He taught them many things by parables - See every part of this parable of the sower explained on Matthew 13:1 (note), etc.

And he taught them many things by parables,.... As he sat in the ship, and they stood on shore;
and said unto them in his doctrine; as he was teaching them, and delivering unto them the doctrine he had received from his Father: though the Jews say (c), that
"the Israelites will have no need , "of the doctrine of the king Messiah, in the time to come"; because it is said, "unto him shall the Gentiles seek", and not the Israelites.''
But it appears from hence, and many other places, that the Israelites both stood in need of his doctrine, and sought after it; and very excellent it was; the doctrine of God, and of the grace of God; and was spoken with authority, and in such a manner as never man spake, and which he delivered to his apostles; and which, if ministers bring not with them, should not be bid God speed.
(c) Bereshit Rabba, sect 98. fol. 85. 3.

And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine--or "teaching."
Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:3-9, Mark 4:13-20).

He taught them many things by parables - After the usual manner of the eastern nations, to make his instructions more agreeable to them, and to impress them the more upon attentive hearers. A parable signifies not only a simile or comparison, and sometimes a proverb, but any kind of instructive speech, wherein spiritual things are explained and illustrated by natural, Proverbs 1:6. To understand a proverb and the interpretation - The proverb is the literal sense, the interpretation is the spiritual resting in the literal sense killeth, but the spiritual giveth life.