Parables of the Seeds

Jesus tells two parables about the kingdom of God. In the first He compares the kingdom to a man who plants seeds. The seeds spout and grow and, when the crop is ripe, he brings in the harvests. In the second parable Jesus compares the kingdom to a mustard seed, which is one of the smallest seeds. However it grows into a large plant and provides shade for wild birds. Jesus spoke in many such parables, explaining them in private to His disciples.

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Mark 4:26-34

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nasb

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Καὶ ἔλεγεν·

And He was saying,

Und er sprach:

Οὕτως ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ

“The kingdom of God is

Mit dem Reiche Gottes ist es so,

⸀ ὡς ἄνθρωπος βάλῃ τὸν σπόρον ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς

like a man who casts seed upon the soil;

wie wenn ein Mensch den Samen in die Erde wirft

καὶ καθεύδῃ καὶ ἐγείρηται νύκτα καὶ ἡμέραν,

and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day,

und schläft und aufsteht, Nacht und Tag,

καὶ ὁ σπόρος ⸀ βλαστᾷ καὶ μηκύνηται ὡς οὐκ οἶδεν αὐτός.

and the seed sprouts and grows— how, he himself does not know.

und der Same keimt und geht auf, ohne daß er es weiß.

⸀ αὐτομάτη ἡ γῆ καρποφορεῖ,

The soil produces crops by itself;

Denn die Erde trägt von selbst Frucht,

πρῶτον χόρτον, ⸂ εἶτα στάχυν, εἶτα ⸃ ⸂ πλήρης σῖτον ⸃ ἐν τῷ στάχυϊ.

first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head.

zuerst den Halm, hernach die Ähre, dann den vollen Weizen in der Ähre.

ideaexplanation

ὅταν δὲ ⸀ παραδοῖ ὁ καρπός,

But when the crop permits,

Wenn aber die Frucht sich darbietet,

⸀ εὐθὺς ἀποστέλλει τὸ δρέπανον,

he immediately 1 a puts in the sickle,

schickt er alsbald die Sichel hin;

temporal

ὅτι παρέστηκεν ὁ θερισμός.

because the harvest has come.”

denn die Ernte ist da.

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progression

comparison

Καὶ ἔλεγεν·

a And He said,

Und er sprach:

⸀ Πῶς ὁμοιώσωμεν τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ,

“How shall we 1 b picture the kingdom of God,

Wem wollen wir das Reich Gottes vergleichen,

ἢ ἐν ⸀ τίνι ⸂ αὐτὴν παραβολῇ θῶμεν ⸃ ;

or by what parable shall we present it?

oder unter was für einem Gleichnis wollen wir es darstellen?

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ὡς ⸀ κόκκῳ σινάπεως,

It is like a mustard seed,

Es ist einem Senfkorn gleich,

ὃς ὅταν σπαρῇ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ⸂ μικρότερον ὂν ⸃ πάντων τῶν ⸀ σπερμάτων τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς—

which, when sown upon the soil, though it is smaller than all the seeds that are upon the soil,

welches, wenn es in die Erde gesät wird, das kleinste ist unter allen Samenkörnern auf Erden.

καὶ ὅταν σπαρῇ,

yet when it is sown,

Und wenn es gesät ist,

ἀναβαίνει

it grows up

geht es auf

καὶ γίνεται ⸂ μεῖζον πάντων τῶν λαχάνων ⸃

and becomes larger than all the garden plants

und wird größer als alle Gartengewächse

καὶ ποιεῖ κλάδους μεγάλους,

and forms large branches;

und treibt große Zweige,

ὥστε δύνασθαι ὑπὸ τὴν σκιὰν αὐτοῦ τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ κατασκηνοῦν.

so that a the birds of the 1 air can nest under its shade .”

so daß die Vögel des Himmels unter seinem Schatten nisten können.

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Καὶ τοιαύταις παραβολαῖς πολλαῖς ἐλάλει αὐτοῖς τὸν λόγον,

With many such parables He was speaking the word to them,

Und in vielen solchen Gleichnissen trug er ihnen seine Lehre vor,

καθὼς ἠδύναντο ἀκούειν·

so far as they were able to hear it;

wie sie es zu hören vermochten.

actionmanner

χωρὶς δὲ παραβολῆς οὐκ ἐλάλει αὐτοῖς,

and He did not speak to them a without a parable;

Ohne Gleichnis aber redete er nicht zu ihnen;

κατ’ ἰδίαν δὲ τοῖς ⸂ ἰδίοις μαθηταῖς ⸃ ἐπέλυεν πάντα.

but He was b explaining everything privately to His own disciples.

beiseite aber legte er seinen Jüngern alles aus.

I understand this to mean that Jesus spoke according to His hearers ability to listen.

discourse

Phrase

editing

Mark 4:26-34

Parable of the Seed Growing

And He was saying,

“The kingdom of God is

like a man who casts seed upon the soil;

and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day,

and the seed sprouts and grows— how, he himself does not know.

The soil produces crops by itself;

first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head.

But when the crop permits,

he immediately puts in the sickle,

because the harvest has come.”

Parable of the Mustard Seed

And He said,

“How shall we picture the kingdom of God,

or by what parable shall we present it?

It is like a mustard seed,

which, when sown upon the soil, though it is smaller than all the seeds that are upon the soil,

yet when it is sown,

it grows up

and becomes larger than all the garden plants

and forms large branches;

so that the birds of the air can nest under its shade.”

Conclusion

With many such parables He was speaking the word to them,

so far as they were able to hear it;

and He did not speak to them without a parable;

but He was explaining everything privately to His own disciples.

phrasing

Phrase Greek

Mark 4:26-34

Καὶ ἔλεγεν·

And He was saying, “The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil;

Und er sprach: Mit dem Reiche Gottes ist es so, wie wenn ein Mensch den Samen in die Erde wirft

Οὕτως ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ

ὡς ἄνθρωπος βάλῃ τὸν σπόρον ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς

καὶ καθεύδῃ

and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows— how, he himself does not know.

und schläft und aufsteht, Nacht und Tag, und der Same keimt und geht auf, ohne daß er es weiß.

καὶ ἐγείρηται νύκτα καὶ ἡμέραν,

καὶ ὁ σπόρος βλαστᾷ

καὶ μηκύνηται

ὡς οὐκ οἶδεν αὐτός.

αὐτομάτη ἡ γῆ καρποφορεῖ,

The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head.

Denn die Erde trägt von selbst Frucht, zuerst den Halm, hernach die Ähre, dann den vollen Weizen in der Ähre.

πρῶτον χόρτον,

εἶτα στάχυν,

εἶτα πλήρης σῖτον ἐν τῷ στάχυϊ.

ὅταν δὲ παραδοῖ ὁ καρπός,

But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

Wenn aber die Frucht sich darbietet, schickt er alsbald die Sichel hin; denn die Ernte ist da.

εὐθὺς ἀποστέλλει τὸ δρέπανον,

ὅτι παρέστηκεν ὁ θερισμός.

Καὶ ἔλεγεν·

And He said, “How shall we picture the kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we present it?

Und er sprach: Wem wollen wir das Reich Gottes vergleichen, oder unter was für einem Gleichnis wollen wir es darstellen?

Πῶς ὁμοιώσωμεν τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ,

ἢ ἐν τίνι αὐτὴν παραβολῇ θῶμεν;

ὡς κόκκῳ σινάπεως,

It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the soil, though it is smaller than all the seeds that are upon the soil,

Es ist einem Senfkorn gleich, welches, wenn es in die Erde gesät wird, das kleinste ist unter allen Samenkörnern auf Erden.

ὃς ὅταν σπαρῇ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς,

μικρότερον ὂν πάντων τῶν σπερμάτων τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς—

καὶ ὅταν σπαρῇ,

yet when it is sown, it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and forms large branches; so that the birds of the air can nest under its shade.”

Und wenn es gesät ist, geht es auf und wird größer als alle Gartengewächse und treibt große Zweige, so daß die Vögel des Himmels unter seinem Schatten nisten können.

ἀναβαίνει

καὶ γίνεται μεῖζον πάντων τῶν λαχάνων

καὶ ποιεῖ κλάδους μεγάλους,

ὥστε δύνασθαι ὑπὸ τὴν σκιὰν αὐτοῦ τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ κατασκηνοῦν.

Καὶ τοιαύταις παραβολαῖς πολλαῖς ἐλάλει αὐτοῖς τὸν λόγον,

With many such parables He was speaking the word to them, so far as they were able to hear it;

Und in vielen solchen Gleichnissen trug er ihnen seine Lehre vor, wie sie es zu hören vermochten.

καθὼς ἠδύναντο ἀκούειν·

χωρὶς δὲ παραβολῆς οὐκ ἐλάλει αὐτοῖς,

Ohne Gleichnis aber redete er nicht zu ihnen; beiseite aber legte er seinen Jüngern alles aus.

and He did not speak to them without a parable; but He was explaining everything privately to His own disciples.

κατ’ ἰδίαν δὲ τοῖς ἰδίοις μαθηταῖς ἐπέλυεν πάντα.

Καὶ ἔλεγεν· Οὕτως ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ ὡς ἄνθρωπος βάλῃ τὸν σπόρον ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς

καὶ καθεύδῃ καὶ ἐγείρηται νύκτα καὶ ἡμέραν, καὶ ὁ σπόρος βλαστᾷ καὶ μηκύνηται ὡς οὐκ οἶδεν αὐτός.

αὐτομάτη ἡ γῆ καρποφορεῖ, πρῶτον χόρτον, εἶτα στάχυν, εἶτα πλήρης σῖτον ἐν τῷ στάχυϊ.

ὅταν δὲ παραδοῖ ὁ καρπός, εὐθὺς ἀποστέλλει τὸ δρέπανον, ὅτι παρέστηκεν ὁ θερισμός.

Καὶ ἔλεγεν· Πῶς ὁμοιώσωμεν τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ, ἢ ἐν τίνι αὐτὴν παραβολῇ θῶμεν;

ὡς κόκκῳ σινάπεως, ὃς ὅταν σπαρῇ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, μικρότερον ὂν πάντων τῶν σπερμάτων τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς—

καὶ ὅταν σπαρῇ, ἀναβαίνει καὶ γίνεται μεῖζον πάντων τῶν λαχάνων καὶ ποιεῖ κλάδους μεγάλους, ὥστε δύνασθαι ὑπὸ τὴν σκιὰν αὐτοῦ τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ κατασκηνοῦν.

Καὶ τοιαύταις παραβολαῖς πολλαῖς ἐλάλει αὐτοῖς τὸν λόγον, καθὼς ἠδύναντο ἀκούειν·

χωρὶς δὲ παραβολῆς οὐκ ἐλάλει αὐτοῖς, κατ’ ἰδίαν δὲ τοῖς ἰδίοις μαθηταῖς ἐπέλυεν πάντα.

Diagram

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components

Mark 4:26-34

table

Καὶ

solid

drop

revrocket

equal

line

subjectverb

pred

ἔλεγεν

directobject

shelf

cword

vertical

ἡ

βασιλεία

ἐστὶν

Οὕτως

prepphrase

pstack

τοῦ

θεοῦ

obtuse

rocketship

ἄνθρωπος

βάλῃ

καθεύδῃ

ἐγείρηται

καὶ

νύκτα

ἡμέραν

καὶ

ἐπὶ

τῆς

γῆς

τὸν

σπόρον

καὶ

ὁ

σπόρος

βλαστᾷ

μηκύνηται

καὶ

αὐτός

οἶδεν

οὐκ

ὡς

καὶ

ἡ

γῆ

καρποφορεῖ

αὐτομάτη

πρῶτον

χόρτον

εἶτα

στάχυν

εἶτα

σῖτον

πλήρης

ἐν

τῷ

στάχυϊ

τὸ

δρέπανον

ἀποστέλλει

εὐθὺς

ὁ

καρπός

παραδοῖ

ὁ

θερισμός

παρέστηκεν

ὅτι

ὅταν

δὲ

ὡς

Καὶ

ἔλεγεν

ὁμοιώσωμεν

Πῶς

τὴν

βασιλείαν

τοῦ

θεοῦ

θῶμεν

αὐτὴν

ἐν

τίνι

παραβολῇ

ἢ

[θῶμεν]

[αὐτὴν]

ὡς

[ἐν]

κόκκῳ

σινάπεως

ὃς

ἀναβαίνει

ποιεῖ

γίνεται

predicate

μεῖζον

τῶν

λαχάνων

πάντων

κλάδους

μεγάλους

τὰ

πετεινὰ

infinitive

δύνασθαι

κατασκηνοῦν

ὑπὸ

τὴν

σκιὰν

αὐτοῦ

τοῦ

οὐρανοῦ

ὥστε

καὶ

participle

ὂν

μικρότερον

τῶν

σπερμάτων

πάντων

τῶν

ἐπὶ

τῆς

γῆς

σπαρῇ

ἐπὶ

τῆς

γῆς

σπαρῇ

καὶ

ὅταν

smartline

dashed

free

ttext

text

v26a

v26b

v26c

v27a

v27b

v27c

v27d

v27e

v28a

v28b

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v28d

v29a

v29b

v29c

v30a

v30b

v30c

v31a

v31b

v31c

v32a

v32b

v32c

v32d

v32e

Καὶ

ἐλάλει

τὸν

λόγον

ἠδύναντο

ἀκούειν

καθὼς

indirectobj

τοιαύταις

παραβολαῖς

πολλαῖς

αὐτοῖς

δὲ

ἐλάλει

οὐκ

αὐτοῖς

χωρὶς

παραβολῆς

ἐπέλυεν

τοῖς

μαθηταῖς

ἰδίοις

πάντα

κατ’

ἰδίαν

δὲ

v33a

v33b

v34a

v34b

Accusative subject

Should be masculine (grain) but neuter due to the attraction to "seed".

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