Chapter Text
The Parable of the Sower
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.
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.
A Lamp on a Stand
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.
The Parable of the Growing Seed
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.
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
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.
Jesus Calms the Storm
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?
Summary
Jesus teaches by the seaside using parables. He tells the parable of the sower and explains to His disciples that the four soils represent different receptions of the Word. He teaches that nothing is hidden that shall not be revealed and exhorts them to pay attention to what they hear.
He tells the parables of the seed growing secretly and the mustard seed, illustrating how the kingdom of God grows by divine power from small beginnings. That evening, He stills a violent storm on the Sea of Galilee, and the disciples marvel at His authority over the wind and waves.
Meaning
The parable of the sower is foundational to understanding all parables, as Jesus Himself indicated. The condition of the soil, meaning the state of the human heart, determines whether the Word bears fruit. The enemy, worldly cares, and persecution all work against fruitfulness.
The stilling of the storm reveals Jesus' divine authority over creation. His question, Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith, teaches that fear and faith cannot coexist. The disciples' growing awareness that even the wind and sea obey Him is central to their journey of understanding.
Background
The Sea of Galilee lies approximately seven hundred feet below sea level, surrounded by hills and valleys that funnel wind onto its surface. Storms can arise suddenly and violently, endangering even experienced fishermen.
Jesus taught from a boat pushed slightly offshore, which would have created a natural amphitheater effect, carrying His voice clearly to the large crowd gathered along the sloping shoreline.
Chapter Outline
- vv. 1-9The Parable of the Sower
- vv. 10-12The Purpose of Parables
- vv. 13-20The Sower Explained
- vv. 21-25Lamp, Measure, and Hearing
- vv. 26-29The Seed Growing Secretly
- vv. 30-34The Mustard Seed
- vv. 35-41Jesus Stills the Storm
Key Verses
“And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.”— 4:9
A signature refrain of Jesus' parabolic teaching, calling hearers beyond passive listening to spiritual discernment and obedient response.
“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.”— 4:20
The climax of the Parable of the Sower, defining authentic discipleship as hearing, receiving, and fruit-bearing in varying but abundant measure.
“And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.”— 4:39
One of the great Christological moments in Mark, displaying Jesus' divine authority over creation in language echoing the Lord who stills the seas in the Psalms.
“And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”— 4:41
The disciples' awe-struck question drives Mark's central inquiry into the identity of Jesus, pointing readers toward his divine nature.
People & Places
People
- Jesus — The teacher by the sea who speaks in parables and calms the storm, revealing his authority over nature.
- The Twelve — Jesus' inner circle of disciples, who receive private explanation of the parables and witness the stilling of the storm.
- Satan — Named in the parable's interpretation as the one who snatches away the sown word from hardened hearts.
Places
- The Sea (of Galilee) — The freshwater lake in northern Israel where Jesus teaches from a boat and later commands the storm to cease.
Prophecy & Fulfillment
Jesus' explanation in verses 11-12 directly invokes Isaiah 6:9-10, applying the prophet's commission about hardened hearts that see but do not perceive to his own generation. By teaching in parables, Jesus fulfills the pattern of prophetic revelation that simultaneously discloses truth to the receptive and conceals it from the willfully blind. The stilling of the storm in verses 39-41 echoes Psalm 107:29, where the LORD makes the storm a calm, implicitly identifying Jesus with Yahweh's sovereign power over chaos.
Devotional
Mark 4 holds up a mirror to the heart. The same word falls on every soul, but the soil determines the harvest — and the soils are not fixed addresses but conditions we tend daily. Hard paths, shallow roots, and choking thorns each name a real temptation: indifference, fragility under pressure, and the slow suffocation of riches and worry.
Yet the chapter ends with a storm and a sleeping Savior. When fear shouts that he does not care, his presence in the boat is itself the answer. The Christ who plants the word also speaks peace to the chaos around it.
Literary Style
Narrative gospel interwoven with parabolic discourse. The chapter pairs agricultural similitudes built on triadic patterns and seed imagery with a vivid miracle story marked by Mark's hallmark immediacy, sensory detail, and a closing rhetorical question that propels the gospel's Christological inquiry.