The Meaning of Mark 4:8 Explained

Mark 4:8

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.

YLT: and other fell to the good ground, and was giving fruit, coming up and increasing, and it bare, one thirty-fold, and one sixty, and one an hundred.'

Darby: And another fell into the good ground, and yielded fruit, growing up and increasing; and bore, one thirty, and one sixty, and one a hundred.

ASV: And others fell into the good ground, and yielded fruit, growing up and increasing; and brought forth, thirtyfold, and sixtyfold, and a hundredfold.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Mark 4:8 Mean?

Context Summary

Mark 4:1-9 - Brother To All Who Will
The Pharisees circulated this infamous charge-not because they believed it, but to satisfy the questions that were being asked on all sides. What they affirmed they knew to be untrue; but for selfish reasons they would not confess what they really thought. Such denial of truth is a deadly and unpardonable sin, because it injures the sensitiveness of conscience and produces moral death.
Family ties, Mark 3:31-35. The family of Jesus needed to be taught, though with the utmost delicacy, that they must not attempt to control His public ministry. All who love God and do His will are welcomed into the divine family circle and become blood relations of the Son of God.
The sower, Mark 4:1-9. Note the perils of the hearer, that you may guard against the waste of precious seed. There is a grave peril in the effect of light, fanciful, wandering thoughts. There is great peril also in a mere emotional response-the "straightway springing up" which has no root, because the heart is hard. There is danger lest the cares of the poor, the riches of the wealthy, and the too eager pursuit of things by other classes may drain away the strength of the soul, so that the Word of God shall be a slender stalk, without an ear or fruit. It is not enough to hear the Word, we must accept it and bear fruit; otherwise the plowing, sowing, and all the operations of nature are in vain. Live up to what you know. Obedience is the key to understanding. [source]

Chapter Summary: Mark 4

1  The parable of the sower,
14  and the meaning thereof
21  We must communicate the light of our knowledge to others
26  The parable of the seed growing secretly;
30  and of the mustard seed
35  Jesus stills the storm on the sea

Greek Commentary for Mark 4:8

Growing up and increasing [αναβαινοντα και αυχανομενα]
In Mark alone. A vivid detail enlarging on the continued growth implied in the imperfect “yielded fruit” It kept on yielding as it grew. Fruit is what matters. [source]
That sprang up and increased [ἀναβαίνοντα καὶ αὐξανόμενον]
The Rev. literally renders the participles, growing up and increasing, thus describing the process more vividly. These two participles, moreover, explain the use of the imperfect tense ἐδίδου (yielded )denoting continuance. It began to yield and kept yielding as it increased. [source]
Thirty [εἰς τριάκοντα]
Lit., up to thirty. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Mark 4:8

Luke 8:8 A hundredfold [εκατονπλασιονα]
Luke omits the thirty and sixty of Mark 4:8; Matthew 13:8. [source]
Hebrews 12:11 It yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness [καρπὸν εἰρηνικὸν ἀποδίδωσιν δικαιοσύνης]
Perhaps with a suggestion of recompense for the long-suffering and waiting, since ἀποδιδόναι often signifies “to give back.” The phrase ἀποδιδόναι καρπὸν only here and Revelation 22:2. Καρπὸν fruitwith διδόναι togive, Matthew 13:8; Mark 4:8: with ποιεῖν tomake or produce, often in Synoptic Gospels, as Matthew 3:8, Matthew 3:10; Matthew 7:17; Luke 3:8; Luke 6:43, etc.: with φέρειν tobear, always and only in John, John 12:24; John 15:2, John 15:4, John 15:5, John 15:8, John 15:16: with βλαστάνειν tobring forth, James 5:18. Ἑιρηνικός peaceablein N.T. Only here and James 3:17, as an epithet of wisdom. Quite often in lxx of men, the heart, especially of words and sacrifices. The phrase καρπός εἰρηνικός peaceablefruit (omit the ), N.T.oolxx. The phrase fruit of righteousness, Philemon 1:11; James 3:18, and lxx, Proverbs 3:9; Proverbs 11:30; Proverbs 13:2; Amos 6:13: comp. Psalm 1:3; Psalm 57:11. The genitive of righteousness is explicative or appositional; fruit which consists in righteousness or is righteousness. [source]

What do the individual words in Mark 4:8 mean?

And other fell into the soil - good began yielding fruit growing up increasing bearing one thirtyfold one sixty a hundred
Καὶ ἄλλα ἔπεσεν εἰς τὴν γῆν τὴν καλήν ἐδίδου καρπὸν ἀναβαίνοντα αὐξανόμενα ἔφερεν ἓν τριάκοντα ἓν ἑξήκοντα ἑκατόν

ἄλλα  other 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Neuter Plural
Root: ἄλλος  
Sense: another, other.
ἔπεσεν  fell 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: πίπτω 
Sense: to descend from a higher place to a lower.
εἰς  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: εἰς  
Sense: into, unto, to, towards, for, among.
γῆν  soil 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: γῆ  
Sense: arable land.
τὴν  - 
Parse: Article, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
καλήν  good 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: καλός  
Sense: beautiful, handsome, excellent, eminent, choice, surpassing, precious, useful, suitable, commendable, admirable.
ἐδίδου  began  yielding 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: διδῶ 
Sense: to give.
καρπὸν  fruit 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: καρπός  
Sense: fruit.
ἀναβαίνοντα  growing  up 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Neuter Plural
Root: ἀναβαίνω  
Sense: ascend.
αὐξανόμενα  increasing 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Middle or Passive, Nominative Neuter Plural
Root: αὐξάνω 
Sense: to cause to grow, augment.
ἔφερεν  bearing 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: φέρω  
Sense: to carry.
ἓν  one 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: εἷς  
Sense: one.
τριάκοντα  thirtyfold 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: τριάκοντα  
Sense: thirty.
ἓν  one 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: εἷς  
Sense: one.
ἑξήκοντα  sixty 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: ἑξήκοντα  
Sense: sixty.
ἑκατόν  a  hundred 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: ἑκατόν  
Sense: a hundred.