The Meaning of Mark 4:38 Explained

Mark 4:38

KJV: And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?

YLT: and he himself was upon the stern, upon the pillow sleeping, and they wake him up, and say to him, 'Teacher, art thou not caring that we perish?'

Darby: And he was in the stern sleeping on the cushion. And they awake him up and say to him, Teacher, dost thou not care that we are perishing?

ASV: And he himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion: and they awake him, and say unto him, Teacher, carest thou not that we perish?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  he  was  in  the hinder part of the ship,  asleep  on  a pillow:  and  they awake  him,  and  say  unto him,  Master,  carest  thou  not  that  we perish? 

What does Mark 4:38 Mean?

Context Summary

Mark 4:10-41 - Growth In God's Kingdom
How quick the Master was to observe the meaning of natural symbols! To Him all things were unfoldings of eternal mystery, and the ways of men unconsciously mirrored the unseen. Are there bushels in your life? Use them as lamp stands, not as coverings. All secrets come out; beware of what you say. All measures come back to us; take care how you mete. The mysterious co-operation of God in nature, and the gradual process of growth, are analogous to the co-working of the Holy Spirit with all faithful sowers of the Word, and the imperceptible stages through which the soul reaches maturity.
The stilling of the storm, Mark 4:35-41. They that bear Christ's company must prepare for squalls. Yet, why should we fear, when the Master is on board, who can impress His commands on wind and sea-to the wind, Peace; to the sea, Be still! "The Lord on high is mightier than the waves of the sea." A moment ago he was so weary as to sleep amid the storm, but at a word of appeal from those He loves, He shows Himself able to save to the uttermost. [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 4:38

Asleep on the cushion [επι το προσκεπαλαιον κατευδων]
Mark also mentions the cushion or bolster and the stern of the boat Matthew 8:24 notes that Jesus was sleeping He was worn out from the toil of this day. [source]
They awake him [εγειρουσιν αυτον]
So Mark‘s graphic present. Matthew and Luke both have “awoke him.” Mark has also what the others do not: “Carest thou not?” It was a rebuke to Jesus for sleeping in such a storm. We are perishing Precisely this same form also in Matthew 8:25 and Luke 8:24. [source]
A pillow [τὸ προσκεφάλαιον]
The definite article indicates a well-known part of the boat's equipment - the coarse leathern cushion at the stern for the steersman. The Anglo-Saxon version has bolster. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Mark 4:38

Luke 8:24 Master, Master [Επιστατα επιστατα]
See note on Luke 5:5 for discussion. Mark 4:38 has Teacher (Didaskale), Matthew 8:25 has Lord The repetition here shows the uneasiness of the disciples. [source]
Luke 8:24 We perish [Κυριε]
So in Mark 4:38; Matthew 8:25. Linear present middle indicative, we are perishing.The raging of the water (απολλυμετα — tōi kludoni tou hudatos). τωι κλυδονι του υδατος — Kludōn common Greek word, is a boisterous surge, a violent agitation. Here only in the N.T. save James 1:6. Κλυδων — Kuma (Mark 4:37) is the regular swell or wave. A calm (Κυμα — galēnē). Only in the parallels in the N.T., though common word. Here Mark 4:39; Matthew 8:26 add great (γαληνη — megalē).That This use of οτι — hoti as explanatory of the demonstrative pronoun οτι — houtos occurs in the parallels Mark 4:36; Matthew 8:27 and also in Luke 4:36. It is almost result.He commandeth (ουτος — epitassei). Peculiar to Luke. [source]
Acts 27:29 Four anchors [αγκυρας τεσσαρας]
Old word from αγκη — agkē In N.T. only in this chapter, with ριπτω — rhiptō here, with εκτεινω — ekteinō in Acts 27:30, with περιαιρεω — periaireō in Acts 27:40; and Hebrews 6:19 (figuratively of hope). From the stern (εκ πρυμνης — ek prumnēs). Old word, but in N.T. only in Mark 4:38; here and 41 in contrast with πρωιρα — prōira (prow). The usual practice was and is to anchor by the bows. “With a view to running the ship ashore anchoring from the stern would, it is said, be best” (Page). Nelson is quoted as saying that he had been reading Acts 27 the morning of the Battle of Copenhagen (April, 1801) where he anchored his ships from the stern. Wished for the day Imperfect middle, kept on praying for “day to come” (ημεραν γενεσται — hēmeran genesthai) before the anchors broke under the strain of the storm or began to drag. If the ship had been anchored from the prow, it would have swung round and snapped the anchors or the stern would have faced the beach. [source]
Acts 27:29 From the stern [εκ πρυμνης]
Old word, but in N.T. only in Mark 4:38; here and 41 in contrast with πρωιρα — prōira (prow). The usual practice was and is to anchor by the bows. “With a view to running the ship ashore anchoring from the stern would, it is said, be best” (Page). Nelson is quoted as saying that he had been reading Acts 27 the morning of the Battle of Copenhagen (April, 1801) where he anchored his ships from the stern. [source]

What do the individual words in Mark 4:38 mean?

And He was in the stern on the cushion sleeping they awaken Him say to Him Teacher not is it concern to You that we perish
καὶ αὐτὸς ἦν ἐν τῇ πρύμνῃ ἐπὶ τὸ προσκεφάλαιον καθεύδων ἐγείρουσιν αὐτὸν λέγουσιν αὐτῷ Διδάσκαλε οὐ μέλει σοι ὅτι ἀπολλύμεθα

πρύμνῃ  stern 
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Singular
Root: πρύμνα  
Sense: the stern or hinder part of the ship.
προσκεφάλαιον  cushion 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: προσκεφάλαιον  
Sense: a pillow, cushion.
καθεύδων  sleeping 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: καθεύδω  
Sense: to fall asleep, drop off to sleep.
ἐγείρουσιν  they  awaken 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἐγείρω  
Sense: to arouse, cause to rise.
λέγουσιν  say 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
αὐτῷ  to  Him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
Διδάσκαλε  Teacher 
Parse: Noun, Vocative Masculine Singular
Root: διδάσκαλος  
Sense: a teacher. 2 in the NT one who teaches concerning the things of God, and the duties of man.
μέλει  is  it  concern 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: μέλει 
Sense: to care about.
σοι  to  You 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative 2nd Person Singular
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
ὅτι  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅτι  
Sense: that, because, since.
ἀπολλύμεθα  we  perish 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Middle, 1st Person Plural
Root: ἀπόλλυμι  
Sense: to destroy.