◄ Mark 4:34 ►
He did not tell them anything without using a parable. But privately He explained everything to His own disciples.
Study Bible
He did not tell them anything
This phrase emphasizes the method Jesus employed in His public teaching. The Greek word for "tell" is "laleō," which means to speak or to talk. It suggests a deliberate choice in communication style. Jesus, as the master teacher, chose His words carefully, ensuring that His messages were accessible yet profound. This approach reflects the wisdom of God, who often uses simple means to convey deep truths.

without using a parable
The term "parable" comes from the Greek "parabolē," meaning a comparison or analogy. Parables were a common teaching tool in Jewish culture, used to illustrate moral or spiritual lessons. Jesus' use of parables served multiple purposes: they engaged listeners, provoked thought, and revealed truths to those open to understanding while concealing them from those with hardened hearts. This method fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, highlighting the dual nature of revelation and concealment in Jesus' ministry.

But privately
The word "privately" indicates a setting apart from the crowds, suggesting intimacy and exclusivity. In Greek, "kat’ idian" conveys the idea of being alone or in private. This setting allowed for deeper instruction and personal interaction. It underscores the importance of discipleship and the privilege of receiving direct teaching from Jesus. It also reflects the pattern of Jesus' ministry, where He often withdrew with His disciples for rest, prayer, and teaching.

He explained everything
The Greek word for "explained" is "epiluo," meaning to interpret or resolve. This indicates that Jesus provided clarity and understanding to His disciples, ensuring they grasped the full meaning of His teachings. The phrase "everything" suggests the comprehensive nature of His instruction, covering all aspects of the parables and their implications. This highlights the role of Jesus as the ultimate teacher, who desires His followers to fully understand and apply His teachings.

to His own disciples
The term "disciples" comes from the Greek "mathētēs," meaning a learner or pupil. This phrase emphasizes the special relationship between Jesus and His followers. "His own" signifies possession and personal investment, indicating that these individuals were chosen and set apart for a unique purpose. The disciples were not just students; they were companions and future leaders of the early Church. This relationship exemplifies the model of Christian discipleship, where believers are called to learn from and follow Christ closely.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jesus
- The central figure in this passage, Jesus is teaching the crowds using parables and later explaining them to His disciples.

2. Disciples
- The close followers of Jesus who receive private explanations of the parables.

3. Crowds
- The larger group of people who listen to Jesus' teachings in parables but do not receive the private explanations.

4. Parables
- A teaching method used by Jesus, involving simple accounts with deeper spiritual meanings.

5. Private Explanation
- The act of Jesus explaining the deeper meanings of parables to His disciples in private.
Teaching Points
The Purpose of Parables
Parables serve to reveal and conceal truth, depending on the spiritual receptivity of the listener. They invite deeper reflection and engagement with the message of the Kingdom of God.

The Role of the Disciples
As followers of Christ, the disciples are given deeper insights into His teachings. This highlights the importance of a close relationship with Jesus to gain understanding.

Spiritual Discernment
Understanding spiritual truths requires discernment, which comes from a relationship with God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

The Importance of Private Study
Just as Jesus explained parables privately to His disciples, believers today are encouraged to seek personal study and reflection to gain deeper understanding of Scripture.

Application of Parables
Believers are called to apply the lessons of parables to their lives, allowing the teachings of Jesus to transform their hearts and actions.
Bible Study Questions
1. Why do you think Jesus chose to use parables when teaching the crowds, and what does this say about His approach to revealing truth?

2. How can we, as modern-day disciples, position ourselves to receive deeper understanding of God's Word?

3. In what ways can we apply the lessons from Jesus' parables to our daily lives?

4. How does the concept of spiritual discernment play a role in understanding the teachings of Jesus?

5. Reflect on a parable that has impacted your life. How did you come to understand its deeper meaning, and how has it influenced your actions or beliefs?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Matthew 13:10-17
This passage provides insight into why Jesus used parables, explaining that they reveal truths to those who are spiritually receptive while concealing them from those who are not.

John 16:25
Jesus speaks of a time when He will no longer speak in figures of speech but will tell His disciples plainly about the Father, indicating a future clarity in His teachings.

1 Corinthians 2:14
This verse highlights the spiritual discernment needed to understand the things of God, which aligns with the need for Jesus to explain parables to His disciples.

Proverbs 1:5-6
These verses emphasize the importance of understanding proverbs and parables, which are key to gaining wisdom.
Sermons
Without a Parable Spake He not unto ThemA.F. Muir Mark 4:34
The Kingdom of God Further Illustrated by ParablesR. Green Mark 4:26-34
The Mustard SeedJ.J. Given Mark 4:30-34
The Power of IdeasE. Johnson Mark 4:30-34
Christ Alone with His DisciplesA. J. Morris.Mark 4:33-34
Christ's Economy of TeachingT. Brooks.Mark 4:33-34
Christ's Method of TeachingT. Guthrie, D. D.Mark 4:33-34
IllustratingT. L. Cuyler.Mark 4:33-34
Likes in a SermonLord Bacon.Mark 4:33-34
The Parable an Instrument of Mercy and JudgmentA.F. Muir Mark 4:33, 34
People
Jesus
Places
Galilee, Sea of Galilee
Topics
Alone, Clear, Didn't, Disciples, Except, Explained, Explaining, Expounded, Expounding, Figurative, Language, Nothing, Parable, Private, Privately, Simile, Spake, Speak, Speaking, Spoke, Story, Themselves, Using
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Mark 4:34

     7621   disciples, calling
     7730   explanation

Mark 4:1-34

     2345   Christ, kingdom of

Mark 4:26-34

     2357   Christ, parables
     5438   parables

Library
October 1 Evening
Grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.--EPH. 4:15. First the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.--Till we all come to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. They measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. For not he that commendeth himself is approved, …
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

December 21 Evening
Master, carest thou not that we perish?--MARK 4:38. The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.--While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night, shall not cease. The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.--God heard the voice of the lad: and the angel of …
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

Lamps and Bushels
'And Jesus said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?'--Mark iv. 21. The furniture of a very humble Eastern home is brought before us in this saying. In the original, each of the nouns has the definite article attached to it, and so suggests that in the house there was but one of each article; one lamp, a flat saucer with a wick swimming in oil; one measure for corn and the like; one bed, raised slightly, but sufficiently to admit …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Four Soils for one Seed
'And when He was alone, they that were about Him with the twelve asked of Him the parable. 11. And He said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: 12. That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them. 13. And He said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Storm Stilled
'And the same day, when the even was come, He saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side. 36. And when they had sent away the multitude, they took Him even as He was in the ship. And there were also with Him other little ships. 37. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. 38. And He was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake Him, and say unto Him, Master, carest Thou not that we perish? 39. And He arose, …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Toiling Christ
'They took Him even as He was in the ship.... And He was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow.'--Mark iv. 36, 38. Among the many loftier characteristics belonging to Christ's life and work, there is a very homely one which is often lost sight of; and that is, the amount of hard physical exertion, prolonged even to fatigue and exhaustion, which He endured. Christ is our pattern in a great many other things more impressive and more striking; and He is our pattern in this, that 'in the …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The First Great Group of Parables.
(Beside the Sea of Galilee.) Subdivision C. Parable of the Seed Growing Itself. ^B Mark IV. 26-29. ^b 26 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed upon the earth; 27 and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up and grow, he knoweth not how. [In the kingdom of grace, as well as in the kingdom of nature, we are laborers together with God. As preachers, teachers, or friends we sow the seed of the kingdom and God brings it to perfection (I. Cor. iii. …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Seed Growing Secretly.
"And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; and should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come."--MARK iv. 26-29. This is the only parable that is peculiar to Mark. The subjects contained in …
William Arnot—The Parables of Our Lord

Ancient Versions of the Old Testament.
In the present chapter only those versions of the Old Testament are noticed which were made independently of the New. Versions of the whole Bible, made in the interest of Christianity, are considered in the following part. I. THE GREEK VERSION CALLED THE SEPTUAGINT. 1. This is worthy of special notice as the oldest existing version of the holy Scriptures, or any part of them, in any language; and also as the version which exerted a very large influence on the language and style of the New Testament; …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

Harvest.
Harvest. See! the corn again in ear! How the fields and valleys smile! Harvest now is drawing near To repay the farmer's toil: Gracious LORD, secure the crop, Satisfy the poor with food; In thy mercy is our hope, We have sinned but thou art good. While I view the plenteous grain As it ripens on the stalk; May I not instruction gain, Helpful, to my daily walk? All this plenty of the field Was produced from foreign seeds; For the earth itself would yield Only crops of useless weeds. Though, when …
John Newton—Olney Hymns

Of Avoiding Heresies and Superstitions, and what is the Only True Catholic Church.
But since many heresies have existed, and the people of God have been rent into divisions at the instigation of demons, the truth must be briefly marked out by us, and placed in its own peculiar dwelling-place, that if any one shall desire to draw the water of life, he may not be borne to broken cisterns [898] which hold no water, but may know the abundant fountain of God, watered by which he may enjoy perpetual light. Before all things, it is befitting that we should know both that He Himself and …
Lactantius—The divine institutes

On Earthly Things
The earth is man himself; in the gospel: another has fallen into the good earth. The same in a bad part about the sinner: you devour the earth all the days of your life. [Mark 4:18; Genesis 3:14] The dry lands are the flesh of a fruitless man; in Ecclesiastes, to work in a dry land with evil and sorrow. [Ecclesiastes 37:3] The dust is a sinner or the vanity of the flesh; in the psalm: like the dust, which the wind blows about. [Ps. 1:4 Vulgate] The mud is the gluttony of sinners; in the psalm: tear …
St. Eucherius of Lyons—The Formulae of St. Eucherius of Lyons

On the Animals
The birds are the saints, because they fly to the higher heart; in the gospel: and he made great branches that the birds of the air might live in their shade. [Mark 4:32] Flying is the death of the saints in God or the knowledge of the Scriptures; in the psalm: I shall fly and I shall be at rest. [Ps. 54(55):7 Vulgate] The wings are the two testaments; in Ezekiel: your body will fly with two wings of its own. [Ez. 1:23] The feathers are the Scriptures; in the psalm: the wings of the silver dove. …
St. Eucherius of Lyons—The Formulae of St. Eucherius of Lyons

Four Miracles
"And there was a great calm." MARK 4:39 (R.V.) "Behold, him that was possessed with devils, sitting, clothed and in his right mind, even him that had the legion." v. 15 (R.V.) "Who touched Me?" v. 31 (R.V.) "Talitha cumi." v. 41 (R.V.) THERE are two ways, equally useful, of studying Scripture, as there are of regarding the other book of God, the face of Nature. We may bend over a wild flower, or gaze across a landscape; and it will happen that a naturalist, pursuing a moth, loses sight of a mountain …
G. A. Chadwick—The Gospel of St. Mark

The Parables
"And again He began to teach by the sea side. And there is gathered unto Him a very great multitude, so that He entered into a boat, and sat in the sea; and all the multitude were by the sea on the land. And He taught them many things in parables, and said unto them in His teaching. . . . "And when He was alone, they that were about Him with the twelve asked of Him the parables. And He said unto them, Unto you is given the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all things …
G. A. Chadwick—The Gospel of St. Mark

Chapter: 4:21-25 Lamp and Stand
"And He said unto them, Is the lamp brought to be put under the bushel, or under the bed? and not to be put on the stand? For there is nothing hid, save that it should be manifested; neither was anything made secret, but that it should come to light. If any man hath ears to hear, let him hear. And He said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete it shall be measured unto you: and more shall be given unto you. For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from …
G. A. Chadwick—The Gospel of St. Mark

The Seed Growing Secretly
"And He said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed upon the earth; and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up and grow, he knoweth not how. The earth beareth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is ripe, straightway he putteth forth the sickle, because the harvest is come." MARK 4:26-29 (R.V.) ST. Mark alone records this parable of a sower who sleeps by night, and rises for other business by …
G. A. Chadwick—The Gospel of St. Mark

The Sower
"Hearken: Behold the sower went forth to sow: and it came to pass, as he sowed, some seed fell by the way side, and the birds came and devoured it. And other fell on the rocky ground, where it had not much earth; and straightway it sprang up, because it had no deepness of earth: and when the sun was risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. And other fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. And others fell into the good ground, …
G. A. Chadwick—The Gospel of St. Mark

The Mustard Seed
"And He said, How shall we liken the kingdom of God? or in what parable shall we set it forth? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown upon the earth, though it be less than all the seeds that are upon the earth, yet when it is sown, groweth up, and becometh greater than all the herbs, and putteth out great branches; so that the birds of the heaven can lodge under the shadow thereof. And with many such parables spake He the word unto them, as they were able to hear it: and without …
G. A. Chadwick—The Gospel of St. Mark

The Two Storms (Jesus Walking on the Water)
"And on that day, when even was come, He saith unto them, Let us go over unto the other side. And leaving the multitude, they take Him with them, even as He was, in the boat. And other boats were with Him. And there ariseth a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the boat, insomuch that the boat was now filling. And He Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion: and they awake Him, and say unto Him, Master, carest Thou not that we perish? And He awoke, and rebuked the wind, and said unto …
G. A. Chadwick—The Gospel of St. Mark

Sovereignty of God in Administration
"The LORD hath prepared His Throne In the heavens; and His Kingdom ruleth over all" (Psa. 103:19). First, a word concerning the need for God to govern the material world. Suppose the opposite for a moment. For the sake of argument, let us say that God created the world, designed and fixed certain laws (which men term "the laws of Nature"), and that He then withdrew, leaving the world to its fortune and the out-working of these laws. In such a case, we should have a world over which there was no intelligent, …
Arthur W. Pink—The Sovereignty of God

The First Great Group of Parables.
(Beside the Sea of Galilee.) Subdivision A. Introduction. ^A Matt. XIII. 1-3; ^B Mark IV. 1, 2; ^C Luke VIII. 4. ^a 1 On that day went Jesus out of the house [It is possible that Matthew here refers to the house mentioned at Mark iii. 19. If so, the events in Sections XLVIII.-LVI. all occurred on the same day. There are several indications in the gospel narratives that this is so], and sat by the sea side. ^b 1 And again he began again to teach by the sea side. [By the Sea of Galilee.] And there …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Jesus Stills the Storm.
(Sea of Galilee; Same Day as Last Section) ^A Matt. VIII. 18-27; ^B Mark IV. 35-41; ^C Luke VIII. 22-25. ^b 35 And that day, { ^c one of those days,} ^b when the even was come [about sunset], ^a when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side. { ^b he saith unto them, Let us go over unto the other side.} [Wearied with a day of strenuous toil, Jesus sought rest from the multitude by passing to the thinly settled on the east side of Galilee.] ^a 19 And there …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Links
Mark 4:34 NIV
Mark 4:34 NLT
Mark 4:34 ESV
Mark 4:34 NASB
Mark 4:34 KJV

Mark 4:34 Commentaries

Bible Hub
Mark 4:33
Top of Page
Top of Page