And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable:
Parallel translations
- WEB When a great multitude came together, and people from every city were coming to him, he spoke by a parable.
- KJV And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable:
- BSB While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, He told them this parable:
- NASB Now when a large crowd was coming together, and those from the various cities were journeying to Him, He spoke by way of a parable:
- NLT One day Jesus told a story in the form of a parable to a large crowd that had gathered from many towns to hear him:
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
As large crowds gather from many towns, Jesus teaches by a parable. He uses everyday images to reveal Kingdom truth.
Overview
The gathering of great crowds sets the scene for the Parable of the Sower. Parables both reveal truth to the receptive and veil it from the hardhearted. Jesus' method invites hearers to ponder and respond, not merely to listen passively.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 2
- Mark 4:1–9Again he began to teach by the seaside. A great multitude was gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat in the sea, and sat down. All the multitude were on the land by the sea.
- Matt 13:2–9Great multitudes gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat, and sat, and all the multitude stood on the beach.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Commentaries & study tools
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 8:4 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.