Mark 4:21

Jesus also said to them, “Does anyone bring in a lamp to put it under a basket or under a bed? Doesn’t he set it on a stand?

Berean Standard Bible

Follow its threads on the canvas →

Study note

Setting — Jesus speaks to his disciples immediately after describing the seed sown on good soil, using a familiar household practice to illustrate his teaching. The words — ἔρχεται (erchetai) translates literally as “is brought in,” and λύχνος (luchnos) means “lamp,” describing an object introduced into a space rather than one actively ignited. The thread — This illustration appears in Matthew 5:15, Luke 8:16, and Luke 11:33, where parallel accounts record the identical household action. Why it lands — The text states a lamp is brought in and set on a stand rather than placed under a basket or bed. Mark 4:20 and 4:22 tie this to hearing the word and the certainty that concealed things will be disclosed, requiring the reader to acknowledge that received truth is intended for open function, not concealment.

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 he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?

Cross-references

Matthew 5:15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they set it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
Luke 11:33 No one lights a lamp and puts it in a cellar or under a basket. Instead, he sets it on a stand, so those who enter can see the light.
Luke 8:16 No one lights a lamp and covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he sets it on a stand, so those who enter can see the light.
Isaiah 60:1 Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.
Ephesians 5:3 But among you, as is proper among the saints, there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed.
1 Corinthians 12:7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
Philippians 2:15 so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world