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Mark — Chapter 4

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1 And 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.
2 And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine,
3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:
4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.
5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:
6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
8 And 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.
9 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
10 And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.
11 And 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:
12 That 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.
13 And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?
14 The sower soweth the word.
15 And 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.
16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;
17 And 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.
18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,
19 And 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.
20 And 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.
21 And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?
22 For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.
23 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.
24 And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.
25 For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.
26 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;
27 And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.
28 For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.
29 But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.
30 And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?
31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth:
32 But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.
33 And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it.
34 But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.
35 And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.
36 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.
37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.
38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?
39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
40 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?
Abrahamic Catechism
Bible Study
Mark — Chapter 4
✦ Talmud

• The parable of the sower reappears from Matthew, and the Talmudic parallel in Avot de-Rabbi Natan 24 compares four types of students to four types of soil: a sponge (absorbs everything), a funnel (takes in and lets out), a strainer (lets the wine through and retains the dregs), and a sieve (lets the flour through and retains the fine flour). The Talmud's typology of learners corresponds to Jesus's typology of hearers, both built on agricultural metaphors common in the land of Israel.

• The parable of the lamp under a basket — "Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed?" — parallels the Talmudic teaching in Shabbat 22a about the Hanukkah menorah, which must be placed where it can be seen by the public (pirsumei nisa — publicizing the miracle). The Talmud in Megillah 14a teaches that prophets who received a message relevant to all generations were obligated to make it public. The rabbinic principle of publicizing holiness matches Jesus's metaphor.

• "To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables" echoes the Talmudic distinction between nigleh (revealed Torah) and nistar (hidden Torah) in Chagigah 13a, where the deepest teachings — ma'aseh merkavah and ma'aseh bereishit — are restricted to qualified students. The Talmud in Sukkah 28a lists knowledge of parables (meshalot) as one of the highest scholarly achievements. Concealing wisdom in parable form is a Talmudic pedagogical strategy, not a rejection.

• The parable of the seed growing secretly — the farmer sleeps and rises while the seed sprouts on its own — mirrors the Talmudic concept of divine involvement operating beyond human perception. Taanit 2a teaches that three keys were retained by God alone: rain, childbirth, and resurrection of the dead. The Talmud in Berakhot 60b teaches that one who plants trusts in "the Life of the Worlds" for growth. The parable captures the Talmudic tension between human effort and divine causation.

• Jesus calming the storm with "Peace, be still" evokes the Talmudic association of shalom (peace) with God's name (Shabbat 10b: "Shalom is the name of the Holy One, blessed be He"). The Talmud in Bava Metzia 59b records supernatural events responding to righteous speech, and Berakhot 54a requires a blessing upon witnessing sites of past miracles. The disciples' awe — "Who is this that even the wind and sea obey?" — mirrors the Talmudic response to extraordinary demonstrations of divine authority.

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