Mark 4:10 - Barnes' Book Notes

Mark 4:10

8 But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”

9 And He said¹ to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

The Purpose of Parables

10 ^aBut when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable.

11 And He said to them, “To you it has been given to ^aknow the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to ^bthose who are outside, all things come in parables,

12 so that
^a‘Seeing they may see and not perceive,
And hearing they may hear and not understand;
Lest they should turn,
And their sins be forgiven them.’ ”

The Parable of the Sower Explained

13 And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?

14 ^aThe sower sows the word.

15 And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.

16 These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness;

17 and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble.

18 Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word,

19 and the ^acares of this world, ^bthe deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

20 But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word,¹ accept it, and bear ^afruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”

Light Under a Basket

21 ^aAlso He said to them, “Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand?

22 ^aFor there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.

23 ^aIf anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”

24 Then He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. ^aWith the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.

25 ^aFor whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”

The Parable of the Growing Seed

26 And He said, ^a“The kingdom of God is as if a man should¹ scatter seed on the ground,

27 and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and ^agrow, he himself does not know how.

28 For the earth ^ayields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head.

29 But when the grain ripens, immediately ^ahe puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

30 Then He said, ^a“To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it?

31 It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth;

32 but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.”

Jesus’ Use of Parables

33 ^aAnd with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it.

34 But without a parable He did not speak to them. And when they were alone, ^aHe explained all things to His disciples.

Wind and Wave Obey Jesus

35 ^aOn the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.”

36 Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him.

Book Notes:

Barnes' Book Notes

Preface to Mark

Of Mark, the writer of this Gospel, little is certainly known. He is commonly supposed to be the same that is several times mentioned in the New Testament. He was not an apostle, or companion of the Lord Jesus, during his ministry, though some of the fathers affirm that he was one of the seventy disciples. This is improbable, as he is mentioned by Peter I Peter 5:13 as "his son;" from which it is supposed that he was converted by the instrumentality of Peter.

From the New Testament we learn that he was sister' s son to Barnabas Colossians 4:10; and that his mother' s name was Mary, a pious woman in Jerusalem, at whose house the apostles and primitive Christians often assembled, Acts 12:12.

His Hebrew name was John Acts 12:12, and it is probable that he adopted a name better known or more familiar when he visited the Gentiles, a practice not uncommon in that age. He was at first the companion of Paul and Barnabas in their journeys to propagate Christianity, Acts 12:25; Acts 13:5; Acts 15:37. He chose not to attend them through their whole journey, but left them in Pamphylia, and probably returned to Jerusalem, Acts 15:38. Probably at this time he was the companion of Peter, and traveled with him to Babylon, I Peter 5:13. Afterward he went with Barnabas to Cyprus, Acts 15:39. Subsequently he went to Rome, at the express desire of Paul, in company with Timothy, II Timothy 4:11. He remained at Rome while Paul was a captive there, but how long is uncertain, Colossians 4:10; Philemon 1:24. From Eusebius, Epiphanius, and Jerome we hear that Mark went from Rome to Alexandria, in Egypt, where he planted a church, and died in the eighth year of the reign of Nero, 64 ad

The time when this Gospel was written is not certainly known. It is supposed to have been between the years 56 and 63 a.d. It is allowed by all that it was written at Rome; of course it was during the latter years of his life, after the apostles had left Judea, Mark 16:20. Mark was for a considerable time the companion of Peter. Though he had not himself been with the Saviour in his ministry, yet, from his long acquaintance with "Peter," he was familiar with the events of his life, and with his instructions. The uniform testimony of the fathers is that he was the "interpreter" of Peter, and that he wrote this Gospel under the eye of Peter and with his approbation. It has come down to us, therefore, with the sanction of Peter' s authority. Its right to a place among the inspired books has never been questioned. That it was written by Mark, that it was with Peter' s approbation, that it was a record of the "facts" which Peter stated in his ministry, and that it was therefore an inspired book, has never been questioned.

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