After explaining the parable of the seeds.
Mark 4:26 So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;
Mark 4:26 This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground.
In this way, it exists this realm of the Divine. Like a person might toss this seed on the earth...
We all might toss out Jesus's words without thinking.
The "this" before "seed" is left out of English translation. This destroys the connection between the "seed" and the "realm of the Divine." The "should" in the KJV is left out of the NIV but it is not the future tense but a form of possibility. The word "might" makes this more clear. The word translated here as "cast" and "scatters" is not the word used in the parable itself. It is a more casual and light-hearted word that Jesus often uses to refer to throwing away things.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "God" is not shown in the English translation.
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "if" doesn't exist in the source.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "seed" is not shown in the English translation.
- WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "into" should be something more like "on."
- WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "this" should be something more like "in this way."
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "what" doesn't exist in the source.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "God" is not shown in the English translation.
- IW - Inserted Word -- The word "is" doesn't exist in the source.
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "should" is not shown in the English translation.
- WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "scatters" should be something more like "tosses."
- MW - Missing Word -- The word "the/this" before "seed" is not shown in the English translation.
So - The word translated in KJV as "so" is in its adverbial form, so it means "in this manner" or "in this way."
is - The verb "is" here is the common form of "to be" in Greek. It means to have a certain characteristic or remain in a certain condition. It also equates terms or assigns characteristics. -- When the verb "to be" appears early in the sentence before the subject, the sense is more like "it is" or, in the plural, "there are."
the - The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, 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", "those"). See this article for more.
kingdom - The word translated as "kingdom" can be the region, the reign, the castle or the authority of a ruler. Christ does not seem to use it to mean a physical region, so its translation as "reign" or "realm" seems more appropriate. This is especially true because the "reign" of a king means the execution of his will.
of - This word comes from the possessive form of the following word.
missing "the" -- (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," "those"). See this article for more.
God, -- The word translated as "God" means "God" and "deity." It is introduced with an article, so "the God," "the Divine" or "the divine one." Jesus often uses it this way perhaps to indicate the one God as opposed to the pagan gods.
as -- The word translated as "as" has a very broad meaning, translated as "when," "where," "just as," "like," and related words.
if -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "if" in the Greek source.
a - There is no Greek indefinite article, but a Greek noun without a definite article can be translated with an "a" in English.
man - The Greek word for "man" means "man", "person" and "humanity" in the singular. In the plural, it means "men", "people", and "peoples".
should - This word comes from the form of the following verb, which indicates the possibility of something.
cast - The word translated as "cast" has a number of meanings revolving around "throw" as we do in English with both "throw" and "toss." Jesus often uses this word in the same way we use "dump" in English. In dice, it means "to throw" the dice, but with the sense of being lucky.
missing "the/this" - The Greek 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", "those"). See this article for more.
seed - The word "seed" means "seed," "sowing," "harvest," and "crop". It is Jesus's symbol for the beginning or kernel of knowledge.
into - (WW) The word translated as "unto" means "on", "over", "upon", "against", "before", "after", "during", "by" or "on."
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.
ground; -- The word translated as "ground" means "ground," "land," "country," and "dirt." Translated as "earth," it refers to the physical planet, not society, which Jesus describes as the world. See this article for more on these words.
This - (WW) The word translated in KJV as "so" is in its adverbial form, so it means "in this manner" or "in this way."
is - The verb "is" here is the common form of "to be" in Greek. It means to have a certain characteristic or remain in a certain condition. It also equates terms or assigns characteristics. -- When the verb "to be" appears early in the sentence before the subject, the sense is more like "it is" or, in the plural, "there are."
what -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "what" in the Greek source.
the - The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, 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", "those"). See this article for more.
kingdom - The word translated as "kingdom" can be the region, the reign, the castle or the authority of a ruler. Christ does not seem to use it to mean a physical region, so its translation as "reign" or "realm" seems more appropriate. This is especially true because the "reign" of a king means the execution of his will.
of - This word comes from the possessive form of the following word.
missing "the" -- (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," "those"). See this article for more.
God, -- The word translated as "God" means "God" and "deity." It is introduced with an article, so "the God," "the Divine" or "the divine one." Jesus often uses it this way perhaps to indicate the one God as opposed to the pagan gods.
is . -- (IW) There is nothing that can be translated as "is" in the Greek source.
like-- The word translated as "like" has a very broad meaning, translated as "when," "where," "just as," "like," and related words.
A - There is no Greek indefinite article, but a Greek noun without a definite article can be translated with an "a" in English.
man - The Greek word for "man" means "man", "person" and "humanity" in the singular. In the plural, it means "men", "people", and "peoples".
missing "should" -- (MW) The untranslated word comes from the form of the following verb, which indicates the possibility of something.
scatters - (WW) The word translated as "scatters" has a number of meanings revolving around "throw" as we do in English with both "throw" and "toss." Jesus often uses this word in the same way we use "dump" in English. In dice, it means "to throw" the dice, but with the sense of being lucky. This is not a word with the sense of scatering.
missing "the/this" - The Greek 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", "those"). See this article for more.
seed - The word "seed" means "seed," "sowing," "harvest," and "crop". It is Jesus's symbol for the beginning or kernel of knowledge.
on - The word translated as "unto" means "on", "over", "upon", "against", "before", "after", "during", "by" or "on."
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.
ground; -- The word translated as "ground" means "ground," "land," "country," and "dirt." Translated as "earth," it refers to the physical planet, not society, which Jesus describes as the world. See this article for more on these words.
Οὕτως [83 verses](adv) "So" is houtos, which as an adverb, it means "in this way", "therefore", "so much", "to such an extent," and "that is why." --
ἐστὶν [614 verses](verb 3rd sg pres ind act) "Is" is eimi, which means "to be", "to exist", "to be the case," of circumstance and events "to happen", and "is possible." (The future form is esomai. The 3rd person present indicative is "esti.")
ἡ [821 verses](article sg fem nom) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the")
βασιλεία [98 verses](noun sg fem nom) "The kingdom" is from basileia, which means "kingdom," "dominion," "hereditary monarchy," "kingly office," (passive) "being ruled by a king," and "reign."
τοῦ [821 verses](article sg masc gen) Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). -
θεοῦ [144 verses](noun sg masc gen) "God" is theos, which means "God," "divine," and "Deity."
ὡς (167 verses](adv/conj) "As" is hos, an adverb which means to "thus," "as," "how," "when," "where," "like," "just as," "so far as," "as much as can be," "that," "in order that," "nearly (with numbers)," and "know that."
ἄνθρωπος [209 verses] (noun sg masc nom) "A man" is anthropos, which is "man," and, in plural, "mankind." It also means "humanity" and that which is human and opposed to that which is animal or inanimate. -
βάλῃ [54 verses]( verb 3rd sg aor subj act ) "Should cast" is ballo, which means "to throw", "to let fall," "to cast," "to put", "to pour", "to place money on deposit", "push forward or in front [of animals]", "to shed", "to place", "to pay,"to throw [of dice,]" "to be lucky", "to fall", "to lay as foundation", "to begin to form", "to dash oneself with water," and "to bathe." --
τὸν [821 verses](article sg masc acc) Untranslated is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the"). -
σπόρον [4 verses](noun sg masc acc) "Seed" is sporos, which means "sowing", "seed-time", "seed", "harvest", "crop", and "offspring".
ἐπὶ [138 verses](prep) "Into" is from epi which means "on," "upon," "at," "by," "before," "across," and "against." With a noun in the possessive, genitive, it means "upon," "on" but not necessarily of Place, "by (of persons)," "deep (with numbers)," "in the presence of," "towards," "in the time of," and "over (referring to a person of authority)." With a noun indirect object, dative, it means of place: "upon," "on," or "over," of people: "against (in a hostile sense)," regarding a situation: "towards" or "in reference to," of an accumulation: "upon," "after," "addition to," and "besides," of position: "after," "behind," "in dependence upon," and "in the power of," of time: "by," and "after," and. in a causal sense: "of the occasion or cause," "of an end or purpose," "of the condition upon which a thing is done," "on condition that," and "of price." With the objective noun, an accusative, it means of place: "upon or on to a height," "up to," "as far as," "a little way," "a little," "towards," "to," in hostile sense: "against," of extension: "over," "over (a space)," of time: "for," "during," "up to" or "till," in a causal sense: "of (the object)," for (this purpose)," "as regards," "according to," and "by (this cause)." With verbs of perceiving, observing, judging, it means "in the case of."
τῆς [821 verses] (art sg fem gen)"The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").
γῆς [59 verses](noun sg fem gen) "Ground" is ge, which means "the element of earth," "land (country)," "arable land," "the ground," and "the world" as the opposite of the sky. Like our English word "earth," it means both dirt and the planet.
A specific parallel is made here between the growth of knowledge and the growth of God's kingdom. Unlike the growth of our personal knowledge, which requires our participation, the growth of the kingdom based on that knowledge happens whether or not an individual is actively part of it. This is one of the clearest examples of Christ describing God's kingdom, reign, and rule as having a hidden plan in which everyone plays a part, whether they know it or not.