Mark 4:11

11 and he said to them, `To you it hath been given to know the secret of the reign of God, but to those who are without, in similes are all the things done;

Mark 4:11 Meaning and Commentary

Mark 4:11

And he said unto them
His disciples;

unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God;
or the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, the secrets of the Gospel dispensation, the mysterious doctrines of grace; (See Gill on Matthew 13:11),

but unto them that are without;
"to strangers", as the Syriac and Arabic versions render it, who were not the disciples of Christ, nor admitted to any intimacy with him; who came only to amuse themselves with the sight of his person and miracles:

all [these] things are done in parables;
are wrapped up in dark sayings, and figurative expressions, the sound of which they heard, and might be pleased with the pretty similes made use of, but understood not the spiritual meaning of them.

Mark 4:11 In-Context

9 And he said to them, `He who is having ears to hear -- let him hear.'

10 And when he was alone, those about him, with the twelve, did ask him of the simile,

11 and he said to them, `To you it hath been given to know the secret of the reign of God, but to those who are without, in similes are all the things done;

12 that seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand, lest they may turn, and the sins may be forgiven them.'

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