1 And hee began againe to teache by the sea side, and there gathered vnto him a great multitude, so that hee entred into a shippe, and sate in the sea, and all the people was by the sea side on the land. 2 And he taught them many things in parables, and said vnto them in his doctrine, 3 Hearken: Beholde, there went out a sower to sowe. 4 And it came to passe as he sowed, that some fell by the way side, and the foules of the heauen came, and deuoured it vp. 5 And some fell on stonie grounde, where it had not much earth, and by and by sprang vp, because it had not depth of earth. 6 But assoone as ye Sunne was vp, it was burnt vp, and because it had not roote, it withered away. 7 And some fell among the thornes, and the thornes grewe vp, and choked it, so that it gaue no fruite. 8 Some againe fell in good grounde, and did yeelde fruite that sprong vp, and grewe, and it brought foorth, some thirtie folde, some sixtie folde, and some an hundreth folde. 9 Then he said vnto them, He that hath eares to heare, let him heare. 10 And whe he was alone, they that were about him with the twelue, asked him of ye parable. 11 And he saide vnto them, To you it is giuen to knowe the mysterie of the kingdome of God: but vnto them that are without, all thinges bee done in parables, 12 That they seeing, may see, and not discerne: and they hearing, may heare, and not vnderstand, least at any time they should turne, and their sinnes should be forgiuen them. 13 Againe he said vnto them, Perceiue ye not this parable? howe then should ye vnderstand all other parables? 14 The sower soweth the worde. 15 And these are they that receiue the seede by the wayes side, in whome the worde is sowen: but when they haue heard it, Satan commeth immediatly, and taketh away the worde that was sowen in their heartes. 16 And likewise they that receiue the seede in stony ground, are they, which whe they haue heard the word, straightwayes receiue it with gladnesse. 17 Yet haue they no roote in themselues, and endure but a time: for when trouble and persecution ariseth for the worde, immediatly they be offended. 18 Also they that receiue the seede among the thornes, are such as heare the word: 19 But the cares of this world, and the deceitfulnes of riches, and the lustes of other things enter in, and choke the word, and it is vnfruitfull. 20 But they that haue receiued seede in good ground, are they that heare the worde, and receiue it, and bring foorth fruite: one corne thirtie, another sixtie, and some an hundreth. 21 Also he saide vnto them, Commeth the candle in, to be put vnder a bushell, or vnder the bed, and not to be put on a candlesticke? 22 For there is nothing hid, that shall not be opened: neither is there a secret, but that it shall come to light. 23 If any man haue eares to heare, let him heare. 24 And he said vnto them, Take heede what ye heare. With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured vnto you: and vnto you that heare, shall more be giuen. 25 For vnto him that hath, shall it be giuen, and from him that hath not, shall be taken away, euen that he hath. 26 Also he said, So is the kingdome of God, as if a man should cast seede in the ground, 27 And shoulde sleepe, and rise vp night and day, and the seede should spring and growe vp, he not knowing howe. 28 For the earth bringeth foorth fruite of it selfe, first the blade, then the eares, after that full corne in the eares. 29 And assoone as the fruite sheweth it selfe, anon hee putteth in the sickle, because the haruest is come. 30 He saide moreouer, Whereunto shall wee liken the kingdome of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it? 31 It is like a graine of mustarde seede, which when it is sowen in the earth, is the least of all seedes that be in the earth: 32 But after that it is sowen, it groweth vp, and is greatest of all herbes, and beareth great branches, so that the foules of heauen may builde vnder the shadow of it. 33 And with many such parables he preached the word vnto them, as they were able to heare it. 34 And without parables spake hee nothing vnto them: but he expounded all thinges to his disciples apart. 35 Nowe the same day when euen was come, he saide vnto them, Let vs passe ouer vnto the other side. 36 And they left the multitude, and tooke him as he was in the shippe, and there were also with him other little shippes. 37 And there arose a great storme of winde, and the waues dashed into the shippe, so that it was now full. 38 And he was in the sterne asleepe on a pillow: and they awoke him, and saide to him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? 39 And hee rose vp, and rebuked the winde, and saide vnto the sea, Peace, and be still. So the winde ceased, and it was a great calme. 40 Then he saide vnto them, Why are ye so fearefull? how is it that ye haue no faith? 41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, Who is this, that both the winde and sea obey him?
Mark 4 Geneva Bible (1599)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Original 16th-century spelling.
Cross references (41)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Mark 2:13; Luke 5:1–3; Luke 8:4–10; Matthew 13:1–15; Mark 3:7
- 2 Matthew 13:34–35; Mark 3:23; Mark 4:11; Matthew 13:10; Matthew 13:3
- 3 James 2:5; 1 Corinthians 3:6–9; John 4:35–38; Matthew 13:26; Mark 4:26–29
- 4 Matthew 13:19; Mark 4:15; Matthew 13:4; Luke 8:12; Genesis 15:11
- 5 Ezekiel 36:26; Luke 8:6; Luke 8:13; Hosea 10:12; Matthew 13:5–6
- 6 Jeremiah 17:5–8; James 1:11; Jonah 4:8; Isaiah 25:4; Colossians 2:7
- 7 Jeremiah 4:3; 1 John 2:15–16; Genesis 3:17–18; Luke 12:15; Luke 21:34
- 8 John 15:5; Colossians 1:6; Genesis 26:12; Mark 4:20; Philippians 1:11
- 9 Matthew 11:15; Mark 4:23–24; Revelation 3:22; Revelation 3:13; Revelation 3:6
- 10 Matthew 13:10–17; Luke 8:9–15; Mark 7:17; Matthew 13:36; Mark 4:34
- 11 Matthew 11:25; Luke 8:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:12; James 1:16–18; 1 Corinthians 5:12–13
- 12 Isaiah 6:9–10; Isaiah 44:18; Matthew 13:14–15; Jeremiah 5:21; Deuteronomy 29:4
- 13 Revelation 3:19; Luke 8:11–15; Matthew 13:51–52; 1 Corinthians 3:1–2; Hebrews 5:11–14
- 14 Acts 8:4; Matthew 13:19; 1 Peter 1:23–25; Luke 8:11; Matthew 13:37
- 15 1 Peter 5:8; Matthew 13:19; 2 Corinthians 2:11; Luke 8:12; 2 Corinthians 4:3–4
- 16 Luke 8:13; Matthew 13:20–21; Mark 6:20; John 5:35; Ezekiel 33:31–32
- 17 Matthew 11:6; 1 Thessalonians 3:3–5; Revelation 2:10; Matthew 12:31; John 15:2–7
- 18 Luke 8:14; Jeremiah 4:3; Matthew 13:22; Mark 4:7
- 19 1 John 2:15–17; 1 Timothy 6:9–10; 1 Timothy 6:17; 1 Peter 4:2–3; Philippians 4:6
- 20 Colossians 1:10; Luke 8:15; John 15:4–5; Matthew 13:23; Mark 4:8
- 21 Matthew 5:15; Luke 11:33; Luke 8:16; Isaiah 60:1–3; Ephesians 5:3–15
- 22 Luke 8:17; Ecclesiastes 12:14; 1 Corinthians 4:5; Psalm 78:2–4; Matthew 10:26–27
- 23 Matthew 11:15; Mark 4:9; Revelation 2:29; Revelation 2:7; Revelation 2:17
- 24 Hebrews 2:1; Luke 8:18; Matthew 7:2; 2 Corinthians 9:6; Acts 17:11
- 25 Matthew 13:12; Luke 8:18; Matthew 25:28–29; John 15:2; Luke 16:9–12
- 26 Matthew 13:24; 1 Corinthians 3:6–9; 1 Peter 1:23–25; Luke 8:11; Luke 8:5
- 27 Ecclesiastes 11:5; 2 Thessalonians 1:3; Ecclesiastes 8:17; 1 Corinthians 15:37–38; John 3:7–8
- 28 Philippians 1:9–11; Hosea 6:3; Mark 4:31–32; Colossians 1:10; Matthew 13:26
- 29 Joel 3:13; Matthew 13:30; Isaiah 57:1–2; Matthew 13:40–43; Job 5:26
- 30 Matthew 13:31–32; Luke 13:18–21; Lamentations 2:13; Matthew 13:24; Matthew 11:16
- 31 Acts 19:20; Genesis 22:17–18; Luke 13:18–19; Daniel 2:44–45; Malachi 1:11
- 32 Daniel 4:20–22; Daniel 4:10–14; Ezekiel 31:3–10; Psalm 80:9–11; Psalm 91:1
- 33 Matthew 13:34–35; John 16:12; 1 Corinthians 3:1–2; Hebrews 5:11–14
- 34 John 16:25; Luke 24:27; Mark 4:10; Matthew 13:36–43; Matthew 15:15–20
- 35 Matthew 8:18; Luke 8:25; Luke 8:22; Matthew 8:23–27; Matthew 14:22
- 36 Mark 4:1; Mark 3:9; Mark 5:2; Mark 5:21
- 37 Matthew 8:23–24; Job 1:19; Luke 8:22–23; Jonah 1:4; Psalm 107:23–31
- 38 1 Peter 5:7; Hebrews 4:15; Matthew 8:25; Isaiah 54:6–8; Luke 8:24
- 39 Psalm 107:29; Psalm 89:9; Psalm 29:10; Psalm 65:7; Jeremiah 5:22
- 40 Luke 8:25; Matthew 8:26; Matthew 14:31; Isaiah 43:2; Matthew 16:8
- 41 Luke 8:25; Job 38:11; 1 Samuel 12:18–20; Jonah 1:9–10; Jonah 1:15–16
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
… if they do not call Himself the Son of the Creator of the world, that is, His Word, through whom the wood fructifies, and the fountains gush forth, and the earth gives "first the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear."
Therefore also another evangelist saith that He reproved them, because they do not understand; saying, "How knew ye not the parable?" But not for this cause only doth He speak in parables, but that He may also make His discourse more vivid, and fix the memory of it in them more perfectly, and bring the things before their sight.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)