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:
YLT: and he said to them, 'To you it hath been given to know the secret of the reign of God, but to those who are without, in similes are all the things done;
Darby: And he said to them, To you is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to them who are without, all things are done in parables,
ASV: And he said unto them, Unto you is given the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all things are done in parables:
| ἔλεγεν | He was saying |
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Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular Root: λέγω Sense: to speak, say. |
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| αὐτοῖς | to them |
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Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural Root: αὐτός Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself. |
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| Ὑμῖν | To you |
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Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative 2nd Person Plural Root: σύ Sense: you. |
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| μυστήριον | mystery |
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Parse: Noun, Nominative Neuter Singular Root: μυστήριον Sense: hidden thing, secret, mystery. |
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| δέδοται | has been given |
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Parse: Verb, Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Singular Root: διδῶ Sense: to give. |
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| τῆς | of the |
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Parse: Article, Genitive Feminine Singular Root: ὁ Sense: this, that, these, etc. |
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| βασιλείας | kingdom |
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Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular Root: βασιλεία Sense: royal power, kingship, dominion, rule. |
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| τοῦ | - |
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Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Singular Root: ὁ Sense: this, that, these, etc. |
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| Θεοῦ | of God |
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Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular Root: θεός Sense: a god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities. |
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| ἐκείνοις | To those |
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Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Dative Masculine Plural Root: ἐκεῖνος Sense: he, she it, etc. |
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| δὲ | however |
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Parse: Conjunction Root: δέ Sense: but, moreover, and, etc. |
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| τοῖς | who are |
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Parse: Article, Dative Masculine Plural Root: ὁ Sense: this, that, these, etc. |
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| ἔξω | outside |
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Parse: Adverb Root: ἔξω Sense: without, out of doors. |
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| παραβολαῖς | parables |
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Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Plural Root: παραβολή Sense: a placing of one thing by the side of another, juxtaposition, as of ships in battle. |
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| τὰ | - |
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Parse: Article, Nominative Neuter Plural Root: ὁ Sense: this, that, these, etc. |
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| πάντα | everything |
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Parse: Adjective, Nominative Neuter Plural Root: πᾶς Sense: individually. |
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| γίνεται | is done |
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Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Singular Root: γίνομαι Sense: to become, i. |
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Greek Commentary for Mark 4:11
See notes on Matthew 13:11 for word mustērion Here (Mark 4:11; Matthew 13:11; Luke 8:10) alone in the Gospels, but in Paul 21 times and in the Revelation 4 times. It is frequent in Daniel and O.T. Apocrypha. Matthew and Luke use it here in the plural. Matthew and Luke add the word to know (μυστηριον gnōnai), but Mark‘s presentation covers a wider range than growing knowledge, the permanent possession of the mystery even before they understand it. The secret is no longer hidden from the initiated. Discipleship means initiation into the secret of God‘s kingdom and it will come gradually to these men. [source]
Peculiar to Mark, those outside our circle, the uninitiated, the hostile group like the scribes and Pharisees, who were charging Jesus with being in league with Beelzebub. Luke 8:10 has “to the rest” Without the key the parables are hard to understand, for parables veil the truth of the kingdom being stated in terms of another realm. Without a spiritual truth and insight they are unintelligible and are often today perverted. The parables are thus a condemnation on the wilfully blind and hostile, while a guide and blessing to the enlightened.That (εκεινοις hina). Mark has the construction of the Hebrew “lest” of Isaiah 6:9. with the subjunctive and so Luke 8:10, while Matthew 13:13 uses causal ινα hoti with the indicative following the lxx. See notes on Matthew 13:13 for the so-called causal use of οτι hina Gould on Mark 4:12 has an intelligent discussion of the differences between Matthew and Mark and Luke. He argues that Mark here probably “preserves the original form of Jesus‘ saying.” God ironically commands Isaiah to harden the hearts of the people. If the notion of purpose is preserved in the use of ινα hina in Mark and Luke, there is probably some irony also in the sad words of Jesus. If ινα hina is given the causative use of ινα hoti in Matthew, the difficulty disappears. What is certain is that the use of parables on this occasion was a penalty for judicial blindness on those who will not see. [source]
Mark has the construction of the Hebrew “lest” of Isaiah 6:9. with the subjunctive and so Luke 8:10, while Matthew 13:13 uses causal ινα hoti with the indicative following the lxx. See notes on Matthew 13:13 for the so-called causal use of οτι hina Gould on Mark 4:12 has an intelligent discussion of the differences between Matthew and Mark and Luke. He argues that Mark here probably “preserves the original form of Jesus‘ saying.” God ironically commands Isaiah to harden the hearts of the people. If the notion of purpose is preserved in the use of ινα hina in Mark and Luke, there is probably some irony also in the sad words of Jesus. If ινα hina is given the causative use of ινα hoti in Matthew, the difficulty disappears. What is certain is that the use of parables on this occasion was a penalty for judicial blindness on those who will not see. [source]
The two latter words are peculiar to Mark. The phrase means those outside of our circle. Its sense is always determined by the contrast to it. Thus, 1 Corinthians 5:12, 1 Corinthians 5:13, it is non-Christians in contrast with me. Colossians 4:5, Christians contrasted with people of the world. Compare 1 Thessalonians 4:12; 1 Timothy 3:7. Matthew (Matthew 13:11), with less precision, uses simply ἐκείνοις (to them), the pronoun of remote reference. Luke 8:10, τοῖς λοιποῖς (to the rest )i1. [source]
Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Mark 4:11
Second aorist active infinitive of γινωσκω ginōskō The word μυστηριον mustērion is from μυστης mustēs one initiated, and that from μυεω mueō The mystery-religions of the east had all sorts of secrets and signs as secret societies do today. But those initiated knew them. So the disciples have been initiated into the secrets of the kingdom of heaven. Paul will use it freely of the mystery once hidden, but now revealed, now made known in Christ (Romans 16:25; 1 Corinthians 2:7, etc.). In Philemon 4:12 Paul says: “I have learned the secret or been initiated” So Jesus here explains that his parables are open to the disciples, but shut to the Pharisees with their hostile minds. In the Gospels μυστηριον mustērion is used only here and in the parallel passages (Mark 4:11; Luke 8:10). [source]
An absolute use of the pronoun unexampled in Mark. See also Mark 16:11, Mark 16:13. It would imply an emphasis which is not intended. Compare Mark 4:11; Mark 12:4, Mark 12:5, Mark 12:7; Mark 14:21. [source]
See notes on Matthew 13:11 for word mustērion Here (Mark 4:11; Matthew 13:11; Luke 8:10) alone in the Gospels, but in Paul 21 times and in the Revelation 4 times. It is frequent in Daniel and O.T. Apocrypha. Matthew and Luke use it here in the plural. Matthew and Luke add the word to know (μυστηριον gnōnai), but Mark‘s presentation covers a wider range than growing knowledge, the permanent possession of the mystery even before they understand it. The secret is no longer hidden from the initiated. Discipleship means initiation into the secret of God‘s kingdom and it will come gradually to these men. [source]
See for this word on Matthew 13:11; Mark 4:11. Part of the mystery here explained is how so many people who have the opportunity to enter the kingdom fail to do so because of manifest unfitness. [source]
Here Mark 4:11 also has hina while Matthew 13:13 has ινα hoti (because). On the so-called causal use of ινα hina as here equal to οτι hoti see note on Matthew 13:13 and note on Mark 4:11. Plummer sensibly argues that there is truth both in the causal ινα hoti of Matthew and the final οτι hina of Mark and Matthew. “But the principle that he who hath shall receive more, while he who hath not shall be deprived of what he seemeth to have, explains both the οτι hina and the ινα hoti Jesus speaks in parables because the multitudes see without seeing and hear without hearing. But He also speaks in parable in order that they may see without seeing and hear without hearing.” Only for “hearing” Luke has “understand” ινα suniōsin present subjunctive from a late omega form οτι suniō instead of the -συνιωσιν mi verb συνιω suniēmi f0). [source]
Not in the pagan sense of an esoteric doctrine for the initiated (from μυεω mueō to blink, to wink), unknown secrets (2 Thessalonians 2:7), or like the mystery religions of the time, but the revealed will of God now made known to all (1 Corinthians 2:1, 1 Corinthians 2:7; 1 Corinthians 4:1) which includes Gentiles also (Romans 16:25; Colossians 1:26.; Ephesians 3:3.) and so far superior to man‘s wisdom (Colossians 2:2; Colossians 4:13; Ephesians 3:9; Ephesians 5:32; Ephesians 6:19; Matthew 13:11; Mark 4:11). Paul has covered every point of difficulty concerning the failure of the Jews to accept Jesus as the Messiah and has shown how God has overruled it for the blessing of the Gentiles with a ray of hope still held out for the Jews. “In early ecclesiastical Latin μυστηριον mustērion was rendered by sacramentum, which in classical Latin means the military oath. The explanation of the word sacrament, which is so often founded on this etymology, is therefore mistaken, since the meaning of sacrament belongs to μυστηριον mustērion and not to sacramentum in the classical sense” (Vincent). [source]