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Matthew 13:31-32Parables discourse
He set another parable before them, saying, 'The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took, and sowed in his field, which indeed is smaller than all seeds. But when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in its branches.'
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Interpretation

Jesus teaches a mustard seed that is embodied in solitude and community. Matthew 13:31-32: trace "which" and "than". Give mustard seed in small choices no one sees—carry peace past preference.

Context

The setting is Matthew—gospel narrative, naming mustard seed. Placed in ch. 13, the nearby lines set its tone. The nearby sentences supply the texture.

Authorship & Historical Background

Long‑standing tradition credits Matthew to the disciple Matthew (formerly a tax collector). In current research on Matthew, Early witnesses preserve anonymity; later ascription to Matthew; reflects Mark and a sayings source.. Date: AD 80–90. Matthew seems aimed at Jewish‑Christian community.. Genre and setting: gospel narrative, in the Parables discourse. Catechetical structure appears in the discourse blocks.

More details
Traditional:Matthew the tax collector
Modern scholarship:Anonymous; attributed to Matthew; uses Mark + Q source.
Date:AD 80–90
Audience:Jewish‑Christian community.
Manuscripts & Textual Witnesses
The Greek text is preserved in 5,800+ manuscripts, surpassing other ancient works in manuscript count. Early papyri from the 2nd-3rd centuries like P46, P66, P75 provide text within about 100-150 years of its writing. Major uncial codices (Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, 4th century) contain complete or near-complete texts. The Byzantine text family represents the majority of later manuscripts. Textual variants exist but are mostly minor: word order, articles, spelling. No central Christian doctrine depends on any disputed text. Modern critical editions compare all manuscript families to determine the most likely original reading.
Sources & witness notes
SinaiticusVaticanusP46