13:19a–c

The Berean Standard Bible and most other English versions translate the parable in this verse using past-tense verbs such as “tossed,” “grew,” and “became.” A few versions, such as the Contemporary English Version and Good News Translation, use present-tense verbs such as “takes,” “plants,” and “grows.” Use whatever verb forms are natural in your language for this kind of parable.

13:19a

It is like a mustard seed: The clause It is like a mustard seed is a simile. It compares the kingdom of God to what happens when a mustard seed is planted. The Jewish people considered the mustard seed to be a symbol of smallness. However, the mustard plant grew to be a tree as large as three meters (ten feet) high.

The point of similarity in this comparison is the growth from something small to something large. Like the mustard plant, the kingdom of God is very small at its beginning, but it becomes very large.

The following may be a good model because it makes clear that the comparison describes the whole growth process, not just what the seed is like:

It is like what happens when someone plants a mustard seed in a garden. (Contemporary English Version)

mustard seed: If people in your language group do not know about mustard seeds or plants, here are some ways to translate mustard seed:

• Use a loan-word along with a general term if necessary. For example:

a seed of ⌊the plant/tree called⌋ mustard

• Use a descriptive phrase. For example:

a tiny seed

• Use the name of a local seed that is known to be very small, but which grows into a tree. If you use this option, you may want to indicate the literal name in a footnote. For example, you could say in the footnote:

The Greek text is literally “a mustard seed.”

Regardless of the way you translate mustard seed, you may want to add a footnote that explains the significance of mustard seed in the Jewish culture. For example:

For the Jews, the mustard seed was a symbol of something that was very small. But the mustard seed that was planted in the country of the Jews grew into a tree that was three meters high.

a man tossed into his garden: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as a man tossed is literally “taking, a man threw.” The word “taking” means that the man picked up the seed with his hand. In some languages it may be more natural to leave this action implicit. The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as tossed here means to sow or scatter seed on the ground. The method of planting is not in focus here. You may use whatever term is natural in your language for planting this kind of seed in a vegetable garden or field.

13:19b

It grew and became a tree: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as tree may refer to either a tree or bush. Most English versions have tree. However, another way to translate this is:

When it was fully grown, it became a large bush (New American Bible)

In some languages it may not be possible to refer to a mustard plant as a “tree” and there may not be a term such as “bush” or “shrub.” If that is true in your language, you may describe the growth of the mustard using other terms. For example:

grows as big as a tree (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
grew until it was a very large plant

13:19c

the birds of the air: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the birds of the air was a common way to refer to wild birds that can fly. In some languages it may be more natural to simply use a general word. For example:

birds (Good News Translation)

The same phrase occurs in 8:5.

nested in its branches: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as nested usually means “made a home.” In this context it may also refer to roosting or finding temporary shelter. Some ways to translate this verb are:

make their nests (Good News Translation)
-or-
sheltered (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
came to roost (Revised English Bible)
-or-
perched (New International Version)

Use a natural term in your language that describes what birds might do in a plant of this size.

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