KJV: And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;
YLT: And he said, 'Thus is the reign of God: as if a man may cast the seed on the earth,
Darby: And he said, Thus is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast the seed upon the earth,
ASV: And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed upon the earth;
| ἔλεγεν | He was saying |
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Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular Root: λέγω Sense: to speak, say. |
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| Οὕτως | Thus |
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Parse: Adverb Root: οὕτως Sense: in this manner, thus, so. |
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| βασιλεία | kingdom |
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Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular Root: βασιλεία Sense: royal power, kingship, dominion, rule. |
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| τοῦ | - |
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Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Singular Root: ὁ Sense: this, that, these, etc. |
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| Θεοῦ | of God |
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Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular Root: θεός Sense: a god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities. |
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| ἄνθρωπος | a man |
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Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular Root: ἄνθρωπος Sense: a human being, whether male or female. |
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| βάλῃ | should cast |
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Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Active, 3rd Person Singular Root: βάλλω Sense: to throw or let go of a thing without caring where it falls. |
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| σπόρον | seed |
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Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular Root: σπόρος Sense: a sowing. |
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| ἐπὶ | upon |
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Parse: Preposition Root: ἐπί Sense: upon, on, at, by, before. |
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| γῆς | earth |
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Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular Root: γῆ Sense: arable land. |
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Greek Commentary for Mark 4:26
Note ως hōs with the aorist subjunctive without αν an It is a supposable case and so the subjunctive and the aorist tense because a single instance. Blass considers this idiom “quite impossible,” but it is the true text here and makes good sense (Robertson, Grammar, p. 968). The more common idiom would have been ως εαν hōs ean (or αν an). [source]
Lit., should have cast, the aorist tense, followed by the presents sleep and rise ( καθεύδῃ and ἐγείρηται )The whole, literally, “As if a man should have cast seed into the ground, and should be sleeping and rising night and day.” The aorist tense indicates the single act of casting; the presents the repeated, continued sleeping and rising while the seed is growing. [source]
The seed; that particular seed which he had to sow. Such is the force of the article. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Mark 4:26
It was not the first time that Jesus had used parables, but the first time that he had spoken so many and some of such length. He will use a great many in the future as in Luke 12 to 18 and Matt. 24 and 25. The parables already mentioned in Matthew include the salt and the light (Matthew 5:13-16), the birds and the lilies (Matthew 6:26-30), the splinter and the beam in the eye (Matthew 7:3-5), the two gates (Matthew 7:13.), the wolves in sheep‘s clothing (Matthew 7:15), the good and bad trees (Matthew 7:17-19), the wise and foolish builders (Matthew 7:24-27), the garment and the wineskins (Matthew 9:16.), the children in the market places (Matthew 11:16.). It is not certain how many he spoke on this occasion. Matthew mentions eight in this chapter (the Sower, the Tares, the Mustard Seed, the Leaven, the Hid Treasure, the Pearl of Great Price, the Net, the Householder). Mark adds the Parable of the Lamp (Mark 4:21; Luke 8:16), the Parable of the Seed Growing of Itself (Mark 4:26-29), making ten of which we know. But both Mark (Mark 4:33) and Matthew (Matthew 13:34) imply that there were many others. “Without a parable spake he nothing unto them” (Matthew 13:34), on this occasion, we may suppose. The word parable There are parables in the Old Testament, in the Talmud, in sermons in all ages. But no one has spoken such parables as these of Jesus. They hold the mirror up to nature and, as all illustrations should do, throw light on the truth presented. The fable puts things as they are not in nature, Aesop‘s Fables, for instance. The parable may not be actual fact, but it could be so. It is harmony with the nature of the case. The allegory John does not use the word parable, but only παροιμια paroimia a saying by the way (John 10:6; John 16:25, John 16:29). As a rule the parables of Jesus illustrate one main point and the details are more or less incidental, though sometimes Jesus himself explains these. When he does not do so, we should be slow to interpret the minor details. Much heresy has come from fantastic interpretations of the parables. In the case of the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:3-8) we have also the careful exposition of the story by Jesus (Matthew 13:18-23) as well as the reason for the use of parables on this occasion by Jesus (Matthew 13:9-17). [source]
As in Mark 3:23, only here more extended parables. See notes in Matthew 13 for discussion concerning Christ‘s use of parables. Eight are given there, one (the Lamp both in Mark 4:21 and Luke 8:16 (both Sower and the Lamp in Luke), one alone in Mark 4:26-29 (seed growing of itself) not in Matthew or Luke, ten on this occasion. Only four are mentioned in Mark 4:1-34 (The Sower, the Lamp, the Seed Growing of Itself, the Mustard Seed). But Mark adds (Mark 4:34) “without a parable spake he not unto them,” clearly meaning that Jesus spoke many others on this occasion and Matt. after mentioning eight (Matthew 13:34) makes the same statement. Manifestly, therefore, Jesus spoke many parables on this day and all theories of exegesis or dispensations on the basis of the number of these kingdom parables are quite beside the mark. In beginning Jesus said:Hearken (Ακουετε Akouete). It is significant that even Jesus had to ask people to listen when he spoke. See also Mark 4:9. [source]
This rare verb (common in lxx) occurs in Lysias. It comes from μυκτηρ muktēr (nose) and means to turn the nose up at one. That is done towards God, but never without punishment, Paul means to say. In particular, he means “an evasion of his laws which men think to accomplish, but, in fact, cannot” (Burton). Whatsoever a man soweth (ο εαν σπειρηι αντρωπος ho ean speirēi anthrōpos). Indefinite relative clause with εαν ean and the active subjunctive (either aorist or present, form same here). One of the most frequent of ancient proverbs (Job 4:8; Arist., Rhet. iii. 3). Already in 2 Corinthians 9:6. Same point in Matthew 7:16; Mark 4:26. That That very thing, not something different. Reap (τερισει therisei). See Matthew 6:26 for this old verb. [source]
Indefinite relative clause with εαν ean and the active subjunctive (either aorist or present, form same here). One of the most frequent of ancient proverbs (Job 4:8; Arist., Rhet. iii. 3). Already in 2 Corinthians 9:6. Same point in Matthew 7:16; Mark 4:26. [source]
This comparative clause with ως εαν hōs ean (Mark 4:26; Galatians 6:10 without εαν ean or αν an) and the subjunctive (Robertson, Grammar, p. 968) has a sudden change of the metaphor, as is common with Paul (1 Timothy 5:24; 2 Corinthians 3:13.) from babes to nurse (τροπος trophos), old word, here only in the N.T., from τρεπω trephō to nourish, τροπη trophē nourishment. It is really the mother-nurse “who suckles and nurses her own children” (Lightfoot), a use found in Sophocles, and a picture of Paul‘s tender affection for the Thessalonians. Ταλπω Thalpō is an old word to keep warm, to cherish with tender love, to foster. In N.T. only here and Ephesians 5:29. [source]
Ablative with εκ ek as the source, for πταρτος phthartos see 1 Peter 1:18, and σπορας sporās (from σπειρω speirō to sow), old word (sowing, seed) here only in N.T., though σπορος sporos in Mark 4:26., etc. For “incorruptible” See James 1:18 for “by the word of truth,” 1 Peter 1:25 here, and Peter‘s use of λογος logos in Acts 10:36. It is the gospel message.Which liveth and abideth These present active participles (from ζαω zaō and μενω menō) can be taken with τεου theou (God) or with λογου logou (word). In 1 Peter 1:25 μενει menei is used with ρημα rēma (word). Still in Daniel 6:26 both μενων menōn and ζων zōn are used with τεος theos Either construction makes sense here. [source]