He replied, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those on the outside everything is expressed in parables,
Parallel translations
- WEB He said to them, “To you is given the mystery of God’s Kingdom, but to those who are outside, all things are done in parables,
- KJV 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:
- NKJV And He said to them, “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables,
- NASB And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but for those who are outside, everything comes in parables,
- NLT He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secret of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables for everything I say to outsiders,
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
Jesus says the mystery of God's kingdom is given to his followers while outsiders receive parables. It matters because understanding the kingdom is a gift of grace, not mere intellect.
Overview
The 'mystery' is the once-hidden truth of God's reign now revealed in Christ to those granted insight. Disciples receive understanding as a gift, while the hardened remain on the outside. This distinction underscores both God's sovereign grace in revelation and the accountability of those who refuse to truly hear.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 17
- Matt 11:25At that time Jesus declared, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.
- Luke 8:10He replied, “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, ‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’
- 1 Jn 5:20And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true—in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
- Col 4:5Act wisely toward outsiders, redeeming the time.
- 1 Th 4:12Then you will behave properly toward outsiders, without being dependent on anyone.
- Jas 1:16–18Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.
- 1 Cor 5:12–13What business of mine is it to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?
- 1 Tim 3:7Furthermore, he must have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the snare of the devil.
- Eph 1:9And He has made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ
- Eph 2:4–10But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,
- Titus 3:3–7For at one time we too were foolish, disobedient, misled, and enslaved to all sorts of desires and pleasures—living in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.
- Matt 13:16But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.
- Matt 16:17Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by My Father in heaven.
- Luke 10:21–24At that time Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and declared, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was well-pleasing in Your sight.
- 2 Cor 4:6For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
- 1 Cor 4:7For who makes you so superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?
- Matt 13:11–13He replied, “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Mark drives urgently to the cross, showing Jesus the Son of God as the suffering Servant who 'came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'
How Mark 4:11 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.