Still other seed fell on good soil, where it sprouted, grew up, and produced a crop—one bearing thirtyfold, another sixtyfold, and another a hundredfold.”
Parallel translations
- WEB Others fell into the good ground, and yielded fruit, growing up and increasing. Some produced thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times as much.”
- KJV And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.
- NKJV But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”
- NASB Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundred times as much.”
- NLT Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they sprouted, grew, and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”
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
Other seed falls on good ground and yields an abundant, multiplying harvest. It matters because it pictures hearts that receive the word and bear lasting fruit.
Overview
The good soil produces a remarkable yield of thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold. This represents those who truly hear, understand, and obey the word, resulting in genuine fruitfulness. The lavish harvest assures that, despite resistance and failure elsewhere, God's word powerfully accomplishes its purpose in receptive hearts.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 18
- John 15:5I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.
- Col 1:6that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood the grace of God.
- Gen 26:12Now Isaac sowed seed in the land, and that very year he reaped a hundredfold. And the LORD blessed him,
- Mark 4:20Still others are like the seeds sown on good soil. They hear the word, receive it, and produce a crop—thirtyfold, sixtyfold, or a hundredfold.”
- Jer 23:29“Is not My word like fire,” declares the LORD, “and like a hammer that smashes a rock?”
- Acts 17:11Now the Bereans were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true.
- Matt 13:8Still other seed fell on good soil and produced a crop—a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold.
- 1 Pet 2:1–3Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander.
- Isa 58:1“Cry aloud, do not hold back! Raise your voice like a ram’s horn. Declare to My people their transgression and to the house of Jacob their sins.
- Jas 1:19–22My beloved brothers, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger,
- Luke 8:8Still other seed fell on good soil, where it sprang up and produced a crop—a hundredfold.” As Jesus said this, He called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
- Phil 1:11filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
- John 1:12–13But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God—
- John 3:19–21And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil.
- John 7:17If anyone desires to do His will, he will know whether My teaching is from God or whether I speak on My own.
- Heb 4:1–2Therefore, while the promise of entering His rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be deemed to have fallen short of it.
- Luke 8:15But the seeds on good soil are those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, cling to it, and by persevering produce a crop.
- Matt 13:23But the seed sown on good soil is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and produces a crop—a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold.”
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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 4:8 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
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