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Mat_13:3 f. Παραβολή (Arist. Rhet. ii. 20), îÈùÑÈì , the narrating of an incident which, though imaginary, still falls within the sphere of natural events, with the view of thereby illustrating some truth or other ( ἵνα καὶ ἐμφατικώτερον τὸν λόγον ποιήσῃ , καὶ πλείονα τὴν μνήμην ἐνθῇ , καὶ ὑπʼ ὄψιν ἀγάγῃ τὰ πράγματα , Chrysostom). See Unger, de parabolar. Jesu natura, interpretatione, usu, 1828, who gives the following definition: collatio per narratiunculam fictam, sed veri similem,[448] serio illustrans rem sublimiorem.[449] The correct canon for the interpretation of the parables is already to be found in Chrysostom on Mat_20:1 : ΟὐΔῈ ΧΡῊ ΠΆΝΤΑ ΤᾺ ἘΝ ΤΑῖς ΠΑΡΑΒΟΛΑῖς ΚΑΤᾺ ΛΈΞΙΝ ΠΕΡΙΕΡΓΆΖΕΣΘΑΙ , ἈΛΛᾺ ΤῸΝ ΣΚΌΠΟΝ ΜΑΘΌΝΤΕς , ΔΙʼ ὋΝ ΣΥΝΕΤΈΘΗ , ΤΟῦΤΟΝ ΔΡΈΠΕΣΘΑΙ ΚΑῚ ΜΗΔῈΝ ΠΟΛΥΠΡΑΓΜΟΝΕῖΝ ΠΕΡΑΙΤΈΡΩ .
Ὁ ΣΠΕΊΡΩΝ ] the sower, whom I have in view. Present participle, used as a substantive. See on Mat_2:20. A similar parable is given in the Jerusalem Talmud Kilaim I. f. 27.
ΠΑΡᾺ Τ . ὉΔΌΝ ] upon the road (which went round the edge of the field), so that it was not ploughed in or harrowed in along with the rest.
τὰ πετρώδη ] the rocky parts, i.e. “saxum continuum sub terrae superficie tenui,” Bengel.
[448] To be distinguished from the fable, which, for example, may introduce animals, trees, and such like as speaking and acting. “Fabula est, in qua nec vera nec verisimiles res continentur,” Cic. invent. i. 19. So far as appears from the New Testament, Christ never made use of the fable; as little did the apostles; in the Old Testament, in Jdg_9:8 ff.
[449] Observe, moreover, that the New Testament παραβολή and îÈùÑÈì may mean something more comprehensive and less definite (including every description of figurative speech, Mar_3:23; Mar_4:30; Mar_7:17; Luk_4:23; Luk_5:36; Luk_6:39; Luk_14:7; Mat_15:15; Mat_24:32) than is implied in the above definition of the parable as a hermeneutical terminus technicus. Comp. the Johannean παροιμία (note on Joh_10:6). John does not use the word parable; but then he does not report any such among the sayings of Jesus, though he has a few allegories; as, for example, those of the vine and the good shepherd.