properly · verb — imperfect active indicative, 3rd person singular
Whereunto
τίνιtini
G5101
an interrogative pronoun · interrogative pronoun — dative singular feminine
shall we liken
ὁμοιώσωμενhomoiōsōmen
G3666
to assimilate · verb — aorist active subjunctive, 1st person plural
the kingdom
βασιλείανbasileian
G932
properly · noun — accusative singular feminine
of God
θεοῦtheou
G2316
figuratively · noun — genitive singular masculine, a title
or
ἢē
G2228
disjunctive · conjunction
with
ἐνen
G1722
"in · preposition
what
ποῖοςpoîos
G4169
individualizing interrogative (of character) what sort…
comparison
παραβολῇparabolēa
G3850
a similitude ("parable") · noun — dative singular feminine
shall we compare
παραβάλλωparabállō
G3846
to throw alongside
it
αὐτὴνautēn
G846
the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — accusative singular 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
Matthew 13:31-32 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his…
Luke 13:18-21 Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it?
Lamentations 2:13 What thing shall I take to witness for thee? what thing shall I liken to thee, O daughter of Jerusalem? what shall I equal to thee, that I m…
Matthew 13:24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
Matthew 11:16 But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets, and calling unto their fellows,
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on Mark 4:21-34
The lessons which our Saviour designs to teach us here by parables and figurative expressions are these: -
I. That those who are good ought to consider the obligations they are under to do good; that is, as in the parable before, to bring forth fruit. God expects a grateful return of his gifts to us, and a useful improvement of his gifts in us; for (Mar 4:21), Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? No, but that it may be set on a candlestick. The apostles were ordained, to receive the gospel, not for themselves only, but for the good of others, to communicate it to them. All Christians, as they have received the gift, must minister the same. Note, 1. Gifts and graces…
Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? - How amiable is this carefulness of Jesus! How instructive to the preachers of his word! He is not solicitous to seek fine turns of eloquence to charm the minds of his auditors, nor to draw such descriptions and comparisons as may surprise them: but studies only to make himself understood; to instruct to advantage; to give true ideas of faith and holiness; and to find out such expressions as may render necessary truths easy and intelligible to the meanest capacities. The very wisdom of God seems to be at a loss to find out expressions low enough for the slow apprehensions of men.
How dull and stupid is the creature! How wise and good the Creator!…
And he said,.... Still continuing his discourse on this subject, and in order to convey to the minds of his disciples clearer ideas of the Gospel dispensation, the success of the Gospel, and the usefulness of their ministration of it, for their encouragement, how unpromising soever things might then be:
whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God, or with what comparison shall we compare it? It was usual with the Jewish doctors, when about to illustrate anything in a parabolical way to begin with such like questions; as, , "to what is this thing like" (d)? when the answer is to such or such thing, as here.
(d) T. Hieros. Bava Bathra, fol. 16. 2. T. Bab. Zebachim, fol. 82. 1. & Sabbat, fol…
The Church Fathers
(ubi sup.) Again, the man who sows is by many taken to mean the Saviour Himself, by others, man himself sowing in his own heart.
Now a simile differs from a parable; for it is written in Mark, "With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it?" From this it is plain that there is some logical distinction between a comparison and a parable. The simile seems to be generic, and the parable specific. The simile, which is the highest genus of the parable, contains the parable as one of its species.
And he said: To what shall we liken the kingdom of God, or with what parable shall we compare it? It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown in the ground, is smaller than all the seeds that are on the earth. The kingdom of God is the preaching of the Gospel and the knowledge of the Scriptures which leads to life, and about which it is said to the Jews: The kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation producing its fruits. Therefore, the kingdom of this kind is like a mustard seed which, according to the Gospel of Matthew, a man took and sowed in his field (Matthew XIII). The man who sows is understood by many to be the Savior, who sows in the hearts of the believers. By others, the man himself sowing in the earth or his field, that is, in himself and in his heart. Who is it that sows if not our understanding and mind? Which, receiving the seed of preaching and nurturing the sown with the moisture of faith, makes it sprout in the field of his heart.
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
Gospel · .A mustard seed — .A mustard seed
Kingdom Of Heaven · .To a gra — .To a gra
Sermon · Besi — Besi
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 4:26-34
Matthew 13:31-35
Mark 4:26-34
Luke 13:18-22
31. He delivered another parable to them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard, which a man took and sowed in his field: 32. Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown up, it is the largest among herbs, [220] and becometh a tree, so that the fowls of heaven come and make their nests among its branches. 33. He spake another parable to them: The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid among three measures of meal, till the whole was leavenened. 34. All these things Jesus spoke in parables to the multitudes, and without a parable he spoke nothing to them. 35. That it might be…
