Matthew 13:16

16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.

Matthew 13:16 in Other Translations

16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.

16 “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.

16 "But you have God-blessed eyes - eyes that see! And God-blessed ears - ears that hear!

16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear.

16 "Blessed are your eyes because they see and your ears because they hear.

16 "But your eyes are blessed because they do see, and your ears because they do hear!

16 "But blessed are your eyes because they see. And blessed are your ears because they hear.

Matthew 13:16 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 13:16

But blessed are your eyes, for they see
Which is to be understood both of corporal and intellectual sight: it was their happiness to see Christ in the flesh, and converse with him in person, be eyewitnesses of his majesty, and see with their own eyes the miracles performed by him, the proofs and attestations of those doctrines they were to publish to all the world; and it was still their greater happiness, that they saw his glory, as the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth: many saw him in the flesh, as they did, with their bodily eyes, but saw no beauty, nor comeliness in him, nothing amiable and desirable in him; but these saw his personal and transcendent glories, as the Son of God, his fulness as mediator, his suitableness as a Saviour and Redeemer, and all the characters of the Messiah in him; and so believed, and were sure that he was the Christ, the Son of the living God: they saw Christ, not in the promise, as Abraham, and other patriarchs did; nor through types and shadows, as the saints of the Old Testament did; to them it was given to know and understand the mysteries of grace, respecting the person, offices, obedience, sufferings, and death of Christ.

And your ears, for they hear.
This also must be understood of corporal and intellectual hearing, another branch of their present happiness. They heard the words of truth from the lips of that great prophet Moses said should rise up among them, like unto him, whom they should hear: they heard, with their own ears, a voice from heaven, declaring him to be the beloved Son of God, in whom he was well pleased. They heard the Gospel preached by him, not only so as to be affected with it, and give their assent to it, but also to understand it spiritually, and experimentally, and to bring forth the fruit of it; and so were that sort of hearers, signified by the good ground in the parable Christ had just delivered. The forms of speech, in which the happiness of the disciples is here expressed, seem to be in common use with the Jews, when they would extol the peculiar attainments of a man, especially in matters of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. Thus, it being told R. Jochanan ben Zaccai of some persons that had expounded the work of Mercavah, that is, the beginning of Ezekiel's prophecy, and the mysterious passages in it, and what befell them, expressed himself thus concerning them {n};

``blessed are you, and blessed are your children, (war Kkv) (ynye yrva) , "and blessed are the eyes that so see".''

And elsewhere ^F15 mention being made of a book of secrets delivered to Solomon, and which he had understanding of, it is said,

``(emvv Nzwaw harv Nye yrva) , "blessed is the eye that sees, and the ear that hears", and the heart that understands, and causes to understand, the wisdom of it.''

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FOOTNOTES:

F14 T. Bab. Chagiga, fol. 14. 2.
F15 Sepher Raziel, fol. 34. 1.

Matthew 13:16 In-Context

14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “ ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.

15 For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’

16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.

17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means:

Cross References

• 1. Matthew 16:17