Mark 4:19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches,

Spoken to: 

Apostles

The explanation of the parable of the sower, the seed in the thorns.

KJV: 

Mark 4:19  And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

NIV : 

Mark 4:19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.

LISTENERS HEARD: 

And the concerns during this lifetime and the deception of wealth, and those about those times remaining, desires entering by themselves. They crush the message and it becomes barren.

MY TAKE: 

Over time, our desires will grow be they spiritual or worldly.

GREEK (Each Word Explained Bottom of Page): 

GREEK ORDER: 

καὶ   αἱ   μέριμναι            τοῦ αἰῶνος   καὶ     ἀπάτη           τοῦ πλούτου
And the concerns during this lifetime and the deception of this wealth,

καὶ  αἱ      περὶ   τὰ   λοιπὰ                     ἐπιθυμίαι εἰσπορευόμεναι
and those about the times remaining,    desires     entering by themselves.

συνπνίγουσιν τὸν λόγονκαὶ ἄκαρπος γίνεται.
They crush    the message and barren    it becomes .

LOST IN TRANSLATION: 

The word translated as "world" in the KJV and more correctly as "life" in the NIV has the sense of "lifetime." This idea of time is important because the word translated as "other things" actually means "remaining" and in the context of time "the time remaining." Each of these verses is about time. The seeding on the path is an instant failure. The seeing on the rocky places is sudden growth followed by failure. This failure happens gradually as the concerns and desires grow over time. 

The word translated as "choke" has a root of "choke" with a prefix meaning together. It has the sense of crushing and pressure from these slowly growing desires.

# KJV TRANSLATION ISSUES: 

11
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "of" is not shown in the English translation.
  • CW --Confusing Word -- The "world" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "riches" is not shown in the English translation.
  • WN  --Wrong Number- The word "riches" is translated as plural but the Greek word is singular.
  • CW --Confusing Word -- The "lusts" does not capture the word's more general meaning.
  • CW --Confusing Word -- The "of" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "other things" is not shown in the English translation.
  • CW --Confusing Word -- The "other things" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
  • IW - Inserted Word -- The word "in" doesn't exist in the source.
  • CW --Confusing Word -- The "choke" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "word" does not capture the word's specific meaning.

# NIV TRANSLATION ISSUES: 

9
  • WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "but" should be something more like "and."
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "of" is not shown in the English translation.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "wealth" is not shown in the English translation.
  • MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "other things" is not shown in the English translation.
  • CW --Confusing Word -- The "other things" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
  • CW --Confusing Word -- The "choke" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
  • CW - Confusing Word -- The "word" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
  • WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "making" should be something more like "becoming."
  • WV --Wrong Voice - The verb here is translated as active but it is passive.

EACH WORD of KJV : 

And -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also"). In a series, it can be translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as."

the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, "the," which usually precedes a noun. Without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more. 

cares    - "Cares" is translated from a Greek word that means "care," "thought" or "concern." It has most of the sense of the way we use "worry" in English. It is an uncommon word for Jesus to use, being used primarily in different versions this parable.

of  -- (CW) This word "of"  comes from the genitive case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English.  The most common is the "of" of possession. In reference to time, it could instead be translated as "during," "at," or "within." This refers to time.

this -- The word translated as "this" is the Greek definite article, "the," which usually precedes a noun. Without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.  In the KJV source, another "this" adjective followed the word.

world, -- (CW) "World" is from aiôn, which means "lifetime," "life," "a space of time," "an age," an epoch," and "the present world." See this article on the phrase translated as "forever." See this article on words translated as "world" in Jesus's words. This is the term Christ uses the most often to condemn society, describing it over as "this adulterous generation." However, the term itself is one referring to time. It is not the word commonly translated as "world."

and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also"). In a series, it can be translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as."

the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, "the," which usually precedes a noun. Without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more. 

deceitfulness   - "Deceitfulness" is from a noun that means "trick," "deceit," "treachery," and "fraud." This word is only used three times by Jesus, twice in versions of this parable.

of  -- This word "of"  comes from the genitive case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English.  The most common is the "of" of possession. 

missing "the/this"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article," the," which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," and "those"). See this article for more. 

riches, - (WN) "Riches" is from a noun which is used only once in Matthew to describe wealth. It means "wealth," "treasure," and "riches," and is related to the name of the god of wealth, Plutus. This is singular, not plural.

and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also"). In a series, it can be translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as."

the --  The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, "the," which usually precedes a noun. Without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.  This article is before the word translated as "other things."

lusts -  (CW) "Lusts" is a noun that means "desire", "yearning", "appetite", "lust", "sexual desire," and "the object of desire." It is from the same word that Jesus uses as a verb to express people wanting or desiring to do something. It is more general than the English word and does not have its strong sexual connotation. The Greek word includes sexual desires but all other desires as well. 

of - (CW) The Greek word translated as "of" means "around" when referring to a place, but in referring to a subject, it means "about," "concerning," "on account of," and "in regard to." This is the way Jesus usually uses it. It is not the word form usually translated as "of."

missing "the/these"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article," the," which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," and "those"). See this article for more. 

other things =- (CW)  "Other things" is from an uncommon word that means "remaining over," "the rest," and, of Time, "the future," "henceforward."  It is plural. It could be translated as "futures" or "others" but it doesn't match the following noun in form so it isn't an adjective. Even if it was, the preceding article would make it act like a noun. This word is the object of the untranslated preposition above. It is not the word for "other things."

entering , -- "Enter" is a verb that means "lead in", "go into," and "enter." It is a participle, "entering." The root means "make" and the prefix means "in." The "in" below is a repeat of this word's meaning.

in -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "in" in the Greek source.  It's not like you can enter "out."

choke   - (CW) "Choke" is from a verb that means "to press closely" in the sense of crowding, and "to damp down."" The form is "they choke," and matches the word "lusts/appetites" above.  "Crushing down" is a better reference to what happens to the growth of the seed. This is not the precise meaning of the word.

the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, "the," which usually precedes a noun. Without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more. 

word, -- (CW) "Word" is translated from a Greek word that means "calculation," or "reasoning," but it has many, many specific meanings from "deliberation" to "narrative."  It is the source of our word "logic" and is the root word for all the English words that end in "-ology." Most biblical translations translated it as "word" for somewhat poetic reasons. However, when applied to people, it means "repute" or "reputation." More about this word in this article. In English, we would say "logic," "concept, or "reasoning" to describe it but it also means the communication of various types, so "message" often works. "Teaching" might work but it is unrelated to the common words for "to teach," "teacher," and "student" that all have the same root. 

and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also"). In a series, it can be translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as."

it -- This is from the third-person, singular form of the verb, which matches "word/idea" above.

becometh  -- The word translated as "becometh" means "to become," that is, to enter into a new state. In Greek, especially as used by Jesus, it is the opposite of "being," which is existence in the current state. When applied to events, this word means "to happen," "to occur," or "take place." For things, it can be "to be produced." When the participle takes a predicate, the sense is "coming into" something.

unfruitful.  - "Unfruitful" is from an adjective that means "barren," "unfruitful," and is a metaphor for 'unprofitable."

EACH WORD of NIV : 

but -- (WW) The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also"). In a series, it can be translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as."

the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, "the," which usually precedes a noun. Without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more. 

worries - "Worries" is translated from a Greek word that means "care," "thought" or "concern." It has most of the sense of the way we use "worry" in English. It is an uncommon word for Jesus to use, being used primarily in different versions this parable.

of  -- (CW) This word "of"  comes from the genitive case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English.  The most common is the "of" of possession. In reference to time, it could instead be translated as "during," "at," or "within." This refers to time.

this -- The word translated as "this" is the Greek definite article, "the," which usually precedes a noun. Without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more. 

life, -- "Life" is from aiôn, which means "lifetime," "life," "a space of time," "an age," an epoch," and "the present world." See this article on the phrase translated as "forever." See this article on words translated as "world" in Jesus's words. This is the term Christ uses the most often to condemn society, describing it over as "this adulterous generation." However, the term itself is one referring to time.

missing "and"  -- (MW) The untranslated word  MW - Missing Word -- The word "and" is not shown in the English translation. "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also"). In a series, it can be translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as."

the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, "the," which usually precedes a noun. Without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more. 

deceitfulness   - "Deceitfulness" is from a noun that means "trick," "deceit," "treachery," and "fraud." This word is only used three times by Jesus, twice in versions of this parable.

of  -- This word "of"  comes from the genitive case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English.  The most common is the "of" of possession. 

missing "the/this"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article," the," which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," and "those"). See this article for more. 

and -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also"). In a series, it can be translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as."

wealth , - "Wealth" is from a noun which is used only once in Matthew to describe wealth. It means "wealth," "treasure," and "riches," and is related to the name of the god of wealth, Plutus.

the --  The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, "the," which usually precedes a noun. Without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.  This article is before the word translated as "other things."

desires   "Lusts" is a noun that means "desire", "yearning", "appetite", "lust", "sexual desire," and "the object of desire." It is from the same word that Jesus uses as a verb to express people wanting or desiring to do something.

for -  The Greek word translated as "for" means "around" when referring to a place, but in referring to a subject, it means "about," "concerning," "on account of," and "in regard to." This is the way Jesus usually uses it. It is not the word form usually translated as "of."

missing "the/these"  -- (MW) The untranslated word is the Greek definite article," the," which usually precedes a noun and, without a noun, takes the meaning of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," and "those"). See this article for more. 

other things-- (CW) "Other things" is from an uncommon word that means "remaining over," "the rest," and, of Time, "the future," "henceforward."  It is plural. It could be translated as "futures" or "others" but it doesn't match the following noun in form so it isn't an adjective. Even if it was, the preceding article would make it act like a noun. This word is the object of the untranslated preposition above. The entire phrase consists of Greek words meaning "concerning the future" or "concerning the others."

come in , -- "Come in" is a verb that means "lead in", "go into," and "enter." It is a participle, "entering." The root means "make" and the prefix means "in." The "in" below is a repeat of this word's meaning.

choke   - (CW) "Choke" is from a verb that means "to press closely" in the sense of crowding, and "to damp down."" The form is "they choke," and matches the word "lusts/appetites" above.  "Crushing down" is a better reference to what happens to the growth of the seed. This is not the precise meaning of the word.

the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, "the," which usually precedes a noun. Without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more. 

word, -- (CW) "Word" is translated from a Greek word that means "calculation," or "reasoning," but it has many, many specific meanings from "deliberation" to "narrative."  It is the source of our word "logic" and is the root word for all the English words that end in "-ology." Most biblical translations translated it as "word" for somewhat poetic reasons. However, when applied to people, it means "repute" or "reputation." More about this word in this article. In English, we would say "logic," "concept, or "reasoning" to describe it but it also means the communication of various types, so "message" often works. "Teaching" might work but it is unrelated to the common words for "to teach," "teacher," and "student" that all have the same root. 

missing "and"  -- (MW) The untranslated word  MW - Missing Word -- The word "and" is not shown in the English translation. "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also"). In a series, it can be translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as."

making -- (WW, WV) The word translated as "becometh" means "to become," that is, to enter into a new state. In Greek, especially as used by Jesus, it is the opposite of "being," which is existence in the current state. When applied to events, this word means "to happen," "to occur," or "take place." For things, it can be "to be produced." When the participle takes a predicate, the sense is "coming into" something.

it -- This is from the third-person, singular form of the verb, which matches "word/idea" above.

unfruitful.  - "Unfruitful" is from an adjective that means "barren," "unfruitful," and is a metaphor for 'unprofitable."

COMPARISON: GREEK to KJV : 

καὶ [1089 verses](conj/adv) "And" is kai, which is the conjunction joining phrases and clauses, "and," or "also." After words implying sameness, "as" (the same opinion as you). Used in series, joins positive with negative "Not only...but also." Also used to give emphasis, "even," "also," and "just."

αἱ  [821 verses] (article pl fem nom) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). 

μέριμναι  [4 verses](noun pl fem nom) "Cares" is from merimna , which means "care," "thought," "solicitude," "object of care or thought," and, in plural, "pursuit," "ambition."

τοῦ [821 verses](article sg masc gen)  "This" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). 

αἰῶνος [41 verses](noun sg masc gen) "Life" is aion, which means "life," "lifetime," "age," or "generation."

καὶ [1089 verses](conj/adv) "And" is kai, which is the conjunction joining phrases and clauses, "and," or "also." After words implying sameness, "as" (the same opinion as you). Used in series, joins positive with negative "Not only...but also." Also used to give emphasis, "even," "also," and "just."

[821 verses](article sg fem nom)   "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). 

ἀπάτη [3 verses] (noun sg fem nom) "Deceitfulness" is apate , which means "trick," "deceit," "guile," "treachery," and "fraud."

τοῦ 821 verses](article sg masc gen)  Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").  -

πλούτου [3 verses](noun sg masc gen)  "Riches" is from ploutos, which means "wealth" "treasure," and "riches." The verb is pletho, which means "to fill. "Plutus" is the god of riches. 

καὶ [1089 verses](conj/adv) "And" is kai, which is the conjunction joining phrases and clauses, "and," or "also." After words implying sameness, "as" (the same opinion as you). Used in series, joins positive with negative "Not only...but also." Also used to give emphasis, "even," "also," and "just." -- The Greek word translated as "and" is used as the conjunction "and," but it also is used to add emphasis ("also"). In a series, it can be translated as "not only...but also." After words implying sameness "as."

αἱ  [821 verses](article pl fem nom)  "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). 

περὶ [73 verses](prep)  Untranslated is peri, which means "round about (Place)," "around," "about," "concerning," "on account of," "in regard to," "before," "above," "beyond," and "all around."  With the accusative, "around" in movement, caring and generally of relationships "about,"  "about" of time.

τὰ [821 verses](article pl neut acc)  Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").  -

λοιπὰ   [6 verses](adj pl neut acc) "Other things" is loipos, which means "remaining over," "the remaining," "the rest, "descendants," of Time, "the future," "henceforward," "hereafter," and "the remaining." 

ἐπιθυμίαι [3 verses](noun pl fem nom) "Lusts" is from epithymia, which means "desire", "yearning", "appetite", "lust", "sexual desire," and "the object of desire." It literally means "desire on."

εἰσπορευόμεναι [11 verses](part pl pres mp fem nom) "Entering in" is eisporeuomai, which means "lead in", "go into," and "enter." It combines "eis," which command the nly means "into" with -poreuomai, which means "make to go", "carry", "convey", "bring", "go", "march," and "proceed."

συνπνίγουσιν  [2 verses](verb 3rd pl pres ind act) "Choke" is from sympnigo, which "to press closely," in the sense of crowding, "to damp down," and metaphorically, "to choke" but the root word means "choke" with a prefix that means "together."

τὸν [821 verses](article sg masc acc)  "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). 

λόγον, [80 verses](noun sg masc acc) "Word" is logos, which means "word," "computation," "relation," "explanation," "law," "rule of conduct," "continuous statement," "tradition," "discussion," "reckoning," "reputation" (when applied to people), and "value."

καὶ [1089 verses](conj/adv) "And" is kai, which is the conjunction joining phrases and clauses, "and," or "also." After words implying sameness, "as" (the same opinion as you). Used in series, joins positive with negative "Not only...but also." Also used to give emphasis, "even," "also," and "just."

ἄκαρπος [4 verses] (adj sg masc nom) "Unfruitful" is from akarpos, which means "barren," "unfruitful," and is a metaphor for 'unprofitable." 

γίνεται.[117 verses] (verb 3rd sg pres ind mp) "Becometh" is ginomai, which means "to become," "to come into being," "to happen," of things "to be produced," of events "happen," (passive) "take place," "come to pass," "to be engaged in," math "to be multiplied into," "become one of," "turn into." It means changing into a new state of being. When the participle takes a predicate, the sense is "coming into" something. It is the complementary opposite of the verb "to be" (eimi) which indicates existence in the same state.

Related Verses: 

Front Page Date: 

Mar 22 2023