Section 13:44–50
Jesus told some more parables about the kingdom of God
In this section, Jesus told three more parables. Each parable teaches something about the kingdom of God. The first parable tells a story about a treasure, and the second parable tells a story about a pearl. Both parables show that being in God’s kingdom is worth much more than all a person has. The third parable tells a story about a fishing net. Its meaning is similar to the parable of the weeds. It shows that good and bad people will live together for a while. But in the end, God will judge all people.
If the major language translation in your area breaks each parable into a separate section, you may want to follow that example. For example: 13:44 is “The parable of the hidden treasure,” 13:45–46 is “The parable of the pearl,” and 13:47–50 is “The parable of the fish net.”
Here are some other possible headings for this section:
Three parables
-or-
Parables about a treasure, a pearl, and a fishing net
These three parables occur only in Matthew.
Paragraph 13:44
The parable of the treasure in a field teaches us that the most important thing in a person’s life is to belong to God’s kingdom. A person should seek to belong to God’s kingdom at all cost.
This parable does not teach that a person can buy his way into God’s kingdom. If people in your area will not understand the teaching of this parable, you may want to explain it in a footnote. A sample footnote is:
This parable shows that the most important thing in a person’s life is to belong to God’s kingdom. The parable does not show that someone can buy their way into God’s kingdom.
13:44a
The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field: This clause is a simile. It compares the kingdom of heaven/God to a hidden treasure. The point of similarity in this comparison is that both are worth much more than everything that a person owns. A person should do anything necessary to get them.
The kingdom of heaven: This phrase last occurred in 13:33b–c. For help in translating this phrase, see the note at 13:11b.
treasure: This word refers to an object or objects that are very valuable. The Greek text does not tell us exactly what the treasure was. It could have been coins, jewels, or something else that was worth a lot of money.
Here are some other ways to translate this word:
• Use a specific term for something that is very valuable. For example:
gold/silver
-or-
coins/money
• Use a general term for an object that is very valuable. For example:
an object worth much money
-or-
something very valuable
hidden in a field: In this context, the word hidden probably means “buried.” In those days, it was common for people to bury their valuable possessions in the ground. They did this so that thieves or enemy soldiers could not find them and steal them.
This word is passive. Here are some ways to translate it:
• Use a passive verb. For example:
buried in a field (God’s Word)
• Use an active verb. For example:
that they/someone had buried in a field
13:44b
When a man found it: This clause refers to someone accidentally finding/discovering a treasure. It does not indicate that the person was deliberately looking for it. The person was probably a worker plowing or hoeing another person’s field, and he accidentally unearthed a treasure.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
a man discovered it (God’s Word)
-or-
a man ⌊accidentally⌋ uncovered it
-or-
a man came upon it
he hid it again: This phrase indicates that the man put the treasure back the way he found it. He hid/buried it again.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
he covered it up again
-or-
he buried it again (God’s Word)
13:44c
and in his joy he went: The phrase in his joy refers to the entire situation. The man was happy that he found a treasure. And he was happy to sell everything he had in order to buy the field. You should put this phrase where it is most natural in your language. For example:
He was so happy that he went (New Century Version)
-or-
He went with joy and sold…
-or-
He went and happily sold…
sold all he had: The man did not own the field where the treasure was, so he could not legally keep the treasure. He had to first buy the field in order to claim the treasure. In order to have enough money to buy the field, he had to sell everything he owned.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
sold all his possessions
-or-
sold everything he owned to get enough money (New Living Translation (2004))
13:44d
and bought that field: The man had to buy the field in order to own the treasure. In some languages, it may be necessary to make this information explicit. For example:
and buys that field ⌊to own/keep the treasure⌋
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