Chapter 4:1-9.
1AND again he began to teach by the sea (side). And there was gathered unto him a great crowd so that he went on board ship and sat in the sea; and all the crowd were by the sea on the land. 2And he was teaching them many things in parables, and said to them in his doctrine, 3 Hear: behold, the sower went forth to sow.
4And it came to pass as he sowed, some fell beside the way (side), and the birds (of the air) came and devoured it (up). 5And other fell on the rocky [ground], where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprung up because it had no depth of earth; 6 and when the sun arose, it was scorched, and because it had no root, it withered (away).
7And other fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
8And other fell into the good ground, and yielded fruit, growing up and increasing, and bore one thirty, and one sixty, and one a hundred. 9 And he said (unto them), He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Notes and Suggestions.
The parable given in this section is closely connected with the moral import of the incident which immediately precedes (3:31-35).
There it is taught that Israel’s relationship with the Lord after the flesh is broken, and only those who do God’s will are recognized, and this on account of the nation’s blasphemy against the Holy Ghost.
We may trace the growth of this opposition as given in the former chapters: ―
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2:06
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Scribes inwardly object to the Lord forgiving sins.
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2:16
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Scribes and Pharisees object to His eating with publicans and sinners.
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2:24
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Pharisees complain of disciples plucking corn on the sabbath.
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3:06
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Pharisees and Herodians plot to destroy Him.
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3:21
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His kindred say He is beside Himself.
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3:22
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Scribes from Jerusalem declare that He casteth out demons by Beelzebub.
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3:29
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This, the Lord said, could not be forgiven, being blasphemy against the Spirit.
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Then the Lord immediately explains the new ground of relationship with Himself (3:31-35); and by the parable of the sower teaches the role He undertakes on that account.
This parable then skews the new character that the ministry of Jehovah’s Servant would assume in consequence of the nation’s rejection of Himself. It was of no avail to come to Israel as the Fruit-gatherer; an entirely new work must be begun. He presents Himself therefore as the Seed-sower. This parable is thus a descriptive sketch of the Lord’s own ministry. Being delivered in parabolic form, and interpreted only to His own disciples (4:10), opportunity remained for reiterated calls to the nation to repent. This mode of teaching was greatly used by the Lord, even with the disciples to a modified extent (John 16:2525These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall show you plainly of the Father. (John 16:25)), suiting especially, as it did, the time of the Gospels.
Verse 1. — Again. Compare Mark 1:16; 2:13; 3:7-916Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. (Mark 1:16)
13And he went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught them. (Mark 2:13)
7But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judea, 8And from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and from beyond Jordan; and they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they had heard what great things he did, came unto him. 9And he spake to his disciples, that a small ship should wait on him because of the multitude, lest they should throng him. (Mark 3:7‑9).
On board ship. The ship or boat was probably the one set apart for the Lord’s use (3:9). Hence the parables then spoken are sometimes known as the “boat-parables.” In Matthew 13. we have seven, in Mark 4:26-29,26And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; 27And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. 28For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. 29But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come. (Mark 4:26‑29) an eighth, and from Mark 4:3333And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it. (Mark 4:33) we gather that many were spoken.
All the crowd. As the Lord’s words fell upon the ears of the many classes of hearers in the great multitude, an instance was then afforded of the sower sowing the good seed.
Verse 3. — Hearken. Observe the recurrence of this word in verses 15,16,18,20. Everything hinged upon hearing the new teaching (verse 9).
The sower. The parable of the “sower and the soils,” and that of the wicked husbandmen (Mark 12:1-121And he began to speak unto them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country. 2And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard. 3And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty. 4And again he sent unto them another servant; and at him they cast stones, and wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully handled. 5And again he sent another; and him they killed, and many others; beating some, and killing some. 6Having yet therefore one son, his wellbeloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son. 7But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours. 8And they took him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard. 9What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do? he will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others. 10And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner: 11This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? 12And they sought to lay hold on him, but feared the people: for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them: and they left him, and went their way. (Mark 12:1‑12)) are the only ones that occur in all three of the synoptic Gospels.
The act of sowing indicated that the Lord was introducing what was new, and what also was capable in itself of bearing fruit, provided the soil was congenial.
Verse 4. — The wayside. Hard beaten paths ran across the fields, on which some of the grain would fall as it was being scattered over the face of the ground. There it could not penetrate the soil, but would lie exposed to the numerous birds which are never very far away from the sower.
Verse 5. — The rocky ground. A thin layer of soil upon the rocks received some seed. The tiny rootlets were thus absolutely prevented from growing downwards, so that all the life of the seed was directed to the growth of the stalk upwards. All appeared to be going well till the fierce heat of an Eastern sun beat upon it. Then it quickly withered, for the roots could reach no stores of moisture from beneath. Contrast the “tree planted by the rivers of water” (Psa. 1:33And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. (Psalm 1:3)).
Verse 7. — Among the thorns. Thorns were used to form hedges between fields (Mic. 7:44The best of them is as a brier: the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge: the day of thy watchmen and thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity. (Micah 7:4); Ex. 22:66If fire break out, and catch in thorns, so that the stacks of corn, or the standing corn, or the field, be consumed therewith; he that kindled the fire shall surely make restitution. (Exodus 22:6)), from whence they would be likely to spread into the cultivated soil. This does not appear to have been an uncommon occurrence (Jer. 4:33For thus saith the Lord to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns. (Jeremiah 4:3); Job 5:55Whose harvest the hungry eateth up, and taketh it even out of the thorns, and the robber swalloweth up their substance. (Job 5:5)). From the parable it is clear that the thorns were not grown at the time of the sowing, but the roots were there. The thorns, growing more quickly than the corn, robbed the latter of its nutriment. The corn was therefore practically strangled and became unfruitful.
Verse 8. — Good ground. This was soil that had been well tilled and prepared for the seed.
There is a gradation observable in the fourfold division of this parable. With regard to the seed: —.
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1
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On the wayside.
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Does not grow at all, being stolen.
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2
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On the rocky soil.
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Springs up, but soon withers.
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3
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On the thorny soil.
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Grows up, but bears no fruit.
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4
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On the good ground.
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Springs up, grows up, bears fruit abundantly.
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Then with regard to the soils: —
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1
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The path.
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Totally unsuitable.
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2
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The rocky soil.
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Slightly suitable.
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3
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The thorny soil.
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Suitable, but full of thorns.
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4
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The good ground.
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Exactly suitable.
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The order here (thirty, sixty, a hundred) is the reverse of Matthew’s (a hundred, sixty, thirty), while Luke only mentions the greatest rate of increase.
There are three classes of fruitless hearers (way, stony, thorny); and three of fruitful ones (thirty, sixty, a hundred).
Verse 9. — Ears to hear. Some had ears to hear, but did not hear (Jer. 5:2121Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not: (Jeremiah 5:21); Ezek. 12:22Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house. (Ezekiel 12:2)). But any who were really desirous to learn would be taught of God (John 7:1717If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. (John 7:17)). Compare Ezekiel 3:2727But when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; He that heareth, let him hear; and he that forbeareth, let him forbear: for they are a rebellious house. (Ezekiel 3:27).