# Mark 4.11-12

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**Book:** [Mark](/codex/john-mark/) · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> 9. And he said, <span class="rl-speech">Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.</span> 10. <span class="rl-speech">And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parables.</span>
>
> **11. And he said unto them, <span class="rl-speech">Unto you is given the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all things are done in parables:</span> 12. <span class="rl-speech">that seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest haply they should turn again, and it should be forgiven them.</span>**
>
> 13. And he saith unto them, <span class="rl-speech">Know ye not this parable? and how shall ye know all the parables?</span> 14. <span class="rl-speech">The sower soweth the word.</span> (Mark 4:9-14, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> 9. He said, <span class="rl-speech">“Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.”</span> 10. When he was alone, those who were around him with the twelve asked him about the parables.
>
> **11. He said to them, <span class="rl-speech">“To you is given the mystery of God’s Kingdom, but to those who are outside, all things are done in parables,</span> 12. <span class="rl-speech">that ‘seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest perhaps they should turn again, and their sins should be forgiven them.’”</span>**
>
> 13. He said to them, <span class="rl-speech">“Don’t you understand this parable? How will you understand all of the parables?</span> 14. <span class="rl-speech">The farmer sows the word.</span> (Mark 4:9-14, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> 9. And he said unto them, <span class="rl-speech">He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.</span> 10. <span class="rl-speech">And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.</span>
>
> **11. And he said unto them, <span class="rl-speech">Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:</span> 12. <span class="rl-speech">That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.</span>**
>
> 13. And he said unto them, <span class="rl-speech">Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?</span> 14. <span class="rl-speech">The sower soweth the word.</span> (Mark 4:9-14, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> 9. And he said to them, <span class="rl-speech">'He who is having ears to hear, let him hear.'</span> 10. And when he was alone, those about him, with the twelve, did ask him of the simile,
>
> **11. and he said to them, <span class="rl-speech">'To you it hath been given to know the secret of the reign of God, but to those who are without, in similes are all the things done;</span> 12. <span class="rl-speech">that seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand, lest they may turn, and the sins may be forgiven them.'</span>**
>
> 13. And he saith to them, <span class="rl-speech">'Have ye not known this simile? and how shall ye know all the similes?</span> 14. <span class="rl-speech">He who is sowing doth sow the word;</span> (Mark 4:9-14, YLT)

## Setting

- **Speaker:** Mark / John Mark (traditionally, on Peter's preaching) / narrator + Jesus's direct teaching
- **Audience:** Gentile-Roman Christian audience (heavy explanation of Jewish customs)
- **Location:** first-century Palestine (events); Rome (likely composition)
- **Time period:** events c. 4 BC, AD 30/33; composed c. AD 55-70

## Theological reading

## Key words

- [G932 - basileia](/codex/g932-basileia/), *basileia* (Strong's G932). Also appears in: [Matthew 4.23](/codex/matthew-4-23/), [Matthew 5.17-20](/codex/matthew-5-17-20/), [Matthew 6.25-34](/codex/matthew-6-25-34/).
- [G1096 - ginomai](/codex/g1096-ginomai/), *ginomai* (Strong's G1096). Also appears in: [Matthew 1](/codex/matthew-1/), [Matthew 5.17-18](/codex/matthew-5-17-18/), [Matthew 8.16](/codex/matthew-8-16/).
- [G1097 - ginosko](/codex/g1097-ginosko/), *ginosko* (Strong's G1097). Also appears in: [Matthew 1](/codex/matthew-1/), [Mark 6](/codex/mark-6/), [Mark 12](/codex/mark-12/).
- [G2316 - theos](/codex/g2316-theos/), *theos* (Strong's G2316). Also appears in: [Matthew 1.23](/codex/matthew-1-23/), [Matthew 3.16](/codex/matthew-3-16/), [Matthew 5.9](/codex/matthew-5-9/).
- [G3466 - mysterion](/codex/g3466-mysterion/), *mysterion* (Strong's G3466). Also appears in: [Romans 11](/codex/romans-11/), [1 Corinthians 13](/codex/1-corinthians-13/), [1 Corinthians 15](/codex/1-corinthians-15/).
- [G3956 - pas](/codex/g3956-pas/), *pas* (Strong's G3956). Also appears in: [Matthew 1](/codex/matthew-1/), [Matthew 2.1-6](/codex/matthew-2-1-6/), [Matthew 2.16](/codex/matthew-2-16/).

## Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

- **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.

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## Quoted in

**Concepts:**

- [Jesus Said](/codex/jesus-said/), via [Mark 4.3-32](/codex/mark-4-3-32/)

**Lexicon:**

- [G3466 - mysterion](/codex/g3466-mysterion/), via [Mark 4.11](/codex/mark-4-11/)
- [G932 - basileia](/codex/g932-basileia/), via [Mark 4.11](/codex/mark-4-11/)
- [H8085 - shama](/codex/h8085-shama/), via [Mark 4.12](/codex/mark-4-12/)

**Passages:**

- [1 Corinthians 13](/codex/1-corinthians-13/)
- [1 Corinthians 2.14](/codex/1-corinthians-2-14/)
- [1 Corinthians 2.8](/codex/1-corinthians-2-8/)
- [1 Corinthians 8.1-3](/codex/1-corinthians-8-1-3/)
- [1 John 2.18](/codex/1-john-2-18/)
- [1 John 3.1](/codex/1-john-3-1/)
- [1 John 3.16](/codex/1-john-3-16/)
- [1 John 4.2-3](/codex/1-john-4-2-3/)
- [1 John 4.6](/codex/1-john-4-6/)
- [Acts 1](/codex/acts-1/)
- [Acts 1.7-8](/codex/acts-1-7-8/)
- [Acts 8.26-35](/codex/acts-8-26-35/)
- [Acts 9](/codex/acts-9/)
- [Ephesians 1.9-12](/codex/ephesians-1-9-12/)
- [Ephesians 6](/codex/ephesians-6/)
- [Galatians 3.7-9](/codex/galatians-3-7-9/)
- [John 1.1-14](/codex/john-1-1-14/)
- [John 1.1-18](/codex/john-1-1-18/)
- [John 1.10](/codex/john-1-10/)
- [John 1.44-49](/codex/john-1-44-49/)
- [John 10.14](/codex/john-10-14/)
- [John 10.14-15](/codex/john-10-14-15/)
- [John 10.14-16](/codex/john-10-14-16/)
- [John 10.14-18](/codex/john-10-14-18/)
- [John 10.15](/codex/john-10-15/)
- [John 10.27-30](/codex/john-10-27-30/)
- [John 10.36-38](/codex/john-10-36-38/)
- [John 10.37-38](/codex/john-10-37-38/)
- [John 10.38](/codex/john-10-38/)
- [John 11](/codex/john-11/)
- [John 13.34-35](/codex/john-13-34-35/)
- [John 14.1-7](/codex/john-14-1-7/)
- [John 14.31](/codex/john-14-31/)
- [John 14.6-7](/codex/john-14-6-7/)
- [John 14.7-10](/codex/john-14-7-10/)
- [John 14.8-9](/codex/john-14-8-9/)
- [John 14.9-11](/codex/john-14-9-11/)
- [John 15.17-19](/codex/john-15-17-19/)
- [John 16.3](/codex/john-16-3/)
- [John 17.21-23](/codex/john-17-21-23/)
- [John 21.17](/codex/john-21-17/)
- [John 3](/codex/john-3/)
- [John 5](/codex/john-5/)
- [John 5.1-15](/codex/john-5-1-15/)
- [John 7.17](/codex/john-7-17/)
- [John 7.53-8](/codex/john-7-53-8/)
- [John 8.23-29](/codex/john-8-23-29/)
- [John 8.27](/codex/john-8-27/)
- [John 8.31-32](/codex/john-8-31-32/)
- [John 8.32](/codex/john-8-32/)
- [Luke 1.29-38](/codex/luke-1-29-38/)
- [Luke 1.34-35](/codex/luke-1-34-35/)
- [Luke 10.22](/codex/luke-10-22/)
- [Luke 19.41-44](/codex/luke-19-41-44/)
- [Luke 6.17-49](/codex/luke-6-17-49/)
- [Luke 6.27-2](/codex/luke-6-27-2/)
- [Luke 7.36-50](/codex/luke-7-36-50/)
- [Mark 12](/codex/mark-12/)
- [Mark 15](/codex/mark-15/)
- [Mark 6](/codex/mark-6/)
- [Matthew 1](/codex/matthew-1/)
- [Romans 1.21-23](/codex/romans-1-21-23/)
- [Romans 10](/codex/romans-10/)
- [Romans 11.25-26](/codex/romans-11-25-26/)
- [Romans 3.10-18](/codex/romans-3-10-18/)
- [Romans 7](/codex/romans-7/)
- [Romans 7.14-25](/codex/romans-7-14-25/)

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