Mark 4:30

Parable of the Mustard Seed

30 ¹And He said, "How shall we ²picture the kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we present it?

Mark 4:30 Meaning and Commentary

Mark 4:30

And he said
Still continuing his discourse on this subject, and in order to convey to the minds of his disciples clearer ideas of the Gospel dispensation, the success of the Gospel, and the usefulness of their ministration of it, for their encouragement, how unpromising soever things might then be:

whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God, or with what comparison
shall we compare it?
It was usual with the Jewish doctors, when about to illustrate anything in a parabolical way to begin with such like questions; as, (hmwd rbdh hml) , "to what is this thing like" ^F4? when the answer is to such or such thing, as here.

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FOOTNOTES:

F4 T. Hieros. Bava Bathra, fol. 16. 2. T. Bab. Zebachim, fol. 82. 1. & Sabbat, fol. 108. 1. & passim.

Mark 4:30 In-Context

28 "The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head.

29 "But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."

30 And He said, "How shall we picture the kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we present it?

31 "It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the soil, though it is smaller than all the seeds that are upon the soil,

32 yet when it is sown, it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and forms large branches; so that THE BIRDS OF THE AIR can NEST UNDER ITS SHADE."

Cross References

• 1. Mark 4:30-32: {Matthew 13:31, 32; Luke 13:18, 19}
• 2. Matthew 13:24

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "compare"