New King James Version
Mark 4:28
28For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head.
Mark 4:28 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.
- New International Version (NIV)All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head.
- English Standard Version (ESV)The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
- New Living Translation (NLT)The earth produces the crops on its own. First a leaf blade pushes through, then the heads of wheat are formed, and finally the grain ripens.
Context of Mark 4:28
26And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, 27and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. 29But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” 30Then He said, “To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it?
Read all of Mark 4Mark 4:28 word by word
αὐτομάτη ἡ γῆ καρποφορεῖ πρῶτον χόρτον εἶτα στάχυν εἶτα πλήρης σῖτον ἐν τῷ στάχυϊ.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Forγάρgar · forG1063
- the earthὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the earthγῆgē · earth: soilG1093
- bringeth forth fruitκαρποφορέωkarpophoreō · to bear fruitG2592
- of herselfαὐτόματοςautomatos · by itselfG844
- firstπρῶτονprōton · firstG4412
- the bladeχόρτοςchortos · grassG5528
- thenεἶταeita · thenG1534
- the earστάχυςstachus · head of grainG4719
- theσῖτοςsitos · grainG4621
- fullπλήρηςplērēs · fullG4134
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
Cross-references for Mark 4:28
- Genesis 1:11Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so.
- Genesis 2:4This is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens,
- Genesis 4:11So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.
- Isaiah 61:11For as the earth brings forth its bud, As the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth, So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.
- Mark 4:31It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth;
- Psalms 1:3He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.
- Psalms 92:13Those who are planted in the house of the Lord Shall flourish in the courts of our God.
- Proverbs 4:18But the path of the just is like the shining sun, That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.
- Ecclesiastes 3:1To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:
- Hosea 6:3Let us know, Let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, Like the latter and former rain to the earth.
- Philippians 1:6being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
- Colossians 1:10that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
- 1 Thessalonians 3:12And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you,
- Matthew 13:26But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.
Commentaries on Mark 4:28
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 28Bringeth forth - of herself - . By its own energy, without either the influence or industry of man. Similar to this is the expression of the poet: - Namque aliae, Nullis Homlnum Cogentibus, ipsae Sponte Sua veniunt. Virg. Geor. l. ii. v. 10 "Some (trees) grow of their own accord, without the labor of man." All the endlessly varied herbage of the field is produced in this way. The full corn - , Full wheat; the perfect, full-grown, or ripe corn. Lucian uses…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 28For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself - That is, it is done without the power of man. It is done while man is engaged in other things. The scope of this passage does not require us to suppose that our Saviour meant to say that the earth had any productive power of itself, but only that it produced its fruits not by the “power of man.” God gives it its power. It has no power of its own. So religion in the heart is not by the power of man. It grows…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. 2828. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear--beautiful allusion to the succession of similar stages, though not definitely marked periods, in the Christian life, and generally in the kingdom of God.Read the comment
Topics related to Mark 4:28
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries