13And he said to them: "Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables? [4:14] The sower sows the word. [4:15] And these are the ones along the road where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan comes at once and takes away the word that was sown in them. [4:16] And these likewise are those sown on rocky ground: who when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy — [4:17] and they have no root in themselves, but are temporary. Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, immediately they fall away. [4:18] And others are those sown among the thorns: these are those who hear the word, [4:19] and the cares of the age and the deceit of wealth and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. [4:20] And those are the ones sown on the good soil: those who hear the word and receive it and bear fruit — thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold."
MRK 4:13-20
The Parable of the Sower Explained
In the world it was spoken into
In 1st-century agrarian Galilee, sowing seed was a familiar yet precarious activity. Farmers broadcast seed by hand, knowing some would fall on paths, rocky soil, or among thorns—areas unfit for growth. Jesus’ audience would recognize the futility of such sowing, as only a portion of the seed yielded a harvest. The parable’s explanation highlights the challenges faced by those who hear the word: Satan’s immediate theft mirrors the birds snatching seed from paths; persecution scorches shallow roots like the sun on rocky soil; and the deceit of wealth chokes growth like thorns. These images resonate with the socio-religious pressures of the time: Roman oppression, economic exploitation, and the lure of status or security in a volatile world. The parable underscores the fragility of faith in a society where external forces—political, economic, and spiritual—threaten to undermine it. The focus on the ‘good soil’ contrasts with the present evil age , offering hope for those who endure.
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How other translations render this
MRK 4:13
- KJV
- And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?
- BSB
- Then Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables?
- Koinōnos
- And he said to them: "Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables?
MRK 4:14
- KJV
- The sower soweth the word.
- BSB
- The farmer sows the word.
- Koinōnos
- The sower sows the word.
MRK 4:15
- KJV
- And 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.
- BSB
- Some are like the seeds along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.
- Koinōnos
- And these are the ones along the road where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan comes at once and takes away the word that was sown in them.
MRK 4:16
- KJV
- And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;
- BSB
- Some are like the seeds sown on rocky ground. They hear the word and at once receive it with joy.
- Koinōnos
- And these likewise are those sown on rocky ground: who when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy —
MRK 4:17
- KJV
- And 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.
- BSB
- But they themselves have no root, and they remain for only a season. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.
- Koinōnos
- and they have no root in themselves, but are temporary. Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, immediately they fall away.
MRK 4:18
- KJV
- And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,
- BSB
- Others are like the seeds sown among the thorns. They hear the word,
- Koinōnos
- And others are those sown among the thorns: these are those who hear the word,
MRK 4:19
- KJV
- And 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.
- BSB
- but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
- Koinōnos
- and the cares of the age and the deceit of wealth and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
MRK 4:20
- KJV
- And 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.
- BSB
- Still others are like the seeds sown on good soil. They hear the word, receive it, and produce a crop—thirtyfold, sixtyfold, or a hundredfold.”
- Koinōnos
- And those are the ones sown on the good soil: those who hear the word and receive it and bear fruit — thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.
Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.
Translator's notes
MRK 4:17
- tribulation:The word translated 'tribulation' literally means 'pressure' or 'crushing,' like grapes being pressed for wine. It suggests an intense, external force that bears down on someone.
- persecution:The term used here for 'persecution' originally referred to a 'chase' or 'pursuit,' like hunting an animal. It conveys the idea of being relentlessly pursued and harassed.
MRK 4:19
- age:The word translated 'age' refers not just to a period of time, but to the characteristics and values that define that era, often implying a system or way of life.
- the:The word translated 'deceit' carries the sense of a trick or fraud, often implying a deliberate attempt to mislead or ensnare someone through cunning.