Mark 4:17

17 But there is such shallow soil of character that when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it.

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 Some people are like the seed that falls on the hardened soil of the road. No sooner do they hear the Word than Satan snatches away what has been planted in them.

16 "And some are like the seed that lands in the gravel. When they first hear the Word, they respond with great enthusiasm.

17 But there is such shallow soil of character that when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it.

18 "The seed cast in the weeds represents the ones who hear the kingdom news

19 but are overwhelmed with worries about all the things they have to do and all the things they want to get. The stress strangles what they heard, and nothing comes of it.