Mark 4:10-20 Meaning: Why Does Jesus Explain the Parable Privately?
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.”
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.
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.
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.'
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].
Meaning in one sentence
Jesus explains the parable of the sower to his followers, revealing the mystery of the kingdom to those who truly seek understanding.
Context
After teaching a large crowd from a boat, Jesus withdraws from the multitude. Mark tells us that not only the twelve but also some other close followers came to him privately and asked about the parables. Matthew and Luke only mention “the disciples,” but Mark adds “those who were around him with the twelve.” That small detail suggests a wider circle of devoted learners, people who wanted to go deeper. Jesus responds by saying the mystery of God’s kingdom has been given to them. Then he explains the parable of the sower in detail, showing that different hearts respond to God’s word in very different ways. The same seed lands on hard path, shallow rock, thorn-choked ground, and good soil. The difference is not in what is sown but in the ground that receives it.
Key Words
Three words open up this passage. The first is mystery (mustērion). In the ancient world, a mystery was a secret truth you could only know if you were initiated. Here Jesus says this mystery is given to his followers. It is not earned; it is a gift. The word given (dedotai) is in the perfect tense, meaning God has given it and it remains yours.
Second, cares (merimna) appears in verse 19. The Greek word comes from a root that means “to be divided” or “to distract.” These are not ordinary worries but anxieties that split your attention, pulling you in different directions until the word gets choked out.
Third, receive (paradechomai) is used only here in Mark’s gospel. It means to welcome fully, to take into one’s care, to accept wholeheartedly. The good soil doesn’t just hear the word; it welcomes it like an honored guest. Understanding the kingdom is a gift, but it needs a heart that is not divided and open enough to receive deeply.
How Christians Read This Verse
Calvin and other Reformed readers emphasize that parables reveal truth to some while exposing hardness in others, but the fault lies in the human heart, not in God’s purpose. Wesleyan commentators like Wesley and Clarke note that the mystery is given to those who follow Jesus closely, suggesting active discipleship opens the door to deeper insight. Catholic tradition, reflected in the Douay version and scholarly notes, sees here Jesus gradually initiating his disciples into the secrets of the kingdom. Baptist commentator Gill points out that the good ground represents those who hear, receive, and bear fruit in varying degrees. Across traditions, this passage calls for honest self-examination: what kind of soil describes my heart today?
A common misunderstanding
Some readers think Jesus spoke in parables to deliberately block people from being saved. In fact, the quotation from Isaiah (v12) describes a people whose hearts are already hardened. The parables do not cause that hardness; they reveal it. As Calvin explains, the fault is in the human heart, not in God’s intention. Jesus’ teaching confronts people with their own response, leaving the invitation open for those who will turn and be forgiven.
Living This Out
This week, think about the soil of your heart. Are there places where God’s word lands but gets snatched away by distractions? Areas where it springs up with excitement but fades when faith costs something? Worries or longings that choke out growth? The parable does not ask you to be perfect soil overnight. It invites you to keep hearing, keep receiving, and keep trusting God to produce fruit. Even a small crop, thirty times what was planted, is still fruit. God can work with that.
Main takeaway: God’s word takes root only in hearts that welcome it fully and hold it steady through trouble and distraction.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Jesus told a story about seeds falling on different ground. Some seeds couldn't grow because the ground was hard or full of weeds. We want our hearts to be like good soft soil where God's words can grow big and strong!
For ages 9, 12
In the story, Jesus compared our hearts to soil. The seed is God's message. When we hear it, we need to let it sink deep into our lives. But sometimes worries, money, or wanting other things can choke it out. We keep listening to God and let his words grow fruit in us even when life is hard.
Questions People Ask
Who are 'those who were around him with the twelve'?
Mark is the only gospel writer who mentions this group. They were probably other devoted followers who stayed close to Jesus after the crowds left. This shows that even before the resurrection, Jesus had a circle of disciples beyond just the twelve apostles.
Does God really not want some people to be saved? (verse 12)
This verse puzzles many readers. The quotation from Isaiah speaks of a people whose hearts have grown hard. Jesus does not cause that hardness; his parables expose it. As Calvin put it, the fault lies in the human heart, not in God’s intention. The invitation to turn and be forgiven remains open.
What does it mean to have 'no root' in yourself?
It describes someone who responds to God’s word with excitement at first, but when challenges or persecution come because of their faith, they fall away. They haven’t let the word take deep root in their character and commitment.
What are 'the lusts of other things'?
The Greek word epithumia means strong desires, not only for sinful things but for any competing loyalty. In context, these desires choke the word, making it unfruitful. Anything that pulls your heart away from God can be a 'lust of other things.'
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study