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Mark 4
Lexham English Bible
Mark 4
Lexham English Bible
The Parable of the Sower
4 And again he began to teach beside the sea,[a] and a very large crowd was gathered to him, so that he got into a boat and[b] sat on the sea, and the whole crowd was at the sea on the land. 2 And he began to teach[c] them many things in parables, and was saying to them in his teaching, 3 “Listen! Behold, the sower went out to sow. 4 And it happened that while he was sowing, some seed[d] fell on the side of the path, and the birds came and devoured it. 5 And other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up at once, because it did not have any depth of soil. 6 And when the sun rose it was scorched, and because it did not have enough root, it withered. 7 And other seed fell among the thorn plants, and the thorn plants came up and choked it, and it did not produce grain.[e] 8 And other seed fell on the good soil, and produced grain,[f] coming up and increasing, and it bore a crop[g]—one thirty and one sixty and one a hundred times as much.[h] 9 And he said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear!”
The Reason for the Parables
10 And when he was alone, those around him together with the twelve began asking[i] him about the parables. 11 And he said to them, “To you has been granted the secret of the kingdom of God, but to those who are outside everything is in parables, 12 so that
‘they may look closely[j] and not perceive,
and they may listen carefully[k] and not understand,
lest they turn and it be forgiven them.’”[l]
The Parable of the Sower Interpreted
13 And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? And how will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones beside the path where the word is sown, and whenever they hear it,[m] immediately Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 And these are like[n] the ones sown on the rocky ground, who whenever they hear the word immediately receive it with joy. 17 And they have no root in themselves, but are temporary. Then when[o] affliction or persecution comes because of the word, immediately they fall away. 18 And others are the ones sown among the thorn plants—these are the ones who hear the word, 19 and the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and[p] choke the word and it becomes unproductive. 20 And those are the ones sown on the good soil, who hear the word and receive it[q] and bear fruit—one thirty and one sixty and one a hundred times as much.”[r]
The Parable of the Lamp
21 And he said to them, “Surely a lamp is not brought so that it may be put under a bushel basket or under a bed, is it?[s] Is it not[t] so that it may be put on a lampstand? 22 For nothing is secret except so that it may be revealed, nor has become hidden except so that it will come to light. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!” 24 And he said to them, “Take care what you hear! With the measure by which you measure out, it will be measured out to you, and will be added to you. 25 For whoever has, more will be given to him, and whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
The Parable of the Seed that Grows by Itself
26 And he said, “The kingdom of God is like this: like a man scatters seed on the ground. 27 And he sleeps and gets up, night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows—he does not know how.[u] 28 By itself the soil produces a crop: first the grass, then the head of grain, then the full grain in the head. 29 But when the crop permits, he sends in the sickle right away, because the harvest has come.”
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
30 And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or by what parable can we present it? 31 It is like a mustard seed that when sown on the ground, although it[v] is the smallest of all the seeds that are on the ground, 32 but when it is sown it grows up and becomes the largest of all the garden herbs, and sends out large branches so that the birds of the sky are able to nest in its shade.” 33 And with many parables such as these he was speaking the word to them, as they were able to hear it.[w] 34 And he did not speak to them without a parable, but in private he explained everything to his own disciples.
Calming of a Storm
35 And on that day, when it[x] was evening, he said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd, they took him along, as he was, in the boat. And other boats were with him. 37 And a great storm of wind developed, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already being filled with water.[y] 38 And he was in the stern sleeping on the cushion, and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, is it not a concern to you that we are perishing?” 39 And he woke up and[z] rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Be quiet! Be silent!” And the wind abated and there was a great calm. 40 And he said to them, “Why are you fearful? Do you not yet have faith?” 41 And they were terribly frightened[aa] and began to say[ab] to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
Footnotes
- Mark 4:1 That is, the Sea of Galilee
- Mark 4:1 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“got”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Mark 4:2 The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to teach”)
- Mark 4:4 Literally “some of which”
- Mark 4:7 Literally “fruit,” describing here the grain harvested from the healthy plants; in contemporary English this would more naturally be expressed by terms like “grain” or “crop”
- Mark 4:8 Literally “fruit,” describing here the grain harvested from the healthy plants; in contemporary English this would more naturally be expressed by terms like “grain” or “crop”
- Mark 4:8 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- Mark 4:8 The phrase “times as much” is not in the Greek text but is implied
- Mark 4:10 The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began asking”)
- Mark 4:12 Literally “seeing they may see”
- Mark 4:12 Literally “hearing they may hear”
- Mark 4:12 A quotation from Isa 6:9–10
- Mark 4:15 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- Mark 4:16 Some manuscripts omit “like”
- Mark 4:17 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“comes”)
- Mark 4:19 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“come in”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Mark 4:20 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- Mark 4:20 The phrase “times as much” is not in the Greek text but is implied
- Mark 4:21 The negative construction in Greek anticipates a negative answer here, indicated in the translation by the phrase “is it”
- Mark 4:21 The negative construction in Greek anticipates a positive answer here
- Mark 4:27 Literally “in such a way as he does not know”
- Mark 4:31 Here “although” is supplied as a component of the participle (“is”) which is understood as concessive
- Mark 4:33 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- Mark 4:35 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“was”)
- Mark 4:37 *The words “with water” are not in the Greek text but are implied
- Mark 4:39 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“woke up”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Mark 4:41 Literally “they feared a great fear”
- Mark 4:41 The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to say”)
Mark 4
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Mark 4
Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Parable of the Sower
4 Again(A) He began to teach(B) by the sea, and a very large crowd gathered around Him. So He got into a boat on the sea and sat down, while the whole crowd was on the shore facing the sea. 2 He taught them many things in parables,(C) and in His teaching(D) He said to them: 3 “Listen! Consider the sower who went out to sow.(E) 4 As he sowed, this occurred: Some seed fell along the path,(F) and the birds came and ate(G) it up. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it sprang up right away,(H) since it didn’t have deep soil. 6 When the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it didn’t have a root, it withered.(I) 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it didn’t produce a crop. 8 Still others fell on good ground and produced a crop that increased(J) 30, 60, and 100 times what was sown.”(K) 9 Then He said, “Anyone who has ears to hear should listen!”(L)
Why Jesus Used Parables
10 When He was alone with the Twelve,(M) those who were around Him asked Him about the parables.(N) 11 He answered them, “The secret(O) of the kingdom of God(P) has been given to you, but to those outside,(Q) everything comes in parables 12 so that
they may look and look,
yet not perceive;
they may listen and listen,
yet not understand;(R)
otherwise, they might turn back—
and be forgiven.”[a](S)[b]
The Parable of the Sower Explained
13 Then(T) He said to them: “Don’t you understand this parable?(U) How then will you understand any of the parables? 14 The sower sows(V) the word.(W) 15 These[c] are the ones along the path(X) where the word is sown: when they hear, immediately Satan(Y) comes and takes away the word(Z) sown in them.[d] 16 And these are[e] the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, immediately they receive it with joy.(AA) 17 But they have no root in themselves; they are short-lived. When pressure(AB) or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately stumble.(AC) 18 Others are sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word, 19 but the worries(AD) of this age,(AE) the seduction[f](AF) of wealth,(AG) and the desires(AH) for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.(AI) 20 But the ones sown on good ground are those who hear the word,(AJ) welcome it, and produce a crop:(AK) 30, 60, and 100 times what was sown.”
Using Your Light
21 He(AL) also said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket or under a bed?(AM) Isn’t it to be put on a lampstand?(AN) 22 For nothing is concealed except to be revealed,(AO) and nothing hidden except to come to light. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, he should listen!”(AP) 24 Then He said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear. By the measure(AQ) you use,[g](AR) it will be measured and added(AS) to you. 25 For to the one who has, it will be given, and from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.”(AT)
The Parable of the Growing Seed
26 “The kingdom of God(AU) is like this,” He said. “A man scatters seed on the ground; 27 he sleeps(AV) and rises(AW)—night(AX) and day, and the seed sprouts and grows—he doesn’t know how. 28 The soil produces a crop(AY) by itself—first the blade, then the head, and then the ripe grain(AZ) on the head. 29 But as soon as the crop is ready, he sends for the sickle,(BA) because the harvest(BB) has come.”
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
30 And(BC) He said: “How can we illustrate the kingdom of God,(BD) or what parable(BE) can we use to describe it? 31 It’s like a mustard seed(BF) that, when sown in the soil, is smaller than all the seeds on the ground. 32 And when sown,(BG) it comes up and grows taller than all the vegetables,(BH) and produces large branches, so that the birds of the sky(BI) can nest in its shade.”
Using Parables
33 He would speak the word(BJ) to them with many parables(BK) like these, as they were able to understand.(BL) 34 And He did not speak to them without a parable. Privately, however, He would explain everything to His own disciples.(BM)
Wind and Wave Obey the Master
35 On(BN) that day, when evening had come, He told them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the sea.” 36 So they left the crowd and took Him along since He was already in the boat. And other boats were with Him. 37 A fierce windstorm(BO) arose, and the waves(BP) were breaking over the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. 38 But He was in the stern, sleeping(BQ) on the cushion. So they woke Him up(BR) and said to Him, “Teacher! Don’t You care that we’re going to die?”(BS)
39 He got up, rebuked(BT) the wind, and said to the sea, “Silence!(BU) Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 Then He said to them, “Why are you fearful?(BV) Do you still have no faith?”
41 And they were terrified(BW) and asked one another, “Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey(BX) Him!”(BY)
Mark 4
New International Version
Mark 4
New International Version
The Parable of the Sower(A)(B)
4 Again Jesus began to teach by the lake.(C) The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. 2 He taught them many things by parables,(D) and in his teaching said: 3 “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed.(E) 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”(F)
9 Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”(G)
10 When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11 He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God(H) has been given to you. But to those on the outside(I) everything is said in parables 12 so that,
“‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’[a]”(J)
13 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14 The farmer sows the word.(K) 15 Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan(L) comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth(M) and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20 Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”
A Lamp on a Stand
21 He said to them, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand?(N) 22 For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open.(O) 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear.”(P)
24 “Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more.(Q) 25 Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.”(R)
The Parable of the Growing Seed
26 He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like.(S) A man scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28 All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. 29 As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”(T)
The Parable of the Mustard Seed(U)
30 Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like,(V) or what parable shall we use to describe it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. 32 Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”
33 With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand.(W) 34 He did not say anything to them without using a parable.(X) But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.
Jesus Calms the Storm(Y)
35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat.(Z) There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”(AA)
41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
Footnotes
- Mark 4:12 Isaiah 6:9,10
Mark 4
New Catholic Bible
Mark 4
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 4
The Parables—A Veiled Language[a]
The Parable of the Sower. 1 On another occasion he began to teach by the side of the lake. However, such a large crowd gathered that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while the whole crowd gathered on the shore facing the lake. 2 Then he taught them many things in parables.
In the course of his teaching, he said to them: 3 “Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4 As he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground, where there was little soil. It sprouted quickly, since the soil had no depth, 6 but when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it lacked roots, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it produced no crop. 8 But some seed fell onto rich soil and brought forth grain, increasing and yielding thirty, sixty, and a hundred times what was sown.” 9 He then added, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
10 The Reason for Parables. When he was alone, the Twelve and his other companions asked him about the parables. 11 He told them, “To you has been granted knowledge of the mysteries[b] of the kingdom of God, but to those outside, everything comes in parables, 12 so that
‘they may look and see but not perceive,
and hear and listen but fail to understand,
lest they be converted and be forgiven.’ ”[c]
13 The Explanation of the Parable of the Sower.[d] He went on to say to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then are you to understand any of the parables? 14 What the sower is sowing is the word.
15 “Some people are like seed that falls along the path where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan immediately comes and carries off the word that has been sown in them.
16 “Others are like the seed sown on rocky ground. As soon as they hear the word they immediately receive it with joy. 17 But they have no deep root and they endure for only a short time. When some trial or tribulation arises on account of the word, they immediately fall away.
18 “Those sown among thorns are the ones who hear the word, 19 but worldly cares, the lure of riches, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it bears no fruit.
20 “But those sown in rich soil are those who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit and yield thirty or sixty or a hundred times what was sown.”
21 The Parable of the Lamp.[e] He said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket or under a bed? To the contrary, it is placed on a lampstand. 22 For nothing is hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing is secret that will not be brought to light. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!”
24 The Parable of the Measure.[f] He also told them, “Pay careful attention to what you hear. The measure you give will be the measure you will receive, and you will receive more in addition. 25 To the one who has, more will be given; from the one who does not have, even what little he has will be taken away.”[g]
26 The Parable of the Secretly Growing Seed.[h] He went on to say, “The kingdom of God is like this. A man scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day, while he sleeps and while he is awake, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not understand how. 28 The ground produces fruit of its own accord—first the shoot, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29 And when the crop is ripe, he immediately stretches out the sickle, because the time for harvest has come.”
30 The Parable of the Mustard Seed.[i] He then said, “With what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to explain it? 31 It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth. 32 But once it is sown, it springs up and becomes the greatest of all plants, and it puts forth large branches so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
33 The Usefulness of Parables.[j] With many such parables as these he spoke the word to them so far as they were able to comprehend it. 34 He never spoke to them except in parables, but he explained everything to his disciples when they were by themselves.
Jesus Overcomes Evil and Effects Salvation[k]
35 Jesus Calms the Storm.[l] On that day, as evening approached, he said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” 36 And so, leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat just as he was. Some other boats joined them.
37 Suddenly, a great storm came up, and the waves were crashing over the boat so that it was almost swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a cushion. They awakened him and said, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”
39 Then he stood up and rebuked the wind, and he said to the sea, “Quiet! Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you so frightened? Are you still without faith?” 41 They were filled with awe and said to one another, “Who can this be? Even the wind and the sea obey him.”
Footnotes
- Mark 4:1 Mark has, so to speak, his own “theory of parables,” which he here places on the lips of Jesus. In his view, parables were and remained enigmatic: their meaning was clear only to the disciples, those who really “heard” Jesus (“hear” is the key word in these texts) and believed in him. See notes on Mt 13:1-51; 13:3a; 13:3b-9; 13:10-15.
- Mark 4:11 Mysteries: see note on Mt 13:11.
- Mark 4:12 The citation is from Isa 6:9-10. Acts (28:26-27) and Romans (11:7-16, 29-32) cite the same passage of Isaiah to show that the rejection by the people of the Covenant had been foretold and that God’s plan cannot be checkmated by the defection of human beings. It is not that God wants them to reject the word. They do that on their own because they do not want to receive God’s forgiveness.
- Mark 4:13 See note on Mt 13:18-23.
- Mark 4:21 Just as a lamp is placed to provide light, not to hide it, so Jesus, the light of the world, is destined to be revealed.
- Mark 4:24 As an example of the way in which the sayings of Jesus were handed on, we may observe that the parable about measure is applied here to the reception of the “word,” but is used in Matthew (7:2) and Luke (6:38) with reference to judgment of one’s brother or sister.
- Mark 4:25 To the one who has, more will be given. . . : one of the meanings of this text is that those who appropriate the truth more will receive more truth in the future; however, those who do not respond to what little truth they may know already will not profit even from that amount.
- Mark 4:26 This parable, the only one peculiar to Mark, illustrates his idea of the power of the Gospel. The term harvest is an image of the judgment (see Joel 4:13; Rev 14:15).
- Mark 4:30 See notes on Mt 13:31-32 and 13:32.
- Mark 4:33 These words mitigate and partly explain the warning in v. 12. Jesus with his parables adapted himself to the imaginative eastern mentality, without running afoul of the susceptibility of that people who were still stubbornly attached to the idea of a triumphal Messiah. He offered the possibility of reflections and further elucidations.
- Mark 4:35 The so-called “Parables of the Lake” are followed by a characteristic grouping of four miracles, which demonstrate the evangelist’s Christological intention. With his merciful power, Jesus appears as the Master of natural elements, demons, sickness, and death itself. The section gives a very accurate selection of prodigies worked by the Savior. The accounts are possibly pre-Marcan, and they have been endowed by the evangelist with a particularly vivid narrative taken from the preaching of Peter. These are the so-called “Miracles of the Lake.”
- Mark 4:35 See note on Mt 8:23-27.
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