MARK 4:13 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) Then Yeshua said to them, “If you didn’t understand this parable, how will you understand any others?

Key: khaki:verbs, orange:accusative/object, cyan:dative/indirect object, red:negative.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT And he says to them, “Do you not understand this parable? And how will you understand all the parables?

UST Then Jesus told his apprentices, “Unless you realize what that story means, you will not be able to realize what any of the other stories that I tell mean.

BLB And He says to them, "Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables?

AICNT And he says to them, “Do you not understand this parable? And how will you understand all the parables?

OEB ‘You do not know the meaning of this parable?’ he went on, ‘Then how will you understand all the other parables?

WEBBE He said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How will you understand all of the parables?

WMBB (Same as above)

NET He said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? Then how will you understand any parable?

LSV And He says to them, “Have you not known this allegory? And how will you know all the allegories?

FBV “Don't you understand this story?” Jesus asked them. “If you can't, how are you going to understand all the other stories?

TCNT Then he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the other parables?

T4T He also said to them, “◄I am disappointed that you do not understand this illustration!/Can you not understand this illustration?► [RHQ] If you do not understand this, ◄you will certainly not understand any of the other illustrations!/how will you understand any of the other illustrations?► [RHQ] Nevertheless, I will explain it to you.

LEB And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? And how will you understand all the parables?

BBE And he said to them, If you are not clear about this story, how will you be clear about the others?

Moff And he said to them, "You do not understand this parable? Then how are you to understand the other parables?

Wymth "Do you all miss the meaning of this parable?" He added; "how then will you understand the rest of my parables?"

ASV And he saith unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how shall ye know all the parables?

DRA And he saith to them: Are you ignorant of this parable? and how shall you know all parables?

YLT And he saith to them, 'Have ye not known this simile? and how shall ye know all the similes?

Drby And he says to them, Do ye not know this parable? and how will ye be acquainted with all the parables?

RV And he saith unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how shall ye know all the parables?
(And he saith/says unto them, Know ye/you_all not this parable? and how shall ye/you_all know all the parables? )

SLT And he says to them, Know ye not this parable? and how will ye know all parables?

Wbstr And he said to them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?

KJB-1769 And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?
(And he said unto them, Know ye/you_all not this parable? and how then will ye/you_all know all parables? )

KJB-1611 And he said vnto them, Know ye not this parable? And how then will you know all parables?
(And he said unto them, Know ye/you_all not this parable? And how then will you know all parables?)

Bshps And he sayde vnto them: Knowe ye not this parable? And howe then wyll ye knowe all other parables?
(And he said unto them: Know ye/you_all not this parable? And how then will ye/you_all know all other parables?)

Gnva Againe he said vnto them, Perceiue ye not this parable? howe then should ye vnderstand all other parables?
(Again he said unto them, Perceive ye/you_all not this parable? how then should ye/you_all understand all other parables? )

Cvdl And he sayde vnto them: Vnderstonde ye not this parable? How wyl ye then vnderstonde all other parables?
(And he said unto them: Understood ye/you_all not this parable? How will ye/you_all then understood all other parables?)

TNT And he sayde vnto the: Perceave ye not this similitude? how then shulde ye vnderstonde all other similitudes?
(And he said unto them: Perceive ye/you_all not this similitude? how then should ye/you_all understood all other similitudes? )

Wycl And he seide to hem, Knowe not ye this parable? and hou ye schulen knowe alle parablis?
(And he said to hem, Know not ye/you_all this parable? and how ye/you_all should know all parables?)

Luth Und er sprach zu ihnen: Verstehet ihr dieses Gleichnis nicht, wie wollet ihr denn die andern alle verstehen?
(And he spoke to/for to_them: Do_you_understand you(pl)/their/her this parable/allegory not, as/like wanted you(pl)/their/her because/than the change all understand?)

ClVg Et ait illis: Nescitis parabolam hanc? Et quomodo omnes parabolas cognoscetis?
(And he_said to_them: You_don't_know parable this? And how everyone parables you(pl)_will_know? )

UGNT καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς, οὐκ οἴδατε τὴν παραβολὴν ταύτην, καὶ πῶς πάσας τὰς παραβολὰς γνώσεσθε?
(kai legei autois, ouk oidate taʸn parabolaʸn tautaʸn, kai pōs pasas tas parabolas gnōsesthe?)

SBL-GNT Καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· Οὐκ οἴδατε τὴν παραβολὴν ταύτην, καὶ πῶς πάσας τὰς παραβολὰς γνώσεσθε;
(Kai legei autois; Ouk oidate taʸn parabolaʸn tautaʸn, kai pōs pasas tas parabolas gnōsesthe;)

RP-GNT Καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς, Οὐκ οἴδατε τὴν παραβολὴν ταύτην; Καὶ πῶς πάσας τὰς παραβολὰς γνώσεσθε;
(Kai legei autois, Ouk oidate taʸn parabolaʸn tautaʸn; Kai pōs pasas tas parabolas gnōsesthe;)

TC-GNT Καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς, Οὐκ οἴδατε τὴν παραβολὴν ταύτην; Καὶ πῶς πάσας τὰς παραβολὰς γνώσεσθε;
(Kai legei autois, Ouk oidate taʸn parabolaʸn tautaʸn; Kai pōs pasas tas parabolas gnōsesthe; )

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs (from our SR-GNT base).

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 4:13–20: Jesus explained the parable about four types of soil

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.

4:13a

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

4:13b

“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.

4:13c

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.

Parallel MARK 4:13

Section 4:13–20: Jesus explained the parable about four types of soil

4:13a

4:13b

4:13c