After explaining the parable of the seeds regarding what the kingdom is the Divine is like.
Mark 4:28 For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.
Mark 4:28 All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head.
Automatically, this earth bears fruit. First green foliage, next a head of grain, next a full-bodied wheat within the head of grain.
My head is full of something. It might be fruit.
This verse has a lot of couple of unique words and some uncommon words. The word that begins the verse in Greek is clearly a play on words. It is the source of our word "automatic." It could be the verb or the adverb. It could mean "it was automated, this earth" or "automatically, this earth."
The word translated as "bears fruit/produces grain" also means "produces virtue" and this entire verse can be taken as an analogy of spiritual growth. It starts green, then develops a head, and finally, the head bears fruit. This analogy is lost when the words are translated sloppily.
None of the definite articles, "the," except of the first and last appear in the Greek. The KJV uses the term "corn" for grain. "Corn" wasn't known in Europe, Asia, and Africa until after the discovery of the new world in the fifteenth century. Prior to that, many different grains were cultivated, but the most popular were wheat and barley. Jesus is describing the maturation of a grain here. Judea had both a wheat and a barley harvest.
- OS -- Outdated Source -- The Greek word translated as "for" existed in the KJV Greek source but not the source we use today.
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "of herself" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
- WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "the" should be something more like "a."
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "then" is not the common word usually translated as "then."
- WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "the" should be something more like "a."
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "ear" does not capture the word's more general meaning.
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "after that" is translated as "then" above.
- WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "the" should be something more like "an."
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "corn" does not capture the word's more general meaning.
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "ear" does not capture the word's more general meaning.
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "All by itself" does not capture the word's specific meaning.
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "soil" does not capture the word's more general meaning.
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "produces grain" does not capture the word's more general meaning.
- WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "the" should be something more like "a."
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "then" is not the common word usually translated as "then."
- WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "the" should be something more like "a."
- CW --Confusing Word -- The "then" is not the common word usually translated as "then."
- WW --Wrong Word -- The word translated as "the" should be something more like "a."
For -- (OS) There is nothing in the Greek that can be translated as "for" in the source we use today but it does exist in the source that the KJV translators used. OS -- Outdated Source -- The Greek word translated as "for" existed in the KJV Greek source but not the source we use today.
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.
earth - The word translated as "earth" 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.
bringeth forth fruit - "Brings forth fruit" is from an uncommon (for Jesus) Greek verb that means specifically "to bear fruit." It is formed from two roots, one the word for "fruit" and the other the verb that means "to bear", "to carry", "to bring", "to produce," and "to fetch." It is also a metaphor in Greek for virtue.
of herself; - (CW) "Of herself" is word that Jesus only uses here. It can be either an adjective that means "of one's own will", "spontaneously", and "happening of themselves" modifying "earth", or it is a verb that means to "act of oneself," "act offhand," "happen of themselves", and "act spontaneously." It is the source of our word "automatically." It is likely a play on words. This word begins the sentence. It is not the common word translated as "herself."
first - The word translated as "first" takes a lot of different types of "first" meanings from its context. Here, it is technically an adjective but it plays the role of the English adverb "initially."
the - (WW) There is no definite article here. Without a definite article, Greek nouns can read as with an indefinite article, "a" or "an," but not "the."
blade, "Blade" is an uncommon word for Jesus to use. It means "fodder", "provender," or a "green crop.
then - (CW) The "then" is another uncommon adverb that means "then", "next", "presently," and "soon." Unlike the "if/then," it does not refer back to a cause. It is not the adverb "if/then" word appears frequently in Jesus's sayings. "Next" might work better.
the - (WW) There is no definite article here. Without a definite article, Greek nouns can read as with an indefinite article, "a" or "an," but not "the."
ear, - (CW) "Ear" is another word that Jesus only uses in this verse that means "the cropped reaped," "scion", "progeny", "part of the crop that is reaped," and "the head of the grain." It began being translated as "ear of corn," in the English translations of the Bible.
after that -- (CW) The "after that" is the uncommon adverb that was translated as "then" above. It means "then," "next," and "soon".
the - (WW) There is no definite article here. Without a definite article, Greek nouns can read as with an indefinite article, "a" or "an," but not "the."
full - "Full" is another uncommon word, an adjective that means "full of", "full", "satisfied", "solid", "complete", "whole," and "full-bodied."
corn - (CW) "Corn" is a noun that means "grain", "wheat", "barley, ""food made from grain", "bread," and, most generally, "food." It is first translated as "corn" in the KJV.
in -- The word translated as "in" means "in," "within," "with" (an instrument), "by" (near), "by" (means of), "during" (time), or "among" with a dative object as the one here.
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.
ear. - (CW) "Ear" is another word that Jesus only uses in this verse that means "the cropped reaped," "scion", "progeny", "part of the crop that is reaped," and "the head of the grain." It began being translated as "ear of corn," in the English translations of the Bible.
All by itself - (CW) "all by itself" is word that Jesus only uses here. It can be either an adjective that means "of one's own will", "spontaneously", and "happening of themselves" modifying "earth", or it is a verb that means to "act of oneself," "act offhand," "happen of themselves", and "act spontaneously." It is the source of our word "automatically." It is likely a play on words. This word begins the sentence. It is not the common word translated as "all" or "itself."
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.
soil - (CW) The word translated as "soil" 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. Translated in as "soil" here robs it of its more general sense of "the mother earth."
produces grain - (CW) "Produces grain" is from an uncommon (for Jesus) Greek verb that means specifically "to bear fruit." It is formed from two roots, one the word for "fruit" and the other the verb that means "to bear", "to carry", "to bring", "to produce," and "to fetch." It is also a metaphor in Greek for virtue. The word does not refer to "grain."
first - The word translated as "first" takes a lot of different types of "first" meanings from its context. Here, it is technically an adjective but it plays the role of the English adverb "initially."
the - (WW) There is no definite article here. Without a definite article, Greek nouns can read as with an indefinite article, "a" or "an," but not "the."
stalk, - "Stalk" is an uncommon word for Jesus to use. It means "fodder", "provender," or a "green crop.
then - (CW) The "then" is another uncommon adverb that means "then", "next", "presently," and "soon." Unlike the "if/then," it does not refer back to a cause. It is not the adverb "if/then" word appears frequently in Jesus's sayings. "Next" might work better.
the - (WW) There is no definite article here. Without a definite article, Greek nouns can read as with an indefinite article, "a" or "an," but not "the."
head, - "Head" is another word that Jesus only uses in this verse that means "the cropped reaped," "scion", "progeny", "part of the crop that is reaped," and "the head of the grain."
then - (CW) The "then" is another uncommon adverb that means "then", "next", "presently," and "soon." Unlike the "if/then," it does not refer back to a cause. It is not the adverb "if/then" word appears frequently in Jesus's sayings. "Next" might work better.
the - (WW) There is no definite article here. Without a definite article, Greek nouns can read as with an indefinite article, "a" or "an," but not "the."
full - "Full" is another uncommon word, an adjective that means "full of", "full", "satisfied", "solid", "complete", "whole," and "full-bodied."
kernel - "Kernel" is a noun that means "grain", "wheat", "barley, ""food made from grain", "bread," and, most generally, "food."
in -- The word translated as "in" means "in," "within," "with" (an instrument), "by" (near), "by" (means of), "during" (time), or "among" with a dative object as the one here.
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.
head . - "Head" is another word that Jesus only uses in this verse that means "the cropped reaped," "scion", "progeny", "part of the crop that is reaped," and "the head of the grain." It began being translated as "ear of corn," in the English translations of the Bible.
αὐτομάτη [1 verse](adj sg fem nom or verb 3rd sg imperf ind act) "Of herself" is either the adjective, automatos, that means "of one's own will", "spontaneously", "happening of themselves", "without visible cause," and "accidental" or it is automateo, which is form of the verb αὐτοματίζω (automatizo) that means to "act of oneself," "act offhand," "happen of themselves", and "act spontaneously."
ἡ [821 verses](article sg fem nom) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").
γῆ [59 verses] ( noun sg fem nom ) "Earth" 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. --
καρποφορεῖ [4 verses] (verb 3rd sg pres ind act )"Brings forth fruit" is karpophoreo, which means "to bear fruit." It is also a metaphor in Greek, as in English, for virtue
πρῶτον [41 verses] ( adj sg neut masc acc ) "First" is protos. In place, this means "before", "in front," and, as a noun, "the foremost." Of time, it means "former", "earlier," and, as a noun, "the initial." In order, it means "the first." In math, it means the prime numbers. Of rank or degree, it means "superior" or, as a noun, "the highest" or "the best." --
χόρτον, [4 verses] ( noun sg masc acc ) "Blade" is chortos, which means "an enclosed place", "pastures", "herbage", "growing crops", "any feeding-ground," "green crop", "the expanse [of heaven]", "fodder", "provender", "food generally", "farmyard," and "growing grass."
εἶτεν [3 verses](adv)"Then," is from eita, which means "then", "next", "presently," and "soon." --
στάχυν, [1 verse]( noun sg masc acc ) "Ear" is from stachus, which means "scion", "progeny", "part of the crop that is reaped," and "the head of the grain."
εἶτεν [3 verses](adv)"Then," is from eita, which means "then", "next", "presently," and "soon." --
πλήρη [2 verses] ( adj sg masc acc ) "Full" is pleres, which means "full of", "full", "satisfied", "solid", "complete", "whole," and "full-bodied."
σῖτον [8 verses] ( noun sg masc acc ) "Corn" is from sitos, which means "grain", "wheat", "barley, ""food made from grain", "bread," and, most generally, "food."
ἐν [413 verses](prep) "In" is en, which means, with a dative object, "in," "on," "at," "by," "among," "within," "surrounded by," "in one's hands," "in one's power," "during," and "with." With the accusative, it means "into," "on," and "for." Referring to time, it means. "in the course of" or "during."
τῷ [821 verses](article sg masc dat) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").
στάχυϊ. [1 verse]( noun sg masc acc ) "Ear" is from stachus, which means "scion", "progeny", "part of the crop that is reaped," and "the head of the grain."
The verse begins with a phrase meaning something like "the automatic earth" but it can also be a phrase, "It happened by itself the earth."