Mark 4:32 Meaning and Explanation
“But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Once sown, the mustard seed grows greater than all the garden herbs, with branches large enough for the birds to shelter in its shade.
What Does Mark 4:32 Mean?
The speck becomes the giant of the garden. Grown, the mustard plant towers over the herbs, shooting out real branches, and the birds of the air come to lodge in its shadow. The prophets of Israel had pictured a great tree where birds find shelter, an image of a kingdom giving refuge to many peoples.
The destiny of the kingdom is shade for the world. What begins smaller than notice ends large enough for the nations to nest in, and the growth between is the doing of God. So the gospel spread from an upper room to the ends of the earth, and so the kingdom still grows. The promise stands for every small beginning offered to God: His endings are out of all proportion to His beginnings.
Mark 4:32 in the Original Language
kataskenoo (κατασκηνόω), 'lodge' -- to make a nest or pitch a tent, to settle down and dwell.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mark 4:32
What does Mark 4:32 mean?
Once sown, the mustard seed grows greater than all the garden herbs, with branches large enough for the birds to shelter in its shade.