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Mark 4:3-20
Parable of the Sower
3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow: 4 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.5And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: 6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. 8 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. 9 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. 10 And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.
11 And 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: 12 That 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. 13 And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables? 14 The sower soweth the word. 15 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. 16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 17 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. 18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, 19 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. 20 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.
KJV Commentary
Verses 3-6
Way side. Some fell, literally, “alongside the road” (Gr hodos), the hardened surface adjacent to the road or path. Stony ground (vs. 5) does not refer to a mixture of dirt and small stones, but speaks of huge slabs of rock with only a thin layer of soil upon them.
Verse 7
Thorns (Gr akantha) may be taken simply as weeds, not just thistles, any wild plants which grow among the planted crops.
Verse 8
Brought forth. No mention is made of the kind of produce. The purpose of the illustration centers around the type of ground.
Verse 9
This verse contains an often used quote in the New Testament, which aims at man's tendency to ignore or make light of truth. The statement is another way of calling the listener to pay close attention.
Verse 10-11
Unto you. Jesus said the truth is made clear to those who believe and follow Him. Them that are without. Without (Gr exoµ) would be better translated “outside” because it refers to those who are “outside” the kingdom of God.
Verse 12
Lest … they should be converted. A superficial understanding of this quote from Isaiah 6:9-10 has confused some about the Lord's instructions regarding evangelism. Here He explains that details about God's kingdom are not to be used to “prove” God's message to anyone. Faith precedes proof, not vice versa. People are won “through the foolishness of preaching” not scientific facts. If that were the case, faith would be nothing more than the recognition of revealed evidence.
Verse 13-15
Because the way side was hardened, the seed remains on top; similarly, the word does not penetrate a hardened heart, and Satan removes it easily.
Verse 16-17
Stony ground may have enough soil to cause initial growth, but no depth is established. As weather may ruin weak plants, adversity destroys those who base their faith On emotions. A person with a solid foundation would have counted the cost, which includes hardships and sacrifices as well as benefits.
Verse 18-19
No criticism is offered regarding the ground in the third category. The dedication was genuine initially, but later they allowed “things” to affect them. Their separation to the gospel softened as new appeals and attractions gained their attention. That which began as a minor tangent ends choking the Word of God right out of their lives.
Verse 20
The virtue of the good ground lies in its function. Yet the amount of its produce is not the issue, for some ground brings forth more than others. Even though the fruit may appear relatively meager, the fact remains, it brings forth fruit.
Quote / Someone else's comment on the above passage taken from youversion.com (interesting view)
What Chokes Out "The Word"
1. Cares of the world -Reflection: How often do I dwell on the worries of my own life? How often do I just ponder over the cares for "temporal things" such as business, visions, pursuits, etc...?
2. Deceitfulness of Riches -Reflection: How many value/weight do I place on earthly wealth? How about when compared to things of eternal value? The measuring stick would be where I spend my time.
3. Lust of the Flesh -Reflection: Are my desires lining up with the Word of God? How about my thought life? I need to learn more of not trying to "do anything" to "earn heaven" but rather to live pure for the sake of a love for Him.
Parable of the Sower
3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow: 4 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.5And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: 6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. 8 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. 9 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. 10 And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.
11 And 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: 12 That 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. 13 And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables? 14 The sower soweth the word. 15 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. 16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 17 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. 18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, 19 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. 20 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.
KJV Commentary
Verses 3-6
Way side. Some fell, literally, “alongside the road” (Gr hodos), the hardened surface adjacent to the road or path. Stony ground (vs. 5) does not refer to a mixture of dirt and small stones, but speaks of huge slabs of rock with only a thin layer of soil upon them.
Verse 7
Thorns (Gr akantha) may be taken simply as weeds, not just thistles, any wild plants which grow among the planted crops.
Verse 8
Brought forth. No mention is made of the kind of produce. The purpose of the illustration centers around the type of ground.
Verse 9
This verse contains an often used quote in the New Testament, which aims at man's tendency to ignore or make light of truth. The statement is another way of calling the listener to pay close attention.
Verse 10-11
Unto you. Jesus said the truth is made clear to those who believe and follow Him. Them that are without. Without (Gr exoµ) would be better translated “outside” because it refers to those who are “outside” the kingdom of God.
Verse 12
Lest … they should be converted. A superficial understanding of this quote from Isaiah 6:9-10 has confused some about the Lord's instructions regarding evangelism. Here He explains that details about God's kingdom are not to be used to “prove” God's message to anyone. Faith precedes proof, not vice versa. People are won “through the foolishness of preaching” not scientific facts. If that were the case, faith would be nothing more than the recognition of revealed evidence.
Verse 13-15
Because the way side was hardened, the seed remains on top; similarly, the word does not penetrate a hardened heart, and Satan removes it easily.
Verse 16-17
Stony ground may have enough soil to cause initial growth, but no depth is established. As weather may ruin weak plants, adversity destroys those who base their faith On emotions. A person with a solid foundation would have counted the cost, which includes hardships and sacrifices as well as benefits.
Verse 18-19
No criticism is offered regarding the ground in the third category. The dedication was genuine initially, but later they allowed “things” to affect them. Their separation to the gospel softened as new appeals and attractions gained their attention. That which began as a minor tangent ends choking the Word of God right out of their lives.
Verse 20
The virtue of the good ground lies in its function. Yet the amount of its produce is not the issue, for some ground brings forth more than others. Even though the fruit may appear relatively meager, the fact remains, it brings forth fruit.
Quote / Someone else's comment on the above passage taken from youversion.com (interesting view)
What Chokes Out "The Word"
1. Cares of the world -Reflection: How often do I dwell on the worries of my own life? How often do I just ponder over the cares for "temporal things" such as business, visions, pursuits, etc...?
2. Deceitfulness of Riches -Reflection: How many value/weight do I place on earthly wealth? How about when compared to things of eternal value? The measuring stick would be where I spend my time.
3. Lust of the Flesh -Reflection: Are my desires lining up with the Word of God? How about my thought life? I need to learn more of not trying to "do anything" to "earn heaven" but rather to live pure for the sake of a love for Him.
