Bible Strands
Luke 8:9
Then His disciples asked Him what this parable meant.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Following the conclusion of the parable of the sower and the call to listen spiritually, Jesus turns to His disciples who approach Him to request the meaning of the teaching.
The words — The verb Ἐπηρώτων (epērōtōn) literally means "were asking," indicating a sustained inquiry by the disciples regarding the parable's significance.
The thread — This request for explanation appears in parallel accounts where the disciples seek clarification after Jesus teaches in figurative language (Mark 4:10; Matthew 13:36).
Why it lands — The text records the disciples' direct inquiry before Jesus discloses the hidden meanings, requiring the reader to recognize that spiritual understanding follows deliberate engagement with His teaching.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be?
Cross-references
- Matthew 13:10 Then the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Why do You speak to the people in parables?”
- Matthew 13:18 Consider, then, the parable of the sower:
- Mark 4:10 As soon as Jesus was alone with the Twelve and those around Him, they asked Him about the parable.
- Hosea 6:3 So let us know—let us press on to know the LORD. As surely as the sun rises, He will appear; He will come to us like the rain, like the spring showers that water the earth.
- Matthew 13:36 Then Jesus dismissed the crowds and went into the house. His disciples came to Him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”
- Matthew 15:15 Peter said to Him, “Explain this parable to us.”
- Mark 4:34 He did not tell them anything without using a parable. But privately He explained everything to His own disciples.
- Mark 7:17 After Jesus had left the crowd and gone into the house, His disciples inquired about the parable.
- John 15:15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything I have learned from My Father I have made known to you.