Bible Strands
Mark 4:18
Others are like the seeds sown among the thorns. They hear the word,
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Jesus continues his explanation of the sower parable to his disciples, shifting focus from the rocky ground to the third soil type. He describes a specific group of hearers who initially receive the message but lack lasting foundation.
The words — ἀκάνθας (akanthas) translates literally as thorns, while σπειρόμενοι (speiromenoi) means sown. These terms anchor the metaphor to agricultural reality before describing spiritual condition.
The thread — The imagery recurs in Luke 8:14 and Matthew 13:22, both detailing how life’s pressures and material pursuits suffocate spiritual growth. Jeremiah 4:3 similarly commands breaking up unplowed ground to prevent sowing among thorns.
Why it lands — The text identifies those who hear the message yet face spiritual suffocation, demanding readers examine what competes for their attention. It calls for deliberate removal of competing desires before they render faith unfruitful.
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 these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,
Cross-references
- Jeremiah 4:3 For this is what the LORD says to the men of Judah and Jerusalem: “Break up your unplowed ground, and do not sow among the thorns.
- Luke 8:14 The seeds that fell among the thorns are those who hear, but as they go on their way, they are choked by the worries, riches, and pleasures of this life, and their fruit does not mature.
- Matthew 13:22 The seed sown among the thorns is the one who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
- Mark 4:7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the seedlings, and they yielded no crop.