Mark 4:13

Mar 4:13-20. Know ye not this parable — Which is, as it were, the foundation of all those that I shall speak hereafter; and is so easy to be understood? See notes on Mat 13:19-23. The desires of other things choke the word — A deep and important truth! The desire of any thing, otherwise than as it leads to happiness in God, directly tends to barrenness of soul. Entering in — Where they were not before. Let him therefore who has received and retained the word, see that no other desire then enter in, such as perhaps till then he never knew. It becometh unfruitful — After the fruit had grown almost to perfection.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

4:13 If Jesus’ hearers could not understand the parable, they might lack the grace of citizenship in Christ’s Kingdom. However, even the insiders required Jesus’ explanation.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Mar 4:13. Οὐκ οἴδατε, do ye not know) Jesus marks with reproof the question of the disciples.—καὶ πῶς, and how then) The parable concerning the seed is the primary and foudamental one [the foundation of all the others].—πάσας, all) constituting and comprising the perfect doctrine of Christ.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mar 4:13-20 . Explanation of the Sower (Mat 13:18-23 , Luk 8:11-15 ), prefaced by a gentle reproach that explanation should be needed.

Mar 4:13 . οὐκ οἴδατε … γνώσεσθε : not one question = know ye not this parable, and how ye shall know all, etc. (so Meyer and Weiss), but two = know ye not this parable? and how shall ye, etc. (so most), the meaning being, not: if ye know not the simpler how shall ye know the more difficult? but rather implying that to understand the Sower was to understand all the parables spoken that day ( πάσας τὰς παρ .). They had all really one burden: the disappointing result of Christ’s past ministry.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 13. Know ye not this parable?] The scope and design of which is so very obvious.

How then will ye know all parables?] Of which mode of teaching ye should be perfect masters, in order that ye may be able successfully to teach others. This verse is not found in any of the other evangelists.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(13) How then will ye know all parables?—The question is peculiar to St. Mark, and suggests the thought of our Lord as contemplating for His disciples an ever-growing insight, not only into His own spoken parables, but into those of nature and of life. But if they were such slow scholars in this early stage, how was that insight to be imparted? The question is followed up by the answer. The first lesson in interpreting is given in that which is a pattern and exemplar of the method of interpretation.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

13. Know ye not this parable?] For it afforded the simplest type or pattern of a Parable.

all parables = all My Parables.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground,.... Such sort of hearers of the word are signified by the stony ground, on which the seed were sown, who are constant hearers of the word, and have some understanding of it, and some sort of affection for it, and yet their hearts are not truly broken by it; they are not brought to a thorough sight and sense of sin, and of their need of Christ, and salvation by him; their stony hearts are not taken away, and hearts of flesh given them:

who when they have heard the word immediately receive it with gladness; seem highly pleased, and greatly delighted with it, as being a well connected scheme things; and which declares things, as heaven and eternal happiness, which they, from a principle of self love, are desirous of enjoying.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

13 And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?

Ver. 13. Know ye not this parable?] What a shame is that! Gross ignorance, under excellent means of knowledge, is a blushful sin.

And how then will ye know all parables?] Anaxagoras the philosopher found himself benighted, and complained, omnia esse circumfusa tenebris, that there was a general darkness upon men’s understandings. Empedocles angustas esse sensuum semitas dixit: Empedocles said that the pathways of the senses were too narrow. And Democritus, that the truth lay hidden in a pit that had no bottom. Melancthon was heard to say, that he did not believe that there was any one man to be found in all Germany that could rightly understand one whole page in Aristotle’s Organon. How nmch less can any one understand gospel mysteries, but by a supernatural light! The Romans thought they had victory tied to them; we have not the knowledge of divine truths tied to us, &c. But as the Romans dedicated a lake (the depth whereof was unknown) to Victory, so must we be wise to sobriety; and what we cannot comprehend of God’s revealed will, run to Christ, and he will teach us, but still cry, "Oh the depth!" Rom 11:33.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

13. All parables — Of which this is the first, and in a great degree the key.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Know ye not this parable? and how shall ye know all the parables? that is, "How, then, can you expect to understand all parables, as they ought to do who are instructed unto the kingdom of heaven?" It is St. Mark alone who recalls and records these words. They are striking and vivid, as illustrating the condition of mind of the disciples at this time slow of apprehension, and yet desirous to learn.

From one learn all.

I THIS IS A PRINCIPLE NOT TO BE UNIVERSALLY ACTED UPON IN EARTHLY THINGS. Because of:

1. Limitation of human powers.

2. Obscurity, complexity, and occasional discontinuity and non-uniformity of nature and human life.

II TO THOSE WHO ARE ILLUMINATED IT IS ABSOLUTELY VALID IN DIVINE THINGS.

1. Not because the forms and successive stooges of the truth are mere repetitions of one another.

2. But they are all centred and interpreted in one Person.

3. They all require the exercise of the same spiritual faculty. M.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Know ye not this parable? - Which is as it were the foundation of all those that I shall speak hereafter; and is so easy to be understood?

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

Connecting Statement:

Jesus explains the parable of the soils to his followers and then tells them about using a lamp to show that hidden things will become known.

Then he said to them

"Then Jesus said to his disciples"

Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the other parables?

Jesus used these questions to show how sad he was that his disciples could not understand his parable. AT: "If you cannot understand this parable, think about how hard it will be for you to understand all the other parables." (See: Rhetorical Question)

The farmer who sows his seed is

"The farmer who sows his seed represents"

the one who sows the word

The "word" represents God's message. Sowing the message represents teaching it. AT: "the one who teaches people God's message" (See: Metonymy and Metaphor)

These are the ones that fall beside the road

"Some people are like the seeds that fall beside road" or "Some people are like the path where some of the seeds fell"

the road

"the path"

when they hear it

Here "it" refers to "the word" or "God's message."

translationWords

parable

plant

word

Satan

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

13–20. INTERPRETATION OF THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER

Mat 13:18-23. Luk 8:11-15

13. καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς. This introductory formula marks the beginning of a new section and breaks the connexion with Mar 4:10-12. It does not introduce a customary utterance (ἔλεγεν), but the explanation given on one occasion of a particular parable. This verse is peculiar to Mk.

Οὐκ οἴδατε. All English versions follow Beza in making two questions; but Luther, and apparently Vulg., make οὐκ οἴδατε categorical, Ye know not, which is probably right. In Luk 20:44 and Joh 12:34, καὶ πῶς is preceded by a statement. In either case we have an expression of surprise and disappointment; see on Mar 6:6. The view that parables were a common method of instruction among the Jews does not seem to be well founded. In O.T. there are few, and to Christ’s hearers they were a novelty.

καὶ πῶς; The καί accepts what has just been said and leads on to a question which καί emphasizes, How then? Cf. καὶ τίς; Mar 10:26; Luk 10:29; Luk 18:26; Joh 9:36; 2Co 2:2. Winer, p. 545. The question implies that the Sower is a leading and testing parable, prima et fundamentalis (Beng.). It is one of the three which all three record, the others being the Mustard-seed and The Wicked Husbandmen. It is probably accidental that all three, together with the parable which is peculiar to Mk, have to do with vegetation. The question implies a rebuke to the disciples as well as surprise on the part of Christ. Mt. does not like either and substitutes “Hear then ye the parable of the Sower.” See Mt.’s treatment of Mar 9:10; Mar 9:32; Mar 9:34; Mar 14:40. Lk. is like Mt. in sparing the Twelve, and he omits the rebuke. Both A.V. and R.V. ignore the change from οἴδατε to γνώσεσθε, and A.V. ignores the τάς: How then shall ye come to know all My parables? Cf. Mar 13:28; Luk 7:5 and see on Mar 4:3.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

13-20.] Explanation of the parable of the sower. In τὴν παρ. ταύτην, the general question which had been asked ver. 10 (τὰς παραβολάς), is tacitly assumed to have had special reference to the one which has been given at length. Or we may understand, that the question of ver. 10 took the form which is given in Matt.: διὰ τί ἐν παραβολαῖς λαλεῖς αὐτοῖς; in which case the τάς must be generic: asked Him concerning parables; or His parables. The three explanations (see Mat 13:18-23: Luk 8:9-15) are very nearly related to one another, with however differences enough to make the common hypotheses quite untenable. Matt. and Mark agree nearly verbatim, Matt. however writing throughout in the singular (ὁ σπαρεὶς κ.τ.λ.). Mark has some additions, e.g. ὁ σπείρων τὸν λόγον σπ., ver. 14,—after ἡ ἀπ. τοῦ πλ., ver. 19, καὶ αἱ π. τὰ λ. ἐπιθ.:—and some variations, e.g. σατανᾶς for Matt.’s ὁ πονηρός, and Luke’s ὁ διάβ.

Such matters are not trifling, because they shew the gradual deflection of verbal expression in different versions of the same report,—nor is the general agreement of Luke’s, which seems to be from a different hearer.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

13. οὐκ οἴδατε κτλ. This is treated by some of the critics and commentators as a question, and by others as a statement. Of course, the original text contained no intimation in which of these two ways it is to be taken, and there is little choice in the meanings obtained. Taken as a statement, the succeeding question is an inference from the fact that they do not know this parable. As a question, it already expresses surprise at the fact that they do not know this parable, and then follows the inference. Καὶ πῶς πάσας τὰς παραβολὰς γνώσεσθε;—and how will you know all the parables? The argument is from the similarity of the parables. This is not an unusual instance, but a good example of its class. The lack of perception shown in this case would extend to all similar cases.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Peculiar to Mark. Parables [τας παραβολας] . The parables, which I have spoken or may hereafter speak.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.