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The Gospels · New Testament

Mark 4

Mark 4: parables from a ship and a calm on the water

General context

A great multitude gathers at the sea side, so Jesus teaches from a ship while the people stand on land. He tells of a sower whose seed falls by the way side, on stony ground, among thorns and on good ground yielding thirty, sixty and a hundred. Alone with the twelve and those about him he speaks of the mystery of the kingdom of God, of seeing without perceiving, and then explains the sower piece by piece: the way side is where Satan takes the word away, the stony ground those who fall at affliction, the thorns the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches, the good ground those who bring forth fruit. He adds sayings about a candle and a bushel, about hidden things being manifested, and about the measure people use. Two more comparisons follow: seed that grows while a man sleeps and he knows not how, and a mustard seed that becomes greater than all herbs. The narrator says he spoke the word in many such parables and expounded all things privately. That evening they cross over, a great storm fills the ship, and he is asleep on a pillow until they wake him. He rebukes the wind, tells the sea to be still, asks why they are fearful, and they ask one another what manner of man this is.

Cited passages: Mark 4:1, Mark 4:2, Mark 4:3, Mark 4:4, Mark 4:5, Mark 4:6, Mark 4:7, Mark 4:8, Mark 4:9, Mark 4:10, Mark 4:11, Mark 4:12, Mark 4:13, Mark 4:14, Mark 4:15, Mark 4:16, Mark 4:17, Mark 4:18, Mark 4:19, Mark 4:20, Mark 4:21, Mark 4:22, Mark 4:23, Mark 4:24, Mark 4:25, Mark 4:26, Mark 4:27, Mark 4:28, Mark 4:29, Mark 4:30, Mark 4:31, Mark 4:32, Mark 4:33, Mark 4:34, Mark 4:35, Mark 4:36, Mark 4:37, Mark 4:38, Mark 4:39, Mark 4:40, Mark 4:41

Mark 4 (KJV)

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?

This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.

Historical context

Mark says Jesus taught many things by parables and that the private explanation went to his disciples, so the chapter distinguishes public speech from what was said when they were alone. The words about seeing and not perceiving are given as Jesus' own speech and are not credited here to a named prophet. The crossing is described only as passing over to the other side, with no place named until the next chapter, and no date is supplied. The detail that he lay asleep on a pillow in the hinder part of the ship, and that other little ships were with him, belongs to Mark's account of that night. The comparison of the mustard seed is made within the parable itself, which calls it less than all the seeds that be in the earth.

Cited passages: Mark 4:2, Mark 4:10, Mark 4:11, Mark 4:12, Mark 4:33, Mark 4:34, Mark 4:35, Mark 4:36, Mark 4:38, Mark 4:31, Mark 4:32

Literary context

The chapter is built as teaching followed by a scene that tests it. Seed, growth and hearing fill the first part; a storm and a question about faith fill the last. Immediately recurs inside the explanation as well as the action, of Satan taking the word, of gladness on stony ground, of stumbling under persecution, and of the sickle when harvest is come. The command to the sea repeats the verb used of the unclean spirit earlier in the book, since Jesus rebukes the wind as he had rebuked a spirit, and both obey. The disciples' question to him, whether he cares that they perish, is answered by his question to them, and the chapter ends not with a confession but with a question they ask one another.

Cited passages: Mark 4:3, Mark 4:8, Mark 4:9, Mark 4:15, Mark 4:16, Mark 4:17, Mark 4:20, Mark 4:23, Mark 4:26, Mark 4:27, Mark 4:29, Mark 4:33, Mark 4:37, Mark 4:38, Mark 4:39, Mark 4:40, Mark 4:41, Mark 1:25, Mark 1:27

Key moments

  1. A sower goes out (Mark 4:3). Jesus begins the parable of seed falling on four kinds of ground.
  2. Given to know the mystery (Mark 4:11). He tells those about him that the mystery of the kingdom is given to them.
  3. Cares and riches choke the word (Mark 4:19). The thorns are explained as the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches.
  4. Seed growing unseen (Mark 4:27). A man sleeps and rises while the seed springs and grows, and he knows not how.
  5. Waking him in the storm (Mark 4:38). Asleep on a pillow, he is woken with the question whether he cares that they perish.
  6. Peace, be still (Mark 4:39). He rebukes the wind and speaks to the sea, and there is a great calm.
  7. What manner of man (Mark 4:41). They fear exceedingly and ask one another who this is that wind and sea obey.

For reflection

The seed parable is explained privately while the crowd hears only the story. What does the chapter say about who is given to know the mystery of the kingdom, and how is that sorting described?