Luke 13:18-21 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Luke 13:18-22

Here is, I. The gospel's progress foretold in two parables, which we had before, Matt. 13:31-33. The kingdom of the Messiah is the kingdom of God, for it advances his glory; this kingdom was yet a mystery, and people were generally in the dark, and under mistakes, about it. Now, when we would describe a thing to those that are strangers to it, we choose to do it by similitudes. ?Such a person you know not, but I will tell you whom he is like;? so Christ undertakes here to show what the kingdom... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Luke 13:18-19

13:18-19 So Jesus said to them, "To what is the kingdom of God like, and to what will I compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and cast into his garden; and it grew until it became a tree, and the birds of the air found a lodging in its branches." This is an illustration which Jesus used more than once, and for different purposes. In the east mustard is not a garden herb but a field plant. It does literally grow to be a tree. A height of seven or eight feet is... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Luke 13:20-21

13:20-21 Again Jesus said, "To what will I liken the kingdom of God? It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, until the whole was leavened." This is an illustration which Jesus took from his own home. In those days bread was baked at home. Leaven was a little piece of dough which had been kept over from the last baking and had fermented in the keeping. Leaven is regularly used in Jewish thought for influence, usually for bad influence, because the Jews... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 13:18

Then said he, unto what is the kingdom of God like ?.... The same with the kingdom of heaven, in Matthew 13:31 and so the Ethiopic version reads it here, "and whereunto shall I resemble it?" of this way of speaking; see Gill on Mark 4:30 . read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 13:19

It is like a grain of mustard seed ,.... Both for its smallness at first, and its after increase; wherefore both the Evangelists Matthew and Mark observe, that it "is the least of all seed": which is true of the ministry of the Gospel, of the Gospel church state, and of the grace of God in the hearts of his people: which a man took and cast into his garden ; the Ethiopic version renders it, "and sowed in his field", as in Matthew 13:31 though mustard used to be sowed in gardens as well... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 13:20

And again he said ,.... That is, Jesus, as the Syriac and Persic versions express it; besides the parable of the grain of mustard seed, that also of the leaven hid in three measures of meal: whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God ; either the Gospel of the kingdom, and the mysteries of it; or the church, which is Christ's kingdom; or the grace of God in the heart, which makes meet for the kingdom of glory; the first seems rather to be intended; See Gill on Matthew 13:33 . read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 13:21

It is like leaven ,.... Which is small in quantity, but is of a swelling, spreading quality; and fitly expresses the small beginnings of the Gospel ministry, and its increase, also the state and case of Gospel churches, and the nature of the grace of God; unless false doctrine should rather be meant, which privately, secretly, and by little and little, got into the churches of Christ, the kingdom of God, and spread itself all over them, as in the times of the papacy: which a woman took ;... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Luke 13:18-19

The kingdom - is like a grain of mustard seed - See on Matthew 13:31 ; (note). read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Luke 13:21

Like leaven - See this explained, Matthew 13:33 ; (note). read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Luke 13:1-21

The grace and progress of God's kingdom. We saw at the close of last chapter how urgent a matter it is to get reconciled to God. Luke, in constructing his Gospel, introduces us next to a cognate thought—the necessity of repentance if judgment is to be escaped. Let us take up the orderly thoughts as they are laid before us in this passage. I. JUDGMENT EXECUTED UPON OTHERS IS A CALL TO REPENTANCE ADDRESSED TO US . (Verses 1-5.) There was a disposition then, as there... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Luke 13:18-22

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Luke 13:18-19

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Luke 13:20-21

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 13:18

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 13:19

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 13:20

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Luke 13:21

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Luke 13:18-19

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Luke 13:21

The Pulpit Commentary - Luke 13:1-21

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