Luke 8:4

THE MESSAGE

As they went from town to town, a lot of people joined in and traveled along. He addressed them, using this story: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. Some of it fell on the road; it was tramped down and the birds ate it. Other seed fell in the gravel; it sprouted, but withered because it didn't have good roots. Other seed fell in the weeds; the weeds grew with it and strangled it. Other seed fell in rich earth and produced a bumper crop. "Are you listening to this? Really listening?"

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
As a large crowd was gathering, and people were coming to Jesus from every town, he said in a parable:

King James Version (1611)
And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of euery citie, he spake by a parable:

King James Version
And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable:

English Standard Version
And when a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable,

New American Standard Bible
Now when a large crowd was coming together, and those from the various cities were journeying to Him, He spoke by way of a parable:

New Century Version
When a great crowd was gathered, and people were coming to Jesus from every town, he told them this story:

Amplified Bible
When a large crowd was gathering together, and people from city after city were coming to Him, He spoke [to them] using a parable:

New American Standard Bible (1995)
When a large crowd was coming together, and those from the various cities were journeying to Him, He spoke by way of a parable:

Legacy Standard Bible
Now when a large crowd was coming together, and those from the various cities were journeying to Him, He spoke by way of a parable:

Berean Standard Bible
While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, He told them this parable:

Contemporary English Version
When a large crowd from several towns had gathered around Jesus, he told them this story:

Complete Jewish Bible
After a large crowd had gathered from the people who kept coming to him from town after town, Yeshua told this parable:

Darby Translation
And a great crowd coming together, and those who were coming to him out of each city, he spoke by parable:

Easy-to-Read Version
A large crowd came together. People came to Jesus from every town, and he told them this story:

Geneva Bible (1587)
Nowe when much people were gathered together, and were come vnto him out of all cities, he spake by a parable.

George Lamsa Translation
And when many people had gathered, and were coming to him from all the cities, he spoke by parables.

Good News Translation
People kept coming to Jesus from one town after another; and when a great crowd gathered, Jesus told this parable:

Lexham English Bible
And while a large crowd was gathering and they were going to him from town after town, he spoke by means of a parable:

Literal Translation
And a great crowd coming together, and those in each city coming to Him, He spoke through a parable:

American Standard Version
And when a great multitude came together, and they of every city resorted unto him, he spake by a parable:

Bible in Basic English
And when a great number of people came together, and men from every town went out to him, he gave them teaching in the form of a story:

Hebrew Names Version
When a great multitude came together, and people from every city were coming to him, he spoke by a parable.

International Standard Version
Now while a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to him from every city, he said in a parable:Matthew 13:2; Mark 4:1;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
And when a great multitude had assembled, and from all the cities had come to him, he discoursed in parables.

Murdock Translation
And when a great multitude was assembled, and people came to him from all the cities, he said, in similitudes:

Bishop's Bible (1568)
When much people were gathered together, & were come to hym out of all cities, he spake by a similitude.

English Revised Version
And when a great multitude came together, and they of every city resorted unto him, he spake by a parable:

World English Bible
When a great multitude came together, and people from every city were coming to him, he spoke by a parable.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And much people being gathered together, coming to him out of every city, he spake by a parable, A sower went forth to sow his seed:

Weymouth's New Testament
And when a great crowd was assembling, and was receiving additions from one town after another, He spoke a parable to them.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And whanne myche puple was come togidir, and men hiyeden to hym fro the citees, he seide bi a symylitude,

Update Bible Version
And when a great multitude came together, and they of every city resorted to him, he spoke by a parable:

Webster's Bible Translation
And when many people were collected, and had come to him out of every city, he spoke by a parable:

New English Translation
While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from one town after another, he spoke to them in a parable:

New King James Version
Matthew 13:1-9; Mark 4:1-9">[xr] And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable:

New Living Translation
One day Jesus told a story in the form of a parable to a large crowd that had gathered from many towns to hear him:

New Life Bible
Many people came together from every town to Jesus. He told them a picture-story.

New Revised Standard
When a great crowd gathered and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable:

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, seeing that a great multitude were coming together, and they who from every city were journeying forth unto him, he spake through means of a parable: -

Douay-Rheims Bible
And when a very great multitude was gathered together and hastened out of the cities, unto him, he spoke by a similitude.

Revised Standard Version
And when a great crowd came together and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable:

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
When moch people were gadred to gether and were come to him out of all cities he spake by a similitude.

Young's Literal Translation
And a great multitude having gathered, and those who from city and city were coming unto him, he spake by a simile:

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Now wha moch people were gathered together, and haisted vnto him out of the cities, He spake by a symilitude:

Mace New Testament (1729)
A vast number of people being assembled, and crowding to him from all quarters, he thus address'd himself to them by way of parable.

Simplified Cowboy Version
One day there was such a large crowd that he used this story to teach them.

Contextual Overview

⁴As they went from town to town, a lot of people joined in and traveled along. He addressed them, using this story: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. Some of it fell on the road; it was tramped down and the birds ate it. Other seed fell in the gravel; it sprouted, but withered because it didn't have good roots. Other seed fell in the weeds; the weeds grew with it and strangled it. Other seed fell in rich earth and produced a bumper crop. "Are you listening to this? Really listening?" ⁹ His disciples asked, "Why did you tell this story?" ¹⁰ He said, "You've been given insight into God's kingdom—you know how it works. There are others who need stories. But even with stories some of them aren't going to get it: Their eyes are open but don't see a thing, Their ears are open but don't hear a thing. ¹¹"This story is about some of those people. The seed is the Word of God. The seeds on the road are those who hear the Word, but no sooner do they hear it than the Devil snatches it from them so they won't believe and be saved. ¹³ "The seeds in the gravel are those who hear with enthusiasm, but the enthusiasm doesn't go very deep. It's only another fad, and the moment there's trouble it's gone. ¹⁴ "And the seed that fell in the weeds—well, these are the ones who hear, but then the seed is crowded out and nothing comes of it as they go about their lives worrying about tomorrow, making money, and having fun. ¹⁵ "But the seed in the good earth—these are the good-hearts who seize the Word and hold on no matter what, sticking with it until there's a harvest. ¹⁶"No one lights a lamp and then covers it with a washtub or shoves it under the bed. No, you set it up on a lamp stand so those who enter the room can see their way. We're not keeping secrets; we're telling them. We're not hiding things; we're bringing everything out into the open. So be careful that you don't become misers of what you hear. Generosity begets generosity. Stinginess impoverishes." ¹⁹His mother and brothers showed up but couldn't get through to him because of the crowd. He was given the message, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside wanting to see you." ²¹ He replied, "My mother and brothers are the ones who hear and do God's Word. Obedience is thicker than blood."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Matthew 13:2, Mark 4:1

Cross-References

Jeremiah 51:27
"Raise the signal in the land, blow the shofar-trumpet for the nations. Consecrate the nations for holy work against her. Call kingdoms into service against her. Enlist Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. Appoint a field marshal against her, and round up horses, locust hordes of horses! Consecrate the nations for holy work against her— the king of the Medes, his leaders and people.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And when much people were gathered together,.... To Jesus, as he was by the sea side, the sea of Galilee, or Tiberias:

and were come to him out of every city; of Galilee, to hear him preach, and see miracles:

he spake by a parable; the following things.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See the parable of the sower explained in the notes at Matthew 13:1-23.