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Mark 4:8

in Mark 4

Still other seed fell on good soil, where it sprouted, grew up, and produced a crop—one bearing thirtyfold, another sixtyfold, and another a hundredfold.”

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And others fell into the good ground, and yielded fruit, growing up and increasing; and brought forth, thirtyfold, and sixtyfold, and a hundredfold.

KJV

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.

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This verse in Mark 4

Commentary

10 notes on this verse
Observe therefore, that just as Christ described three degrees of loss, so similarly the degrees of success are equal in number. For those seeds that fall upon the pathway are snatched away by the birds: and those upon the rocks, having merely shot up, within a little while wither away: and those among the thorns are choked. But that desirable land brings forth fruit in three several degrees, as I said: a hundred, sixty, and thirtyfold.

This site's exposition

Other seed fell among thorns

on Mark 4:7-8

Thorns grow in the same soil as the grain and choke it slowly, and the seed yielded no crop. Seed on good soil produced a crop at three rising rates, thirty, sixty, and a hundred.

This site's exposition

thirtyfold, another sixtyfold, and another a hundredfold

Cyril of Alexandria notes that the three kinds of loss are matched by three levels of harvest. John Chrysostom explains the different yields by the readiness of each soil. Good ground varies too.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers2 voices

A commentator

Pseudo-Clement

Recognitions (Book IV) · Written before 400.

proposed

Be this therefore the first step to you of three; which step brings forth thirty commands, and the second sixty, and the third a hundred, as we shall expound more fully to you at another time.

A commentator

John Chrysostom

THE GOSPEL OF ST MATTHEW, HOMILY 44.6 · Written before 407.

proposed

Why did one soil bear a hundred, one sixty, one thirty? The difference is the readiness of the ground, for even where the ground is good, differences remain in the readiness of soils. The fault lies not in the farmer or the seed, but in the condition of the land itself, its disposition to receive.

The Medieval Church2 voices

A commentator

Theophylact of Ohrid

Catena Aurea by Aquinas · Written before 1107.

proposed

See also how the bad are the greatest number, and the few are those who are saved, for the fourth part of the ground is found to be saved.

A commentator

Theophylact of Ohrid

Commentary on Mark · Written before 1107.

proposed

But the fourth seed fell on good ground. So observe how rare goodness is and how few are being saved! Only a fourth part of the seed proved to have survived!

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

And other fell on good ground,....
2 more voices on this verse

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

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.
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."

The words behind it

24 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

18 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.

Genesis 26:12Now Isaac sowed seed in the land, and that very year he reaped a hundredfold. And the LORD blessed him,19 worksMark 4:20Still others are like the seeds sown on good soil. They hear the word, receive it, and produce a crop—thirtyfold, sixtyfold, or a hundredfold.”10 worksJohn 15:5I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.8 worksColossians 1:6that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood the grace of God.6 worksActs 17:11Now the Bereans were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true.3 worksJeremiah 23:29“Is not My word like fire,” declares the LORD, “and like a hammer that smashes a rock?”3 works
The other 12 cross-references, with their words ▾
Matthew 13:8Still other seed fell on good soil and produced a crop—a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold.3 works1 Peter 2:1–3Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander.3 worksLuke 8:8Still other seed fell on good soil, where it sprang up and produced a crop—a hundredfold.” As Jesus said this, He called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”3 worksJohn 1:12–13But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God—2 worksJames 1:19–22My beloved brothers, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger,2 worksJohn 3:19–21And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil.2 worksHebrews 4:1–2Therefore, while the promise of entering His rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be deemed to have fallen short of it.2 worksMatthew 13:23But the seed sown on good soil is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and produces a crop—a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold.”2 worksIsaiah 58:1“Cry aloud, do not hold back! Raise your voice like a ram’s horn. Declare to My people their transgression and to the house of Jacob their sins.2 worksLuke 8:15But the seeds on good soil are those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, cling to it, and by persevering produce a crop.2 worksJohn 7:17If anyone desires to do His will, he will know whether My teaching is from God or whether I speak on My own.2 worksPhilippians 1:11filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.2 works

The walk

8 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

    John 15:5

    I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.

    it leads to

    • Colossians 1:10

      so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • John 15:16

      You did not choose Me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will remain—so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Philippians 4:13

      I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.

    • Galatians 5:22

      But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

    • Proverbs 11:30

      The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.

  • Through

    Acts 17:11

    Now the Bereans were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true.

    it leads to

    • Isaiah 34:16

      Search and read the scroll of the LORD: Not one of these will go missing, not one will lack her mate, because He has ordered it by His mouth, and He will gather them…

    • Proverbs 2:1–5

      My son, if you accept my words and hide my commandments within you,

    • John 5:39

      You pore over the Scriptures because you presume that by them you possess eternal life. These are the very words that testify about Me,

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 9 works. Open the list of works

This page draws on Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on the Gospel of Luke, Sermon 41; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); John Chrysostom, THE GOSPEL OF ST MATTHEW, HOMILY 44.6; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Pseudo-Clement, Recognitions (Book IV); Theophylact of Ohrid, Catena Aurea by Aquinas and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Mark.

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