Mark 4:28

Mar 4:28. Αὐτομάτη, of its own accord) This is not to the exclusion of cultivation of the land, the rain from heaven, and the sun’s beams. [But there is also intimated a freedom of increasing and growing, either in good or evil, granted by the Lord of the land to the man.—V. g.]—χόρτον, the blade) the grass-like young shoot; so in the commencement spiritual virtues [graces] are scarcely to be distinguished from natural ones.—εἶτα, then next) Marvellous is the process of the successive increase: this shall hereafter be made manifest.

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

Mar 4:28 . αὐτομάτη ( αὐτός and μέμαα from absolute μάω , to desire eagerly), self-moved, spontaneously, without external aid, and also beyond external control; with a way and will, so to speak, of its own that must be respected and waited for. Classical examples in Wetstein, Kypke, Raphel, etc. καρποφορεῖ , beareth fruit, intransitive. The following nouns, χόρτον , στάχυν , are not the object of the verb, but in apposition with καρπὸν ( καρπὸν φέρει ) or governed by φέρει , understood ( φέρει , quod ex καρποφορεῖ petendum , Fritzsche). πλήρης σῖτος , this change to the nominative (the reading of [27] [28] ) is a tribute to the importance of the final stage towards which the stages of blade and ear are but preparatory steps = then is the full ear . Full = ripe, perfect , hence the combination of the two words in such phrases as πλήρη καὶ τέλεια τἀγαθὰ quoted by Kypke from Philo. The specification of the three stages shows that gradual growth is the point of the parable (Schanz).

[27] Codex Vaticanus (sæc. iv.), published in photographic facsimile in 1889 under the care of the Abbate Cozza-Luzi.

[28] Codex Bezae

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

By a certain power which moveth itself.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 28. Bringeth forth - of herself] αυτοματη. By its own energy, without either the influence or industry of man. Similar to this is the expression of the poet: -

Namque aliae, NULLIS HOMlNUM COGENTIBUS, ipsae

SPONTE SUA veniunt. VIRG. Geor. l. ii. v. 10.

"Some (trees) grow of their own accord, without the labour of man."

All the endlessly varied herbage of the field is produced in this way.

The full corn] πληρησιτον, FULL wheat; the perfect, full-grown, or ripe corn. Lucian uses κενος καρπος, EMPTY fruit, for imperfect, or unripe fruit. See Kypke.

The kingdom of God, which is generated in the soul by the word of life, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, is first very small; there is only a blade, but this is full of promise, for a good blade shows there is a good seed at bottom, and that the soil in which it is sown is good also. Then the ear-the strong stalk grows up, and the ear is formed at the top; the faith and love of the believing soul increase abundantly; it is justified freely through the redemption that is in Christ; it has the ear which is shortly to be filled with the ripe grain, the outlines of the whole image of God. Then the full corn. The soul is purified from all unrighteousness; and, having escaped the corruption that is in the world, it is made a partaker of the Divine nature, and is filled with all the fulness of God.

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

(28) The earth bringeth forth fruit of herself.—Stress is laid on the spontaneity of growth; and the lesson drawn from it is obviously one at once of patience and of faith. It is not well in the spiritual husbandry, either of the nations of the world or of individual souls, to be taking up the seeds to see whether they are growing. It is wiser to sow the seed, and to believe that sun and rain will quicken it. Thus, the words find an interesting parallel, like, and yet different, in the precept of Ecc_11:6, “In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand.”

First the blade, then the ear.—Following the same lines as before, we have (1) three stages in the growth of the Church of Christ in the field of the world, and (2) three like stages representing the influence of the new truth on thoughts, purposes, acts, in the individual soul.

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

28. of herself] = of its own accord, spontaneously. It is used of the gate of St Peter’s prison opening of its own accord in Act_12:10.

first the blade] There is a law of orderly development in natural growth, so also is it in reference to spiritual growth; comp. 1Jn_2:12-14.

after that the full corn] or rather, then (there is) full corn in the ear.

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 with many such parables,.... As those of the tares, of the leaven in three measures of meal, of the treasure hid in the field, the pearl of great price, the net cast into the sea, and of the Scribe instructed unto the kingdom of God; which though not related at length here, are by the Evangelist Matthew, in Mat 13:24 together with others elsewhere:

spake he the word unto them; preached the Gospel to the multitude,

as they were able to hear it: meaning either that he condescended to their weakness, accommodated himself to their capacities, and made use of the plainest similes; and took his comparison from things in nature, the most known and obvious, that what he intended might more easily be understood; or rather, he spoke the word to them in parables, as they were able to hear, without understanding them; and in such a manner, on purpose that they might not understand; for had he more clearly expressed the things relating to himself, as the Messiah, and to the Gospel dispensation, so as that they could have took in his meaning, such were their pride, their wickedness, and the rancour of their minds, that they would have at once rose up, and attempted to have destroyed him.

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

28 For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.

Ver. 28. First the blade, then the ear] And the husbandman looks upon it with delight, in the hope of a harvest; so doth God take in good part our weak beginnings, while we strive to be better: his blessing is upon our very buds, Isa 44:3. The first springs in the womb of grace are precious to him, Eph 2:1.

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.

For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself - That is, it is done without the power of man. It is done while man is engaged in other things. The scope of this passage does not require us to suppose that our Saviour meant to say that the earth had any productive power of itself, but only that it produced its fruits not by the “power of man.” God gives it its power. It has no power of its own. So religion in the heart is not by the power of man. It grows he cannot tell how, and of course he cannot without divine aid, control it. It is by the power of God. At the same time, as without industry man would have no harvest, so without active effort he would have no religion. Both are connected with his effort; both are to be measured commonly by his effort Phi 2:12; both grow he cannot tell how; both increase when the proper means are used, and both depend on God for increase.

First the blade - The green, tender shoot, that first starts out of the earth before the stalk is formed.

Then the ear - The original means the stalk or spire of wheat or barley, as well as the ear.

The full corn - The ripe wheat. The grain swollen to its proper size. By this is denoted, undoubtedly, that grace or religion in the heart is of gradual growth. It is at first tender, feeble, perhaps almost imperceptible, like the first shootings of the grain in the earth. Perhaps also, like grain, it often lies long in the earth before there are signs of life. Like the tender grain, also, it needs care, kindness, and culture. A frost, a cold storm, or a burning sun alike injure it. So tender piety in the heart needs care, kindness, culture. It needs shelter from the frosts and storms of a cold, unfeeling world. It needs the genial dews and mild suns of heaven; in other words, it needs instruction, prayer, and friendly counsel from parents, teachers, ministers, and experienced Christians, that it may grow, and bring forth the full fruits of holiness. Like the grain, also, in due time it will grow strong; it will produce its appropriate fruit - a full and rich harvest - to the praise of God.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

28. First the blade. There is a law of orderly development in natural growth, so also is it in reference to spiritual growth. Compare 1 John 2:12–14. Some growths are quicker than others, but in all there is growth. And we have no right to look for the end at the beginning, the ripened Christian experience in the young convert, the full corn in the first appearance of the blade. Observe, too, that we can know that there is growth by its results, though we know not how, and that each stage of the growth is more apparent than the preceding stage.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

28. [806][807][808][809][810] omit γάρ. Cf. Mar 3:35. It is impossible to determine the original Greek for “the full corn”; perhaps πλήρη σῖτον ([811][812][813]2[814][815][816]) is right; but it may be a correction of πλήρης σῖτον ([817][818][806] Codex Sinaiticus. 4th cent. Discovered by Tischendorf in 1859 at the Monastery of St Katharine on Mount Sinai. Now at St Petersburg. The whole Gospel, ending at Mar 16:8. Photographic facsimile, 1911.

[807] Codex Alexandrinus. 5th cent. Brought by Cyril Lucar, Patriarch of Constantinople, from Alexandria, and afterwards presented by him to King Charles I. in 1628. In the British Museum. The whole Gospel. Photographic facsimile, 1879.

[808] Codex Vaticanus. 4th cent., but perhaps a little later than א. In the Vatican Library almost since its foundation by Pope Nicolas V., and one of its greatest treasures. The whole Gospel, ending at Mar 16:8. Photographic facsimile, 1889.

[809] Codex Ephraemi. 5th cent. A palimpsest: the original writing has been partially rubbed out, and the works of Ephraem the Syrian have been written over it; but a great deal of the original writing has been recovered; of Mark we have Mar 1:17 to Mar 6:31, Mar 8:5 to Mar 12:29, Mar 13:19 to Mar 16:20. In the National Library at Paris.

[810] Codex Regius. 8th cent. An important witness. At Paris. Contains Mar 1:1 to Mar 10:15; Mar 10:30 to Mar 15:1; Mar 15:20 to Mar 16:20, but the shorter ending is inserted between Mar 16:8 and Mar 16:9, showing that the scribe preferred it to the longer one.

[811] Codex Sinaiticus. 4th cent. Discovered by Tischendorf in 1859 at the Monastery of St Katharine on Mount Sinai. Now at St Petersburg. The whole Gospel, ending at Mar 16:8. Photographic facsimile, 1911.

[812] Codex Alexandrinus. 5th cent. Brought by Cyril Lucar, Patriarch of Constantinople, from Alexandria, and afterwards presented by him to King Charles I. in 1628. In the British Museum. The whole Gospel. Photographic facsimile, 1879.

[813] Codex Ephraemi. 5th cent. A palimpsest: the original writing has been partially rubbed out, and the works of Ephraem the Syrian have been written over it; but a great deal of the original writing has been recovered; of Mark we have Mar 1:17 to Mar 6:31, Mar 8:5 to Mar 12:29, Mar 13:19 to Mar 16:20. In the National Library at Paris.

[814] Codex Regius. 8th cent. An important witness. At Paris. Contains Mar 1:1 to Mar 10:15; Mar 10:30 to Mar 15:1; Mar 15:20 to Mar 16:20, but the shorter ending is inserted between Mar 16:8 and Mar 16:9, showing that the scribe preferred it to the longer one.

[815] Codex Sangallensis. 9th or 10th cent. Contains the Gospels nearly complete, with an interlinear Latin translation. The text of Mark is specially good, agreeing often with CL. At St Gall.

[816] Codex Petropolitanus. 9th cent. Gospels almost complete. Mar 16:18-20 is in a later hand.

[817] Codex Ephraemi. 5th cent. A palimpsest: the original writing has been partially rubbed out, and the works of Ephraem the Syrian have been written over it; but a great deal of the original writing has been recovered; of Mark we have Mar 1:17 to Mar 6:31, Mar 8:5 to Mar 12:29, Mar 13:19 to Mar 16:20. In the National Library at Paris.

[818] n asterisk denotes that the word is not found elsewhere in N.T., and such words are included in the index, even if there is no note on them in the commentary.

28. αὐτομάτη. First with emphasis; It is of herself that the earth beareth fruit. Similarly, αὐτομάτη ἠνοίχθη αὐτοῖς (Act 12:10), the only other occurrence in N.T. Cf. τὰ αὐτόματα ἀναβαίνοντα τοῦ ἀγροῦ σου (Lev 25:5), of that which grows without cultivation in the sabbatical year. Theophylact interprets this of the freewill of man; αὐτεξούσιοι γάρ ἐσμεν, καὶ ἐν τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ προαιρέσει κεῖται τὸ τὸν σπόρον ἢ αὐξάνεσθαι ἢ μή. But Euthymius is probably right in saying that here only the righteous are signified, the good seed on good ground.

καρποφορεῖ. The crowning result of the soil’s action is stated first, and then the chief stages are noted.

πρῶτον χόρτον κ.τ.λ. First blade, then ear, then full corn in the ear. A.V. and R.V. thrice insert the art., without putting “the” in italics. Cf. Mar 3:32.

εἶτεν … εἶτεν. This very rare form of εἶτα is well attested here, although in Mar 4:17 we have εἶτα without variant. It occurs in a Messenian inscription of A.D. 91. It is said to be Ionic; Blass § 6. 2.

πλήρης σῖτον. With this reading πλήρης is indeclinable. See crit. note. If πλήρης σῖτος is the original reading, the nom. gives a sort of triumphant ring to the conclusion; “then there is the full corn in the ear.” Cf. the change to the indic in Mar 4:27.

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.

28.] No trouble of ours can accelerate the growth, or shorten the stages through which each seed must pass.

It is the mistake of modern Methodism, for instance, to be always working at the seed, taking it up to see whether it is growing, instead of leaving it to God’s own good time, and meanwhile diligently doing God’s work elsewhere: see Stier, iii. p. 12. Wesley, to favour his system, strangely explains καθεύδῃ καὶ ἐγ. νύκτ. κ. ἡμ. exactly contrary to the meaning of the parable—“that is, has it continually in his thoughts.”

εἶτα πλήρης σῖτος] then (there is) full corn in the ear: if as , then the corn (is) full in the ear.

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

28. αὐτομάτη ἡ γῆ2—the earth of itself. The absence of the connective γὰρ gives force to the statement by the abruptness of its introduction.

Omit γὰρ, for, before ἡ γῆ, Tisch. Treg. WH. RV. א ABCL, etc. Memph.edd. Harcl.

This statement, that the land bears fruit of itself, is the fact underlying all these analogies of seed and soil. The land contains in itself the elements needed for the nourishment and growth of the plant, and hence the great thing for man to do is to bring together these mutually adapted things, the seed and the soil. And in the spiritual realm, there is the same adaptation of the truth to the spirit of man. The mind of man is related to the truth as the soil to the seed. There may be minor differences of soil, as set forth in the Parable of the Sower, but the prime fact is this generic fitness. All the trust of man in the greatness and prevalence of the truth is warranted by this fact alone. The mind is adapted to the truth, as the eye to the light. This single fact creates the confidence shown by Jesus in the ultimate establishment of his kingdom, in spite of the obstacles which obstruct its progress. πρῶτον χόρτον, εἶτεν στάχυν, εἶτεν πλήρης σῖτος3—first blade, then ear, then full grain.

εἶτεν, instead of εἶτα, Tisch. WH. א* B* L Δ. πλήρης σῖτος, nom. instead of acc., Tisch. Treg. BD Memph. C* 271 read πλῆρες σῖτον.

χόρτον—literally, grass, i.e. the part of the grain which is like grass, before the grain heads out.

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

Of herself [αυτοματη] . Lit., self - acting. It occurs in only one other passage of the New Testament, Act 12:10; of the city gate which opened to Peter of its own accord.

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