InterlinearVerse GEN EXO LEV NUM DEUT JOB YEHO (JOS) HERO (JDG) RUTH 1 SAM 2 SAM PSA AMOS HOS 1 KI 2 KI 1 CHR 2 CHR PROV ECC SNG YOEL (JOEL) MIC ISA ZEP HAB YIR (JER) LAM YNA (JNA) NAH OBAD DAN EZEK EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL 2 PS WIS TOB MAN BAR G DAN G ESD L ESD ESG JDT 3 MAC SIR 1 MAC 2 MAC 4 MAC YHN (JHN) MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC (JAM) GAL 1 TH 2 TH 1 COR 2 COR ROM COL LAOD PHM EPH PHP 1 TIM TIT 1 PET 2 PET 2 TIM HEB YUD (JUD) 1 YHN (1 JHN) 2 YHN (2 JHN) 3 YHN (3 JHN) REV
InterlinearVerse Mark C1 C2 C3 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16
Mark 4 V1 V3 V5 V7 V9 V11 V13 V15 V17 V19 V21 V23 V25 V27 V29 V31 V33 V35 V37 V39 V41
People tagged in the matching LV passage: Jesus Christ
Dictionary: Jesus
OET-LV and he_was_ not _speaking without parable to_them, by but himself to_his own apprentices/followers, he_was_explaining all things.
OET (OET-RV) He never spoke without those illustrations, but he explained all of them to his close followers.
This parable compares the kingdom of God to a mustard seed. The parable illustrates how God’s kingdom will grow from a very small beginning to a very large size.
It is good to translate this section before you decide on a heading for it.
Here are some other possible headings for this section:
The parable about a mustard seed
Jesus compared the kingdom of God to a tiny seed that grows into a big shrub/bush
The mustard seed parable/story/illustration
There are parallel passages for this section in Matthew 13:31–34 and Luke 13:18–19.
He did not tell them anything without using a parable.
He always used parables when he taught them.
In fact, in his public teaching he taught only with parables, (NLT96)
He did not tell them anything without using a parable: This clause refers only to the times when Jesus was teaching the crowds.
There are two negative words here: not and without. It may be more natural in your language to use positive words.
Here are some other ways to translate this:
Whenever he spoke to them about God, he used parables.
He taught the crowds using only parables.
In fact, in his public teaching he taught only with parables (NLT96)
parable: In this context the word parable is used in a general way to describe any of the types of wise speech that Jesus used in this chapter. See the note on 4:33a, and translate in a similar way here.
But privately He explained everything to His own disciples.
But when he and his disciples were alone by themselves, he explained every parable to them.
but privately he explained everything to his followers.
But privately He explained everything to His own disciples: The words privately…to His own disciples indicates that the crowds had left and only Jesus and his disciples were present. For example:
when they were by themselves (NJB)
privately to his own disciples (RSV)
everything: In this context, the word everything refers to all the parables. It may be more natural in your language to refer in a different way to all the parables. For example:
all of them
every parable
disciples: The Greek word that the BSB translates as disciples means “learners” who are in a relationship with a teacher. The learners commit themselves to their teacher in order to learn from him and live according to his teaching and example. In the New Testament disciples often lived with their teacher and followed him wherever he went.
Some ways to translate disciples are:
Use a term that refers to people who learn from a teacher or an expert. It is helpful if the term also implies that the learners are often with their teacher. For example:
learners/students
apprentices Be careful not to use a term that would refer only to a student in a school or classroom.
Use a term that refers to people who follow a teacher or leader by obeying his teaching. It is helpful if this term also implies learning from the teacher and actually following the teacher wherever he goes. For example:
followers
those who are committed/faithful (to a teacher/leader)
See how you translated this term at 3:9. See also disciple in the Glossary.
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / doublenegatives
χωρὶς & παραβολῆς οὐκ ἐλάλει αὐτοῖς
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: χωρίς δέ παραβολῆς οὐκ ἐλάλει αὐτοῖς καθʼ ἰδίαν δέ τοῖς ἰδίοις μαθηταῖς ἐπέλυεν παντᾶ)
If it would be clearer in your language, you could use a positive expression to translate this double negative that consists of the negative word not and the negative preposition without. Alternate translation: [he was only speaking to them with a parable]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
πάντα
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: χωρίς δέ παραβολῆς οὐκ ἐλάλει αὐτοῖς καθʼ ἰδίαν δέ τοῖς ἰδίοις μαθηταῖς ἐπέλυεν παντᾶ)
Here, the word everything refers to every parable that Jesus spoke to the people. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make that idea more explicit. Alternate translation: [every parable]
OET-LV and he_was_ not _speaking without parable to_them, by but himself to_his own apprentices/followers, he_was_explaining all things.
OET (OET-RV) He never spoke without those illustrations, but he explained all of them to his close followers.
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.
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