“Have ye understood all these things?”
The full verse · Matthew 13:51 · KJV
unto , Have ye ? They unto , , .
Asked by
Jesus: the Son of God and promised Messiah, who had explained the parable of the tares to His disciples in the house and added more parables (Matthew 13:36-50)
Asked to
Disciples: "his disciples" (Matthew 13:36), who came to Jesus in the house after He sent the multitude away and asked Him to declare the parable of the tares; after more parables He asks if they understood, and "They say unto him, Yea, Lord" (Matthew 13:51)
The Scene
In the house, away from the multitude, Jesus has explained the parable of the tares to His disciples and told them the parables of the hidden treasure, the pearl, and the net (Matthew 13:36-50).
Why It Was Asked
The purpose behind the questionJesus wanted to know whether His teaching had truly landed. Barnes says, "Jesus kindly asked them whether they understood these things. If not, he was still willing to teach them." Gill adds that the question shows these things had some difficulty in them, that they were important, and "how concerned he was, that they should understand them." Understanding mattered because, as the next verse shows, they would soon have to pass it on.
The Response
What Scripture recordsThe disciples answered, "Yea, Lord" (Matthew 13:51). Gill takes their answer as "truly and faithfully made." Jesus then built on their answer with one more parable: "Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old" (Matthew 13:52). Their understanding was not meant to stay stored away.
Historical Context
The world behind the wordsThe verb "understood" is synekate, from syniemi, which Thayer defines as "to set or join together in the mind, i.e. to understand." It is the same verb running through the whole chapter: the crowd hears but does not "understand" (Matthew 13:13-15), the one by the wayside "understandeth it not" (Matthew 13:19), and the good ground is the one who "heareth the word, and understandeth it" (Matthew 13:23).
A "scribe" in Jesus' day was a trained teacher of the Law. Jesus applies the title to anyone "instructed unto the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 13:52). Barnes explains that the "treasure" is a storehouse for anything a household needs, not money only.
The Bigger Picture
Where this fits in God's storyThis question gathers up the whole chapter. Matthew 13 began with a crowd that heard but did not understand (Matthew 13:13) and ends with Jesus asking His disciples whether they have. Understanding is the line between the wayside and the good ground (Matthew 13:19, 23). Jesus did not assume His disciples understood. He asked.
Their "Yea, Lord" was honest, but it was not the end of their learning. Later Jesus would ask them, "Are ye also yet without understanding?" (Matthew 15:16) and "Do ye not yet understand?" (Matthew 16:9). Matthew Henry captures this: "Our place is at Christ's feet, and we must daily learn old lessons over again, and new ones also." And understanding is given to be shared. Barnes paraphrases Jesus' point: "keep it not laid up and hid, but bring it forth."
Look Closer
Where were the disciples when Jesus asked this question?
Carry the question into prayer and conversation.
Lord Jesus, You asked Your disciples if they understood; what have I heard from You that I have not yet truly understood or shared?
A prayer to carry into the day.
- Is it easier for you to say "Yea, Lord" or to admit "Not yet"? What makes the difference?
- Share something old you learned in Scripture long ago and something new you have seen recently. How do the two fit together?
For you, a small group, a friend, or the dinner table.
Jesus cares whether you understand, not just whether you have heard. Hearing a sermon or reading a chapter is a start, but the good ground is the one who "heareth the word, and understandeth it" (Matthew 13:23). Take time to ask yourself and the Lord whether you have truly grasped what you heard.
What you understand is meant to be shared. Like a householder bringing out what is needed, you can bring out old truths and new insights to help others at the right time.
This does not mean you must understand everything before you speak. The disciples said "Yea, Lord" and still had much to learn (Matthew 15:16). Share what you have received, and keep coming back to learn more.
Built from the biblical text and checked against trusted commentaries and lexicons. References & Sources
Keep questioning
“Know ye not this parable? And how then will ye know all parables?”
“Are ye also yet without understanding?”
“Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?”
“Why speakest thou unto them in parables?”