Marcus 4:4 Commentaar

In this chapter, we have, I. The parable of the seed, and the four sorts of ground (Mar 4:1-9), with the exposition of it (Mar 4:10-20), and the application of it (Mar 4:21-25). II. The parable of the seed growing gradually, but insensibly (Mar 4:26-29). III. The parable of the grain of mustard-seed, and a general account of Christ's parables (Mar 4:30-34). IV. The miracle of Christ's sudden stilling a storm at sea (Mar 4:35-41).

And he began again to teach by the sea side,.... He went out of the house where he was at Capernaum, the same day he had the above discourse with the Scribes and Pharisees, and on which his mother and: brethren came to speak with him; and from thence he went where he had been before, and taught the people; namely, to the sea side, the shore of the sea of Galilee, or Tiberias: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude; which followed him from the house, and from other parts of the city, and perhaps from the adjacent places: so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; in the ship at sea, at some little distance from the shore; the sea of Tiberias being rather a lake, and within land, had no tide, and so was still and quiet: and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land; stood on the land, all along the sea shore; See Gill on Mat 13:1, Mat 13:2.

And some fell on stony ground,.... The word was preached to some persons who had hearts of stone, and which remained so: where it had not much earth; and so could be received only in a notional and superficial way, but could take no place, so as to produce any good effect: and immediately it sprung up; a sudden and hasty profession of the word was made, without a powerful experience of it: because it had no depth of earth; if it had, it would have been longer in coming up; more work would have been done by it, which would have required more time, before a profession of it had been made.

As the sower fairly and indiscriminately disperses seed broadly over all his field, so does God offer gifts to all, making no distinction between rich and poor, wise and foolish, lazy or diligent, brave or cowardly. He addresses everyone, fulfilling his part, although knowing the results beforehand.… Why then, tell me, was so much of the seed lost? Not through the sower, but through the ground that received it—meaning the soul that did not listen.… Even though more seed would be lost than survive, the disciples were not to lose heart. For it is the way of the Lord never to stop sowing the seed, even when he knows beforehand that some of it will not respond. But how can it be reasonable, one asks, to sow among the thorns, or on the rock, or alongside the road? Maybe it is not reasonable insofar as it pertains only to seeds and earth, for the bare rock is not likely to turn into tillable soil, and the roadside will remain roadside and the thorns, thorns. But in the case of free wills and their reasonable instruction, this kind of sowing is praiseworthy. For the rocky soul can in time turn into rich soil. Among souls, the wayside may come no longer to be trampled by all that pass, and may become a fertile field. The thorns may be destroyed and the seed enjoy full growth. For had this not been impossible, this sower would not have sown. And even if no change whatever occurs in the soul, this is no fault of the sower, but of those who are unwilling to be changed. He has done his part.

And while he was sowing, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it. In the Gospel of Luke, it is written about this seed: Some fell beside the path, and it was trampled, and the birds of the air ate it. Therefore, whatever the Lord deigned to explain in this parable must be received with pious faith. But what he left silent for our understanding, must be sought and briefly summarized with an equally pious intention. The seed that fell along the path was destroyed by a double injury, both trampled by those passing by and snatched by the birds. The path, therefore, represents the mind worn and dry from the incessant passage of evil thoughts, so that it is incapable of receiving and germinating the seed of the word. And thus, whatever good seed happens to fall near such a path perishes, trampled by the passage of wicked thought and snatched away by demons. Rightly are these called birds of the air, either because they are of a heavenly and spiritual nature or because they fly through the air.

(ubi sup.) Or else, the way is a mind which is a path for bad thoughts, preventing the seed of the word from growing in it. And therefore whatsoever good seed comes in contact with such a way, perishes, and is carried off by devils. Wherefore there follows, And the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. And well are the devils called fowls of the air, either because they are of a heavenly and spiritual origin, or because they dwell in the air. Or else, those who are about the way are negligent and slothful men.

And He sowed; but of the seeds, one fell on a soul like a road trampled by many, and the birds of the air, that is, the demons who rule in the air, devoured this seed. To such people belong the people-pleasers; they are the same as a road trampled by many. Whoever does everything only to please this person or that is trampled by many. But notice, the Lord did not say that the seed was thrown by the wayside, but that it fell by the wayside, because the Sower casts the seed on the ground as on good ground, but the ground itself, having proved to be bad, destroys the seed, that is, the word. However, some have well understood what fell by the wayside in the sense that it fell on an unbelieving heart. For the Way is Christ, and those by the wayside are the unbelievers who are outside the Way, that is, Christ.

Take notice, that He says not that He threw it in the way, but that it fell, for a sower, as far as he can, throws it into good ground, but if the ground be bad, it corrupts the seed. Now the way is Christ; but infidels are by the way-side, that is, out of Christ.

The parable of the sower, Mar 4:1-9. Its interpretation, Mar 4:10-20. The use we should make of the instructions we receive, Mar 4:21-26. The parable of the progressively growing seed, Mar 4:26-29. Of the mustard seed, Mar 4:30-34. Christ and his disciples are overtaken by a storm, Mar 4:35-38. He rebukes the wind and the sea, and produces fair weather, Mar 4:39-41.

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 Luk 8:5.

And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes.

And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the wayside--by the side of the hard path through the field, where the soil was not broken up. and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up--Not only could the seed not get beneath the surface, but "it was trodden down" (Luk 8:5), and afterwards picked up and devoured by the fowls. What means this? See on Mar 4:15. Second Case: THE STONY or rather, ROCKY GROUND. (Mar 4:5, Mar 4:16).