Skip to content
mannafest.faith
Read

Mark 4:13

in Mark 4

Then Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables?

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And he saith unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how shall ye know all the parables?

KJV

And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?

⋯

This verse in Mark 4

Commentary

8 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

Know ye not this parable? - The scope and design of which is so very obvious. How then will ye know all parables? - Of which mode of teaching ye should be perfect masters, in order that ye may be able successfully to teach others. This verse is not found in any of the other evangelists.

This site's exposition

Do you not understand this parable

on Mark 4:13-14

Jesus treats the sower as the key parable, asking how will you understand any of the parables. The farmer sows the word, so the seed is named once, and each soil describes a hearer.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers1 voice

A commentator

Pseudo-Chrysostom

Catena Aurea by Aquinas · Written before 500.

proposed

(Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.) But His speaking to them only in parables, and yet not leaving off speaking to them entirely, shows that to those who are placed near to what is good, though they may have no good in themselves, still good is shown disguised. But when a man approaches it with reverence and a right heart, he wins for himself an abundant revelation of mysteries; when on the contrary his thoughts are not sound, he will be neither made worthy of those things which are easy to many men, nor even of hearing them.

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

If ye receive not this, ye will not know how to use the key by which ye must be let into all the rest." If we understand not the rules we are to observe in order to our profiting by the word, how shall we profit by any other rule? Observe, Before Christ expounds the parable, [1.] He shows them how sad their case was, who were not let into the meaning of the doctrine of Christ;

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes

And he saith unto them, know ye not this parable?.... So easy to be understood, taken from things common, and which fall under every one's observation: and how then will you know all parables? if not this single one, and which is so plain, how will ye be able to understand the numerous parables hereafter to be related, and which will be much more difficult?

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?--Probably this was said not so much in the spirit of rebuke, as to call their attention to the exposition of it which He was about to give, and so train them to the right apprehension of His future parables.
These verses contain the parable of the sower. Of all the parables spoken by our Lord, none is probably so well-known as this. There is none which is so easily understood by all, from the gracious familiarity of the figures which it contains. There is none which is of such universal and perpetual application. So long as there is a Church of Christ and a congregation of Christians, so long there will be employment for this parable. The language of the parable requires no explanation. To use the words of an ancient writer, "it needs application, not exposition."
1 more voice on this verse

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

These verses contain the parable of the sower. Of all the parables spoken by our Lord, none is probably so well-known as this. There is none which is so easily understood by all, from the gracious familiarity of the figures which it contains. There is none which is of such universal and perpetual application. So long as there is a Church of Christ and a congregation of Christians, so long there will be employment for this parable. The language of the parable requires no explanation. To use the words of an ancient writer, "it needs application, not exposition." Let us now see what it teaches. We are taught, in the first place, that there are some hearers of the Gospel, whose hearts are like the wayside in a field . These are they who hear sermons, but pay no attention to them. They go to a place of worship, for form or fashion, or to appear respectable before men. But they take no interest whatever in the preaching. It seems to them a mere matter of words and names, and unintelligible talk. It is neither money, nor food, nor drink, nor clothes, nor company; and as they sit under the sound of it, they are taken up with thinking of other things. It matters nothing whether it is Law or Gospel. It produces no more effect on them than water on a stone. And at the end they go away, knowing no more than when they came in. There are myriads of professing Christians in this state of soul. There is hardly a church or chapel, where scores of them are not to be found. Sunday after Sunday they allow the devil to catch away the good seed that is sown on the surface of their hearts. Week after week they live on, without faith, or fear, or knowledge, or grace — feeling nothing, caring nothing, taking no more interest in religion, than if Christ had never died on the cross at all. And in this state they often die and are buried, and are lost forever in hell.

The words behind it

14 Greek words

Every Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

16 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Matthew 13:3And He told them many things in parables, saying, “A farmer went out to sow his seed.6 worksRevelation 3:19Those I love, I rebuke and discipline. Therefore be earnest and repent.5 worksJohn 16:25I have spoken these things to you in figures of speech. An hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you this way, but will tell you plainly about the Father.5 works1 Corinthians 3:1–2Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual, but as worldly—as infants in Christ.4 worksHebrews 5:11–14We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain, because you are dull of hearing.4 worksMatthew 13:51–52Have you understood all these things?” “Yes,” they answered.4 works
The other 10 cross-references, with their words ▾
Matthew 15:15–17Peter said to Him, “Explain this parable to us.”4 worksMark 7:17–18After Jesus had left the crowd and gone into the house, His disciples inquired about the parable.4 worksMatthew 16:8–9Aware of their conversation, Jesus said, “You of little faith, why are you debating among yourselves about having no bread?4 worksLuke 24:25Then Jesus said to them, “O foolish ones, how slow are your hearts to believe all that the prophets have spoken!4 worksMatthew 13:18–23Consider, then, the parable of the sower:4 worksLuke 8:11–15Now this is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God.4 worksMark 7:18“Are you still so dull?” He asked. “Do you not understand? Nothing that enters a man from the outside can defile him,4 worksZechariah 4:5“Do you not know what they are?” replied the angel. “No, my lord,” I answered.3 worksEzekiel 17:12“Now say to this rebellious house: ‘Do you not know what these things mean?’ Tell them, ‘Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, carried off its king and officials, and brought them back with him to Babylon.2 worksJohn 13:12When Jesus had washed their feet and put on His outer garments, He reclined with them again and asked, “Do you know what I have done for you?0 works

The walk

5 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Revelation 3:19

    Those I love, I rebuke and discipline. Therefore be earnest and repent.

    it leads to

    • Proverbs 3:11–12

      My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD, and do not loathe His rebuke;

    • 1 Corinthians 11:32

      But when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.

    • Hebrews 12:5–11

      And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you.

    • Job 5:17

      Blessed indeed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.

    • Revelation 2:5

      Therefore, keep in mind how far you have fallen. Repent and perform the deeds you did at first. But if you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from…

Where this verse is studied

About Mark

Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee, Rembrandt, 1633, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Public domain.
Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee, Rembrandt, 1633, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Public domain.
Mark: the study guide →Read Mark 4 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, Mark; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Pseudo-Chrysostom, Catena Aurea by Aquinas.

Read on in Mark 4 →