Spoken to:
Sitting in a boat teaching a crowd on the shore.
KJV :
Mar k 4:3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:
NIV :
Mar k 4:3 “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed.
Listeners Heard:
Listen! See here! He went out, the one seeding to seed.
My Takeaway:
Some stories are rather seedy.
Lost in Translation:
This verse starts with two commands (or requests, both are the same verb form in Greek), but the first command is addressed to the group and the second one to an individual. The "harken" ("listen") is addressed to the group, but the" behold" ("see") is addressed to a single person. Why? Because Greek "behold"which works like an adverbial exclamation when something is revealed, like "viola" in French, which means "see there!"
The Greek word for "sower" and "to sow" are both the same verb. That verb is from the same root word as the Greek word for "seeds." The sense is "the one seeding to seed." This is important because the story is about the "seeds." Seeds are Jesus's symbol for information in general and spiritual information, that is, the good news, specifically. The NIV adds "seeds" as a noun and in a phrase that is not in the Greek.
Original Word Order:
WORD-BY-WORD COMPARISON OF THE GREEK TO ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS:
Ἀκούετε. [95 verses]( verb 2nd pl pres imperat act) "Hearken" is akouo, which means "hear of," "hear tell of," "what one actually hears," "know by hearsay," "listen to," "give ear to," "hear and understand," and "understand." The accusative object is the person/thing heard about, while the genitive is the person/thing heard from. However, two genitives can be used with the sense of "hear of a thing from a person." -
ἰδοὺ [52 verses](adv, verb 2nd sg aor imperat mid) "Behold" is idou, which means "to behold," "to see," and "to perceive." It acts as an adverbial phrase in this form meaning "Lo! Behold!" and "See there!' It is a form of the verb eido, which means "to see."
ἐξῆλθεν [54 verses]( verb 3rd sg aor ind act ) "Went forth" is exerchomai, which means "to come or go out of " "to march forth," "go out on," "to stand forth," "to exceed all bounds," "to come to an end," "to go out of office," and [of dreams or prophecies] "to come true."
ὁ [821 verses](article sg masc nom) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").
σπείρων [31 verses](part sg pres act masc nom) "A sower" is speiro, which means "to sow a seed," "to beget offspring," "to scatter like a seed," and "to sow a field."
σπεῖραι. [31 verses] verb aor inf act ) "To sow" is speiro, which means "to sow a seed," "to beget offspring," "to scatter like a seed," and "to sow a field." -- The Greek word translated as "sow" means specifically to "sow seeds" and "to scatter" as in sowing seeds. It is, however, from the same root word as the Greek word for "seeds" so "seeding" is closer to its meaning.
KJV Analysis:
Hearken; - "Harken" is a Greek verb that means "to hear" and "to listen." It has the same sense as the English not only of listening but of understanding. It also means "to listen" and "to understand," but amusingly, it also means "to be silent." The accusative object is the person/thing heard about, while the genitive is the person/thing heard from. However, two genitives can be used with the sense of "hear of a thing from a person." The form is a command or request addressed to a group.
Behold, -- "Behold" is a verbal command meaning "See!" and "Look!" It is from the most common word meaning "to see" in Greek. In a humorous vein, it is also an adverbial exclamation like we use the phrase "ta-da" in a magic show, or "voila" in French which means "see there". "Look here!" or "See there!" comes closest in English. Jesus uses it both ways.
there -- This completes the idea of the verb. The French "voila!" means literally, "look there."
went -- The word translated as "went out" means literally "to go or come out," but it has a secondary meaning of "making something come true." In some verses, its sense is "started" from the primary meaning of its root.
out -- This is from the prefix of the previous verb that means "out of."
a -- (WW) The word translated as "a" is the Greek definite article; 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.
sower -- (WF) The Greek verb translated as "sower" means specifically to "sow seeds" and "to scatter" as in sowing seeds. It is, however, from the same root word as the Greek word for "seeds" so "seeding" is closer to its meaning. It is in the form of an adjective, "sowing." When preceded by the article, it has the sense of "the one sowing."
to -- This "to" is added because the infinitive form of the verb requires a "to" in English.
sow: -- The Greek verb translated as "sow" means specifically to "sow seeds" and "to scatter" as in sowing seeds. It is, however, from the same root word as the Greek word for "seeds" so "seeding" is closer to its meaning. This is the same word as above, but in a different form, an infinitive. The Greek verb translated as "to sow" is a verb that means specifically to "sow seeds" and "to scatter" as in sowing seeds.
KJV Translation Issues:
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "a" should be something more like "the one."
- WF -- Wrong Form - The "sower" is not a noun but a participle, "sowing."
NIV Analysis:
Listen; - "Listen" is a Greek verb that means "to hear" and "to listen." It has the same sense as the English not only of listening but of understanding. It also means "to listen" and "to understand," but amusingly, it also means "to be silent." The accusative object is the person/thing heard about, while the genitive is the person/thing heard from. However, two genitives can be used with the sense of "hear of a thing from a person."The form is a command or request addressed to a group.
missing "See here" -- (MW) -- The missing "see here" is a verbal command meaning "See!" and "Look!" It is from the most common word meaning "to see" in Greek. In a humorous vein, it is also an adverbial exclamation like we use the phrase "ta-da" in a magic show, or "voila" in French which means "see there". "Look here!" or "See there!" comes closest in English. Jesus uses it both ways.
A -- (WW) The word translated as "a" is the Greek definite article; 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.
farmer -- (WW, WF) The Greek verb translated as "farmer " means specifically to "sow seeds" and "to scatter" as in sowing seeds. It is, however, from the same root word as the Greek word for "seeds" so "seeding" is closer to its meaning. It is in the form of an adjective, "sowing." When preceded by the article, it has the sense of "the one sowing."
went -- The word translated as "went out" means literally "to go or come out," but it has a secondary meaning of "making something come true." In some verses, its sense is "started" from the primary meaning of its root.
out -- This is from the prefix of the previous verb that means "out of."
to -- This "to" is added because the infinitive form of the verb requires a "to" in English.
sow: -- The Greek verb translated as "sow" means specifically to "sow seeds" and "to scatter" as in sowing seeds. It is, however, from the same root word as the Greek word for "seeds" so "seeding" is closer to its meaning. This is the same word as above, but in a different form, an infinitive. The Greek verb translated as "to sow" is a verb that means specifically to "sow seeds" and "to scatter" as in sowing seeds.
his seed. -- (IP) There is nothing that can be translated as "his seed" in the Greek source.
NIV Translation Issues:
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "see here" is not shown in the English translation."
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "a" should be something more like "the one."
- WW - Wrong Word -- The word translated as "farmer" should be something more like "sowing."
- WF -- Wrong Form - The "farmer" is not a noun but a participle, "sowing."
- IP - Inserted Phrase-- The phrase "his seed" doesn't exist in the source.
Related Verses:
Possible Symbolic Meaning:
Seeds are Jesus's symbol for packets of information or ideas that grow automatically.