English Standard Version
Mark 4:27
27He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how.
Mark 4:27 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.
- New International Version (NIV)Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.
- New King James Version (NKJV)and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Night and day, while he’s asleep or awake, the seed sprouts and grows, but he does not understand how it happens.
Context of Mark 4:27
25For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away." 26And he said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. 28The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."
Read all of Mark 4Mark 4:27 word by word
καὶ καθεύδῃ καὶ ἐγείρηται νύκτα καὶ ἡμέραν, καὶ ὁ σπόρος βλαστᾷ καὶ μηκύνηται ὡς οὐκ οἶδεν αὐτός.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- should sleepκαθεύδωkatheudō · to sleepG2518
- riseἐγείρωegeirō · to ariseG1453
- nightνύξnux · nightG3571
- dayἡμέραhēmera · dayG2250
- the seedὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the seedσπόροςsporos · seedG4703
- should springβλαστάνωblastanō · to sproutG985
- grow upμηκύνωmēkunō · to growG3373
- heαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- knowethεἴδωeidō · to perceive: understandG1492
- notοὐou · noG3756
- howὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
Cross-references for Mark 4:27
- Ecclesiastes 8:17then I saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out. Even though a wise man claims to know, he cannot find it out.
- Ecclesiastes 11:5As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.
- John 3:7Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'
- 1 Corinthians 15:37And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain.
- 2 Thessalonians 1:3We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.
- 2 Peter 3:18But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
Commentaries on Mark 4:27
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 27And should sleep and rise night and day - That is, he should sleep by night, and rise by day; for so the words are obviously to be understood. He knoweth not how - How a plant grows is a mystery in nature, which the wisest philosopher in the universe cannot fully explain.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 27And should sleep, and rise night and day - Should sleep in the night and rise by day, for so the expression is to be understood. That is, should live in his usual way, without exerting any influence over the growing grain. By this we are not to infer that men are to use no diligence in the obtaining and in the growth of piety; but the illustration shows only that as we cannot tell how grain grows, so we cannot tell the mode in which piety increases in the…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 21-34Verses 21-34 These declarations were intended to call the attention of the disciples to the word of Christ. By his thus instructing them, they were made able to instruct others; as candles are lighted, not to be covered, but to be placed on a candlestick, that they may give light to a room. This parable of the good seed, shows the manner in which the kingdom of God makes progress in the world. Let but the word of Christ have the place it ought to have in…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 26-29This parable focuses on the seed and how it grows over time. Just as the earth produces crops on its own, the completion (final coming) of God’s kingdom does not depend on human effort. first the stalk, then the head, then the grain that ripens within: These describe the normal stages of a seed’s growth.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 26-2726-27. So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; and should sleep, and rise night and day--go about his other ordinary occupations, leaving it to the well-known laws of vegetation under the genial influences of heaven. This is the sense of "the earth bringing forth fruit of herself," in Mr 4:27.Read the comment
Topics related to Mark 4:27
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Mark 4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Catena Aurea
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- John Lightfoot Commentary
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries