Albert Barnes Commentary Matthew 13

The sea side. This was the sea of Tiberias. The multitude stood on the shore near to him, so that he could be easily heard. He went into a ship—that is, a boat—and sat down to address them.

Few spectacles could be more interesting than a vast crowd, on the banks of a smooth and tranquil sea—an emblem of his instructions—and the Son of God addressing them on the great interests of eternity.

In parables. The word "parable" is derived from a Greek word signifying to compare together and denotes a similitude taken from a natural object to illustrate a spiritual or moral subject. It is a narrative of some fictitious or real event, designed to illustrate more clearly a truth that the speaker wished to communicate.

In early ages, it was much used. Heathen writers, such as Aesop, often employed it. In the time of Christ, it was in common use. The prophets had used it, and Christ often employed it in teaching his disciples. It is not necessary to suppose that the narratives were strictly true.

The main thing—the inculcation of spiritual truth—was gained equally, whether the narrative was true or only a supposed case. Nor was there any dishonesty in this, for it was well understood. No person was deceived. The speaker was not understood to affirm the thing literally narrated but only to fix the attention more firmly on the moral truth that he presented. The design of speaking in parables was the following:

1. To convey truth in a more interesting manner to the mind, adding to the truth conveyed the beauty of a lovely image or narrative.
2. To teach spiritual truth so as to arrest the attention of ignorant people, making an appeal to them through the senses.
3. To convey some offensive truth, some pointed personal rebuke, in such a way as to bring it home to the conscience. Of this kind was the parable that Nathan delivered to David (2 Samuel 12:1–7) and many of our Saviour's parables addressed to the Jews.
4. To conceal from one part of his audience truths that he intended others should understand. Thus Christ often, by this means, delivered truths to his disciples in the presence of the Jews that he well knew the Jews would not understand—truths pertaining to them particularly, and which he was under no obligation to explain to the Jews. See Mark 4:33; Matthew 13:13–16.

Our Saviour's parables are distinguished above all others for clearness, purity, chasteness, intelligibility, importance of instruction, and simplicity. They are taken mostly from the affairs of common life and are, therefore, intelligible to all people.

These parables contain much of himself—his doctrine, life, design in coming, and claims—and are therefore of importance to all people. Moreover, they are told in a style of native simplicity, intelligible to the child yet instructive to people of every rank and age.

In his parables, as in all his instructions, he excelled all others in the purity, importance, and sublimity of his doctrine.

A Sower went forth to sow. The image here is taken from an employment known to everyone and therefore intelligible to all. Nor can there be a more striking illustration of preaching the gospel than placing the seed in the ground to spring up in the future and bear fruit.

Sower. This term refers to one who sows or scatters seed; a farmer. It is not improbable that a sower was near the Saviour when he spoke this parable.

Some seeds fell by the way side. That is, the hard path or headland, which the plough had not touched, and where there was no opportunity for it to sink into the earth.

Stony places. This refers to ground where there was little earth and which was also hard and rocky. As a result, the roots could not strike down into the earth for sufficient moisture to support the plant. When the sun became hot, they of course withered away. They sprang up sooner because there was little earth to cover them.

Forthwith. This means immediately. It is not that they sprouted and grew any quicker or faster than the others, but rather that they did not take as long to reach the surface. Having little root, they soon withered away.

Among thorns. That is, in a part of the field where the thorns and shrubs had been imperfectly cleared away, and not destroyed. They grew with the grain, crowded it, shaded it, exhausted the earth, and thus choked it.