Mark 4:15 — meaning, Hebrew and Greek word study, commentary
Mark 4:15
And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.
the he (she or it) · demonstrative pronoun — nominative plural masculine
are they
εἰσίeisí
G1526
they are
by
παρὰpara
G3844
properly · preposition
the way side
ὁδὸνhodon
G3598
a road · noun — accusative singular feminine
where
ὅπουhopou
G3699
what(-ever) where · preposition
the word
λόγος,logos
G3056
something said (including the thought) · noun — nominative singular masculine
is sown
σπείρεταιspeiretai
G4687
to scatter · verb — present passive indicative, 3rd person singular
but
καὶkai
G2532
and · conjunction
when
ὅτανhotan
G3752
whenever (implying hypothesis or more or less uncertain… · conjunction
they have heard
ἀκούσωσιν,akousōsin
G191
to hear (in various senses) · verb — aorist active subjunctive, 3rd person plural
Satan
σατανᾶςsatanas
G4567
the accuser · noun — nominative singular masculine, a title
cometh
ἔρχεταιerchetai
G2064
to come or go (in a great variety of applications · verb — present middle or passive deponent indicative, 3rd person singular
immediately
εὐθὺςeuthus
G2112
directly · adverb
and
καὶkai
G2532
and · conjunction
taketh away
αἴρειairei
G142
to lift up · verb — present active indicative, 3rd person singular
the word
λόγονlogon
G3056
something said (including the thought) · noun — accusative singular masculine
that was sown
ἐσπαρμένονesparmenon
G4687
to scatter · verb — second perfect passive participle, accusative singular masculine
in
ἐνen
G1722
"in
their
αὐτούς.autous
G846
the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — accusative plural masculine
hearts
καρδίαιςkardiais
G2588
the heart · noun — dative plural feminine
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
Matthew 13:19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in…
Mark 4:4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.
Luke 8:12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and…
2 Corinthians 2:11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
Isaiah 53:1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?
Luke 14:18-19 And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it…
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Mark 4:1-20
The foregoing chapter began with Christ's entering into the synagogue (Mar 4:1); this chapter begins with Christ's teaching again by the sea side. Thus he changed his method, that if possible all might be reached and wrought upon. To gratify the nice and more genteel sort of people that had seats, chief seats, in the synagogue, and did not care for hearing a sermon any where else, he did not preach always by the sea side, but, having liberty, went often into the synagogue, and taught there; yet, to gratify the poor, the mob, that could not get room in the synagogue, he did not always preach there, but began again to teach by the sea side, where they could come within hearing. Thus are we deb…
These are they - Probably our Lord here refers to the people to whom he had just now preached, and who, it is likely, did not profit by the word spoken.
Where the word is sown - Instead of this clause, four copies of the Itala read the place thus - They who are sown by the way side, are they Who Receive The Word Negligently. There are thousands of this stamp in the Christian world. Reader, art thou one of them?
John Gill on Mark 4:15
And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown,.... Such hearers are represented by the way side, in which the seed fell; who, coming where the Gospel is preached, stop awhile and hear it, and so are only casual and accidental hearers of it:
but when they have heard; and indeed whilst they are hearing, and before they are well got out of the place of hearing,
Satan cometh immediately and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. The devil, signified by the fowl, or fowls of the air, immediately takes notice of such hearers, and is very busy with them; filling their minds with other things suitable to their dispositions, and setting before them other objects, whereby t…
Take care that the seed does not fall by the wayside, lest the evil spirit come and take the word from memory.
(ubi Sup.) But in this exposition of the Lord there is embraced the whole range of those who might hear the words of truth, but are unable to attain to salvation. For there are some to whom no faith, no intellect, nay no opportunity of trying its usefulness, can give a perception of the word which they hear; of whom He says, And these are by the wayside. For unclean spirits take away at once the word committed to their hearts, as birds carry away the seed of the trodden way.
For as the good olive, if neglected for a certain time, if left to grow wild and to run to wood, does itself become a wild olive; or again, if the wild olive be carefully tended and grafted, it naturally reverts to its former fruit-bearing condition: so men also, when they become careless, and bring forth for fruit the lusts of the flesh like woody produce, are rendered, by their own fault, unfruitful in righteousness. For when men sleep, the enemy sows the material of tares; and for this cause did the Lord command His disciples to be on the watch. And again, those persons who are not bringing forth the fruits of righteousness, and are, as it were, covered over and lost among brambles, if they use diligence, and receive the word of God as a graft, arrive at the pristine nature of man-that which was created after the image and likeness of God.
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Apostasy · UNCLASSIFIED SCRIPTURES RELATING TO — UNCLASSIFIED SCRIPTURES RELATING TO
Backsliders · 8:22; — 8:22;
Instability · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Sermon · Besi — Besi
Sower · Parable of the — Parable of the
Temptation · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Word Of God · .To seed — .To seed
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
Mark 4:13-20
Matthew 13:18-23
Mark 4:13-20
Luke 8:11-15
18. Hear therefore the parable of the sower. 19. When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth not, that wicked one cometh, and taketh away what was sown in the heart. This is he who received seed near the road. 20. But he that received the seed thrown into stony places, is he that heareth the word, and immediately receiveth it with joy: 21. But hath not root in himself, but is of short duration: when affliction or persecution ariseth on account of the word, immediately he is offended. 22. And he that received the seed among thorns is he that heareth the word, and the care of this life, and the deceitfulness of ric…
The interpretation of the parable of the four soils is allegorical. The farmer represents a preacher of God’s word (4:14). The four types of soil that receive the seed represent different responses to the preaching of the word. The point of this parable and its interpretation is that hearers should be good soil and heed God’s word (4:9). Only those who produce fruit and endure to the end will be saved (13:13; 8:35; Rev 2:10-11).
