2 Though parables can contain a variety of figures of speech (cf. 2:19–22; 3:23–25; 4:3–9, 26–32; 7:15–17; 13:28), many times they are simply stories that attempt to teach spiritual truth (which is unknown to the hearers) by using a comparison with something known to the hearers. In general, parables usually advance a single idea, though there may be many parts and characters in a single parable and subordinate ideas may expand the main idea further. The beauty of using the parable as a teaching device is that it draws the listener into the story, elicits an evaluation, and demands a response.

In other versions

And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them:

He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said:

He taught them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them,

He taught them by telling many stories in the form of parables, such as this one:

And he began to teach them many things in parables, and was saying to them in his teaching,

And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine,

Public Domain