How Many Parables are in the Holy Bible? Find Out Here
A parable is a short story that teaches a moral and spiritual lesson through a common life experience. Parables have an important place in the Bible. Through them, Jesus conveyed his message to people in a simple and effective way. Jesus taught people the principles of God’s kingdom, salvation and morality.
Parable’s Numbers in Bible
There are different numbers of parables in the Bible, according to different traditions and researches. It is generally believed that Jesus narrated about 30 to 40 parables, most of which are found in the New Testament.
Parable’s Numbers in Old Testament
The number of parables in the Old Testament is few. Legal teachings and prophecies are mentioned more in this period, so the number of parables is few. Some of the famous parables in the Old Testament are attributed to Prophet Isaiah and King Solomon.
Parable’s Numbers in New Testament
The New Testament has a greater number of parables. Parables occupy an important place in the teachings of Jesus. There are about 30 to 40 parables in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Further, Parables describe the life and teachings of Jesus and are an excellent means of conveying the message to the people.
Parables List
| Parables | Reference |
| New Cloth on an Old Coat | Matthew 9:16 Mark 2:21 Luke 5:36 |
| New Wine in Old Wineskins | Matthew 9:17 Mark 2:22 Luke 5:37-39 |
| The Two Debtors | Luke 7:40-43 |
| The Sower | Matthew 13:1-23 Mark 4:1-20 Luke 8:4-15 |
| The Good Samaritan | Luke 10:25-37 |
| The Friend at Midnight | Luke 11:5-13 |
| Growing Seed | Mark 4:26-29 |
| The Rich Fool | Luke 12:13-21 |
| The Watchful Servants | Mark 13:35-37 Luke 12:35-40 |
| Unfruitful Fig Tree | Luke 13:6-9 |
| The Weeds | Matthew 13:24-30, 36-4 |
| The Seed | Matthew 13:31-32 Mark 4:26-30 Luke 13:18-19 |
| Yeast | Matthew 13:33 Luke 13:20-21 |
| The Concealed Treasure | Matthew 13:44 |
| The Pearl | Matthew 13:45-46 |
| Casting of the Net into the Sea | Matthew 13:47-50 |
| Owner of a House | Matthew 13:52 |
| The Lost Sheep | Matthew 18:12-14 Luke 15:3-7 |
| The Unforgiving Servant | Matthew 18:23-35 |
| The Vineyard Workers | Matthew 20:1-16 |
| Lowest Seat at the Feast | Luke 14:7-14 |
| The Great Feast | Luke 14:16-24 |
| Cost of Discipleship | Luke 14:28-33 |
| The Lost Coin | Luke 15:8-10 |
| The Prodigal Son | Luke 15:11-32 |
| The Shrewd Manager | Luke 16:1-13 |
| The Rich Man and Lazarus | Luke 16:19-31 |
| Master and His Servant | Luke 17:7-10 |
| Persistent Widow | Luke 18:1-8 |
| The Two Sons | Matthew 21:28-32 |
| The Vineyard Owner | Matthew 21:33-44 Mark 12:1-11 Luke 20:9-18 |
| The Marriage Feast | Matthew 22:1-14 |
| Fig Tree | Matthew 24:32-35 Mark 13:28-31 Luke 21:29-33 |
| Faithful and Wise Servant | Matthew 24:45-51 Luke 12:42-48 |
| The Pharisee and the Tax Collector | Luke 18:9-14 |
| Ten Virgins | Matthew 25:1-13 |
| The Talent | Matthew 25:14-30 Luke 19:11-27 |
| The Sheep and the Goats | Matthew 25:31-46 |
Types of Parables
There are different types of parables in the Bible. These parables are based on different themes and their message is also different. Let’s see them.
Parable of the heavenly kingdom
The parable of the heavenly kingdom is based on the rules of God, grace, and justice. These parables include the parable of the mustard seed, the parable of the leaven, and the parable of the evil fish.
Parables of salvation
The parables of salvation are based on the salvation of man and the love of God. These parables guide people to the path of salvation. Popular parables of this type include; the parable of the lost sheep and the parable of the lost coin.
Parables of Morality
Moral parables shed light on human behavior and morality. These parables encourage people to have a good character. These types of parables include the parable of the Good Samaritan and the parable of the unjust judge.
Famous Parables
Some of the parables in the Bible are very famous and their message is still fresh in people’s hearts. It is important to describe these parables in detail and experience them in order to better understand their message.
Parables of the Sower
This parable is a famous parable of Jesus about the fall of seeds on different types of land. These seeds represent the hearts of different people and this parable symbolizes the different conditions of people who receive God’s word.
Parable of Good Samaritan
This parable teaches humanity and compassion and describes how a Samaritan helped an injured man, while others ignored him. This parable illustrates who a true neighbor is and how we should treat others.
Parable of Lost Sheep
When we read this parable, we realize how much God loves us. When a person goes on the path of sin, God makes every effort to bring that person back to his path, and when a person realizes that he is on the wrong path and repents, then God forgives him with great joy. This is an example of how happy a person is when he loses his sheep but it returns. In the same way, God is very pleased with the return of his lost servant.
Parable of Mustard Seeds
From this parable we learn that firstly, the Kingdom of God begins with small things then goes to big things and it also teaches us that if we do a small good deed, it will increase our faith.
Frequently Asked Questions
Conclusions
Parables are stories in the form of a message that can be easily understood by any common man. When something is told in the form of a story, its impact on the mind lasts longer and the message can properly be understood. In the same way, Hazrat Isa conveyed God’s message to people through these parables and people understood them. And with these examples, people can believe in God more because these are examples of daily life.
After this, people can get guidance. These examples exhort a person to do good deeds such as be kind to neighbors and parents, feed the hungry, avoid sins like not being proud, not telling lies and follow the commandments of God. . This improves the spiritual life and man understands the essence of God and His orders and can make the life of this world and the hereafter the best.
