Mark 4:1-9 · Bible study
Mark 4:1-9 Commentary: The Sower and the Sea Setting
Greek · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Jesus teaches the Parable of the Sower from a boat by the sea, using the setting to reveal how people respond to the word of God.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The word of God falls on different hearts; only receptive, persevering hearers bear lasting fruit.
- Key words: “Hear” (G191), not just listening but obeying; “soil” (G1093), the condition of the heart; “fruit” (G2590), the visible evidence of faith.
- Main debate: Is the sower specifically Christ (Gill) or any preacher (Cambridge)? The text itself leaves it open.
- Theological theme: Human responsibility and divine sovereignty in response to the gospel; God’s abundant sowing; the necessity of fruitfulness.
- Best use: A self-examination passage for hearers of the word, and encouragement for teachers to sow generously.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
1Once again Jesus began to teach beside the sea, and such a large crowd gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people crowded along the shore.
2And He taught them many things in parables, and in His teaching He said,
3“Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed.
4And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.
5Some fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow.
6But when the sun rose, the seedlings were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.
7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the seedlings, and they yielded no crop.
8Still other seed fell on good soil, where it sprouted, grew up, and produced a crop—one bearing thirtyfold, another sixtyfold, and another a hundredfold.”
9Then Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
1Again he began to teach by the seaside. A great multitude was gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat in the sea and sat down. All the multitude were on the land by the sea.
2He taught them many things in parables, and told them in his teaching,
3“Listen! Behold, the farmer went out to sow.
4As he sowed, some seed fell by the road, and the birds came and devoured it.
5Others fell on the rocky ground, where it had little soil, and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of soil.
6When the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
7Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
8Others fell into the good ground and yielded fruit, growing up and increasing. Some produced thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times as much.”
9He said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.”
KJV King James Version 1769
1And 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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
1And again he began to teach by the sea side. And there is gathered unto him a very great multitude, so that he entered into a boat, and sat in the sea; and all the multitude were by the sea on the land.
2And he taught them many things in parables, and said unto them in his teaching,
3Hearken: Behold, the sower went forth to sow:
4and it came to pass, as he sowed, some seed fell by the way side, and the birds came and devoured it.
5And other fell on the rocky ground, where it had not much earth; and straightway it sprang up, because it had no deepness of earth:
6and when the sun was risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
7And other fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
8And others fell into the good ground, and yielded fruit, growing up and increasing; and brought forth, thirtyfold, and sixtyfold, and a hundredfold.
9And he said, Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
1And again he began to teach by the sea, and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he, having gone into the boat, sat in the sea, and all the multitude was near the sea, on the land,
2and he taught them many things in similes, and he said to them in his teaching:
3`Hearken, lo, the sower went forth to sow;
4and it came to pass, in the sowing, some fell by the way, and the fowls of the heaven did come and devour it;
5and other fell upon the rocky ground, where it had not much earth, and immediately it sprang forth, because of not having depth of earth,
6and the sun having risen, it was scorched, and because of not having root it did wither;
7and other fell toward the thorns, and the thorns did come up, and choke it, and fruit it gave not;
8and other fell to the good ground, and was giving fruit, coming up and increasing, and it bare, one thirty-fold, and one sixty, and one an hundred.'
9And he said to them, `He who is having ears to hear--let him hear.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
1And again he began to teach by the sea. And a great crowd was gathered together to him, so that going on board ship he sat in the sea, and all the crowd were close to the sea on the land.
2And he taught them many things in parables. And he said to them in his doctrine,
3Hearken: Behold, the sower went forth to sow.
4And it came to pass as he sowed, one fell by the wayside, and the birds came and devoured it.
5And another fell on the rocky ground, where it had not much earth, and immediately it sprung up out [of the ground] because it had no depth of earth;
6and when the sun arose it was burnt up, and because of its not having any root, it withered.
7And another fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
8And another fell into the good ground, and yielded fruit, growing up and increasing; and bore, one thirty, and one sixty, and one a hundred.
9And he said, He that has ears to hear, let him hear.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
1And again he began to teach by the sea side; and a great multitude was gathered together unto him, so that he went up into a ship and sat in the sea: and all the multitude was upon the land by the sea side.
2And he taught them many things in parables, and said unto them in his doctrine:
3Hear ye: Behold, the sower went out to sow.
4And whilst he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the birds of the air came and ate it up.
5And other some fell upon stony ground, where it had not much earth; and it shot up immediately, because it had no depth of earth.
6And when the sun was risen, 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 some fell upon good ground; and brought forth fruit that grew up, and increased and yielded, one thirty, another sixty, and another a hundred.
9And he said: He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Mark 4:1
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this parable uses the familiar sight of a farmer sowing seed to illustrate how people receive the word of God. The Cambridge Bible notes that the scenery around the lake likely suggested the details. Gill identifies the sower as Christ himself, but also as applicable to faithful ministers. The four soils represent four kinds of hearers, and Jesus’ explanation in verses 13-20 makes this clear. Vincent observes Mark's vivid present tense in verse 1, “there is gathered”, which draws the reader into the scene. All stress that the setting, Jesus teaching from a boat, was a practical response to the crowd's size, though it also creates a striking image of the teacher separated from the hearers. There is no dispute about the central meaning: the seed is the word, the soils are the hearts. The yields show that fruitfulness varies, but true faith produces. The call to hear in verse 9 is a summons to self-examination.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The parable means that the word of God is sown broadly but only those who hear, receive, and persevere produce fruit, and Jesus himself interprets it plainly in the following verses.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The identity of the sower | The sower represents one who spreads the word of God. | Gill identifies the sower specifically as Christ; others see it as any preacher or teacher of the gospel. |
| The meaning of the seed | The seed is the word of God, as Jesus explains in verse 14. | No significant disagreement; the interpretation is explicit in the text. |
| The significance of the yields | Good soil produces varying amounts but all bear fruit. | Some traditions focus on the abundance as reward in the age to come; others see it as present growth in grace. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Jesus was teaching beside the Sea of Galilee, a location he often used (Mark 2:13; 3:7). The crowd grew so large that he got into a boat and sat in it, pushing off slightly, while the people stood on the shore. Sitting was the customary posture for a Jewish teacher, and the boat became a natural pulpit, allowing his voice to carry over the water and the mass of listeners.
The Cambridge Bible suggests that the scenery around the lake shaped the parable’s imagery. Thomson’s Land and the Book describes how Palestinian farmers sow seed in open fields crisscrossed by hard footpaths, the “wayside.” There were rocky patches where limestone bedrock lay just under a thin layer of soil, and thorny “Nabk” bushes that could overgrow a field if not cleared. Jesus drew from this everyday world that his listeners knew firsthand.
Mark alone includes the command “Hearken” at the start, a summons to attention. The yields, thirty, sixty, a hundredfold, reflect realistic but extraordinary harvests in good soil. The setting is more than backdrop; it anchors the parable in real conditions. Farmers sow generously, seed falls on all kinds of ground, and the harvest depends on the soil. The crowd watching from the shore would have imagined a scene from their own fields.
Textual Notes
Clarke notes that in verse 4, “of the air” (τοῦ οὐρανοῦ) should probably be omitted, citing nine uncial manuscripts, over a hundred others, and nearly all versions. Bengel and Griesbach also remove it. The phrase seems to have been added from Luke 8:5. In verse 9, Codex Bezae and a few other manuscripts add “and whoever understands, let him understand,” but this is not widely attested. The consulted sources note no other significant variants.
Reception History
From the early church, this parable was used to teach about the different ways people respond to the gospel. Writers such as Irenaeus and Augustine saw the four soils as representing four states of the soul, with an emphasis on perseverance. During the Reformation, interpreters treated the parable as a warning against relying on outward profession without fruit. Matthew Henry applies the soils to various kinds of hearers in the congregation. The image of the sower has also been sung in hymns that speak of the word taking root in good hearts. Across traditions, the parable has remained a primary text for self-examination in hearing God’s word.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The sower sows generously. The farmer goes out to sow without calculating where the seed will fall. This pictures God’s abundant giving of the word and the confidence of the preacher who scatters it widely.
- Four soils reveal four responses. The wayside (hard heart, Satan snatches the word), the rocky ground (shallow heart, fades under pressure), the thorns (crowded heart, choked by worries and wealth), and the good ground (receptive heart, yields fruit).
- Fruitfulness is the measure. The yields vary, but each good soil produces. The parable calls for honest self-examination: which soil am I?
Five-point outline
- The seed is the word, God’s message of the kingdom.
- The wayside: hearing without understanding, loss to Satan.
- The rocky ground: emotional reception that does not last.
- The thorns: the cares of life that choke faith.
- The good soil: hearing, receiving, and persevering in fruitfulness.
Illustration hooks
- Think of a gardener who scatters seed on a path, among rocks, and in good earth, he knows some will not grow, but he sows anyway. God’s generosity is like that.
- A teacher explains a concept to a room full of students. Some daydream, some grasp it but forget, some let other worries crowd it out, and some take it to heart and act on it.
- Pastors who preach week after week see the same variety of responses. The parable validates their experience and encourages patience.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why does God let so much of his word seem wasted?
- What can I do if I feel like the rocky or thorny soil?
- Does the parable mean some people can’t be saved, or that they choose to reject?
Leading a Discussion
This parable is the first Jesus tells in Mark, and it sets the tone for all the others. He uses a picture from farm life to talk about how we hear God’s word. The focus is not on the sower or the seed but on the soil, that is, the condition of our hearts. As you discuss, think about what kind of soil you have been this week.
Discussion questions
- Read Mark 4:1-9 aloud. What details in the setting (the boat, the shore, the sea) stand out to you?
- Why do you think Jesus begins with “Listen! Behold” (verse 3)? What does that call for?
- The four soils represent different responses to the word. Which of them do you find easiest to recognize in yourself?
- How does the yield, thirty, sixty, a hundredfold, challenge or encourage you? Does it suggest that God expects a certain level of fruit?
- Jesus later explains (verses 13-20) that the parable itself separates hearers who truly listen from those who do not. Why would he want his teaching to function that way?
- What does the parable teach us about God’s character in the way the sower scatters seed so broadly?
- If someone said, “I feel like the rocky soil, I started well but now I’m withering,” how would you respond based on this passage?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Matthew 13:1 | On that day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the seaside. |
| Matthew 13:15 | for this people’s heart has grown callous, their ears are dull of hearing, and they have closed their eyes; or else perhaps they might perceive with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and would turn again, and I would heal them.’ |
| Mark 2:13 | He went out again by the seaside. All the multitude came to him, and he taught them. |
| Mark 3:7 | Jesus withdrew to the sea with his disciples; and a great multitude followed him from Galilee, from Judea, |
| Luke 5:1 | Now while the multitude pressed on him and heard the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret. |
| Luke 5:3 | He entered into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat. |
| Luke 8:4 | When a great multitude came together and people from every city were coming to him, he spoke by a parable: |
| Luke 8:10 | He said, “To you it is given to know the mysteries of God’s Kingdom, but to the rest it is given in parables, that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’ |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke focuses on textual variants in this passage, noting that the phrase "of the air" in verse 4 should be omitted based on strong manuscript evidence. He also points out that some early copies of verse 9 include an additional call for understanding.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes offers no fresh comment on this verse itself. Instead he directs the reader to his earlier, fuller exposition of the parable of the sower in Matthew 13, where the main teaching is already laid out.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentary roots the parable in the actual landscape Jesus saw from the fishing boat: the trodden path through cornfields, thin soil over rock, thorn bushes amid the wheat, and deep loam near the lake. Every detail corresponds to a visible feature of the Plain of Gennesaret, making the parable a direct interpretation of the scenery.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill interprets the parable as a detailed allegory: the sower is Christ or any faithful minister, the seed is the Gospel preached, and each soil represents a different heart condition. He stresses that only the good ground yields fruit, and even among true believers the fruitfulness varies—thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold—depending on the measure of grace given.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB treats the four soils as exact physical conditions that picture spiritual ones. The wayside is hard-packed earth that lets seed sit on top. The rocky ground has only a thin surface over rock. The thorny ground has roots that steal moisture and richness, starving the good plant.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange sees Mark's three parables forming a unified picture of the kingdom's gradual expansion in space, contrasting with Matthew's chronological sequence. They mark a decisive crisis in Jesus' conflict with shallow, senseless unbelief. The lamp saying reinforces that parables are not meant to conceal permanently but to enlighten the disciples for their future ministry.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley describes a parable as any instructive speech where spiritual things are explained through natural ones. He stresses that resting in the literal sense alone kills, while the spiritual sense gives life. He also notes that Jesus spoke the word "Hearken" loudly to quiet the crowd's noise.