Mat 13:17 For truly I tell to you, That many prophets and righteous [men] have desired to see [those things] which you see, and have not seen [them]; and to hear [those things] which you hear, and have not heard [them].

Prophets are those who experience divine inspiration while righteous are those who observe religious traditions. Here Christ is saying clearly that neither group understood the experience or the purpose of the spirit as much as the apostles and those who follow Christ can. The larger context is that Christ is revealing the hidden truth of the universal rule.

Alternate version: For certainly I tell you, many of the prophets and the observant have longed to know what your see and did not know it and to understand what you have explainned and did not understand it.

"Righteous [men]" is from dikaios, which means "observant of tradition," "civilized," and "observant of duty."

"Have desired" is from epithumia, which means "desire," "yearning," and "longing after."

The first and third "see" is from eido, which means "to see," "to examine," and "to know." It is more seeing in the mind's eye than the other word for "see" used here, blepô, which is more the sense of physically seeing. So the apostles physically see the truth while the prophets couldn't know it.

"Hear" in all instances is akouô, which means "to hear," "to listen," and "to understand."