Mark 4

Mark · Chapter 4

Mark 4:30

1And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land.2And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine,3Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:4And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.5And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:6But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.7And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.8And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.9And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.10And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.11And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:12That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.13And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?14The sower soweth the word.15And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.16And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;17And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.18And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,19And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.20And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.21And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?22For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.23If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.24And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.25For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.26And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;27And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.28For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.29But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.30And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?31It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth:32But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.33And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it.34But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.35And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.36And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.37And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.38And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?39And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.40And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?41And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
30And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?Then He asked, “To what can we compare the kingdom of God? With what parable shall we present it?And he said, How shall we liken the kingdom of God? or in what parable shall we set it forth?

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Greek words

EnglishGreekSay itStrong'sMeaning
AndΚαὶKaiG2532
and

καί (kai) καί, conj., and I. Copulative. 1. Connecting single words; (a) in general: Mat.2:18, 16:1, Mrk.2:15, Luk.8:15, Heb.1:1, al. mult.; repeated before each of the terms in a series, Mat.23:23, Luk.14:21, Rom.7:12, 9:4, al. (b) connecting numerals (WM, §37, 4): Jhn.2:20, Act.13:20; (with) joining terms which are not mutually exclusive, as the part with the whole: Mat.8:33, 26:59, Mrk.16:17, Act.5:29, al. 2. Connecting clauses and sentences: Mat.3:12, Act.5:21, al. mult.; esp. …

He was saying;ἔλεγεν·elegenG3004G
to say

λέγω (legō) λέγω, [in LXX very freq., chiefly for אמר; λέγει for נְאֻם, Gen.22:16, al. ;] 1. in Hom., to pick out, gather, reckon, recount. 2. In Hdt. and Att., to say, speak, affirm, declare: absol., Act.13:15, 24:10; before orat. dir., Mat.9:34, Mrk.3:11, Jhn.1:29, al.; before ὅτι recit., Mrk.3:21, Luk.1:24, Jhn.6:14, al.; accusative and inf., Luk.11:18, Jhn.12:29, al.; after another verb of speaking, προσφωνεῖν κ. λέγειν, Mat.11:17, al.; ἀπεκρίθη (ἐλάλησεν) λέγων (καὶ λέγει; Dalman, Words, 24 ff.), Mat.25:9, Mrk.3:33, 7:28, Luk.24:6, 7, al.; of unspoken thought, λ. ἐν ἑαυτῷ, Mat.3:9, Luk.3:8, al.; of …

howπῶςpōsG4459
how?!

πῶς (pōs) πῶς, interrog. adv., correl. of ὅπως, 1. prop., in direct questions, how?: with indic., Mat.12:29, Mrk.3:23, Luk.11:18, Jhn.3:4, al.; καὶ π., Mrk.4:13, Luk.20:44; π. οὖν, Mat.12:26; π. οὐ, Mat.16:11, Luk.12:56; in deliberative questions (cf. Bl., §64, 6), with subjc., Mat.23:33 26:54; π. οὖν, Rom.10:14; π. δέ, Rom.10:14, 15; before ἄν, with optative, Act.8:31. 2. As sometimes in cl. but more frequently and increasingly so in late writers (see WM, §57, 2; Bl., §70, 2; Thumb, MGr., 192; Jannaris, Gr., App., vi, 13f.), = ὅπως, ὥς; …

shall we likenὁμοιώσωμενhomoiōsōmenG3666
to liken

ὁμοιόω (homoioō) ὁμοιόω, -ῶ (ὅμοιος), [in LXX chiefly for דָּמָה ;] 1. to make like, with genitive and dative; pass., to be made or become like: Mat.6:8 13:24 18:23 22:2 25:1, Act.14:11, Heb.2:17; before ὡς (cf. Eze.32:2, Heb.), Rom.9:29. 2. to liken, compare: with dative, accusative, Mat.11:16, Luk.7:31 13:18, 20; πῶς όμοιώσωμεν, Mrk.4:30; pass., Mat.7:24, 26 (cf. ἀφ-ομοιόω).† (AS)

kingdomβασιλείανbasileianG0932
kingdom

βασιλεία (basileia) βασιλεία, -ας, ἡ (βασιλεύω), [in LXX chiefly for מַמְלָכָה ,מַלְכוּת ;] 1. prop. abstract, sovereignty, royal power, dominion: Luk.1:33 22:29, Jhn.18:36, Act.1:6, Heb.1:8, 1Co.15:24; λαβεῖν β., Luk.19:12, 15 Rev.17:12; δοῦναι τὴν, ib. 17; ἔχειν β., ib. 18; ἔρχεσθαι ἐν τ. (εἰς τὴν) β., Mat.16:28, Luk.23:42; β. τ. θεοῦ, Rev.12:10. 2. By meton., concrete (MM, Exp., x), (a) a kingdom, the territory or people over whom the king rules (Est.5:3, al.): Mat.4:8 12:25, 26 24:7, Mrk.3:24 6:23, Luk.4:5, Heb.11:33, al.; …

of GodθεοῦtheouG2316
God

θεός (theos) θεός, -οῦ, ὁ, ἡ (Act.19:37 only; see M, Pr., 60, 244), late voc., θεέ (Mat.27:46; cf. Deu.3:24, al.), [in LXX chiefly for אֱלֹהִים, also for אֵל and other cognate forms, יהוה, etc. ;] a god or deity, God. 1. In polytheistic sense, a god or deity: Act.28:6, 1Co.8:4, 2Th.2:4, al.; pl., Ac. 14:11 19:26, Gal.4:8, al. 2. Of the one true God; …

OrἢēG2228
or

ἤ (ē) ἤ, disjunctive and comparative particle (Bl., §36, 12; 77, 11); 1. disjunctive, or; (a) between single words: Mat.5:17 Mrk.6:56, Luk.2:24, Jhn.6:19, Rom.1:21, al.; (b) before a sentence expressing a variation, denial or refutation of a previous statement, frequently in interrog. form: Mat.7:4, 9 Mrk.12:14, Luk.13:4, Rom.3:29 6:3 9:21, 1Co.6:9, 16 9:6, 2Co.11:7; ἤ . . . ἤ, either . . . or, Mat.6:24, Luk.16:13, 1Co.14:6; …

inἐνenG1722
in/on/among

ἐν (en) ἐν, prep, (the most frequently of all in NT), with dative (= Heb. בְּ, Lat. in, with abl.). I. Of place, with dative of thing(s), of person(s), in, within, on, at, by, among: ἐν τ. πόλει, Luk.7:37; τ. οφθαλμῷ, Mat.7:3; τ. κοιλίᾳ, Mat.12:40; τ. ὄρει, 2Pe.1:18; τ. θρόνῳ, Rev.3:21; τ. δεξιᾷ τ. θεοῦ, Rom.8:34; ἐν ἡμῖν Abbott-Smith has ὑμῖν., Luk.1:1; of books, ἐν τ. βιβλίῳ, Gal.3:10; τ. νόμῳ, Mat.12:5, al.; ἐν τοῖς τ. Πατρός, in my Father's house (RV; cf. M, Pr., 103), Luk.2:49; trop., of the region of thought or feeling, ἐν τ. καρδίᾳ (-αις), Mat.5:28, 2Co.4:6, al.; τ. συνειδήσεσιν, 2Co.5:11; af …

whichτίνιtiniG5101
which?

τίς (tis) τίς, neut., τί, genitive, τίνος, interrog. pron., [in LXX for מָה ,מִי ;] in masc. and fem., who, which, what?; in neut., which, what?, used both in direct and in indirect questions. I. I. As subst., 1. 1. masc., fem.: τίς; who, what?, Mat.3:7 26:68; Mrk.11:28, Luk.9:9, al. mult.; with genitive partit., Act.7:52, Heb.1:5, al; before ἐκ (= genitive partit.), Mat.6:27, Luk.14:28, Jhn.8:46; = ποῖος, Mrk.4:41 6:2, Luk.19:3, Act.17:19, al.; = πότερος (M, Pr., 77), Mat.21:31 27:17, Luk.22:27, al.; = ὅς or ὅστις (rare in cl.; cf. Bl., §50, 5; M, Pr., 93), Act.13:25. …

itαὐτὴνautēnG0846
it/s/he

αὐτός (autos) αὐτός, -ή, -ό, determinative pron., in late Gk. much more frequently than in cl. (WM, 178f.; Jannaris, HGG, §1399). 1. Emphatic (so always in nom. exc. when preceded by the art., see infr., iii); (1) self (ipse), expressing opposition, distinction, exclusion, etc., αὐ. ἐκχυθήσεται, Luk.5:37; αὐ. ἐγινώσκεν, Jhn.2:25; αὐ.ὑμεῖς, Jhn.3:28; καὶ αὐ. ἐγώ, Rom.15:14; αὐ. Ἰησοῦς, Jhn.2:24; αὐ. καὶ οἱ μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ, Mrk.2:25; ὑμεῖς αὐ., Mrk.6:31; esp. (as freq in cl.) αὐ. ὁ, Mat.3:4, Mrk.6:17, Jhn.16:27, 1Th.3:11, al.; in late Gk., sometimes weakened, ἐν αὐτῇ τ. ὥρᾳ, in that hour, Luk.10:21 (M, Pr., 91; …

parableπαραβολῇparabolēaG3850
parable

παραβολή (parabolē) παραβολή, -ῆς, ἡ (παραβάλλω), [in LXX (cf. McNeile, Mt., 185): Num.23:7, Deu.28:37, Psa.44:14, Pro.1:6, Eze.12:22, al. (מָשַׁל), Sir.47:17 (חִידָה), al. mutt. in Sir, Wis.5:3 ;] 1. a placing beside, juxtaposition (Polyb., al.). 2. a comparing, comparison (Plat., Arist., al.). …

let us presentθῶμεν;thōmenG5087
to place

τίθημι (tithēmi) τίθημι, [in LXX for שִׁית ,נתן ,שׂוּם, etc. ;] 1. causative of κεῖμαι, (a) to place, lay, set: Luk.6:48, Rom.9:33, al.; of laying the dead to rest, Mrk.15:47, Luk.23:55, Jhn.11:34, Act.7:16, al.; before ἐπί, with genitive, Luk.8:16, Jhn.19:19, al.; id. with accusative, Mrk.4:21, 2Co.3:13, al.; ὑπό, Mat.5:15, al.; παρά, Act.4:35, 37. Mid., to have put or placed, to place for oneself: of putting in prison, Act.4:3, 5:18, 25, al.; of giving counsel, βουλήν, Act.27:12; of laying up in one's heart, Luk.1:66 21:14 ( 1Ki.21:12); …

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.