Mark 4:31

Mark 4:31 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth:
• New International Version (NIV)It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth.
• English Standard Version (ESV)It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth,
• New King James Version (NKJV)It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth;

Context of Mark 4:31

29But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” 30And He said, “How shall we picture the kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we present it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the soil, though it is smaller than all the seeds that are upon the soil, 32yet when it is sown, it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and forms large branches; so that the birds of the air can nest under its shade.” 33With many such parables He was speaking the word to them, so far as they were able to hear it;

Mark 4:31 word by word

ὡς σινάπεως ὃς ὅταν σπαρῇ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, μικρότερον ὂν πάντων τῶν σπερμάτων τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς.Read the interlinear

• likeὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• a mustardσίναπιsinapi · mustardG4615
• seedκόκκοςkokkos · seedG2848
• whichὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• whenὅτανhotan · when(-ever)G3752
• sownσπείρωspeirō · to sowG4687
• upon the soilγῆgē · earth: soilG1093
• though it is smallerμικρόςmikros mikroteros · smallG3398
• than allπᾶςpas · allG3956
• the seedsσπέρμαsperma · seed: offspringG4690

Cross-references for Mark 4:31

• Matthew 13:31He presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field;
• Luke 13:18So He was saying, “What is the kingdom of God like, and to what shall I compare it?
• Genesis 22:17indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies.
• Psalms 72:16May there be abundance of grain in the earth on top of the mountains; Its fruit will wave like the cedars of Lebanon; And may those from the city flourish like vegetation of the earth.
• Isaiah 2:2Now it will come about that In the last days The mountain of the house of the Lord Will be established as the chief of the mountains, And will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it.
• Isaiah 9:7There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.
• Isaiah 49:6He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
• Isaiah 53:2For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.
• Isaiah 54:1“Shout for joy, O barren one, you who have borne no child; Break forth into joyful shouting and cry aloud, you who have not travailed; For the sons of the desolate one will be more numerous Than the sons of the married woman,” says the Lord.
• Isaiah 60:22The smallest one will become a clan, And the least one a mighty nation. I, the Lord, will hasten it in its time.”
• Ezekiel 17:22Thus says the Lord God, “I will also take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and set it out; I will pluck from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one and I will plant it on a high and lofty mountain.
• Daniel 2:34You continued looking until a stone was cut out without hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and crushed them.
• Amos 9:11“In that day I will raise up the fallen booth of David, And wall up its breaches; I will also raise up its ruins And rebuild it as in the days of old;
• Micah 4:1And it will come about in the last days That the mountain of the house of the Lord Will be established as the chief of the mountains. It will be raised above the hills, And the peoples will stream to it.
• Zechariah 2:11“Many nations will join themselves to the Lord in that day and will become My people. Then I will dwell in your midst, and you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you.
• Zechariah 8:20“Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘It will yet be that peoples will come, even the inhabitants of many cities.

Commentaries on Mark 4:31

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 31A grain of mustard seed - See on Matthew 13:31, Matthew 13:32; (note).Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 31See the notes at Matthew 13:31-32.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. 30-32Jesus contrasts a very small beginning with a large result. The mustard seed was known to be very small, almost the smallest seed people commonly used (see Matthew 17:20).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-341. And he began again to teach by the seaside: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude--or, according to another well-supported reading, "a mighty" or "immense multitude." so that he entered into a ship--rather, "the ship," meaning the one mentioned in Mr 3:9. (See on Mt 12:15). and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land--crowded on the seashore to listen to Him. (See on Mt 13:1, 2.)Read the comment

Topics related to Mark 4:31

• Church
• Gospel
• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Kingdom of Heaven
• Sermon
• Word of God

In the dictionaries

• Alone
• Care
• Cast
• Comparison
• Doctrine
• Mustard
• Games
• Jesus Christ
• Mark, the Gospel According to

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