The Pearl of Great Price

The words

Matthew 13:44–52 (opens a new tab)

1. Bought

   Bought completes the merchant’s sequence after finding the pearl and selling all he has; the object is the one pearl, whereas the treasure finder’s purchase is the field.

   Matthew 13:44–46 (opens a new tab)

2. Buyeth

   Buys; purchases.

   Buyeth refers to buying the field in the hidden-treasure story; bought later describes buying the pearl. Matthew keeps the two purchases in adjacent comparisons of the kingdom of heaven.

   Matthew 13:44–46 (opens a new tab) · NET Bible: Matthew 13:44-52 (opens a new tab)

3. Goodly Pearls

   Fine or valuable pearls.

   The merchant begins by seeking goodly pearls; the NET calls them fine pearls. His search leads to finding one pearl of great price, for which he sells all he has.

   Did you know?

   The Gemological Institute of America distinguishes natural pearls, formed without human help, from cultured pearls, grown with human intervention and care. This page’s photograph is captioned as cultured pearls.

   Matthew 13:45–46 (opens a new tab) · NET Bible: Matthew 13:44-52 (opens a new tab) · GIA: natural and cultured pearls (opens a new tab)

4. Great Price

   Of exceptional value.

   Great price describes the one pearl’s exceptional value in the merchant’s comparison; the NET says great value, and the next actions are selling everything and buying it.

   Matthew 13:46 (opens a new tab) · NET Bible: Matthew 13:44-52 (opens a new tab)

5. Hideth

   Hides; conceals.

   After finding the field’s treasure, the man hides it; Matthew then describes his joy, the sale of all he has and his purchase of that field.

   Matthew 13:44 (opens a new tab) · NET Bible: Matthew 13:44-52 (opens a new tab)

6. Instructed

   Taught or trained.

   Jesus compares a scribe instructed for the kingdom of heaven with a householder bringing new and old things from his treasure; the NET uses trained for the scribe’s preparation.

   Matthew 13:52 (opens a new tab) · NET Bible: Matthew 13:44-52 (opens a new tab)

7. Merchant Man

   A trader or dealer.

   Matthew’s merchant is already seeking fine pearls when he finds one of great price; the neighboring treasure story begins with a man finding treasure in a field.

   Matthew 13:44–46 (opens a new tab) · NET Bible: Matthew 13:44-52 (opens a new tab)

8. One Pearl

   The singular one pearl marks the object for which the merchant sells all he has; the preceding verse had described his wider search for goodly pearls.

   Matthew 13:45–46 (opens a new tab)

9. Seeking

   Seeking comes before finding in the merchant’s story: he searches for goodly pearls, finds one of great price, sells everything and buys that particular pearl.

   Matthew 13:45–46 (opens a new tab)

10. Selleth

    Sells; exchanges for payment.

    In the treasure story, selleth belongs to the man who finds treasure and buys the field; the pearl story uses sold for the merchant who parts with all he has.

    Matthew 13:44–46 (opens a new tab) · NET Bible: Matthew 13:44-52 (opens a new tab)

11. Sever

    Separate; set apart.

    Jesus’s explanation has angels sever the wicked from the just, then cast the former into a furnace of fire. The NET renders sever as separate.

    Matthew 13:49–50 (opens a new tab) · NET Bible: Matthew 13:44-52 (opens a new tab)

12. Shore

    The net is drawn to shore only when it is full; the people then sit down, gather the good catch into vessels and throw the bad away, before Jesus gives the explanation.

    Matthew 13:47–49 (opens a new tab)

13. Sold

    In the merchant’s story, sold comes after finding the one pearl and before buying it; the sale covers all that he has, matching the scale of the neighboring treasure story.

    Matthew 13:44, 46 (opens a new tab)

14. Understood

    Jesus asks whether the hearers have understood all these things; the KJV gives their reply as Yea, Lord, while the NET simply says Yes. The householder comparison follows.

    Matthew 13:51–52 (opens a new tab) · NET Bible: Matthew 13:44-52 (opens a new tab)

15. Vessels

    Containers for the catch.

    Vessels are the containers for the good catch after the net is drawn ashore; the bad catch is cast away. The NET makes the container sense explicit in its wording.

    Matthew 13:48 (opens a new tab) · NET Bible: Matthew 13:44-52 (opens a new tab)