Mark 4:5 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil.

NIV: Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.

NASB: Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil.

CSB: Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it grew up quickly, since the soil wasn’t deep.

NLT: Other seed fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seed sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow.

KJV: And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:

NKJV: Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth.

As the sower throws seed about his field, some will land on unfertile ground, including thin soil covered by rocks. It's unclear why the plant sprouts and grows so quickly; it may be that the shoot is searching for sunlight beyond the rocks. Without deep soil to grow into, the plant has no choice but to search for nourishment elsewhere. But the thin soil doesn't allow the roots to find water, and the little plant dies in the hot sun (Mark 4:6).

The seed represents the Word of God, and the rocky soil stands for hardship and persecution (Mark 4:17). A great many people look to Jesus as a loving, kind, generous rescuer. They accept His promises quickly and whole-heartedly, but they don't listen to what it is He is saying (Mark 4:9). Jesus does not promise an easy life. In fact, He warns us of persecution (John 15:20). Our faith must not be shallow, like the rocky soil. We must follow Him with a deep character that resolves to absorb everything He has to say (Mark 4:24).

Colossians 2:7 exhorts us to be "rooted" in the word. The word "rooted" is taken from the Greek root word rhizoo and means to be fixed and established. We cannot be firmly rooted if our character is too shallow to value the Word of God. It is bad to have a hard heart that the gospel cannot penetrate, but it's also bad to have a weak nature that rejects the gospel at the first sign of trouble.

Mark 4:1–9 is this Gospel's first major account of Jesus' teaching. In the previous chapter, Jesus encountered varied reactions to His ministry. This passage opens with a parable describing why people react in these ways. Ironically, the very act of using parables reveals what kind of a student someone is. Those intrigued by the story and trusting of the teacher want to know more. Those who are hardened, shallow, or distracted don't allow Jesus' message to change their hearts. These events are also found in Matthew 13:1–9 and Luke 8:4–8.

Jesus speaks in parables to the assembled crowd, giving them an opportunity to decide how much spiritual truth they want to absorb. The disciples, wanting to learn more, ask Jesus to explain the meaning of the parables He has taught. As Jesus explains these ideas, He demonstrates that a person's spiritual knowledge is based on their willingness to pursue truth. After describing Jesus' teaching in some detail, the Gospel of Mark describes how Jesus calms a storm on the Sea of Galilee.

Mark 3 explores the different ways people react to Jesus' teaching and miracles. They either follow Him, use Him, hide Him, or destroy Him. In Mark 4, Jesus explains why people react the way they do. He uses parables to explain who is serious about learning from Him. The softer a person's heart is, the more truth God will reveal. Soon, the twelve will also spread Jesus' message, although they will not be responsible for the spiritual growth of those who believe. The following chapter returns to depicting Jesus' miracles, including two of His most famous.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.