Mar 4:39 Peace, be still.
Alternative: Be still, be silent.

The second word used here translated as"be still" and more specifically meaning "be silent" was last used in Mar 1:25 to address the demons inside of a person. Here it is used ostensibly use to address a storm, quieting the wind and the waves, or is it used to address his apostles who were frightened by the storm.

How does this thought fit into the larger context of this chapter, the parable of the sower? The parable is about how the seed of an idea, if given the proper ground, grows naturally over time. However, in this part of the chapter, it is the seed of doubt that is planted by the storm that grows until the apostles are forced to wake the sleeping Christ.

What is Christ's advice about what to do regarding this seed of doubt? He says that we must simply still our minds and quit hurting ourselves. This echoes precisely the advice to the man that was possessed by demons. Christ told that man to be silent and come out of himself.

If we live in God's kingdom, we realize that we are always safe. Pain and suffering exist for a purpose, to give us challenges to overcome and reasons to come together. Even if we die, we still survive, because we are eternal spirits. We know that this life is temporary. Its purpose is to allows us to learn, grow, and bear fruit, that is, to give us the opportunity to lead productive lives. Dangers are challenges, but the only real danger is our doubt and despair because in doubt and despair we turn on backs on what is real and divine.

"Peace" is from siôpaô (siopao), which means "keep silence," "to be still," "keep secret," and "speak not of."

"Be still" is from phimoô (phimoo), which means "to muzzle," "to be silent," and "to be put to silence."

Mar 4:35 Let us pass over to the other side.
Alternative: Let us make our way through into the opposite.

It is a pleasure to find deeper meaning in even the simplest statements. While in the narrative, this statement describes a decision to go to the opposite shore of Galilee, it is entertaining to note that it follows a parable in which the very small mustard seed becomes the very large plant, which creates again the very small seed. This is a great example of going through an opposite form to complete a cycle of growth.

The productivity of this cycle comes from producing more see (fruit) than we began with despite losing a lot of the seed to "poor ground" along the way. The cycle of growth is so productive that the losses along the way do not matter.

"Let us pass over" is from dierchomai (dierchomai) which means "to go through" and "to pass through." It comes from the base, erchomai, which means "to set out," "to come," and "to go." It means both "to go" on a journey and "to arrive" at a place with the prefix dia, which means "through," "throughout," and "in the midst of" and is used to describe passage through both time and space.

"To" is from eis (eis), which means "into," "to," "towards," "in regard to," "to the limit of," and "up to (some time)."

"The other side" is from the adverb, peran (peran), which means "on the other side," "across," "over against," "opposite," and "right through."

Mar 4:32 But when it is sown, it grows up, and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.

Here, the Greek word for "grow up" also means "ascend to higher knowledge," which is the continued theme of this section about the seed bearing fruit. The seed in knowledge and united with the earth, our relationships, we ascend to higher knowledge.

The Greek term translated as "herb" here is also an interesting choice. It means a cultivated plant as opposed to a wild plant. This is interesting because it infers the idea of cultivation, that is, work by people as opposed to a wild plant. Unlike, Matthew and Mark, Luke doesn't use this term, but the term for "tree." In northern climes, the mustard plant only grows to about three feet. In the Middle East, it can grow to fifteen feet with a thick central stalk. The seed itself is only about a sixteenth of an inch, which is very small compared to other trees of the region.

Historically, mustard was not just used as flavoring for food and wine, but it was prominently used in medicine. In the sixth century B.C., Greek scientist Pythagoras used mustard as a remedy for scorpion stings. One hundred years later, Hippocrates used mustard in a variety of medicines and poultices. This makes it even better for this analogy regarding the growth of knowledge because this knowledge isn't just about flavoring food but curing disease.

In this analogy, we also have those winged creatures that stole away the seeds in the parable of the sower making a reappearance. The same non-standard word for "birds" is used, indicating angels or demons. Here, however, those same creatures seek shelter in the shade of this tree. Interestingly, however, the term used for "shade" also means a ghost or evil spirit. What is the ghost or evil spirit of a tree of knowledge?

"Sown" is from speirô (speiro), which means "to sow a seed," "to beget offspring," "to scatter like a seed," and "to sow a field."

"Grows up" is from anabainô (anabaino), which means "go up," "mount," "shoot up" [of plants],
"rise" [of rivers], "ascend to higher knowledge," "come to an end," and "turn out."

"Becomes" is from gignomai (ginomai), which means "to become," "to come into being," "to be produced," and "to be."

"Greater" is meizôn, (meizon) which means "bigger," and "greater" and is the comparative form of megas, which means "big" and "great."

"Herbs" is from lachanon (lachanon), which means "garden herbs," and "vegetables." It is the opposite of "wild plants."

"Shoots outs" is from poieô ( poieo), which means "to make," "to produce," "to create," "to bring into existence," "to bring about," "to cause," "to render," "to consider," "to prepare," "to make ready," and "to do."

"Branches" is from klados (klados ), which means "branches," "twig," "shoot," and "branch" of a blood vessel.

"Fowls" is from the Greek, peteinos, (peteinos) which means "fully-fledged," "able to fly" or "winged." In the form used, peteinon, it refers to any winged thing. There was clearly a conscious choice here not to use the Greek word for bird, which is ornis, or, in the diminutive, ornithion. All the English words referring to birds coming from Greek begin with this "ornith" prefix, including ornithology, the study of birds. This is the same word used in the parable of the sower.

"Air" is from the Greek ouranos (ouranos), which means "heaven as in the vault of the sky," "heaven as the seat of the gods," "the sky," "the universe," and "the climate."

"May" is from the verb, dunamai (dunamai), which means "to have power by virtue of your own capabilities," "to be able," and "to be strong enough." In the previous verse, the word used was the adjective, dunatos (dunatos), which means "strong," "mighty," "possible," and "practicable."

"Lodge" is from kataskênoô (kataskenoo), which means "taking up one's quarters," "encamp," and "rest."

"Shadow" is from skia (skia), which means "shadow," "reflection," "image," "shade [of dead]," "phantom," "evil spirit," "shade [of trees]," silhouette," and "profile."

Mar 4:31 [It is] like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth:

Christ is differentiating here between the size of a piece of knowledge and its potential for yielding fruit. In his estimation, the basic idea of the universal rule, that is, the rules of God's reign, are not large or complex. The term he uses for "grain" is actually a metaphor in Greek for "a grain of sense."

When you put this particular grain of sense into your relationships, which is Christ's symbol for term translated as "the earth" here, it doesn't matter that it seems so small, new, and perhaps naive. (The word used here for "small," also means "young.") This small, new idea has the potential within them to mature and grow over time.

The wordplay in the verse using "grain" for "grain of sense" and "small" to also mean "young" only works in Greek. From my admittedly limited research into the Aramaic, they do not seem to have any of the similar meanings in that language. Was this wordplay original with Christ or was it the invention of the Gospel writers, who, in recording this verse, choose to use the same words in the same way either independently or working from the same text of sayings?

"Grain" is not from the Greek word for seed (sperma) used later in the verse, but from kokkos (kokkos), which means "a grain" and "a seed," a metaphor for a "grain of sense."

"Mustard seed," though translated as seed, is sinapi, (sinapi) which means simply "mustard."

"Sown" and "sow" are from speirô (speiro), which means "to sow a seed," "to beget offspring," "to scatter like a seed," and "to sow a field."

"Less" is from mikros, which means "small," "little," and "young."

"Seed" is from sperma (sperma), which means "seed," "sperm," "origin," "race," "descent," and "offspring."

"Ground" is from gê (ge), which means "the element of earth," "land (country)," "arable land," "the ground," and "the world" as the opposite of the sky.

Mar 4:30 Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?
Alternative: To what shall we compare God's reign? Or what illustration can we set in parallel beside it?

This verse raises an interesting point about Christ's use of analogies or parables. He has just finished explaining what of his parables, the sower of the seed means. He also explained why and how he both hides and reveals the truth in his teaching. Elsewhere, he explains that he is emulating the father who is hidden in the universe. He gives us the choice whether or not we want to learn. We can learn from his teaching, but only if we are willing to study it and work toward understanding.

This hard-won understanding is contrast with the automatic way in which the seed yields its fruit in nature. If we sow the seed and harvest the crop, God does the rest. This is a free gift from God.

If you didn't know anything about Christ, except his words as captured in the Gospels, you would think that his main mission on earth was to describe the "kingdom of Heaven," which was can also describe as God' reign, the universal rule, or, if I may add another interpretation, God's plan. The vast majority of his parables begin with the words "the universal rule is like." Strangely enough, these parables do not involve the story of sin and redemption central to Christianity. Instead, they are always about learning, growing, and getting our priorities straight.

"Like" is from homoioô (homoioo), which means "to make like," "to become like," "to liken," and "to compare.

"Comparison" is from parabolê (parabole), which means "comparison," "illustration," and "analogy." It is most often translated in the NT as "parable."

"Compare" is from paraballô (paraballo), which means "to throw beside," "to throw to," "to expose," "to set beside," "to set in parallel," "to compare," "to throw, turn, or bend sideways," "to deposit with one," "to deceive," "to come near," "to come alongside," and "to direct one's course toward."

Mar 4:29 But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest is come.
Alternative: But when the fruit is bestowed, immediately he dispatches the sickle to supply the harvest.

So the earth brings forth fruit from the seed automatically, but to get the benefit of the harvest, the sickle must be used to cut down the wheat. The purpose of the crop is to be productive, so once it has produced fruit, it is time for it to be cut down.

The central character in this parable is the man who sows the seed. Christ says that this man doesn't know how the information in the seed and the nature of the earth combine to bring forth is fruit. So the man in this analogy is every one of us. To survive, we sow the seeds, let the earth do its work, and then harvest the resulting crop. The process in between the sowing and the harvest are God answering our prayer, giving us our bread.

However, this story is a parallel with Christ and his apostles sowing the word. The word "apostle" is even referenced here. The verb describing "sending in" the sickle is the root word for apostle. Those sowing the word may not know how or where it will grow but know that it happens automatically. However, the parallel with the apostles sowing the word seems to seem to breaks down at the very same point the term for "apostle" is mentioned. The apostle does not send in the sickle and harvest the crop at least not in any way that is easy for us to understand.

This last part of the verse is ominous, suggesting as is does the inevitability of death. Symbolically, Christ uses the harvest in Mat 13:39 to describe "the end of the world," or, more accurately, "the end of an age." In my view, for Christ this means our personal physical deaths. Somehow, it is this death that allows the fruit to be harvested.

On the physical level, the death of one generation allows new generations to arise and what is built by one generation is inherited by the next. On the intellectual level, the ideas of one generation bear fruit in the next generation as they build on the best ideas of the previous generation. On the emotional level, the child/parent/grandparent relationship lays the foundation for all personal relationships of caring and the passing of our grandparents and parents teaches us what lives on in those relationships. On the spiritual level, we cannot know what is happening exactly except in the sense of following these parallels.

In Mat 26:46 the term translated here as "is brought forth" is translated as "betrayed" as Christ wakes the apostles when the soldiers come with Judas to arrest him.

"Fruit" is from karpos (karpos), which means "fruit," "the fruits of the earth," "seed," "offspring," "returns for profit," and "reward."

"Is brought forth" is from paradidômi (paradidomi), which means "to give over to another," "to transmit," "to hand down," "to grant," "to teach," and "to bestow."

"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."

"He puts in" is the Greek, apostellô (apostello), which is our source of the word "apostle." It means "to send off," "to send away," or "to dispatch."

"Is come" is from paristêmi (paristemi), which means "to cause to stand beside," "to place besides," "to set before the mind," "to present," "to furnish," "to supply," "to deliver," "to make good," "to show," "to present," "to offer," and "to render."

Mar 4:28 For the earth brings forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.
Alternative: For the earth bears fruit automatically, first the leaves, than the head, after that the mature grain on the head.

It always hits me as strange that the KJV uses the term "corn" for grain. "Corn" wasn't known in Europe, Asia, and Africa until after the discovery of the new world in the fifteenth century. Prior to that, many different grains were cultivated, but the most popular were wheat and barley.

Here, we have Christ's symbol for emotional connection, the earth, repeated again, as it has been throughout this section, starting with the parable of the sower. It is this connection that makes the idea productive. If that emotional connection exists, this conversion of the idea, the good news, is automatic.

However, notice that Christ makes a point of telling us that this magic does not happen all at once. It happens in stages. The three stages here mirror the three stages of growth in the parable of the sower. In that parable, the seed on the wayside doesn't get started, but the seed on the rocky ground sprouts before it dies and the seed among the weeds grows up. One the seed on the good ground produces fruit.

"Earth" is from gê (ge), which means "the element of earth," "land (country)," "arable land," "the ground," and "the world" as the opposite of the sky.

"Brings forth fruit" is from karpophoreô (karpophoreo), which means "to bear fruit."

"Of herself" is from automatos (automatos), which means "of one's own will," "spontaneously," "happening of themselves," "without visible cause," and "accidental."

"Blade" is from chortos (chortos ), which means "fodder," "provender," or a "green crop.

"Ear" is from stachus (stachus ), which means "scion," "progeny," "part of the crop that is reaped," and "the head of the grain."

"Corn" is from sitos (sitos), which means "grain," "wheat," "barley," "food made from grain," "bread," and, most generally, "food."

Mar 4:26¶ So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;

Mar 4:27 And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knows not how.
Alternative: This is like God's rule. It is like someone who throws a seed onto the earth and sleeps and rises night and day as the seed sprouts and lengthens without his understanding how.

A specific parallel is made here between the growth of knowledge and the growth of God's kingdom. Unlike the growth of our personal knowledge, which requires our participation, the growth of the kingdom based on that knowledge happens whether or not an individual is actively part of it. This is one of the clearest examples of Christ describing God's kingdom, reign, and rule as having a hidden plan in which everyone plays a part, whether they know it or not.

Christ's topic until this point has been the limits of people's understanding. However, here he says that God's plan for us is working and developing whether or not we understand it. While we can use our understanding to make our lives more worthwhile and meaningful, this doesn't mean that those who lack understanding are left out of this plan. Waking or sleeping, the seed keeps growing.

As the Lord's prayer says, the universal rule is underway. It is God's desires coming into being in our lives and throughout the universe.

"Ground" is from gê (ge), which means "the element of earth," "land (country)," "arable land," "the ground," and "the world" as the opposite of the sky.

"Sleep" is from katheudô, (katheudo), which means "to lie down to sleep," "to sleep," and "to lie asleep."

"Rise" is from egeirô (egeiro), which means "to awake," "to rouse," "to stir up" and "to wake up."

"Spring" is from blastanô, (blastano) which means "to sprout," "to bud," and "to grow." It is a metaphor for "to come to light," "to shoot forth," and "to be born."

"Grow up" is from mekuno (mekuno), which means "to lengthen," and "to make long."

"Know" is from eido (eido), which is another word that means "to see," "to examine," and "to know." It has more the sense of understanding.

Mar 4:25 For he that has, to him shall be given: and he that has not, from him shall be taken even that which he has.
Alternative: For those that possess [it], to them it will be given, and for those who do not possess [it], from them will be remove what they have.

The mystery of this verse is what does it refers to as being possessed, given , and taken away. A hints is that the word used for "taken" here is the same word used to describe the birds as a symbol for adversity taking away the seeds in the previous parable of the sower. This fact points to an array of meanings encapsulated in this verse.

First, those who have right situations (good earth) get the benefit of the word, that is, this knowledge, while those without a good situation not only do not get its benefit but lose it over time.

On the next level up, those who understand Christ's analogies get the more from his worlds, while those who do not understand those analogies, lose the sense of his words.

One the highest level, those who see how to apply Christ's words in their real life get even more from them while those who do not see how to apply them will eventually lose them.

Does Christ mean that we will get applause, power, and fame from applying Christ's ideas? Christ disparaged the idea of social rewards and, to a much lesser extent, worrying about physical rewards. He wants us to lead productive, meaningful personal lives. His primary concern is always our real, personal relationships as opposed to our social standing.

"Has" is from echô (echo), which means "to have," "to hold," "to possess," "to keep," "to have charge of," "to maintain," "to hold fast," "to bear," "to keep close," "to keep safe," and "to have means to do."

"Given" is from didômi (didomi), which means "to give," "to grant," "to hand over," and "to describe." It is the word usually translated as "give" in the Gospels.

"Taken" is from airo, which primarily means "to lift," and also means "to raise up," "to take up," "to raise a child," "to exalt," "to lift and take away," and "to remove."

Mar 4:24 Take heed what you hear: with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.

Alternative: See what you hear: with the gauge you use to measure, it shall be measured to you: and for you who hear more will be added.

The wordplay at the beginning of this verse, "see what you hear," is lost in translation. Both words are used by Christ to indicate the physical aspect of our senses, objectively perceiving the real world.

This verse refers back to the parable of the sower, but it adds something new. As you remembers, the seed was the good news. In the parable, people's ability to hear the good news depended on what type of ground they were on, but, in discussing the parable's meaning, that fact that Christ taught through analogies (which is what "parable" means in Greek) was discussed as another barrier to our ability to hear and understand.

Here, Christ is say that this understanding has yet another level. He is saying that we have to see how to apply this knowledge in the world around us. We have to connect our knowledge to our physical lives. We must connect what we hear to what we see around us.

When we do make this connection, we change the way we behave. We give others more than we would have before. We have a completely different gauge for making judgments. And, when we use that new gauge in giving to others, we receive even more in return.

"Take heed" is from blepô (blepo), which means "to look" and "to see." It is the more tangible sense of seeing, such as seeing what is right in front of you rather than understanding.

"Hear" (in both cases) is from akouô (akouo), which means "hear of," "hear tell of," "what one actually hears," "know by hearsay," "listen to," "give ear to," "hear and understand," and "understand."

"Measure" is from metron (metron), which means "that by which anything is measured," "measure," "rule," "measure of content," "any space of measurable length," "limit," and "due measure."

"Mete" and "measured" are from metreô (metreo), which means to "to measure space," "to pass over space," "to traverse space," "to count size or worth," "to measure size or worth," and "to measure out" an amount.

"Given" is from prostithêmi (prostithemi), which means "to put to," "to hand over," "to deliver," "to also give," "to impose upon," "to attribute to," "to add," "to make additions," "to side with someone," "to agree," and "to apply,"

Mar 4:23 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.


Christ repeats this statement nine times in the Gospels. Most recently in Mark 4:9, which is discussed here, at the end of his first telling of this parable and right before the apostles asked him to explain it.

Here, the key vocabulary is the same. There is as slight difference of phrasing. Before explaining the parable, Christ says,""Having ears to hear, hear!" After explaining it, he says "If anyone has ears to hear, hear!" The final "hear" in both is imperative, a command, but the later is phrased more as a question. However, most of the difference in meaning comes from context.

Before explaining the parable, this statement was a challenge to his listeners to think about what he was saying and try to understand it. After explaining the meaning of the parable, Christ is asking the question. Do they now have more of an understanding of what he is saying?

Christ infers in this question that, even though he has explained his symbolism, many will still not understood what he is saying. Since he defines the seed on as "the word" and the various types of ground from preventing the word from yielding fruit, he knows that many questions must remain about the nature of the word and the type of fruit he is referring to.

However, in the previous verse, he said that everything that is hidden is hidden so that it can be understood. So despite the fact that he is realizes that understanding isn't easy, he has made it clear that it is possible. The point is that there is work to do. An idea that he continues in the next verse.

"Ears" is from ous (ous), which means "ear" and things that resemble an ear, such as a handle on pitchers, cups, etc.

"Hear" is from akouô (akouo), which means "hear of," "hear tell of," "what one actually hears," "know by hearsay," "listen to," "give ear to," "hear and understand," and "understand."