
Mark 4 — Greek text and reception
Each card preserves the Greek reading and its textual and reception notes. This source provides a Greek study edition; Hebrew counterparts and Hebrew–Greek classifications are not supplied.
Mark 4
The sower, the kingdom, and the storm
Verse 4:1
Greek–English Translation
Again He began teaching beside the sea. A very great crowd gathered around Him, so that He boarded a boat and sat on the sea, while the whole crowd was on the land beside the sea.
Textual and Reception Notes
Verse 4:2
Greek–English Translation
He taught them many things in parables, and in His teaching He said to them:
Textual and Reception Notes
Verse 4:3
Greek–English Translation
“Listen! Look, the sower went out to sow.
Textual and Reception Notes
Verse 4:4
Greek–English Translation
As he sowed, some fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up.
Textual and Reception Notes
Verse 4:5
Greek–English Translation
Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil, and immediately sprang up because the soil had no depth.
Textual and Reception Notes
Verse 4:6
Greek–English Translation
When the sun rose, it was scorched, and because it had no root, it withered.
Textual and Reception Notes
Verse 4:7
Greek–English Translation
Other seed fell among the thorns. The thorns grew up and choked it, and it gave no fruit.
Textual and Reception Notes
Verse 4:8
Greek–English Translation
Other seeds fell into the good soil and gave fruit, growing up and increasing; they yielded thirtyfold, sixtyfold, and a hundredfold.”
Textual and Reception Notes
Verse 4:9
Greek–English Translation
He said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Textual and Reception Notes
Verse 4:10
Greek–English Translation
When He was alone, those around Him, together with the Twelve, asked Him about the parables.
Textual and Reception Notes
Verse 4:11
Greek–English Translation
He said to them, “To you the mystery of the kingdom of God has been given. But for those outside, everything comes in parables,
Textual and Reception Notes
Verse 4:12
Greek–English Translation
so that, looking, they may look and not see, and hearing, they may hear and not understand, lest they turn back and be forgiven.”
Textual and Reception Notes
Text: The purpose clause and its difficult negative sequence are retained. The selected Greek ends with 'be forgiven them'; it does not supply an explicit noun 'sins' here.
Verse 4:13
Greek–English Translation
He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables?
Textual and Reception Notes
Verse 4:14
Greek–English Translation
The sower sows the word.
Textual and Reception Notes
Verse 4:15
Greek–English Translation
These are the ones beside the road where the word is sown: whenever they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word sown into them.
Textual and Reception Notes
Verse 4:16
Greek–English Translation
Likewise, these are the ones sown on the rocky places: whenever they hear the word, they immediately receive it with joy,
Textual and Reception Notes
Verse 4:17
Greek–English Translation
but they have no root in themselves and last only for a time. Then, when distress or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately stumble.
Textual and Reception Notes
Verse 4:18
Greek–English Translation
Others are the ones sown among the thorns. These are the ones who have heard the word,
Textual and Reception Notes
Verse 4:19
Greek–English Translation
but the cares of the age, the deceitfulness of riches, and desires for other things enter and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
Textual and Reception Notes
Verse 4:20
Greek–English Translation
Those sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: thirtyfold, sixtyfold, and a hundredfold.”
Textual and Reception Notes
Verse 4:21
Greek–English Translation
He said to them, “Does the lamp come to be put under the modius basket, or under the bed? Is it not to be put on the lampstand?
Textual and Reception Notes
Text: The Greek personifies the lamp as 'coming.' Modios is the ancient dry measure used here as a covering; its denomination is retained without a fixed modern conversion.
Verse 4:22
Greek–English Translation
For nothing is hidden except to be revealed, nor has anything become secret except to come into the open.
Textual and Reception Notes
Verse 4:23
Greek–English Translation
If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Textual and Reception Notes
Verse 4:24
Greek–English Translation
He said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear. With the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and more will be added to you.
Textual and Reception Notes
Verse 4:25
Greek–English Translation
For whoever has will be given more; and whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.”
Textual and Reception Notes
Verse 4:26
Greek–English Translation
He said, “The kingdom of God is like this: a man casts seed on the ground,
Textual and Reception Notes
Verse 4:27
Greek–English Translation
and sleeps and rises, night and day, while the seed sprouts and grows—he himself does not know how.
Textual and Reception Notes
Verse 4:28
Greek–English Translation
The earth bears fruit of itself: first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
Textual and Reception Notes
Verse 4:29
Greek–English Translation
When the crop permits, he immediately sends in the sickle, because the harvest has arrived.”
Textual and Reception Notes
Text: 'When the crop permits' preserves the verb paradidōmi in its harvest context: the ripened crop presents itself for reaping.
Verse 4:30
Greek–English Translation
He said, “How shall we compare the kingdom of God, or in what parable shall we set it out?
Textual and Reception Notes
Verse 4:31
Greek–English Translation
It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on the earth.
Textual and Reception Notes
Verse 4:32
Greek–English Translation
Yet when sown, it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants, and makes great branches, so that the birds of the sky can shelter under its shade.”
Textual and Reception Notes
Verse 4:33
Greek–English Translation
With many such parables He spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear.
Textual and Reception Notes
Verse 4:34
Greek–English Translation
He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately He explained everything to His own disciples.
Textual and Reception Notes
Verse 4:35
Greek–English Translation
On that day, when evening came, He said to them, “Let us cross to the other side.”
Textual and Reception Notes
Verse 4:36
Greek–English Translation
Leaving the crowd, they took Him with them, just as He was, in the boat. Other boats were with Him.
Textual and Reception Notes
Verse 4:37
Greek–English Translation
A great windstorm arose, and the waves broke into the boat, so that the boat was already filling.
Textual and Reception Notes
Verse 4:38
Greek–English Translation
He was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. They woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”
Textual and Reception Notes
Verse 4:39
Greek–English Translation
He woke, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Be silent! Be muzzled!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
Textual and Reception Notes
Text: Pephimōso uses the image of muzzling. The forceful command is retained rather than softened to a general wish for peace.
Verse 4:40
Greek–English Translation
He said to them, “Why are you cowardly? Do you still have no faith?”
Textual and Reception Notes
Verse 4:41
Greek–English Translation
They were greatly afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”
Textual and Reception Notes