ESV Study Bible | English Standard Version
Matthew 13:44-46
The Parable of the Hidden Treasure
44 “The kingdom of heaven x is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy y he goes and sells all that he has and z buys that field.
The Parable of the Pearl of Great Value
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46 who, on finding a one pearl of great value, y went and sold all that he had and z bought it.
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Matt. 13:1–53 Mysteries of the Messianic Kingdom Revealed in Parables. This is the third of Jesus' five major discourses (see Introduction: Key Themes; Literary Features), called the Parabolic Discourse because of its collection of parables.
Matt. 13:36–53 Explanations and Parables Told to the Disciples. Jesus explains the parable of the wheat and weeds (vv. 36–43) and then gives the disciples the parables of the hidden treasure (v. 44), the costly pearl (vv. 45–46), the dragnet (vv. 47–48), and the householder's treasure (vv. 51–52).
Matt. 13:44 Treasure was often hidden in fields, since formal banks did not exist (the “bankers” of 25:27 were money-changers who exchanged currency and also seem to have loaned money at interest). Buys that field does not suggest earning one's salvation; instead, the parable emphasizes the supreme value of the hidden treasure (the kingdom of heaven), which is worth far more than any sacrifice one could make to acquire it (sells all that he has).
Matt. 13:45–46 Unlike the man who stumbled upon the hidden treasure (v. 44), this merchant searched diligently for the fine pearls. But when he found the one pearl of great value (the kingdom of heaven), his reaction was the same: he sacrificed all that he had and bought it (see note on v. 44).
