Mark 4 18

Mark 4:18 kjv

And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,

Mark 4:18 nkjv

Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word,

Mark 4:18 niv

Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word;

Mark 4:18 esv

And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word,

Mark 4:18 nlt

The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God's word,

Mark 4 verses

Mark 4 18 Meaning

Mark 4:18 describes the third type of ground in Jesus' Parable of the Sower: those who hear the word but allow worldly concerns to nullify its effect. This soil is among "thorns," representing the anxieties of the present age, the deceptive allure of wealth, and various other desires. These powerful distractions and influences actively enter into the life of the hearer, gradually yet completely suppressing the vitality and growth of the divine message. Consequently, the word, despite being sown, fails to mature and produce the expected spiritual fruit of a transformed life, discipleship, and good works, rendering it unproductive in their lives.

Mark 4 18 Context

Mark 4:18 is part of Jesus' teaching on the Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:1-20). This parable is one of the earliest parables taught by Jesus, laying a foundational understanding of the varying receptivity to the Kingdom of God message. After delivering the parable to a large crowd, Jesus withdraws with His disciples and explains its meaning to them in private (Mark 4:10-13), highlighting that this parable unlocks the understanding of all other parables of the kingdom. He stresses the importance of having "ears to hear." Verse 18 specifically describes the third of the four types of soil—the thorny ground—representing hearers whose initial reception of the word is ultimately stifled by the encroaching realities and allurements of worldly life, preventing spiritual maturity and fruit-bearing. This explanation highlights the internal obstacles to the Word, in contrast to the external opposition of the path (the devil) or the superficiality of the rocky ground (lack of root).

Mark 4 18 Word analysis

• And these are they: Introduces the explanation of the third type of soil, distinguishing it from the previous two categories of hearers.
• which are sown (σπειρόμενοι - speiromenoi): This is a present passive participle. It indicates an ongoing state of being sown and emphasizes that the "seed" (the word) is implanted into them. The passive voice subtly points to God as the sower.
• among thorns (εἰς τὰς ἀκάνθας - eis tas akanthas): Akanthas refers to thorny plants, briers, or thistles. In biblical context, thorns often symbolize the curse upon the ground after the Fall (Gen 3:18), indicating hardship, frustration, and barrenness. Agriculturally, thorns are competing vegetation that deplete nutrients and block light, ultimately stunting desirable growth without outright destroying the planted crop.
• such as hear the word: Signifies that these individuals do genuinely hear the Gospel message. They are not like the roadside soil where the word is snatched away immediately, nor the rocky soil where it sprouts quickly and withers. There is initial comprehension and reception.
• and the cares (καὶ αἱ μέριμναι - kai hai merimnai): Merimnai signifies anxieties, worries, distractions. It originates from a word meaning "to divide," illustrating how these concerns cleave and fragment one's focus and devotion away from God's word. These are common daily worries of life, even seemingly legitimate ones, but when obsessive, they can consume the soul.
• of this world (τοῦ αἰῶνος - tou aiōnos): Aiōnos refers to "the age" or "the present age." This emphasizes that these cares are intrinsic to the fallen, temporal system of this world, which is contrary to the values of God's eternal Kingdom.
• and the deceitfulness (καὶ ἡ ἀπάτη - kai hē apatē): Apatē means deception or delusion. It highlights the subtle, insidious nature of riches, which promise satisfaction, security, and happiness that they cannot ultimately deliver. This "deceitfulness" ensnares and distracts the heart.
• of riches (τοῦ πλούτου - tou ploutou): Refers to wealth or material possessions. The problem is not the riches themselves but their deceitfulness and the undue trust or desire placed in them. The lure of wealth promises fulfillment outside of God.
• and the lusts (καὶ αἱ περὶ τὰ λοιπὰ ἐπιθυμίαι - kai hai peri ta loipa epithymiai): Epithymiai means desires or cravings. While not always negative, here in context of hindering the word, it refers to covetous or sinful desires for "other things" (loipa - what is left over, everything else). This broad category includes pleasures, ambitions, fame, power, or any other worldly pursuit that diverts one's focus from spiritual priorities.
• of other things entering in (εἰσπορευόμεναι - eisporeuomenai): A strong verb indicating active, forceful intrusion or entry. It suggests these worldly elements don't just exist passively but aggressively encroach upon and occupy the spiritual space within the individual's heart, choking the word.
• choke (συνπνίγουσιν - sympnigousin): Synpnigousin is a powerful verb meaning to "strangle" or "suffocate." The prefix syn- ("together with") indicates that these worries, riches, and desires together act as a unified force, collaboratively suppressing the Word's ability to grow. It is a slow, relentless strangulation of spiritual life.
• the word: Refers to the Word of God, the message of the Kingdom, the Gospel itself. It is the spiritual seed planted in the heart.
• and it becometh unfruitful (καὶ ἄκαρπος γίνεται - kai akarpos ginetai): Akarpos means barren, unproductive, or yielding no fruit. This is the ultimate, tragic outcome. Despite hearing and an initial response, the absence of spiritual fruit—righteous character, works for God's kingdom, growth in faith—demonstrates the Word's failure to thrive due to worldly hindrance.

Mark 4 18 Bonus section

The metaphor of thorns and fertile ground holds deep roots in Old Testament imagery (Jer 4:3-4, Hos 10:12). Prophets often spoke of cultivating the "fallow ground" of the heart, removing obstacles (thorns) before the seed of God's word could be sown and yield righteousness. Jesus' use of this imagery links directly to this rich biblical tradition, reinforcing the idea that the heart's disposition is critical for spiritual reception. The "choking" is a process, not an event, signifying a gradual decline where worldly pursuits slowly but surely overwhelm spiritual inclinations, leading to apostasy not by sudden rejection, but by insidious neglect and diversion. The passive nature of "being sown" implies God's action in sending the Word, while the active "choking" signifies human agency in allowing distractions to dominate. The outcome of being "unfruitful" emphasizes God's expectation for His Word to produce a harvest of transformed lives, demonstrating that genuine salvation results in changed behavior and character, not merely intellectual assent or fleeting emotional response.

Mark 4 18 Commentary

Mark 4:18 reveals a profound truth about spiritual life: merely hearing the Word of God is insufficient for genuine transformation. The "thorny ground" represents hearts where the seed of truth is initially received, but other powerful, competing forces quickly take root alongside it. Jesus identifies three primary "thorns": the anxieties of life, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts for other things. These are not external persecutions but internal pressures and desires that vie for dominance in the soul. The anxieties encompass the daily worries about provision, security, and future; the deceitfulness of riches points to wealth's false promise of ultimate satisfaction or security, which diverts devotion from God; and "other lusts" serve as a broad category for any covetous or self-serving desires that replace God as the ultimate priority. These "thorns" actively "choke" the Word, not through immediate destruction, but a gradual suffocation, stealing nutrients and light, preventing it from producing fruit. The spiritual consequence is barrenness—a life devoid of the true fruit of the Spirit, such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal 5:22-23), or works that glorify God (Jn 15:8). This verse serves as a crucial warning that unchecked worldliness can effectively nullify the power of the Gospel, rendering one a hearer only, but not a doer, ultimately unfruitful for God's Kingdom.

• Examples:
  • A student worries excessively about career and financial stability, spending all their time on these pursuits, leading to neglecting Bible study and prayer.
  • A business person gains great wealth, but in doing so, dedicates their life entirely to its accumulation and maintenance, finding no time or interest for spiritual matters, their identity becoming tied to possessions, not Christ.
  • An individual becomes consumed with seeking fleeting pleasures, social media validation, or temporal success, crowding out any genuine growth or commitment to Christ.