View source for Parable of the Pearl

{{Short description|Biblical story}}
[[File:Treasure and Pearl.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The [[Parable of the Hidden Treasure]] (left) paired with the Parable of the Pearl (right)  on a stained glass window in [[Scots' Church, Melbourne]]]]
The '''Parable of the Pearl''' (also called the '''Pearl of Great Price''') is one of the [[parables of Jesus Christ]]. It appears in [[Matthew 13]]<ref>{{bibleref|Matthew|13:45-46|131}}</ref> and illustrates the great value of the [[Kingdom of God|Kingdom of Heaven]].

This is the penultimate parable in Matthew 13, coming just before the [[Parable of the Dragnet]]. It immediately follows the [[Parable of the Hidden Treasure]], which has a similar theme. It does not appear in the other [[synoptic gospels]],<ref>[http://biblehub.com/commentaries/cambridge/matthew/13.htm Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges] on Matthew 13, accessed 15 January 2017</ref> but a version of this parable does appear in the non-canonical [[Gospel of Thomas]], Saying 76.<ref name="Lamb translation">''Gospel of Thomas'': [http://www.gnosis.org/naghamm/gthlamb.html Lamb translation] and [http://www.gnosis.org/naghamm/gosthom.html Patterson/Meyer translation].</ref> The parable has been depicted by artists such as [[Domenico Fetti]].

The parable reads as follows:
{{Blockquote|Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.|Matthew 13:45-46, [[King James Version]]}}

==Interpretation==
[[File:Werkstatt des Domenico Fetti — Gleichnis von der köstlichen Perle.jpg|thumbnail|''The Pearl of Great Price'', by [[Domenico Fetti]], 17th century]]
This parable is generally interpreted as illustrating the great value of the Kingdom of Heaven. Theologian [[E. H. Plumptre]], in Anglican bishop [[Charles Ellicott]]'s ''Commentary'', notes that:
<blockquote>"the caprices of luxury in the [[Roman Empire|Roman empire]] had given a prominence to [[Pearl|pearls]], as an article of commerce, which they had never had before, and have probably never had since. They, rather than [[emerald]]s and [[sapphire]]s, were the typical instance of all costliest adornments.<ref>{{bibleverse||Matthew|7:6|NKJV}}; {{bibleverse|1|Timothy|2:9|NKJV}}</ref> The story of [[Cleopatra]] and the fact that the opening of a new pearl market was one of the alleged motives which led the [[Emperor Claudius]] to invade [[Roman Britain|Britain]], are indications of the value that was then set on the 'goodly pearls' of the parable."<ref>Plumptre, E. H., [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/ellicott/matthew/13.htm Ellicott's Commentary for Modern Readers] on Matthew 13, accessed 15 January 2017</ref></blockquote> 
Theologian [[John Nolland]] likewise notes that pearls at that time had a greater value than they do today,<ref name="JN">John Nolland, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=9cL_kpdUE-oC&pg=PA565 The Gospel of Matthew: A commentary on the Greek text]'', Eerdmans, 2005, {{ISBN|0-8028-2389-0}}, pp. 565–566.</ref> and it thus has a similar theme to its partner, the parable of the hidden treasure. Nolland comments that it shares with that parable the notions of "good fortune and demanding action in attaining the [[Kingdom of heaven (Gospel of Matthew)|kingdom of heaven]]"<ref name="JN"/> but adds in this case the notion of "diligent seeking".<ref name="JN"/> The valuable pearl is the "deal of a lifetime"<ref name="JN" /> for the [[merchant]] in the story. However, those who do not believe in the kingdom of heaven enough to stake their whole future on it are unworthy of the kingdom.<ref name="CSK">Craig S. Keener, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=sWzhEdBZOp4C&pg=PA392 A Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew]'', Eerdmans, 1999, {{ISBN|0-8028-3821-9}}, p. 392.</ref>

This interpretation of the parable is the inspiration for a number of hymns, including the anonymous [[Swedish language|Swedish]] hymn ''Den Kostliga Pärlan'' (''O That Pearl of Great Price!''), which begins:

<blockquote><poem>
O that Pearl of great price! have you found it?
Is the Savior supreme in your love?
O consider it well, ere you answer,
As you hope for a welcome above.
Have you given up all for this Treasure?
Have you counted past gains as but loss?
Has your trust in yourself and your merits
Come to naught before Christ and His cross?<ref>The Cyber Hymnal, ''[http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/o/t/p/otpogpri.htm O That Pearl of Great Price!]''</ref>
</poem></blockquote>

A less common interpretation of the parable is that the merchant represents [[Jesus]], and the pearl represents the [[Christian Church]], though that definition is problematic as neither the Christian church nor Christianity existed until after Jesus' death.<ref>Herbert Lockyer, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=4ncUVL4h2LsC&pg=PA200 All the Parables of the Bible]'', Zondervan, 1988, {{ISBN|0-310-28111-3}}, p. 200.</ref> This interpretation would give the parable a similar theme to that of the [[Parable of the Lost Sheep]], the [[Parable of the Lost Coin|Lost Coin]], and the [[Parable of the Prodigal Son|Prodigal Son]]. [[Pope Pius XII]] used the phrase to describe [[Virginity#Catholic theology|virginity]].<ref>[[Pope Pius XII]], ''[http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/pius_xii/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xii_enc_25031954_sacra-virginitas_en.html Sacra Virginitas]''</ref> [[File:The Pearl from parable.jpg|thumb|Anonymous, 1900]]

==Commentary from the Church Fathers==
[[John Chrysostom]]: "The [[Gospel]] preaching not only offers manifold gain as a treasure, but is precious as a pearl; wherefore after the parable concerning the treasure, He gives that concerning the pearl. And in preaching, two things are required, namely, to be detached from the business of this life, and to be watchful, which are denoted by this merchantman. Truth moreover is one, and not manifold, and for this reason it is one pearl that is said to be found. And as one who is possessed of a pearl, himself indeed knows of his wealth, but is not known to others, ofttimes concealing it in his hand because of its small bulk, so it is in the preaching of the Gospel; they who possess it know that they are rich, the unbelievers, not knowing of this treasure, know not of our wealth."

[[Jerome]]: "By the goodly pearls may be understood the [[Law of Moses|Law]] and the [[Prophets in Judaism|Prophets]]. Hear then [[Marcion of Sinope|Marcion]] and [[Mani (prophet)|Manichæus]]; the good pearls are the Law and the Prophets. One pearl, the most precious of all, is the knowledge of the Saviour and the sacrament of His [[Passion of Jesus|passion]] and [[Resurrection of Jesus|resurrection]], which when the merchantman has found, like [[Paul the Apostle]], he straightway despises all the mysteries of the Law and the Prophets and the old observances in which he had lived blameless, counting them as dung that he may win Christ (Phillipians 3:8.) Not that the finding of a new pearl is the condemnation of the old pearls, but that in comparison of that, all other pearls are worthless."<ref name="Commentary"/>

[[Pope Gregory I|Gregory the Great]]: "Or by the pearl of price is to be understood the sweetness of the heavenly kingdom, which, he that hath found it, selleth all and buyeth. For he that, as far as is permitted, has had perfect knowledge of the sweetness of the heavenly life, readily leaves all things that he has loved on earth; all that once pleased him among earthly possessions now appears to have lost its beauty, for the splendour of that precious pearl is alone seen in his mind."<ref name="Commentary"/>

[[Augustine of Hippo|Augustine]]: "Or, A man seeking goodly pearls has found one pearl of great price; that is, he who is seeking good men with whom he may live profitably, finds one alone, Christ Jesus, without sin; or, seeking precepts of life, by aid of which he may dwell righteously among men, finds love of his neighbour, in which one rule, the Apostle says, (Romans 13:9) are comprehended all things; or, seeking good thoughts, he finds that Word in which all things are contained, In the beginning was the Word (John 1:1) which is lustrous with the light of truth, stedfast with the strength of eternity, and throughout like to itself with the beauty of divinity, and when we have penetrated the shell of the flesh, will be confessed as God. But whichever of these three it may be, or if there be anything else that can occur to us, that can be signified under the figure of the one precious pearl, its preciousness is the possession of ourselves, who are not free to possess it unless we despise all things that can be possessed in this world. For having sold our possessions, we receive no other return greater than ourselves, (for while we were involved in such things we were not our own,) that we may again give ourselves for that pearl, not because we are of equal value to that, but because we cannot give anything more."<ref name="Commentary">{{citation-attribution|1={{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/p1catenaaureacom01thomuoft/page/n19/mode/2up|title=Catena aurea: commentary on the four Gospels, collected out of the works of the Fathers. Oxford: Parker, 1874. Thomas Aquinas|year=1874|publisher=Oxford, Parker}} }}</ref>

==Gospel of Thomas==
A version of the parable appears in the [[Gnosticism|Gnostic]] [[Gospel of Thomas]] (Saying 76):<ref name="Lamb translation"/>
{{Blockquote|Jesus said, "The Father's kingdom is like a merchant who had a supply of merchandise and found a pearl. That merchant was prudent; he sold the merchandise and bought the single pearl for himself.

So also with you, seek his treasure that is unfailing, that is enduring, where no moth comes to eat and no worm destroys."|Gospel of Thomas 76, Patterson/Meyer translation}}

This work's version of the parable of the hidden treasure appears later (Saying 109), rather than immediately preceding, as in Matthew.<ref name="BY">Brad H. Young, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=DDEIf4uvx4MC&pg=PA202 The Parables: Jewish Tradition and Christian Interpretation]'', Hendrickson Publishers, 2008, {{ISBN|1-59856-303-3}}, pp. 202–206.</ref> However, the mention of a treasure in Saying 76 may reflect a source for the Gospel of Thomas in which the parables were adjacent,<ref name="BY"/> so that the original pair of parables has been "broken apart, placed in separate contexts, and expanded in a manner characteristic of folklore."<ref name="BY"/> In Gnostic thought the pearl may represent Christ or the true self.<ref name="BY"/> In the Gnostic [[Acts of Peter and the Twelve]], found with the Gospel of Thomas in the [[Nag Hammadi library]], the travelling pearl merchant Lithargoel is eventually revealed to be Jesus.<ref>David Noel Freedman, Allen C. Myers, and Astrid B. Beck, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=P9sYIRXZZ2MC&pg=PA1041 Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible]'', Eerdmans, 2000, {{ISBN|0-8028-2400-5}}, p. 1041.</ref>

==Depictions==
There have been several depictions of the New Testament parable in art, including works by [[Domenico Fetti]], [[John Everett Millais]] and [[Jan Luyken]].

==See also==
* [[Five Discourses of Matthew]]
* [[Life of Jesus in the New Testament]]
* [[Ministry of Jesus]]
* [[Pearl of Great Price (Latter Day Saints)|The Pearl of Great Price]] - one of the standard works in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline|Parable of the Pearl}}

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[[Category:Parables of Jesus|Pearl, Parable of the]]
[[Category:Gospel of Matthew]]
[[Category:Pearls in religion]]