Mark 4:7 kjv
And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
Mark 4:7 nkjv
And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.
Mark 4:7 niv
Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain.
Mark 4:7 esv
Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain.
Mark 4:7 nlt
Other seed fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants so they produced no grain.
Mark 4 7 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Matt 13:7 | Other seeds fell among thorns... choked them. | Synoptic parallel to Mark 4:7. |
| Luke 8:7 | And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. | Synoptic parallel to Mark 4:7. |
| Matt 13:22 | Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. | Jesus' interpretation of the thorny ground. |
| Mark 4:19 | ...the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. | Jesus' specific interpretation for Mark's Gospel. |
| Luke 8:14 | Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. | Luke's interpretation, adds "pleasures of life" and "maturity." |
| Jer 4:3 | For thus says the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem: “Break up your fallow ground, and do not sow among thorns." | Old Testament metaphor against spiritual unreceptiveness. |
| Prov 24:30-31 | I went by the field of the lazy man... it was, all overgrown with thorns... | Illustrates consequences of spiritual neglect leading to unfruitfulness. |
| Matt 6:24 | No one can serve two masters... You cannot serve God and mammon. | Highlights the struggle between devotion to God and worldly pursuits. |
| 1 Tim 6:9-10 | But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men... | Directly addresses the danger of love for money, akin to spiritual choking. |
| 1 Jn 2:15-17 | Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. | A command against worldliness that parallels the choking effect of thorns. |
| Jas 4:4 | Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? | Emphasizes the incompatible nature of worldliness and faith. |
| Heb 12:1 | let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us... | Spiritual hindrances and burdens that can stifle faith. |
| Gal 5:22-23 | But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. | Defines the true spiritual "fruit" that is prevented from growing. |
| Jn 15:4-5 | Abide in Me... As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself... neither can you, unless you abide in Me... | Explains the necessity of remaining in Christ to produce spiritual fruit. |
| Col 1:10 | that you may walk worthy of the Lord... being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. | Links fruitful living with pleasing God and spiritual growth. |
| Phil 4:6-7 | Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication... | Provides the antidote to "cares of this world," which are like thorns. |
| 2 Cor 11:3 | But I fear, lest somehow... your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. | Suggests subtle corrupting influences that draw hearts away. |
| Prov 22:5 | Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse; He who guards his soul will be far from them. | Proverbial wisdom associating thorns with spiritual dangers. |
| 1 Pet 5:7 | casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. | Directly addresses casting anxieties, preventing their choking effect. |
| Rom 8:6 | For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. | Contrast between worldly focus (thorns) and spiritual vitality. |
| Deut 29:18 | lest there should be among you a root bearing bitterness or wormwood. | An Old Testament warning against a hidden spiritual pollutant that corrupts. |
| Jude 1:12 | These are spots in your love feasts... they are like clouds without water... trees without fruit, twice dead... | Depicts those who are unproductive and devoid of true spiritual life. |
Mark 4 verses
Mark 4 7 Meaning
This verse from the Parable of the Sower describes a type of soil where the seed (the word of God) falls among thorns. These thorns represent worldly anxieties, desires for wealth, and various other harmful lusts that grow up alongside the newly sown word. They effectively compete with and eventually "choke" or suffocate the spiritual life that began to sprout from the word, preventing it from maturing and bearing the expected fruit of righteous living, spiritual growth, and kingdom impact.
Mark 4 7 Context
Mark chapter 4 opens with Jesus teaching a multitude by the sea using parables, beginning with the foundational Parable of the Sower. This parable outlines four different responses to the "word of God" sown by the sower. This specific verse, Mark 4:7, describes one of the three negative outcomes, highlighting the subtle but powerful hindrances to spiritual fruitfulness. It immediately precedes Jesus' private explanation of the parable to His disciples, where He clarifies that these "thorns" represent the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and desires for other things, underscoring that effective hearing involves internalizing and living out the word, unhindered by worldly concerns.
Mark 4 7 Word analysis
- And some (Greek: Kai alla) - "And others." Indicates a distinct category of ground or hearer, emphasizing the varied human reception to the divine message.
- fell (Greek: epesen from pipto) - "Fell" or "dropped." Describes the seed's passive arrival, implying that the word was genuinely sown and initially received by this hearer.
- among thorns (Greek: eis tas akanthas) - "Into the thorn-bushes." Signifies an environment already populated with aggressive, competitive weeds. This suggests pre-existing issues in the heart or life that will impede spiritual growth. Akanthas refers to various prickly plants and troublesome weeds.
- and the thorns (Greek: kai hai akanthai) - Emphasizes the presence and formidable nature of these unwanted elements.
- grew up (Greek: anēbēsan) - "Came up" or "grew upward." Denotes a natural yet forceful and perhaps unnoticed development. This highlights the gradual, insidious nature of these worldly hindrances as they gain strength alongside initial spiritual growth.
- and choked it (Greek: kai synephixan auton) - "And suffocated it" or "squeezed it together." Sympnigo is a vivid and strong verb indicating crushing pressure, strangulation, or overwhelming by force. It suggests a slow, consuming process where competing forces deny the spiritual life light, space, and nutrients, leading to its demise.
- and it yielded no fruit (Greek: kai karpon ouk edōken) - "And fruit it did not give/produce." This is the critical, tragic outcome. "Fruit" here denotes visible evidence of spiritual growth, Christ-like character, righteous deeds, and an active participation in God's kingdom. The complete absence of fruit signals spiritual barrenness despite initial promise.
Words-group analysis
- fell among thorns: This imagery powerfully communicates an environment where the "word" faces overwhelming competition from the outset. It highlights that the seed is placed in a setting already hostile to its flourishing, indicating pre-existing spiritual dangers within the hearer's life or disposition.
- the thorns grew up, and choked it: This sequence vividly depicts a gradual but relentless process. The "thorns" (worldly anxieties, material desires) don't immediately destroy the budding faith. Instead, they sprout and proliferate alongside it, gradually overwhelming the spiritual life by outcompeting it for attention, time, energy, and affection. This process illustrates the insidious nature of worldliness, leading to slow spiritual suffocation.
- yielded no fruit: This phrase delivers the devastating summary of this heart's condition. Despite initial hearing and even a potential beginning of faith, the ultimate purpose of the "seed"—to produce visible, transformative "fruit"—is completely nullified. It points to a life rendered spiritually unproductive, failing to manifest Christ-like character, good works, or effective witness due to an entanglement with worldly concerns.
Mark 4 7 Bonus section
The "thorns" are symbolic of whatever competes for the affections and loyalties of the heart, pulling one's attention away from God and His Word. These are not necessarily overtly sinful things in themselves but can include otherwise neutral aspects of life that become spiritual impediments due to misplaced priority or obsession. The key dynamic is "competition" – the thorns vie for the same limited resources (time, energy, thought, passion) that the "word" needs to flourish. The verb "choked" (sympnigo) emphasizes the fatal outcome of this spiritual competition: not merely stunting growth, but active suppression and suffocation. This soil type represents those who have heard and even begun to receive the Word but whose devotion is divided, leading to a spiritual barrenness that might outwardly appear like belief but lacks inner life and productivity for the kingdom.
Mark 4 7 Commentary
Mark 4:7 serves as a crucial warning against spiritual unfruitfulness stemming from worldly entanglement. The seed here germinates, indicating initial reception and understanding of the Word, setting this "soil type" apart from those who reject it or have only fleeting belief. However, the presence of "thorns"—which Jesus identifies as the anxieties of life, the deceptive lure of wealth, and various lusts—gradually overwhelms this spiritual beginning. This is not a sudden rejection, but a slow strangulation where worldly cares and desires consume a person's focus and energy, drawing away from spiritual priorities. The outcome is the tragic inability to produce spiritual "fruit"—growth in character, righteousness, and works pleasing to God. The verse underscores the critical need for constant vigilance against the encroachment of worldliness, emphasizing that true and lasting spiritual vitality demands intentional cultivation and ruthless removal of competing priorities from the heart.
Example: A person starts reading their Bible daily, but soon becomes consumed by pursuing career advancement or endless social media, gradually displacing their spiritual disciplines until their initial passion and spiritual life become unfruitful.