Mark 4:10-20 · Bible study
Mark 4:10-20 Commentary: The Sower Explained, Hearing and Fruit
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Jesus interprets the parable of the sower, revealing the mystery of the kingdom.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Jesus explains the parable of the sower: different hearts respond to the same word in different ways, and only a receptive, persevering heart produces lasting fruit.
- Key words: μυστήριον (mystery), a divine secret now revealed; δέδοται (has been given), perfect passive, indicating a permanent gift; σκανδαλίζονται (they fall away), to be trapped or offended, often used in persecution contexts.
- Main debate: Whether the purpose of parables is to harden the hearers (judgment) or to invite the humble to seek deeper understanding (pedagogy).
- Theological theme: The sovereignty of God in giving understanding, the responsibility of human response, and the centrality of fruitfulness to kingdom life.
- Best use: Preaching on the nature of hearing God’s word, self-examination in discipleship, and the means of spiritual growth through perseverance.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
10As soon as Jesus was alone with the Twelve and those around Him, they asked Him about the parable.
11He replied, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those on the outside everything is expressed in parables,
12so that, ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven.’”
13Then Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables?
14The farmer sows the word.
15Some are like the seeds along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.
16Some are like the seeds sown on rocky ground. They hear the word and at once receive it with joy.
17But they themselves have no root, and they remain for only a season. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.
18Others are like the seeds sown among the thorns. They hear the word,
19but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
20Still others are like the seeds sown on good soil. They hear the word, receive it, and produce a crop—thirtyfold, sixtyfold, or a hundredfold.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
10When he was alone, those who were around him with the twelve asked him about the parables.
11He said to them, “To you is given the mystery of God’s Kingdom, but to those who are outside, all things are done in parables,
12that ‘seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand, lest perhaps they should turn again, and their sins should be forgiven them.’”
13He said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How will you understand all of the parables?
14The farmer sows the word.
15The ones by the road are the ones where the word is sown; and when they have heard, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them.
16These in the same way are those who are sown on the rocky places, who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with joy.
17They have no root in themselves, but are short-lived. When oppression or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they stumble.
18Others are those who are sown among the thorns. These are those who have heard the word,
19and the cares of this age, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
20Those which were sown on the good ground are those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit, some thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times.”
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
10And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parables.
11And he said unto them, Unto you is given the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all things are done in parables:
12that seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest haply they should turn again, and it should be forgiven them.
13And he saith unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how shall ye know all the parables?
14The sower soweth the word.
15And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; and when they have heard, straightway cometh Satan, and taketh away the word which hath been sown in them.
16And these in like manner are they that are sown upon the rocky places, who, when they have heard the word, straightway receive it with joy;
17and they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, straightway they stumble.
18And others are they that are sown among the thorns; these are they that have heard the word,
19and the cares of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
20And those are they that were sown upon the good ground; such as hear the word, and accept it, and bear fruit, thirtyfold, and sixtyfold, and a hundredfold.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
10And when he was alone, those about him, with the twelve, did ask him of the simile,
11and he said to them, `To you it hath been given to know the secret of the reign of God, but to those who are without, in similes are all the things done;
12that seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand, lest they may turn, and the sins may be forgiven them.'
13And he saith to them, `Have ye not known this simile? and how shall ye know all the similes?
14He who is sowing doth sow the word;
15and these are they by the way where the word is sown: and whenever they may hear, immediately cometh the Adversary, and he taketh away the word that hath been sown in their hearts.
16`And these are they, in like manner, who on the rocky ground are sown: who, whenever they may hear the word, immediately with joy do receive it,
17and have not root in themselves, but are temporary; afterward tribulation or persecution having come because of the word, immediately they are stumbled.
18`And these are they who toward the thorns are sown: these are they who are hearing the word,
19and the anxieties of this age, and the deceitfulness of the riches, and the desires concerning the other things, entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
20`And these are they who on the good ground have been sown: who do hear the word, and receive, and do bear fruit, one thirty-fold, and one sixty, and one an hundred.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
10And when he was alone, those about him with the twelve asked him [as to] the parables.
11And he said to them, To you is given [to know] the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to them who are without, all things are done in parables,
12that beholding they may behold and not see, and hearing they may hear and not understand, lest it may be, they should be converted and they should be forgiven.
13And he says to them, Do ye not know this parable? and how will ye be acquainted with all the parables?
14The sower sows the word:
15and these are they by the wayside where the word is sown, and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.
16And these are they in like manner who are sown upon the rocky places, who when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy,
17and they have no root in themselves, but are for a time: then, tribulation arising, or persecution on account of the word, immediately they are offended.
18And others are they who are sown among the thorns: these are they who have heard the word,
19and the cares of life, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things, entering in, choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
20And these are they who have been sown on the good ground, such as hear the word and receive it, and bear fruit; one thirty, and one sixty, and one a hundred [fold].
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
10And when he was alone, the twelve that were with him asked him the parable.
11And he said to them: To you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but to them that are without, all 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 saith to them: Are you ignorant of this, parable? and how shall you know all parables?
14He that soweth, soweth the word.
15And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown, and as soon as they have heard, immediately Satan cometh and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.
16And these likewise are they that are sown on the stony ground: who when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with joy.
17And they have no root in themselves, but are only for a time: and then when tribulation and persecution ariseth for the word they are presently scandalized.
18And others there are who are sown among thorns: these are they that hear the word,
19And the cares of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts after other things entering in choke the word, and it is made fruitless.
20And these are they who are sown upon the good ground, who hear the word, and receive it, and yield fruit, the one thirty, another sixty, and another a hundred.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Mark 4:10
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this passage provides Jesus’ own interpretation of the parable of the sower, making it foundational for understanding all his parables (Matthew Henry, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown). The explanation focuses on four types of hearers, each representing a different response to the word of God. Mark alone notes that “those who were around him with the twelve” asked for the explanation (Clarke, Vincent). This detail broadens the audience beyond the Twelve to include a wider circle of disciples, a point Barnes and the Cambridge Bible see as anticipating the disciples’ future role as teachers. The mystery of the kingdom is given to this inner group, while outsiders receive parables that both reveal and conceal (Calvin, Gill). The interpretation itself is straightforward: the seed is the word, the soils are human hearts, and only the good ground, hearts that hear, accept, and persevere, produces fruit, though in varying amounts (Luke 8:15). All the commentators stress the practical urgency of self-examination: which soil describes you?
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Parables as judicial hardening: Verse 12 interprets Isaiah’s words as showing that parables prevent some from repenting; this is a divine judgment on those who have already rejected God.
- Parables as pedagogical invitation: The same passage can be read as a warning: the Israelites hardened themselves, and parables allow them to see without perceiving (the consequence, not God’s desire). Calvin emphasizes the accidental nature due to human depravity.
- All hearers are responsible: The passage focuses on different responses to the same word; regardless of predestination or free will, each hearer is accountable for how they treat the word.
What is clear: Jesus himself provides the interpretation, so the meaning of the four soils is not in question; the debate is about the purpose of parable-speaking as a whole.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The identity of 'those who are without' | These are people who are not part of the believing community; they hear the message but remain outside the kingdom. | Some commentators (e.g., Wesley) identify them specifically with obstinate unbelievers, while others (e.g., Cambridge Bible) see them as a broader group including the merely curious who do not press into the mystery. |
| The purpose of parables (so that they may not see) | Parables both reveal truth to those with ears to hear and conceal it from those who harden themselves. | Calvin argues the blinding is accidental (due to human depravity) and not God’s direct intent; others (e.g., some Reformed traditions) see it as a judicial act of God giving people over to their chosen blindness. |
| Whether all four soils represent saved individuals | Only the good soil produces lasting fruit and is described positively as hearing, accepting, and persevering. | Some traditions (Evangelical/Reformed) interpret the first three soils as descriptions of non-saved hearers; others (e.g., Wesleyan/Arminian) see them as believers who fall away, emphasizing the possibility of losing salvation. Both ground their view in the text. |
| The meaning of varied fruitfulness (30, 60, 100) | All fruit comes from the same seed; the yield varies but each measure represents genuine fruit. | Some see this as reflecting different levels of spiritual maturity or service; others focus on the abundant generosity of God who produces even a hundredfold harvest in the poorest of soils. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Jesus had been teaching a large crowd from a boat (Mark 4:1). Afterward, he left the crowd and was alone with his followers, not only the Twelve but also other committed disciples (v.10). Mark’s phrasing “those who were around him with the twelve” is unique (Vincent, Barnes). This suggests a group of people who hung on Jesus’ words but were not yet part of the apostolic core. In a culture where rabbis often taught publicly and then explained privately, parables functioned as both a teaching tool and a filter: they invited those with ears to hear while obscuring meaning from the hardened (Cambridge Bible). The quotation from Isaiah (v.12) reflects a theme in Jewish prophecy: the same message softens receptive hearts and hardens resistant ones (Calvin). The agricultural setting would have been vivid to Galilean farmers, for whom thin soil over limestone, rocky ground, and thorn patches were daily realities. By using this common image, Jesus anchored spiritual truth in the physical world. The “mystery” (μυστήριον, mustērion) does not mean something mysterious in the modern sense, but a divine secret now being revealed to God’s people, the arrival of the kingdom in Jesus himself (Thayer). This passage shows that understanding the kingdom is a gift, not a human achievement, and that different hearts respond differently to the same seed.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note one significant textual variant in verse 11. Adam Clarke observes that the Greek infinitive γνῶναι (“to know”) is omitted in some manuscripts (including codices A, B, K, L, and ten others, plus the Coptic and one Itala version). If omitted, the phrase reads simply “To you the mystery of the kingdom of God is given,” rather than “To you it is given to know the mystery.” The parallel accounts in Matthew and Luke support the shorter reading. Modern critical editions (e.g., NA28) include the infinitive, but with a marginal note indicating uncertainty. No other significant variants are mentioned for this passage.
Reception History
This explanation of the sower parable has been central to Christian preaching on the word of God for two millennia. The early church, as reflected in the writings of Augustine and Chrysostom (not named in supplied sources, but well-established in tradition), used the four soils as a framework for catechesis: the hard path represents the careless hearer, the rocky ground the emotional but shallow convert, the thorns the worldly distracted, and the good soil the faithful disciple. The passage has been the subject of countless sermons on spiritual discernment. During the Reformation, commentators like John Calvin and Matthew Henry emphasized the sovereignty of God in granting understanding while maintaining human responsibility. In modern evangelical circles, it is often used to encourage those who feel fruitless, reminding them that fruit comes in different measures. The image of the sower sowing indiscriminately remains a powerful picture of God’s generous grace extended to all.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The gift of understanding (vv.10-12): Jesus gives the mystery of the kingdom to those who follow him. Parables reveal to humble seekers but harden pride. The same sun that melts wax hardens clay.
- Four kinds of hearers (vv.13-20): Each soil represents a heart condition: hard (Satan snatches), shallow (joy fades under pressure), crowded (worries and wealth choke), and good (fruitful through perseverance).
- Fruitfulness is the goal (v.20): Hearing alone is not enough; the word must be received and held tight (Luke 8:15). Fruit comes in varying measures, thirty, sixty, a hundredfold, but it comes.
Five-point outline
- The private setting: Jesus teaches those who are close to him (v.10). Ministry often happens in quiet spaces, not just in public.
- The purpose of parables: to give the mystery to insiders while leaving outsiders in their own blindness (vv.11-12). This is grace and judgment woven together.
- The word is the seed: the message of the kingdom is powerful but not automatic (v.14). The sower sows indiscriminately.
- The obstacles: Satan, shallow commitment, and worldly cares (vv.15-19). These are the enemies of fruitfulness.
- The harvest: the good soil produces fruit, not by natural goodness, but because the heart has been made receptive and persistent (v.20; Luke 8:15).
Illustration hooks
- A teacher gives a test: some students glance at the material and forget; others cram but burn out; still others get distracted by social pressures; a few truly learn and apply. What makes the difference?
- A farmer’s field: the same seed falls on different patches. The farmer can’t control the soil, so he sows generously. God’s grace is broadcast widely, even where the ground is poor.
- Your phone notifications: the word of God can be received, then a notification (anxiety, a deal, a desire) immediately chokes attention. We’ve all felt how “the cares of this age” steal spiritual life.
Questions your congregation is asking
- “Why are some sermons powerful to me and lifeless to others?”
- “I started following Jesus with joy, but when trials came, I fell away. Does that mean I was never saved?”
- How do I know if I’m good soil? What if I still struggle with worries or distractions?
Leading a Discussion
This passage is Jesus’ own explanation of the parable of the sower. It models how he trained his disciples: he spoke in public, then explained in private. As you discuss, focus not on analyzing abstract soils but on letting the word examine your own heart. The questions move from observing the text to applying it to your life this week.
Discussion questions
- In verse 10, Mark mentions “those who were around him with the twelve.” Why might Mark include this detail when Matthew and Luke only say “the disciples”? What does this suggest about discipleship?
- Why does Jesus tell the parable in public but explain it in private? What does this reveal about how the kingdom spreads?
- Look at verse 12: the quotation from Isaiah says parables are given “lest perhaps they should turn again.” Does this mean God prevents some from repenting? How do you understand God’s sovereignty and human responsibility here?
- Which of the four soils do you find most tempting or dangerous in your current season of life? Why?
- Verse 17 says some “have no root in themselves.” What does it mean to have root? How does a person develop deeper roots?
- Verse 19 lists three kinds of thorns: cares of the age, deceitfulness of riches, desires for other things. Which one threatens your spiritual growth most? How can you counter it?
- Verse 20 says good soil hears, accepts, and bears fruit “with perseverance” (Luke 8:15). What is one practical step you can take this week to persevere in hearing the word?
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)
| Proverbs 13:20 | One who walks with wise men grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm. |
| Matthew 13:10 | The disciples came, and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” |
| Matthew 13:17 | For most certainly I tell you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see the things which you see, and didn’t see them; and to hear the things which you hear, and didn’t hear them. |
| Matthew 13:36 | Then Jesus sent the multitudes away, and went into the house. His disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the darnel weeds of the field.” |
| Mark 4:34 | Without a parable he didn’t speak to them; but privately to his own disciples he explained everything. |
| Mark 7:17 | When he had entered into a house away from the multitude, his disciples asked him about the parable. |
| Luke 8:9 | Then his disciples asked him, “What does this parable mean?” |
| Luke 8:15 | Those in the good ground, these are those who with an honest and good heart, having heard the word, hold it tightly, and produce fruit with perseverance. |
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
5 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke highlights a textual variant in verse 11 where early manuscripts omit the word “to know,” which completely changes the meaning. He then applies verse 15 directly, warning that many hear the word negligently, and presses the reader to examine whether they belong to that number.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes highlights that Jesus taught the disciples privately because they were being prepared as teachers. The simple parable tested them: if they could not grasp this obvious lesson, they would fail with harder ones. Knowing the full system of religion mattered more for them at that time than for the crowd.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin draws a careful distinction: the gospel does not cause blindness in its own nature, only accidentally, through human depravity. Like weak eyes in sunshine, the fault lies in the person, not the light. For the reprobate, the word fails to soften their hearts, leaving them unconverted and unreconciled.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill explains that the parable pictures four heart conditions that govern how people receive the word. The devil instantly snatches it from hard hearts; shallow hearts have no root and fall away under trouble; crowded hearts let worldly cares choke it. Only hearts made good by God’s
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB stresses that the sower in this parable is not Christ alone but every preacher of the word. The seed and the sower are the same in each case, so the entire difference in outcome lies in the soils, which represent the varied states of the human heart. The great lesson is that the effect of preaching depends entirely on the hearer's heart condition.