Matthew 13:35Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

After the foregoing parables, that none might think that Christ was bringing forward any thing new, the Evangelist quotes the Prophet, foretelling even this His manner of 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.) So marvel not that, in speaking of the kingdom, He uses the similitudes of a seed, and of leaven; for He was discoursing to common men, and who needed to be led forward by such aids.

A prophecy was given that foretold the manner in which Jesus would impart His teachings, specifically through parables, to prevent the notion that Christ introduced a novel teaching style. Consider the term 'yea,' which signifies the result of a known truth rather than its origin. Christ did not employ parables merely to fulfill the prophecy; rather, it was because He taught in parables that the fulfillment of the prophecy became evident in His ministry. The statement ‘He did not speak to them without a parable’ indicates that this was not true of every occasion, as He did not consistently utilize parables in His teachings. The Lord spoke of mysteries concealed since the foundation of the world, as He personally unveiled to us the divine truths of heaven.

Or, this is said, not that He uttered nothing in plain words; but that He concluded no one discourse without introducing a parable in the course of it, though the chief part of the discourse might consist of matter not figurative. And we may indeed find discourses of His parabolical throughout, but none direct throughout. And by a complete discourse, I mean, the whole of what He says on any topic that may be brought before Him by circumstances, before He leaves it, and passes to a new subject. For sometimes one Evangelist connects what another gives as spoken at different times; the writer having in such a case followed not the order of events, but the order of connexion in his own memory.

This passage is taken from the seventy-seventh Psalm. I have seen copies which read, ‘by Esaias the Prophet,’ instead of what we have adopted, and what the common text has by the Prophet.

He often conveyed His messages through parables, especially during that period, although there were times He shared thoughts without such stories. On that occasion, however, He employed parables to fulfill what David had previously proclaimed (Psalm 77:2). In the Septuagint, it is stated, ‘I verify the divinations first’; nonetheless, the translator of this Gospel into Greek expressed it as, ‘I will uncover the hidden truths from the foundation of the world,’ acknowledging the Hebrew terms that encompass both meanings. Therefore, the phrase ‘uncover’ also connotes ‘verify’; the term ‘divinations’ refers to riddles, as evidenced by Aquila who translates this as ‘riddles’ - αινιγματα. These riddles correspond to the parables of the Gospel, which, like riddles, hold concealed truths.

The Greek word ‘Parable,’ is rendered in Latin ‘Similitude,’ by which truth is explained; and an image or representation of the reality is set forth.

I will disclose truths that have been concealed since the foundation of the world, mysteries known only to Me, as the divine Wisdom of God. St. Chrysostom notes that “The Lord sought to captivate His audience with parables, desiring them to inquire of Him,” yet no one posed a question, even when the parables hinted at judgment; thus, He released them and went away.

Concluding with the declaration: He who has ears to hear, let him hear, the Lord advanced His teachings through parables, providing them to the Apostles so that these lessons might take deeper root and command their focus.

He communicated with them only through parables, as noted in "at this very time" or "in the present case," aligning with the fulfillment of the declaration made by the prophet Asaph (Ps. 77:2). In this Psalm, Asaph reflects on his own experiences, yet in his prophetic role, he acts as a precursor to the Messiah, thus the Evangelist attributes his personal remarks to the Messiah. The phrase "I will declare the concealed truths from the foundation of the world" aligns more aptly with the all-knowing Messiah than with an Old Testament prophet. All the hidden mysteries of God's kingdom, which have unfolded on earth in various manners since the world's inception, are fully known to Him as the living wisdom of God.