The Mustard Seed and the Kingdom's Growth
Mark 4:30-34
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Mark.4.30 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- Και: CONJ
- ελεγεν·Πως: VERB,impf,act,ind,3,sg
- ομοιωσωμεν: VERB,aor,act,sub,1,pl
- την: ART,acc,sg,f
- βασιλειαν: NOUN,acc,sg,f
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- θεου: NOUN,gen,sg,m
- η: ART,nom,sg,f
- εν: PREP
- τινι: PRON,dat,sg,neut
- αυτην: PRON,acc,sg,f
- παραβολη: NOUN,dat,sg,f
- θωμεν: VERB,pres,act,sub,1,pl
Parallels
- Matthew 13:31 (verbal): Same introductory formula—'The kingdom of heaven is like...'—introducing the mustard-seed parable, a direct verbal parallel.
- Matthew 13:33 (verbal): Another parable introduced with the same likening of the kingdom ('The kingdom of heaven is like leaven'), showing the recurring formula and theme.
- Matthew 13:44 (thematic): Parable of the hidden treasure (and pearl) uses the 'kingdom is like' pattern to teach about the nature and value of the kingdom—thematic parallel.
- Luke 13:18 (verbal): Parallel wording in Luke's Gospel: Jesus asks 'What is the kingdom of God like?' and tells the mustard-seed parable—direct verbal and narrative parallel.
- Mark 4:26 (structural): Earlier parable in Mark beginning 'The kingdom of God is as...'—a close structural parallel within Mark's collection of kingdom parables (similar form and teaching purpose).
Alternative generated candidates
- And he said to them, "To what shall we compare the kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we show it?"
- And he said, To what shall we liken the kingdom of God, and with what parable shall we present it?
Mark.4.31 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ως: ADV
- κοκκω: NOUN,dat,sg,m
- σιναπεως: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- ος: PRON,nom,sg,m
- οταν: CONJ
- σπαρη: VERB,pres,pass,subj,3,sg
- επι: PREP
- της: ART,gen,sg,f
- γης: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- μικροτερον: ADJ,gen,pl,n,comp
- ον: PART,pres,act,nom,sg,m
- παντων: ADJ,gen,pl,m
- των: ART,gen,pl,m
- σπερματων: NOUN,gen,pl,n
- των: ART,gen,pl,m
- επι: PREP
- της: ART,gen,sg,f
- γης: NOUN,gen,sg,f
Parallels
- Matthew 13:31-32 (verbal): Direct Synoptic parallel of the mustard‑seed parable; uses nearly identical wording ('smaller than all the seeds') and continues with the image of growth into a large plant.
- Luke 13:18-19 (verbal): Another Synoptic retelling; same mustard‑seed motif describing the seed's smallness and its expansive growth—used to illustrate the kingdom.
- Mark 4:30-32 (structural): Immediate Markan context (introduction and conclusion of the parable). Verse 31 is embedded in this unit explaining the smallness of the seed and the surprising growth.
- Matthew 17:20 (thematic): Uses mustard‑seed imagery to teach that very small faith can produce great effects—thematic parallel emphasizing small beginnings leading to large outcomes.
- Luke 17:6 (thematic): Parallel saying about faith 'like a mustard seed' to show how a tiny thing (faith/seed) can accomplish great results; echoes the same metaphorical logic.
Alternative generated candidates
- It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth;
- It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the earth, is smaller than all the seeds on the earth.
Mark.4.32 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- και: CONJ
- οταν: CONJ
- σπαρη: VERB,aor,pass,subj,3,sg
- αναβαινει: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- και: CONJ
- γινεται: VERB,pres,mp,ind,3,sg
- μειζον: ADJ,nom,sg,neut,comp
- παντων: ADJ,gen,pl,m
- των: ART,gen,pl,m
- λαχανων: NOUN,gen,pl,neut
- και: CONJ
- ποιει: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- κλαδους: NOUN,acc,pl,masc
- μεγαλους: ADJ,acc,pl,masc,pos
- ωστε: CONJ
- δυνασθαι: VERB,pres,mid,inf
- υπο: PREP
- την: ART,acc,sg,f
- σκιαν: NOUN,acc,sg,fem
- αυτου: PRON,gen,sg,m
- τα: ART,acc,pl,n
- πετεινα: NOUN,nom,pl,n
- του: ART,gen,sg,n
- ουρανου: NOUN,gen,sg,masc
- κατασκηνουν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,pl
Parallels
- Matthew 13:32 (quotation): Direct parallel of the mustard seed parable; same language about the tiny seed growing into the greatest of garden plants and producing large branches where birds can nest.
- Luke 13:19 (quotation): Luke's version of the mustard seed parable closely matches Mark 4:32 in theme and imagery—small beginning yielding a plant large enough for birds to find shelter.
- Daniel 4:12 (allusion): Nebuchadnezzar's dream describes a great tree whose branches provide lodging for birds—a regal tree-image that echoes the mustard seed’s growth into shelter, linking small-to-great and bird-in-branches motifs.
- Ezekiel 17:22-24 (allusion): God’s promise to plant a shoot that becomes a lofty cedar where birds of every sort dwell parallels the motif of a divinely multiplied plant/tree providing shade and habitation, thematically resonant with the mustard seed parable.
Alternative generated candidates
- yet when sown it grows up and becomes greater than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can shelter in its shade.
- But when it is sown it grows up and becomes greater than all the garden plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the sky can nest in its shade.
Mark.4.33 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- Και: CONJ
- τοιαυταις: ADJ,dat,pl,f
- παραβολαις: NOUN,dat,pl,f
- πολλαις: ADJ,dat,pl,f
- ελαλει: VERB,impf,act,ind,3,sg
- αυτοις: PRO,dat,pl,3
- τον: ART,acc,sg,m
- λογον: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- καθως: CONJ
- ηδυναντο: VERB,impf,mid,ind,3,pl
- ακουειν·: VERB,pres,act,inf
Parallels
- Mark 4:34 (structural): Immediate parallel in the same pericope: Jesus uses parables and then privately explains them to the disciples.
- Matthew 13:34-35 (structural): Matthew’s summary that Jesus spoke many parables, adding the remark that this fulfilled prophecy about speaking in parables.
- Matthew 13:10-15 (quotation): Jesus’ explanation to the disciples about why he teaches in parables, citing fulfillment of prophetic hardening (quoting Isaiah 6:9–10).
- Luke 8:4-10 (thematic): Luke’s parallel account of the Sower and the explanatory saying that the secrets of the kingdom are given to the disciples — a thematic match for teaching by parable.
- Isaiah 6:9-10 (allusion): The prophetic passage cited in the Gospels as the rationale/fulfillment for Jesus’ use of parables (hardening and seeing without perceiving).
Alternative generated candidates
- With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it.
- With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it.
Mark.4.34 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- χωρις: PREP,gen
- δε: CONJ
- παραβολης: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- ουκ: PART,neg
- ελαλει: VERB,impf,act,ind,3,sg
- αυτοις: PRO,dat,pl,3
- κατ᾽ιδιαν: ADV
- δε: CONJ
- τοις: ART,dat,pl,n
- ιδιοις: ADJ,dat,pl,m
- μαθηταις: NOUN,dat,pl,m
- επελυεν: VERB,impf,act,ind,3,sg
- παντα: ADJ,nom,pl,n
Parallels
- Mark 4:11 (verbal): Uses the same teaching-framework language: Jesus explains the 'mystery of the kingdom' to his disciples while speaking to others in parables, making explicit the distinction between private explanation and public parable.
- Matthew 13:34-35 (quotation): Nearly identical statement that Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables and not without a parable, with Matthew adding a fulfillment citation—shows the Synoptic verbal parallel about Jesus' parabolic method.
- Luke 8:10 (verbal): Parallel formulation: the secrets of the kingdom are given to the disciples but to others things are spoken in parables, echoing Mark 4:34's contrast between public parables and private explanation.
- Matthew 13:36 (structural): After teaching the crowds in parables, Jesus withdraws and the disciples ask him privately to explain the parable (of the tares), paralleling Mark's note that he explained everything to his own disciples privately.
- Matthew 15:15 (thematic): Peter's request 'Explain the parable to us' illustrates the recurring theme that the disciples receive private clarification of Jesus' sayings that remain obscure to the larger audience.
Alternative generated candidates
- He did not speak to them without a parable; but privately, to his own disciples, he explained everything.
- But without a parable he did not speak to them; and when he was alone with his disciples he explained everything to them.
And he said to them, What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or with what parable shall we compare it?
It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on the earth;
but when it is sown it grows and becomes greater than all the garden plants, and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade. And with many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear. But without a parable he did not speak to them; and when he was alone with his own disciples he explained all things to them.