Mark 4:13-20
Christian Standard Bible
The Parable of the Sower Explained
13 Then(A) he said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable?(B) How then will you understand all of the parables? 14 The sower sows(C) the word.(D) 15 Some are like the word sown on the path.(E) When they hear, immediately Satan(F) comes and takes away the word(G) sown in them.[a] 16 And others are like seed sown on rocky ground. When they hear the word, immediately they receive it with joy.(H) 17 But they have no root; they are short-lived. When distress(I) or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately fall away.(J) 18 Others are like seed sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word, 19 but the worries(K) of this age,(L) the deceitfulness[b](M) of wealth,(N) and the desires(O) for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.(P) 20 And those like seed sown on good ground hear the word,(Q) welcome it, and produce fruit(R) thirty, sixty, and a hundred times what was sown.”
Read full chapter
Mark 4:13-20
New English Translation
13 He said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? Then[a] how will you understand any parable? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: Whenever they hear, immediately Satan[b] comes and snatches the word[c] that was sown in them. 16 These are the ones sown on rocky ground: As soon as they hear the word, they receive it with joy. 17 But[d] they have no root in themselves and do not endure.[e] Then, when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, immediately they fall away. 18 Others are the ones sown among thorns: They are those who hear the word, 19 but[f] worldly cares, the seductiveness of wealth,[g] and the desire for other things come in and choke the word,[h] and it produces nothing. 20 But[i] these are the ones sown on good soil: They hear the word and receive it and bear fruit, one thirty times as much, one sixty, and one a hundred.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Mark 4:13 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
- Mark 4:15 sn Interestingly, the synoptic parallels each use a different word for Satan here: Matt 13:19 has “the evil one,” while Luke 8:12 has “the devil.” This illustrates the fluidity of the gospel tradition in often using synonyms at the same point of the parallel tradition.
- Mark 4:15 sn The word of Jesus has the potential to save if it germinates in a person’s heart, something the devil is very much against.
- Mark 4:17 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
- Mark 4:17 tn Grk “are temporary.”
- Mark 4:19 tn Grk “and.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
- Mark 4:19 tn Grk “the deceitfulness of riches.” Cf. BDAG 99 s.v. ἀπάτη 1, “the seduction which comes from wealth.”
- Mark 4:19 sn That is, their concern for spiritual things is crowded out by material things.
- Mark 4:20 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.