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OET (OET-LV) And he_is_saying to_them:
You_all_have_ not _known the this parable, and how ˓will˒_you_all_be_knowing all the parables?
OET (OET-RV) Then Yeshua said to them, “If you didn’t understand this parable, how will you understand any others?
In this section, Jesus talked about the meaning of the parable that he had just told. The basic meaning of Jesus’ explanation is clear. However, there are questions about the meaning of the seed in this section. In 4:14, the seed refers to the word. In 4:15–20, what is sown seems to refer to the people who hear the word. This has led to several interpretations for the seed in 4:15–20.
The interpretation that the Notes follows is that in 4:15–20 the seed continues to represent the word. The introductory expressions such as “these/others…are the ones sown” (RSV) refer to what happens when the word falls into different types of soil. It represents what happens when different types of people hear the word. For example, the REB says:
With some the seed falls along the footpath
Many scholars support this interpretation in their commentaries. In some versions the seed appears to refer to the people. However, even in these versions, the text implies that the seed of the word has different results in different kinds of people.
Here is the meaning of the main metaphors in the parable:
The seeds represent the word, which is the message from God.
The sowing of the seed represents telling the message to people.
The different kinds of soil represents the different people who hear the message.
This section heading should be similar to the section heading for 4:1–9. You may use the word “explained” or “Jesus explained” (instead of “Jesus told”).
Here are some other possible headings for this section:
Jesus explained the parable of the sower and the soils
The four soils parable/story/illustration explained
The explanation of the parable about four kinds of people
The meaning of the parable of a man scattering seed
There are parallel passages for this section in Matthew 13:18–23 and Luke 8:11–15.
Then Jesus said to them,
¶ Then Jesus told/asked them,
¶ Jesus said to his followers,
Then: This verse is the beginning of a new section. The events in this section probably happened immediately after the events in 4:10–12. Here, Jesus continued speaking, but he began to explain the parable. So the BSB uses the conjunction Then.
Here is another way to translate this in English:
After that
In some languages, a time word or phrase is not necessary. Introduce this part of the story in a natural way in your language.
Jesus said: In 4:13b, Jesus asked a rhetorical question. So it may be more natural in your language to use the verb “asked” here rather than said. For example, the GW says:
Jesus asked
to them: The pronoun them refers to the twelve apostles and other disciples (4:10a). If people in your area will think the pronoun refers to some other people, you may want to use nouns here. Some examples of translating this sentence are:
Jesus said to the disciples
Jesus asked his followers
“Do you not understand this parable?
“Can it be that you(plur) do not understand this parable?
“If you(plur) do not understand the meaning of this parable,
Do you not understand this parable?: In Greek, this clause is the first part of one rhetorical question that includes 4:13c. Together, these two parts indicate a rebuke and make an emphatic statement.
Some ways to translate this part of the rebuke and emphatic statement are:
As a rhetorical question. For example:
Can it be that you do not understand this parable?
As a statement. For example:
I cannot believe that you do not understand this parable!
As an “if” clause. For example:
If you don’t understand this story… (CEV)
But if you can’t understand this story… (NLT96)
parable: The Greek word that the BSB translates as parable can refer to several types of speech such as metaphors, illustrations, and stories that were used to teach a lesson or a truth. Use an appropriate word for the parable about the sower that Jesus told in Section 4:1–9. Refer to the general word for parable that you used in 4:2a.
Then how will you understand any of the parables?
Then how will you(plur) understand any parable?
then you(plur) will certainly not understand any parables!
Then how will you understand any of the parables?: In Greek, this is the second part of a rhetorical question. It is really a strong negative statement.
Here are some other ways to translate this:
As a rhetorical question. For example:
Then how will you ever understand any parable?
As a negative statement. For example:
Then you will certainly not understand any other parable.
any of the parables: The Greek words that the BSB translates as any of the parables are literally “all the parables.” This could be represented with either a plural form (as the BSB does) or with a singular form. For example, the NIV translates this phrase as “any parable.” Use the singular or plural, whichever is most natural in your language.
Here is another example of how to translate this:
other parables
The term that you use for parables here should be general enough to include many types of wise speech, such as illustrations, metaphors, and sayings. See the note on 4:2a for translation suggestions.
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion
οὐκ οἴδατε τὴν παραβολὴν ταύτην, καὶ πῶς πάσας τὰς παραβολὰς γνώσεσθε?
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί λέγει αὐτοῖς Οὐκ οἴδατε τήν παραβολήν ταύτην καί πῶς πάσας τάς παραβολάς γνώσεσθε)
Jesus is using the question form to rebuke and teach his disciples. If you would not use the question form for this purpose in your language, you could translate this as a statement or an exclamation. Alternate translation: [You do not understand this parable. Because of that, you will not understand all the parables.] or [If you do not understand this parable, you cannot understand all the parables!]
4:13 If Jesus’ hearers could not understand the parable, they might lack the grace of citizenship in Christ’s Kingdom. However, even the insiders required Jesus’ explanation.
OET (OET-LV) And he_is_saying to_them:
You_all_have_ not _known the this parable, and how ˓will˒_you_all_be_knowing all the parables?
OET (OET-RV) Then Yeshua said to them, “If you didn’t understand this parable, how will you understand any others?
Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.
Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.