Mark 4: The farmer and the seed, and the storm on the sea
A free study, verse by verse. Text: World English Bible. Notes come from the Greek. How to read a study
What happens?
Jesus teaches a large crowd from a boat. He tells the story of a farmer sowing seed on four kinds of ground, then explains it privately to those around him, and gives more short stories about a lamp, a growing seed and a mustard seed. That evening he crosses the sea with his disciples. A great windstorm comes while he sleeps in the boat, and when they wake him he speaks to the wind and the sea, and it becomes calm.
Who is speaking?
The narrator tells the story. Jesus speaks in verses 3 to 9, 11 to 32, 35, 39 and 40. The disciples speak in verses 38 and 41. No verse is in gold. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1Again he began to teach by the seaside. A great multitude was gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat in the sea and sat down. All the multitude were on the land by the sea.
In plain English: Again Jesus began to teach by the seaside. A very large crowd gathered to him, so he got into a boat on the sea and sat down. All the crowd was on the land beside the sea.
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2He taught them many things in parables, and told them in his teaching,
In plain English: He taught them many things in parables (short stories), and said to them in his teaching:
The Greek word: "Parables" is parabole. The dictionary gives "a similitude", a made-up story from common life, or a short saying. It is in 12 verses of Mark.
How it is translated: This Bible has "parable" or "parables" each time.
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3“Listen! Behold, the farmer went out to sow.
In plain English: "Listen! Look, the farmer went out to sow seed.
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4As he sowed, some seed fell by the road, and the birds came and devoured it.
In plain English: As he sowed, some seed fell by the road, and the birds came and ate it up.
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5Others fell on the rocky ground, where it had little soil, and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of soil.
In plain English: Other seed fell on rocky ground, where there was little soil. It sprang up at once, because the soil was not deep.
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6When the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
In plain English: When the sun rose, it was scorched. Because it had no root, it dried up.
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7Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
In plain English: Other seed fell among the thorns. The thorns grew up and choked it, and it gave no fruit.
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8Others fell into the good ground and yielded fruit, growing up and increasing. Some produced thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times as much.”
In plain English: Other seed fell into the good ground and gave fruit, growing up and increasing. Some gave thirty times as much, some sixty times, and some one hundred times."
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9He said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.”
In plain English: Jesus said, "Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear."
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10When he was alone, those who were around him with the twelve asked him about the parables.
In plain English: When Jesus was alone, those who were around him with the twelve asked him about the parables.
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11He said to them, “To you is given the mystery of God’s Kingdom, but to those who are outside, all things are done in parables,
In plain English: He said to them, "To you is given the secret (or: mystery) of God's Kingdom. But to those who are outside, everything is done in parables,
The Greek word: "Mystery" is mysterion. The dictionary gives "a secret or mystery". It is in 27 verses of the New Testament, and only here in Mark.
How it is translated: This Bible has "mystery".
What changes: Read as "secret", the verse says something has been kept hidden and is now given to those with Jesus. Read as "mystery", it says something not yet understood is given to them.
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12that ‘seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand, lest perhaps they should turn again, and their sins should be forgiven them.’”
In plain English: so that 'seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand, or else they might turn again and have their sins forgiven.'"
Good to know: These words come from and . There the Lord says to Isaiah: "Go, and tell this people, 'You hear indeed, but don't understand. You see indeed, but don't perceive.'" and "lest they see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and turn again, and be healed." Mark's last words are "their sins should be forgiven them", where Isaiah has "be healed". Matthew and Luke give these words in their own ways: and .
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13He said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How will you understand all of the parables?
In plain English: He said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all the parables?
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14The farmer sows the word.
In plain English: The farmer sows the word.
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15The ones by the road are the ones where the word is sown; and when they have heard, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them.
In plain English: The ones by the road are the ones where the word is sown. When they have heard it, Satan comes at once and takes away the word that was sown in them.
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16These in the same way are those who are sown on the rocky places, who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with joy.
In plain English: In the same way, the ones sown on the rocky places are those who, when they hear the word, at once receive it with joy.
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17They have no root in themselves, but are short-lived. When oppression or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they stumble.
In plain English: They have no root in themselves and last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they stumble (or: fall away) at once.
The Greek word: "Stumble" is skandalizo. The dictionary gives "to entrap, i.e. trip up", and figuratively to cause to stumble, or to entice to sin, turning away or displeasure. It is in 8 verses of Mark and 28 verses of the New Testament.
How it is translated: This Bible has "stumble" here.
What changes: Read as "stumble", the people trip over trouble that comes because of the word. Read as "fall away", they leave the word behind when trouble comes.
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18Others are those who are sown among the thorns. These are those who have heard the word,
In plain English: Others are the ones sown among the thorns. These are people who have heard the word,
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19and the cares of this age, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
In plain English: but the cares of this age (or: world), the deceit of riches, and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
The Greek word: "Age" is aion. The dictionary gives "an age", and by implication "the world". It is in 4 verses of Mark.
How it is translated: This Bible has "age" here.
What changes: Read as "world", the cares are those of the world around them. Read as "age", they are the cares of the present time.
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20Those which were sown on the good ground are those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit, some thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times.”
In plain English: The ones sown on the good ground are those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times as much."
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21He said to them, “Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Isn’t it put on a stand?
In plain English: He said to them, "Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not put on a stand?
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22For there is nothing hidden except that it should be made known, neither was anything made secret but that it should come to light.
In plain English: For nothing is hidden except to be made known, and nothing was made secret except to come to light.
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23If any man has ears to hear, let him hear.”
In plain English: If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."
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24He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you; and more will be given to you who hear.
In plain English: He said to them, "Take care what you hear. The measure you use to measure will be measured to you, and more will be given to you who hear.
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25For whoever has, to him more will be given; and he who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away from him.”
In plain English: For whoever has, more will be given to him. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him."
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26He said, “God’s Kingdom is as if a man should cast seed on the earth,
In plain English: He said, "God's Kingdom is like a man who throws seed on the ground,
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27and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up and grow, though he doesn’t know how.
In plain English: and sleeps and gets up, night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.
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28For the earth bears fruit by itself: first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
In plain English: The earth bears fruit by itself: first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
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29But when the fruit is ripe, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
In plain English: But when the fruit is ripe, he puts in the sickle at once, because the harvest has come."
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30He said, “How will we liken God’s Kingdom? Or with what parable will we illustrate it?
In plain English: He said, "How can we compare God's Kingdom? Or what parable can we use to show it?
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31It’s like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, though it is less than all the seeds that are on the earth,
In plain English: It is like a grain of mustard seed. When it is sown in the ground, it is smaller than all the seeds on the earth,
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32yet when it is sown, grows up and becomes greater than all the herbs, and puts out great branches, so that the birds of the sky can lodge under its shadow.”
In plain English: yet when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all the garden plants. It puts out great branches, so that the birds of the sky can nest under its shadow."
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33With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it.
In plain English: With many parables like these Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they were able to hear.
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34Without a parable he didn’t speak to them; but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.
In plain English: He did not speak to them without a parable. But privately, to his own disciples, he explained everything.
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35On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let’s go over to the other side.”
In plain English: On that same day, when evening came, he said to them, "Let's go over to the other side."
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36Leaving the multitude, they took him with them, even as he was, in the boat. Other small boats were also with him.
In plain English: They left the crowd and took him with them, just as he was, in the boat. Other small boats were with him too.
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37A big wind storm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so much that the boat was already filled.
In plain English: A great windstorm came up. The waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already filling up.
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38He himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and asked him, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are dying?”
In plain English: Jesus himself was in the back of the boat (the stern), asleep on the cushion. They woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care that we are dying?"
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39He awoke and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” The wind ceased and there was a great calm.
In plain English: He woke up and rebuked the wind. He said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" The wind stopped, and there was a great calm.
The Greek word: "Be still" is phimoo. The dictionary gives "to muzzle". It is in 2 verses of Mark: here and , where Jesus speaks to an unclean spirit and this Bible has "Be quiet".
How it is translated: This Bible has "Be still" here.
What changes: Read as "be muzzled", the command to the sea is the same word he used to the unclean spirit in 1:25. Read as "be still", it tells the sea to be quiet and calm.
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40He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? How is it that you have no faith?”
In plain English: He said to them, "Why are you so afraid? How is it that you have no faith?"
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41They were greatly afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
In plain English: They were very afraid. They said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"
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