# Mark 4.14-20

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-08-18 | updated: 2026-08-18 -->

**Book:** [Mark](/codex/mark/) · NASB95

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> 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> 15. <span class="rl-speech">And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; and when they have heard, straightway cometh Satan, and taketh away the word which hath been sown in them.</span> 16. <span class="rl-speech">And these in like manner are they that are sown upon the rocky places, who, when they have heard the word, straightway receive it with joy;</span> 17. <span class="rl-speech">and they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, straightway they stumble.</span> 18. <span class="rl-speech">And others are they that are sown among the thorns; these are they that have heard the word,</span> 19. <span class="rl-speech">and the cares of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.</span> 20. <span class="rl-speech">And those are they that were sown upon the good ground; such as hear the word, and accept it, and bear fruit, thirtyfold, and sixtyfold, and a hundredfold.</span>**
>
> 21. And he said unto them, <span class="rl-speech">Is the lamp brought to be put under the bushel, or under the bed, and not to be put on the stand?</span> 22. <span class="rl-speech">For there is nothing hid, save that it should be manifested; neither was anything made secret, but that it should come to light.</span> (Mark 4:12-22, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> 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> 15. <span class="rl-speech">The ones by the road are the ones where the word is sown; and when they have heard, immediately Satan comes, and takes away the word which has been sown in them.</span> 16. <span class="rl-speech">These in the same way are those who are sown on the rocky places, who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with joy.</span> 17. <span class="rl-speech">They have no root in themselves, but are short-lived. When oppression or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they stumble.</span> 18. <span class="rl-speech">Others are those who are sown among the thorns. These are those who have heard the word,</span> 19. <span class="rl-speech">and the cares of this age, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.</span> 20. <span class="rl-speech">Those which were sown on the good ground are those who hear the word, and accept it, and bear fruit, some thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times.”</span>**
>
> 21. He said to them, <span class="rl-speech">“Is the lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Isn’t it put on a stand?</span> 22. <span class="rl-speech">For there is nothing hidden, except that it should be made known; neither was anything made secret, but that it should come to light.</span> (Mark 4:12-22, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> 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> 15. <span class="rl-speech">And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.</span> 16. <span class="rl-speech">And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;</span> 17. <span class="rl-speech">And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended. <sup>offended: or, stumbled, or, caused to fall into sin</sup></span> 18. <span class="rl-speech">And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,</span> 19. <span class="rl-speech">And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. <sup>lusts: or, inordinate desires</sup></span> 20. <span class="rl-speech">And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.</span>**
>
> 21. And he said unto them, <span class="rl-speech">Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick? <sup>bushel: the word in the original signifieth a less measure</sup></span> 22. <span class="rl-speech">For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.</span> (Mark 4:12-22, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> 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> 15. <span class="rl-speech">and these are they by the way where the word is sown: and whenever they may hear, immediately cometh the Adversary, and he taketh away the word that hath been sown in their hearts.</span> 16. <span class="rl-speech">'And these are they, in like manner, who on the rocky ground are sown: who, whenever they may hear the word, immediately with joy do receive it,</span> 17. <span class="rl-speech">and have not root in themselves, but are temporary; afterward tribulation or persecution having come because of the word, immediately they are stumbled.</span> 18. <span class="rl-speech">'And these are they who toward the thorns are sown: these are they who are hearing the word,</span> 19. <span class="rl-speech">and the anxieties of this age, and the deceitfulness of the riches, and the desires concerning the other things, entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.</span> 20. <span class="rl-speech">'And these are they who on the good ground have been sown: who do hear the word, and receive, and do bear fruit, one thirty-fold, and one sixty, and one an hundred.'</span>**
>
> 21. And he said to them, <span class="rl-speech">'Doth the lamp come that under the measure it may be put, or under the couch, not that it may be put on the lamp-stand?</span> 22. <span class="rl-speech">for there is not anything hid that may not be manifested, nor was anything kept hid but that it may come to light.</span> (Mark 4:12-22, YLT)

## Setting

- **Speaker:** _TBD_
- **Audience:** _TBD_
- **Location:** _TBD_
- **Time period:** _TBD_

## Theological reading

_Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added._

## Key words

_Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word._

- [G4567 - satanas](/codex/g4567-satanas/), *satanas*, Strong's G4567
- [G0165 - aion](/codex/g0165-aion/), *aion*, Strong's G0165
- [G2588 - kardia](/codex/g2588-kardia/), *kardia*, Strong's G2588
- [G1520 - heis](/codex/g1520-heis/), *heis*, Strong's G1520
- [G3056 - logos](/codex/g3056-logos/), *logos*, Strong's G3056
- [G1096 - ginomai](/codex/g1096-ginomai/), *ginomai*, Strong's G1096

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## Quoted in

**Concepts:**

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

**Lexicon:**

- [G0165 - aion](/codex/g0165-aion/), via [Mark 4.19](/codex/mark-4-19/)
- [G4567 - satanas](/codex/g4567-satanas/), via [Mark 4.15](/codex/mark-4-15/)

**Passages:**

- [James 1.21](/codex/james-1-21/)

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## Notes

_Your annotations._

## 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.