Mark 4:17

17 And they have no root in themselves, but are temporary. Then [when] affliction or persecution comes because of the word, immediately they fall away.

Mark 4:17 Meaning and Commentary

Mark 4:17

And have no root in themselves
The word has no root in their hearts, only in their natural affections: nor is the root of grace in them; there is no heart work, only speculative notions, and flashy affections:

and so endure but for a time:
they continue hearers and professors of the Gospel but for a small season; like the Jews, who rejoiced in the ministry of John the Baptist for a while, and then left him:

afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's
sake, immediately they are offended.
As soon as any small degree of trouble comes upon them, and especially when there is a hot persecution of the professors of religion, because of the Gospel they have embraced; such hearers are stumbled at these things, and cannot bear the loss of any thing, or endure any thing severe for the sake of the word they have professed a pleasure in; and therefore, rather than suffer, they relinquish at once their profession of it.

Mark 4:17 In-Context

15 And these are the ones beside the path where the word is sown, and whenever they hear [it], immediately Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.

16 And these are like the ones sown on the rocky ground, who whenever they hear the word immediately receive it with joy.

17 And they have no root in themselves, but are temporary. Then [when] affliction or persecution comes because of the word, immediately they fall away.

18 And others are the ones sown among the thorn plants--these are the ones who hear the word,

19 and the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other [things] come in [and] choke the word and it becomes unproductive.

Footnotes

• [a]. *Here "[when]" is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle ("comes")