthew (traditionally) the tax-collector-apostle / narrator + Jesus's direct teaching
- **Audience:** Jewish-Christian audience (heavy OT-fulfillment emphasis)
- **Location:** first-century Palestine (events); possibly Antioch (composition)
- **Time period:** events c. 4 BC, AD 30/33; composed c. AD 60-80

## Theological reading

## Key words

- [G932 - basileia](/codex/g932-basileia/), *basileia* (Strong's G932). Also appears in: [Matthew 4.23](/codex/matthew-4-23/), [Matthew 5.17-20](/codex/matthew-5-17-20/), [Matthew 6.25-34](/codex/matthew-6-25-34/).
- [G1096 - ginomai](/codex/g1096-ginomai/), *ginomai* (Strong's G1096). Also appears in: [Matthew 1](/codex/matthew-1/), [Matthew 5.17-18](/codex/matthew-5-17-18/), [Matthew 8.16](/codex/matthew-8-16/).
- [G3956 - pas](/codex/g3956-pas/), *pas* (Strong's G3956). Also appears in: [Matthew 1](/codex/matthew-1/), [Matthew 2.1-6](/codex/matthew-2-1-6/), [Matthew 2.16](/codex/matthew-2-16/).

## Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

- **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.

<!-- BACKLINKS:START -->
## Quoted in

**Arguments and defeaters:**

- [Argument from the Universal Imagination Convergence](/codex/argument-from-the-universal-imagination-convergence/)
- [Mustard Seed Smallest Seed Objection Defeater](/codex/mustard-seed-smallest-seed-objection-defeater/)

**Concepts:**

- [Bible Scientific Errors Objection](/codex/bible-scientific-errors-objection/), via [Matthew 13.32](/codex/matthew-13-32/)
- [Divine Conservationism](/codex/divine-conservationism/)
- [Jesus Said](/codex/jesus-said/), via [Matthew 13](/codex/matthew-13/)
- [Kingdom of God](/codex/g932-basileia/), via [Matthew 13.31-33](/codex/matthew-13-31-33/)

<!-- BACKLINKS:END -->