Mark 4:4-5

4:4 And as he sowed, some seed ¹  fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. 4:5 Other seed fell on rocky ground ²  where it did not have much soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep. ³ 

Mark 4:7

4:7 Other seed fell among the thorns, ⁴  and they grew up and choked it, ⁵  and it did not produce grain.

[4:4]  ¹ tn Mark’s version of the parable, like Luke’s (cf. Luke 8:4-8), uses the collective singular to refer to the seed throughout, so singular pronouns have been used consistently throughout this parable in the English translation. However, the parallel account in Matt 13:1-9 begins with plural pronouns in v. 4 but then switches to the collective singular in v. 5 ff.

[4:5]  ² sn The rocky ground in Palestine would be a limestone base lying right under the soil.

[4:5]  ³ tn Grk “it did not have enough depth of earth.”

[4:7]  ³ sn Palestinian weeds like these thorns could grow up to six feet in height and have a major root system.

[4:7]  ⁴ sn That is, crowded out the good plants.