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the Week of Proper 6 / Ordinary 11
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Lexham English Bible

Mark 4:26

And he said, "The kingdom of God is like this: like a man scatters seed on the ground.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Church;   Jesus, the Christ;   Jesus Continued;   Kingdom of Heaven;   Regeneration;   Sermon;   Symbols and Similitudes;   Word of God;   Thompson Chain Reference - Kingdom, Similitudes of;   Parables;   Similitudes;   Truth;   The Topic Concordance - Kingdom of God;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Emblems of the Holy Spirit, the;   Parables;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Parable;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Kingdom of god;   Parables;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Christ, Christology;   Kingdom of God;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Mark, the Gospel According to;   Nicodemus;   Parable;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Mark, the Gospel of;   Messianic Secret;   Parables;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Kingdom of God;   Mark, Gospel According to;   Parable;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Character;   Discourse;   Doctrines;   Husbandman ;   Kingdom Kingdom of God;   Kingdom of God (or Heaven);   Lord's Prayer (Ii);   Mark, Gospel According to;   Mission;   Nature and Natural Phenomena;   Parousia (2);   Physical ;   Progress;   Prophet;   Science (2);   Seed;   Seed (2);   Seventy (2);   Social Life;   Tares ;   Teaching of Jesus;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Chief parables and miracles in the bible;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Jesus of Nazareth;   Kingdom or Church of Christ, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Jesus Christ (Part 1 of 2);   Kingdom of God (of Heaven), the;   Mark, the Gospel According to;   Parable;   Providence;   Seed;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - New Testament;  

Devotionals:

- Daily Light on the Daily Path - Devotion for October 12;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“The kingdom of God
King James Version (1611)
And he said, So is the kingdome of God, as if a man should cast seede into the ground,
King James Version
And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;
English Standard Version
And he said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground.
New American Standard Bible
And He was saying, "The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil;
New Century Version
Then Jesus said, "The kingdom of God is like someone who plants seed in the ground.
Amplified Bible
Then He said, "The kingdom of God is like a man who throws seed on the ground;
New American Standard Bible (1995)
And He was saying, "The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil;
Legacy Standard Bible
And He was saying, "The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil;
Berean Standard Bible
Jesus also said, "The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed on the ground.
Contemporary English Version
Again Jesus said: God's kingdom is like what happens when a farmer scatters seed in a field.
Complete Jewish Bible
And he said, "The Kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed on the ground.
Darby Translation
And he said, Thus is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast the seed upon the earth,
Easy-to-Read Version
Then Jesus said, "God's kingdom is like a man who plants seed in the ground.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Also he said, So is the kingdome of God, as if a man should cast seede in the ground,
George Lamsa Translation
And he said, Such is the kingdom of God, like a man who casts seed in the ground.
Good News Translation
Jesus went on to say, "The Kingdom of God is like this. A man scatters seed in his field.
Literal Translation
And He said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed on the earth,
American Standard Version
And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed upon the earth;
Bible in Basic English
And he said, Such is the kingdom of God, as if a man put seed in the earth,
Hebrew Names Version
He said, "So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed on the eretz,
International Standard Version
He was also saying, "The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seeds on the ground.Matthew 13:24;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as a man who shall cast seed into the earth;
Murdock Translation
And he said: So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground,
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And he sayde, so is the kyngdome of God: euen as yf a man shoulde sowe seede in the grounde,
English Revised Version
And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed upon the earth;
World English Bible
He said, "So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed on the earth,
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground,
Weymouth's New Testament
Another saying of His was this: "The Kingdom of God is as if a man scattered seed over the ground:
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And he seide, So the kingdom of God is, as if a man caste seede in to the erthe,
Update Bible Version
And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed on the earth;
Webster's Bible Translation
And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;
New English Translation
He also said, "The kingdom of God is like someone who spreads seed on the ground.
New King James Version
And He said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground,
New Living Translation
Jesus also said, "The Kingdom of God is like a farmer who scatters seed on the ground.
New Life Bible
He said, "The holy nation of God is like a man who plants seed in the ground.
New Revised Standard
He also said, "The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground,
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And he was saying - Thus, is the kingdom of God: As a man may cast seed upon the earth,
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he said: So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the earth,
Revised Standard Version
And he said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed upon the ground,
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And he sayde: so is the kyngdome of God even as yf a man shuld sowe seed in ye groude
Young's Literal Translation
And he said, `Thus is the reign of God: as if a man may cast the seed on the earth,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And he sayde: The kyngdome of God is after this maner, as when a man casteth sede vpon the londe,
Mace New Testament (1729)
Again, he said, the state of the gospel is like that of the grain, which a man sows in his land:
THE MESSAGE
Then Jesus said, "God's kingdom is like seed thrown on a field by a man who then goes to bed and forgets about it. The seed sprouts and grows—he has no idea how it happens. The earth does it all without his help: first a green stem of grass, then a bud, then the ripened grain. When the grain is fully formed, he reaps—harvest time!
Simplified Cowboy Version
Jesus also told them, "God's Green Pasture is like a farmer that plants seeds in a field.

Contextual Overview

21 And he said to them, "Surely a lamp is not brought so that it may be put under a bushel basket or under a bed, is it? Is it not so that it may be put on a lampstand? 22 For nothing is secret except so that it may be revealed, nor has become hidden except so that it will come to light. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!" 24 And he said to them, "Take care what you hear! With the measure by which you measure out, it will be measured out to you, and will be added to you. 25 For whoever has, more will be given to him, and whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him." 26 And he said, "The kingdom of God is like this: like a man scatters seed on the ground. 27 And he sleeps and gets up, night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows—he does not know how. 28 By itself the soil produces a crop: first the grass, then the head of grain, then the full grain in the head. 29 But when the crop permits, he sends in the sickle right away, because the harvest has come." 30 And he said, "With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or by what parable can we present it?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

So: Matthew 3:2, Matthew 4:17, Matthew 13:11, Matthew 13:31, Matthew 13:33, Luke 13:18

as: Mark 4:3, Mark 4:4, Mark 4:14-20, Proverbs 11:18, Ecclesiastes 11:4, Ecclesiastes 11:6, Isaiah 28:24-26, Isaiah 32:20, Matthew 13:3, Matthew 13:24, Luke 8:5, Luke 8:11, John 4:36-38, John 12:24, 1 Corinthians 3:6-9, James 3:18, 1 Peter 1:23-25

Reciprocal: Isaiah 61:11 - as the earth Matthew 13:26 - General John 3:8 - so 1 Corinthians 3:9 - ye are God's 1 Corinthians 15:38 - General Colossians 1:6 - bringeth

Cross-References

Genesis 4:14
Look, you have driven me out today from the face of the ground, and from your face I must hide. I will be a wanderer and a fugitive on the earth, and it will happen that whoever finds me will kill me."
Genesis 4:15
Then Yahweh said to him, "Therefore, whoever kills Cain will be avenged sevenfold." Then Yahweh put a sign on Cain so that whoever found him would not kill him.
Genesis 4:17
And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch. And when he built a city he named the city after his son, Enoch.
Genesis 4:18
And to Enoch was born Irad, and Irad fathered Mehujael, and Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushael fathered Lamech.
Genesis 12:8
And he moved on from there to the hill country, east of Bethel. And he pitched his tent at Bethel on the west, and at Ai on the east. And he built an altar there to Yahweh. And he called on the name of Yahweh.
Genesis 26:25
And he built an altar there and called on the name of Yahweh. And he pitched his tent there, and the servants of Isaac dug a well there.
1 Kings 18:24
Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of Yahweh, and it shall be that the god who answers by fire, he is God." Then all the people answered and said, "The word is good!"
Psalms 116:17
I will offer to you a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and proclaim the name of Yahweh.
Isaiah 44:5
This one will say, ‘I belong to Yahweh!' And that one will be called by the name of Jacob, and another will write on his hand ‘Yahweh's' and take the name of Israel."
Isaiah 48:1
Hear this, house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel and came out from the waters of Judah, who swear by the name of Yahweh, and invoke the God of Israel, but not in truth and not in righteousness.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he said,.... He went on saying the following parable, which was delivered at the same time that the parable of the sower was, though omitted by Matthew; and is here placed between that, and the other concerning the grain of mustard seed; which shows the time when it was spoken. The design of it is to set forth the nature of the word, and the ministration of it; the conduct of the ministers of the Gospel, when they have dispensed it; the imperceptibleness of its springing and growth; the fruitfulness of it, when it has taken root, without the help of man; the gradual increase of grace under the instrumentality of the word; and the gathering of gracious souls, when grace is brought to maturity:

so is the kingdom of God; such is the nature of the Gospel dispensation; and such are the things that are done in it, as may fitly be represented by the following;

as if a man should cast seed into the ground: by "the man", is not meant Christ, for he sleeps not; and besides, he knows how the seed springs and grows; but any Gospel minister, who is sent forth by Christ, bearing precious seed: and by seed is intended, not gracious persons, the children of the kingdom, as in the parable of the tares; nor the grace of God in them, though that is an incorruptible and an abiding seed; but the word of God, or Gospel of Christ, so called for its smallness, the diminutive character it bears, and contempt it is had in by some; and for its choiceness and excellency in itself, and in the account of others; and for its generative virtue under a divine influence: for the Gospel is like the manna, which was a small round thing, as a coriander seed; and as that was contemptible in the eyes of the Israelites, so the preaching of the Gospel is, to them that perish, foolishness; and yet it is choice and precious seed in itself, and to those who know the value of it, by whom it is preferred to thousands of gold and silver; and, as worthless and unpromising as it may seem to be, it has a divine virtue put into it; and, under the influence of powerful and efficacious grace, it is the means of regenerating souls, and produces fruit in them, which will remain unto everlasting life: though, as the seed is of no use this way, unless it is sown in the earth, and covered there; so is the Gospel of no use for regeneration, unless it is by the power of God let into the heart, and received there, where, through that power, it works effectually. By "casting" it into the earth, the preaching of the word is designed; which, like casting seed into the earth, is done with the same sort of seed only, and not with different sorts, with plenty of it, and at the proper time, whatever discouragements there may be, and with great skill and judgment, committing it to God to raise it up again: for the faithful dispensers of the word do not spread divers and strange doctrines; their ministry is all of apiece; they always sow the same like precious seed, without any mixture of the tares of error and heresy; and they do not deal it out in a narrow and niggardly way; they do not restrain and conceal any part of truth, but plentifully distribute it, and declare the whole counsel of God; and though there may be many discouragements attend them, many temptations arise to put off from sowing the word; the weather bad, storms and tempests arise, reproaches and persecutions come thick and fast, still they go on; using all that heavenly skill, prudence, and discretion God has given them, preaching the word in season, and out of season; and when they have done, they leave their work with the Lord, knowing that Paul may plant, and Apollos water, but it is God only that gives the increase: and by the "ground", into which it is cast, As meant the hearers of the word, who are of different sorts; some like the way side, others like the stony ground, and others like the thorny earth, and some like good ground, as here; whose hearts are broke up by the Spirit of God, the stoniness of them taken away, and they made susceptive of the good word.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

So is the kingdom of God - The gospel, or religion in the soul, may be compared to this. See the notes at Matthew 3:2. This parable is recorded only by Mark.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 26. So is the kingdom of God — This parable is mentioned only by Mark, a proof that Mark did not abridge Matthew. Whitby supposes it to refer to the good ground spoken of before, and paraphrases is thus: - "What I have said of the seed sown upon good ground, may be illustrated by this parable. The doctrine of the kingdom, received in a good and honest heart, is like seed sown by a man in his ground, properly prepared to receive it; for when he hath sown it, he sleeps and wakes day after day, and, looking on it, he sees it spring and grow up through the virtue of the earth in which it is sown, though he knows not how it doth so; and when he finds it ripe, he reaps it, and so receives the benefit of the sown seed. So is it here: the seed sown in the good and honest heart brings forth fruit with patience; and this fruit daily increaseth, though we know not how the Word and Spirit work that increase; and then Christ the husbandman, at the time of the harvest, gathers in this good seed into the kingdom of heaven." I see no necessity of inquiring how Christ may be said to sleep and rise night and day; Christ being like to this husbandman only in sowing and reaping the seed.


 
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