Mark 4:11

11 And he said to them, To you is given [to know] the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to them who are without, all things are done in parables,

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, He that has ears to hear, let him hear.

10 And when he was alone, those about him with the twelve asked him [as to] the parables.

11 And he said to them, To you is given [to know] the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to them who are without, all things are done in parables,

12 that beholding they may behold and not see, and hearing they may hear and not understand, lest it may be, they should be converted and they should be forgiven.

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