Mar 4:16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;

The key word here is "immediately." In the previous verse, the information was immediately lost because of adversity came instantly along. Here, when the word falls among the rocks, it is immediately causes joy.

The Greek word for "immediately" comes from the noun meaning "straight" and "direct." It is a direct, instant connection. In the Gospels, the word is used most frequently to describe Christ's actions. It is not a work that he often used, but it is the way he lived, going straight from one task to another. In looking how the evangelists used the term to describe Christ's actions, you get the sense of someone who knows exactly what to do and when.

When Christ uses the term, however, it has almost the opposite sense. In his parables, he uses it to describe an emotional reaction that results almost unexpectedly from an experience. He uses it, for example, to describe the troubles at the end of the age (Mat 24:29) or the sudden departure of the master who gave the talents of silver to his servants (Mat 25:15) or the reaction to drinking new wine (Luk 5:39) or the fall of a house built on sand (Luk 6:49).


"Immediately" is from eutheôs (eutheos), which is the adverb of euthus, which means "straight," "direct," "straightforward," and "frank." As an adverb, it means "straight," "simple," "straightway," forthwith," "immediately," "directly," and "at once."

"Take" is from lambanô (lambano) which means "to take," "to receive," "to apprehend with the senses," and "to seize." It is also specifically used to mean seized with emotion.

"Gladness" is from chara (chara), which means "joy" and "delight."