Mark 4:29

Revised Standard Version

But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
As soon as the crop is ready, he sends for the sickle,

King James Version (1611)
But when the fruite is brought foorth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the haruest is come.

King James Version
But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.

English Standard Version
But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."

New American Standard Bible
"Now when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."

New Century Version
When the grain is ready, the farmer cuts it, because this is the harvest time."

Amplified Bible
"But when the crop ripens, he immediately puts in the sickle [to reap], because [the time for] the harvest has come."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."

Legacy Standard Bible
But when the grain is ripe, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."

Berean Standard Bible
And as soon as the grain is ripe, he swings the sickle, because the harvest has come."

Contemporary English Version
Then when harvest season comes and the grain is ripe, the farmer cuts it with a sickle.

Complete Jewish Bible
But as soon as the crop is ready, the man comes with his sickle, because it's harvest-time."

Darby Translation
But when the fruit is produced, immediately he sends the sickle, for the harvest is come.

Easy-to-Read Version
When the grain is ready, the man cuts it. This is the harvest time."

Geneva Bible (1587)
And assoone as the fruite sheweth it selfe, anon hee putteth in the sickle, because the haruest is come.

George Lamsa Translation
But when the fruit is ripe, then immediately comes the sickle, because the harvest is ready.

Good News Translation
When the grain is ripe, the man starts cutting it with his sickle, because harvest time has come.

Lexham English Bible
But when the crop permits, he sends in the sickle right away, because the harvest has come."

Literal Translation
And when the fruit yields, immediately he "sends forth the sickle, for the harvest has come." Joel 3:13

American Standard Version
But when the fruit is ripe, straightway he putteth forth the sickle, because the harvest is come.

Bible in Basic English
But when the grain is ready, he quickly sends men to get it cut, because the time for cutting has come.

Hebrew Names Version
But when the fruit is ripe, immediately he puts forth the sickle, because the harvest has come."

International Standard Version
But when the grain is ripe, he swings his sickle immediately because the harvest time has come."Revelation 14:15;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
But when the fruit is mature, immediately cometh the sickle, because the harvest is come.

Murdock Translation
And when the fruit is ripe, immediately cometh the sickle, because the harvest hath arrived.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
But when the fruite is brought foorth, anone he thrusteth in the sickle, because the haruest is come.

English Revised Version
But when the fruit is ripe, straightway he putteth forth the sickle, because the harvest is come.

World English Bible
But when the fruit is ripe, immediately he puts forth the sickle, because the harvest has come."

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.

Weymouth's New Testament
But no sooner is the crop ripe, than he sends the reapers, because the time of harvest has come."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And whanne of it silf it hath brouyt forth fruyt, anoon he sendith a sikil, for repyng tyme is come.

Update Bible Version
But when the fruit is ripe, right away he puts forth the sickle, because the harvest has come.

Webster's Bible Translation
But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.

New English Translation
And when the grain is ripe, he sends in the sickle because the harvest has come."

New King James Version
But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."

New Living Translation
And as soon as the grain is ready, the farmer comes and harvests it with a sickle, for the harvest time has come."

New Life Bible
As soon as the grain is ready, he cuts it. The time of gathering the grain has come."

New Revised Standard
But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
but, as soon as the fruit yieldeth itself up, straightway, he sendeth forth the sickle, because standing by is the harvest. -

Douay-Rheims Bible
And when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And as sone as the frute is brought forth anone he throusteth in ye sykell because the hervest is come.

Young's Literal Translation
and whenever the fruit may yield itself, immediately he doth send forth the sickle, because the harvest hath come.'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But whan she hath brought forth the frute, he putteth to the syckell, because the haruest is come.

Mace New Testament (1729)
but as soon as the fruit is ripe, the sickle is applied, because the harvest is come.

Simplified Cowboy Version
And finally, the grain is ready for harvest. Then the farmer comes and cuts the wheat with a sickle."

Contextual Overview

²¹ And he said to them, "Is a lamp brought in to be put under a bushel, or under a bed, and not on a stand? ²² For there is nothing hid, except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret, except to come to light. ²³ If any man has ears to hear, let him hear." ²⁴ And he said to them, "Take heed what you hear; the measure you give will be the measure you get, and still more will be given you. ²⁵ For to him who has will more be given; and from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away." ²⁶ And he said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed upon the ground, ²⁷ and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he knows not how. ²⁸ The earth produces of itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. ²⁹ But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come." ³⁰ And he said, "With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

brought forth: or, ripe, Job 5:26, 2 Timothy 4:7, 2 Timothy 4:8

he putteth: Isaiah 57:1, Isaiah 57:2, Joel 3:13, Matthew 13:30, Matthew 13:40-43, Revelation 14:13-17

Reciprocal: Revelation 14:14 - a sharp

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But when the fruit is brought forth,.... Unto perfection, and is fully ripe; signifying that when grace is brought to maturity, and faith is performed with power, and the good work begun is perfected; then, as the husbandman,

immediately he putteth the sickle; and cuts it down, and gathers it in;

because the harvest is come; at death or at the end of the world, which the harvest represents: when all the elect of God are called by grace, and grace in them is brought to its perfection, and they have brought forth all the fruit they were ordained to bear, they will then be all gathered in; either by Christ himself who comes into his garden, and gathers his lilies by death; or by the angels, the reapers, at the close of time, who will gather the elect from the four winds; or the ministers of the Gospel, who shall come again with joy, bringing their sheaves with them; being able to observe with pleasure a greater increase, and more fruit of their labours, than they knew of, or expected.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Immediately he putteth in the sickle - This is the way with the farmer. As soon as the grain is ripe it is cut down. So it is often with the Christian. As soon as he is prepared for heaven he is taken there. But we are not to press this part of the parable, as if it meant that all are removed as soon as they are fit for heaven. Every parable contains circumstances thrown in to fill up the story, which cannot be literally interpreted. In this, the circumstance of sleeping and rising cannot be applied to Christ; and in like manner, the harvest, I suppose, is not to be literally interpreted. Perhaps the whole parable may be differently interpreted. The seed sown may mean the gospel which he was preaching. In Judea its beginnings were small; yet he would leave it, commit it to his disciples, and return to his Father. The gospel, in the meantime, left by him, would take root, spring up, and produce an abundant harvest. In due time he would return, send forth the angels, and gather in the harvest, and save his people forever. Compare the notes at Matthew 13:31-33.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Mark 4:29. He putteth in the sickle — αποστελλει, he sendeth out the sickle, i.e. the reapers; the instrument, by a metonomy, being put for the persons who use it. This is a common figure. It has been supposed that our Lord intimates here that, as soon as a soul is made completely holy, it is taken into the kingdom of God. But certainly the parable does not say so. When the corn is ripe, it is reaped for the benefit of him who sowed it; for it can be of little or no use till it be ripe: so when a soul is saved from all sin, it is capable of being fully employed in the work of the Lord: it is then, and not till then, fully fitted for the Master's use. God saves men to the uttermost, that they may here perfectly love him, and worthily magnify his name. To take them away the moment they are capable of doing this, would be, so far, to deprive the world and the Church of the manifestation of the glory of his grace. "But the text says, he immediately sendeth out the sickle; and this means that the person dies, and is taken into glory, as soon as he is fit for it." No, for there may be millions of cases, where, though to die would be gain, yet to live may be far better for the Church, and for an increase of the life of Christ to the soul. See Philippians 1:21; Philippians 1:24. Besides, if we attempt to make the parable speak here what seems to be implied in the letter, then we may say, with equal propriety, that Christ sleeps and wakes alternately; and that his own grace grows, he knows not how, in the heart in which he has planted it.

Verse Mark 4:27.

On these two parables we may remark: -

1. That a preacher is a person employed by God, and sent out to sow the good seed of his kingdom in the souls of men.

2. That it is a sin against God to stay in the field and not sow.

3. That it is a sin to pretend to sow, when a man is not furnished by the keeper of the granary with any more seed.

4. That it is a high offence against God to change the Master's seed, to mix it, or to sow bad seed in the place of it.

5. That he is not a seeds-man of God who desires to sow by the way side, c., and not on the proper ground, i.e. he who loves to preach only to genteel congregations, to people of sense and fashion, and feels it a pain and a cross to labour among the poor and the ignorant.

6. That he who sows with a simple, upright heart, the seed of his Master, shall (though some may be unfruitful) see the seed take deep root and, notwithstanding the unfaithfulness and sloth of many of his hearers, he shall doubtless come with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. See Quesnel.