Matthew 13:12-16

13:12 For whoever has will be given more, and will have an abundance. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. ¹  13:13 For this reason I speak to them in parables: Although they see they do not see, and although they hear they do not hear nor do they understand. 13:14 And concerning them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:

‘You will listen carefully ²  yet will never understand,

you will look closely ³  yet will never comprehend.

13:15 For the heart of this people has become dull;

they are hard of hearing,

and they have shut their eyes,

so that they would not see with their eyes

and hear with their ears

and understand with their hearts

and turn, and I would heal them.’ ⁴ 

13:16 “But your eyes are blessed ⁵  because they see, and your ears because they hear.

¹ sn What he has will be taken from him. The meaning is that the one who accepts Jesus’ teaching concerning his person and the kingdom will receive a share in the kingdom now and even more in the future, but for the one who rejects Jesus’ words, the opportunity that that person presently possesses with respect to the kingdom will someday be taken away forever.

² tn Grk “with hearing,” a cognate dative that intensifies the action of the main verb “you will listen” (ExSyn 168-69).

³ tn Grk “look by looking.” The participle is redundant, functioning to intensify the force of the main verb.

⁴ sn A quotation from Isa 6:9-10. Thus parables both conceal or reveal depending on whether one is open to hearing what they teach.

⁵ sn This beatitude highlights the great honor bestowed on the disciples to share in this salvation.