1And again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered to him, so that he got into a boat and sat on the sea, while all the crowd was on the land facing the sea. [4:2] And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: [4:3] "Listen! Look — the sower went out to sow. [4:4] And it happened as he was sowing, some seed fell along the road, and the birds came and devoured it. [4:5] Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil, and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil. [4:6] And when the sun rose it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered. [4:7] And other seed fell into the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. [4:8] And others fell into the good soil and were producing fruit, coming up and growing — and bearing thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold." [4:9] And he said: "Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear."
MRK 4:1-9
The Parable of the Sower
In the world it was spoken into
In 1st-century Galilee, agricultural imagery was deeply familiar to Jesus’ audience, as most were rural peasants or laborers tied to the land. The parable’s setting—a sower scattering seed—would resonate with their daily experience. Roads were hard-packed paths bordering fields, often unsuitable for planting. Rocky ground and thorny areas were common in the Galilean landscape, where thin soil and invasive plants hindered growth. The ‘good soil’ was prized for its fertility, yielding abundant harvests. Parables were a Jewish teaching method, often enigmatic and requiring reflection. Jesus’ use of this form invited listeners to grapple with deeper meanings, though not all would grasp them. The crowd gathered by the Sea of Galilee likely included farmers, fishermen, and laborers, who would immediately understand the agricultural metaphor but might struggle with its spiritual implications.
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How other translations render this
MRK 4:1
- KJV
- And 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.
- BSB
- Once again Jesus began to teach beside the sea, and such a large crowd gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people crowded along the shore.
- Koinōnos
- And again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered to him, so that he got into a boat and sat on the sea, while all the crowd was on the land facing the sea.
MRK 4:2
- KJV
- And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine,
- BSB
- And He taught them many things in parables, and in His teaching He said,
- Koinōnos
- And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them:
MRK 4:3
- KJV
- Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:
- BSB
- “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed.
- Koinōnos
- Listen! Look — the sower went out to sow.
MRK 4:4
- KJV
- And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.
- BSB
- And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.
- Koinōnos
- And it happened as he was sowing, some seed fell along the road, and the birds came and devoured it.
MRK 4:5
- KJV
- And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:
- BSB
- Some fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow.
- Koinōnos
- Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil, and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil.
MRK 4:6
- KJV
- But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
- BSB
- But when the sun rose, the seedlings were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.
- Koinōnos
- And when the sun rose it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered.
MRK 4:7
- KJV
- And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
- BSB
- Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the seedlings, and they yielded no crop.
- Koinōnos
- And other seed fell into the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
MRK 4:8
- KJV
- And 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.
- BSB
- Still other seed fell on good soil, where it sprouted, grew up, and produced a crop—one bearing thirtyfold, another sixtyfold, and another a hundredfold.”
- Koinōnos
- And others fell into the good soil and were producing fruit, coming up and growing — and bearing thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.
MRK 4:9
- KJV
- And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
- BSB
- Then Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
- Koinōnos
- And he said: "Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.
Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.
Translator's notes
MRK 4:1
- a crowd:The word translated 'a crowd' often referred to a large, undifferentiated mass of people, sometimes implying an unruly or unorganized group rather than an orderly assembly.
MRK 4:2
- parables:The term translated 'parables' literally means a 'placing alongside' or 'comparison.' It refers to a story or saying that draws a comparison to illustrate a deeper truth, often with a hidden meaning.
MRK 4:4
- road,:The word translated 'road' here refers to a path or way, which could be anything from a well-traveled public road to a narrow track or even a river's course, emphasizing its function as a thoroughfare.
MRK 4:8
- good:The word translated 'good' here carries a sense of being beautiful, noble, or excellent in quality, not just morally good but also aesthetically pleasing or fit for purpose.