Church Fathers Commentary Matthew 13:34-35

"All these things spake Jesus in parables unto the multitudes; and without a parable spake he nothing unto them: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from the foundation of the world." — Matthew 13:34-35 (ASV)

St. John Chrysostom: After the preceding parables, so that no one would think that Christ was introducing anything new, the Evangelist quotes the Prophet, who foretold even this manner of His preaching. Mark's words are, “And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it” (Mark 4:33).¹

Therefore, do not be surprised that, in speaking of the kingdom, He uses the analogies of a seed and of leaven, for He was speaking to common people who needed to be guided by such aids.

Remigius of Auxerre: The Greek word “Parable” is translated in Latin as “Similitude,” by which truth is explained, and an image or representation of the reality is presented.

St. Jerome: Yet He did not speak in parables to the disciples, but to the multitude; and even to this day the multitude hears in parables. Therefore it is said, “And without a parable spake he not unto them.”

St. John Chrysostom: For although He had said many things plainly when not speaking before the multitudes, at this time He spoke nothing without a parable.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Or, this is said not meaning that He uttered nothing in plain words, but that He concluded no single discourse without introducing a parable in the course of it, even if the main part of the discourse consisted of non-figurative material. And while we may indeed find some of His discourses to be entirely parabolic, we find none that are entirely direct. By a “complete discourse,” I mean the entirety of what He says on any given topic brought before Him by circumstances, before He leaves it and moves on to a new subject.²

For sometimes one Evangelist connects things that another presents as being spoken at different times; the writer in such a case having followed not the chronological order of events, but the thematic order in his own memory. The Evangelist adds the reason why He spoke in parables, saying, “That it might be fulfilled that was spoken by the Prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world” (Psalm 78:2).

St. Jerome: This passage is taken from the seventy-eighth Psalm. I have seen copies that read, “by Isaiah the Prophet,” instead of what we have adopted and what the common text has: “by the Prophet.”

Remigius of Auxerre: From this reading, Porphyry raised an objection against believers: “Such was your Evangelist's ignorance that he attributed to Isaiah what is actually found in the Psalms.”

St. Jerome: But because the text was not found in Isaiah, I suppose his name was therefore erased by those who had observed this. It seems to me that it was first written this way: “As was written by Asaph the Prophet, saying…” For the seventy-eighth Psalm, from which this text is taken, is ascribed to Asaph the Prophet. I believe the copyist, not understanding “Asaph” and assuming it was a transcription error, substituted the better-known name “Isaiah.”

For it should be known that not only David, but also those others whose names are placed before the Psalms—the hymns and songs of God—are to be considered prophets: namely, Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman the Ezrahite, and the rest who are named in Scripture. And so the words spoken in the Lord's person, “I will open my mouth in parables,” if considered attentively, will be found to be a description of the departure of Israel from Egypt and a narration of all the wonders contained in the history of Exodus.

From this we learn that everything written there can be understood in a figurative way and contains hidden mysteries, for this is what the Savior is presented as prefacing with the words, “I will open my mouth in parables.”

Glossa Ordinaria: It is as though He had said: I who spoke before through the Prophets, now in My own person will open My mouth in parables and will bring forth from My secret storehouse mysteries that have been hidden since the foundation of the world.³

1. Hom., xlvii
2. Quaest. in Matt., q. 15
3. ap. Anselm