Lectionary Calendar
Sunday, August 3rd, 2025
the Week of Proper 13 / Ordinary 18
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Read the Bible

Literal Standard Version

Mark 4:4

and it came to pass, in the sowing, some fell by the way, and the birds of the sky came and devoured it;

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Jesus, the Christ;   Jesus Continued;   Minister, Christian;   Perseverance;   Sermon;   Sower;   Word of God;   The Topic Concordance - Bearing Fruit;   Word of God;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Apocalyptic;   Christ, Christology;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Allegory;   Mark, the Gospel of;   Sower;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Animals;   Discourse;   Doctrines;   Ear (2);   Field;   Fowl;   Husbandman ;   Nature and Natural Phenomena;   Parable;   Physical ;   Premeditation;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Chief parables and miracles in the bible;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Fell;   Fowl;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Jesus of Nazareth;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Birds;   Fowl;   Mark, the Gospel According to;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - New Testament;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
As he sowed, some seed fell along the path,
King James Version (1611)
And it came to passe as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the foules of the aire came, & deuoured it vp.
King James Version
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.
English Standard Version
And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.
New American Standard Bible
as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up.
New Century Version
While he was planting, some seed fell by the road, and the birds came and ate it up.
Amplified Bible
and as he was sowing, some seed fell by the road, and the birds came and ate it up.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up.
Legacy Standard Bible
and it happened that as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up.
Berean Standard Bible
And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.
Contemporary English Version
While the farmer was scattering the seed, some of it fell along the road and was eaten by birds.
Complete Jewish Bible
As he sowed, some seed fell alongside the path; and the birds came and ate it up.
Darby Translation
And it came to pass as he sowed, one fell by the wayside, and the birds came and devoured it.
Easy-to-Read Version
While he was scattering the seed, some of it fell by the road. The birds came and ate all that seed.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And it came to passe as he sowed, that some fell by the way side, and the foules of the heauen came, and deuoured it vp.
George Lamsa Translation
And when he had sown, some fell on the roadside, and the fowls came and ate it.
Good News Translation
As he scattered the seed in the field, some of it fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.
Lexham English Bible
And it happened that while he was sowing, some seed fell on the side of the path, and the birds came and devoured it.
Literal Translation
And as he sowed, it happened that one indeed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the heaven came and devoured it.
American Standard Version
and it came to pass, as he sowed, some seed fell by the way side, and the birds came and devoured it.
Bible in Basic English
And while he was doing it, some was dropped by the wayside, and the birds came and took it for food.
Hebrew Names Version
and it happened, as he sowed, some seed fell by the road, and the birds came and devoured it.
International Standard Version
As he was sowing, some seeds fell along the path, and birds came and ate them up.
Etheridge Translation
and as he sowed, some fell by the way-side, [fn] and the fowl came and devoured it.
Murdock Translation
And as he sowed, some [fn] fell on the side of the path; and a bird came, and devoured it.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And it fortuned as he sowed, that some fell by the way syde, and the fowles of the ayre came, and deuoured it vp.
English Revised Version
and it came to pass, as he sowed, some seed fell by the way side, and the birds came and devoured it.
World English Bible
and it happened, as he sowed, some seed fell by the road, and the birds came and devoured it.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And as he sowed, some fell by the way-side, and the birds of the air came and devoured it.
Weymouth's New Testament
As he sows, some of the seed falls by the way-side, and the birds come and peck it up.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the while he sowith, summe seed felde aboute the weie, and briddis of heuene camen, and eeten it.
Update Bible Version
and it came to pass, as he sowed, some [seed] fell by the wayside, and the birds came and devoured it.
Webster's Bible Translation
And it came to pass as he sowed, some fell by the way-side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it.
New English Translation
And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.
New King James Version
And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air [fn] came and devoured it.
New Living Translation
As he scattered it across his field, some of the seed fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate it.
New Life Bible
As he planted the seed, some fell by the side of the road. Birds came and ate them.
New Revised Standard
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And it came to pass, as he sowed, some, indeed, fell by the pathway, and the birds came, and devoured it;
Douay-Rheims Bible
And whilst he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the birds of the air came and ate it up.
Revised Standard Version
And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And it fortuned as he sowed that some fell by the waye syde and the fowles of the ayre came and devoured it vp.
Young's Literal Translation
and it came to pass, in the sowing, some fell by the way, and the fowls of the heaven did come and devour it;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
& it happened whyle he was sowinge, that some fell by the waye syde. Then came the foules vnder the heauen, and ate it vp.
Mace New Testament (1729)
some of the seed happened to fall by the wayside, which the birds light upon, and devoured.
Simplified Cowboy Version
As he planted, some of the seeds fell on the road, and the birds ate it all up.

Contextual Overview

1And again He began to teach by the sea, and there was gathered to 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 allegories, and He said to them in His teaching: 3"Listen, behold, the sower went forth to sow; 4and it came to pass, in the sowing, some fell by the way, and the birds of the sky came and devoured it;5and other fell on the rocky ground, where it did not have much earth, and immediately it sprang forth, because of having no depth of earth, 6and the sun having risen, it was scorched, and because of having no root it withered; 7and other fell toward the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it gave no fruit; 8and other fell to the good ground, and was giving fruit, coming up and increasing, and it was bearing, one thirty-fold, and one sixty, and one a hundred." 9And He said to them, "He who is having ears to hear—let him hear." 10And when He was alone, those around Him, with the Twelve, asked Him of the allegory,

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Mark 4:15, Genesis 15:11, Matthew 13:4, Matthew 13:19, Luke 8:5, Luke 8:12

Reciprocal: Mark 4:26 - as

Cross-References

Genesis 4:16
And Cain goes out from before YHWH, and dwells in the land, moving about east of Eden;
Genesis 4:17
and Cain knows his wife, and she conceives, and bears Enoch; and he is building a city, and he calls the name of the city, according to the name of his son—Enoch.
Genesis 4:19
And Lamech takes to himself two wives, the name of the first Adah, and the name of the second Zillah.
Genesis 4:20
And Adah bears Jabal, he has been father of those inhabiting tents and [having] purchased livestock;
Genesis 15:17
And it comes to pass—the sun has gone in, and thick darkness has been and behold, a furnace of smoke, and a lamp of fire, which has passed over between those pieces.
Exodus 13:12
that you have caused everyone opening a womb to pass over to YHWH, and every firstling—the increase of beasts which you have: the males [are] YHWH's.
Leviticus 9:24
and fire comes out from before YHWH, and consumes the burnt-offering and the fat on the altar; and all the people see, and cry aloud, and fall on their faces.
Numbers 16:35
and fire has come out from YHWH and consumes the two hundred and fifty men bringing the incense near.
Numbers 18:12
all the best of the oil, and all the best of the new wine, and wheat—their first-[fruits] which they give to YHWH—I have given them to you.
Numbers 18:17
Only, the firstling of a cow, or the firstling of a sheep, or the firstling of a goat, you do not ransom, they [are] holy: you sprinkle their blood on the altar, and you make incense of their fat [as] a fire-offering of refreshing fragrance to YHWH;

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And it came to pass, as he sowed,.... Whilst he was preaching the, Gospel, casting about the precious seed of the word, he was laden with:

some fell by the way side; the common beaten path: the word was dispensed among some men comparable to it, on whom it lighted, but made no impression; there it lay, though not long, and was not inwardly received, and took no root, and consequently was of no effect:

and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up; the devils, who have their abode in the air, especially the prince of the posse of them; and the Syriac version reads it in the singular number, "and the fowl came"; that ravenous bird of prey, Satan, who goes about seeking what he may devour; and for this purpose attends where the word is preached, to hinder its usefulness as much as in him lies.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See the parable of the sower explained in the notes at Matthew 13:1-9.

See the parable of the sower explained in the notes at Matthew 13:1-9.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Mark 4:4. The fowls — του ουρανου, of the air, is the common reading; but it should be omitted, on the authority of nine uncial MSS., upwards of one hundred others, and almost all the versions. Bengel and Griesbach have left it out of the text. It seems to have been inserted in Mark, from Luke 8:5.


 
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