What Does Mark 4:11 Mean in the King James?
And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The governance of God is a mystery given to be known, not a riddle conquered from the outside.
THE MEANING
The governance of God is something given for you to know, not merely a territory to inspect from outside. The parables disclose the mystery to those receiving it and leave it veiled to those who remain outside.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
This undoes the belief that you must be clever enough to solve God’s hiddenness before you can know; here, knowing is given.
THE ROOT
δέδοται
dedotai
GROWS FROM
δο- (do-), from δίδωμι (didōmi)
to give or hand over
The verb means “has been given,” presenting this knowing as received rather than earned by solving the parables. The gift is already the starting point of understanding.
ALSO GROWS
dōron: gift; something given
δῶρον
The related word makes the gift-like character of this knowing audible in the verse.
dosis: a giving; a gift
δόσις
This branch keeps the focus on the act of giving, not on knowledge seized by effort.
βασιλεία
basileia
GROWS FROM
βασιλ-
basil-
royal rule, reign, sovereignty
“kingdom” in this verse is basileia. The word carries the sense of kingship and rule as well as the realm governed. The mystery is God’s active governance, not merely a hidden place.
ALSO GROWS
basileus: king
βασιλεύς
The related word points to the ruler whose governance is in view.
basileuō: to reign as king
βασιλεύω
This verb brings the active dimension of God’s rule into focus.
THE PATTERN
What is hidden becomes knowable through disclosure, while it remains veiled to those outside that giving.
He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.THE THREAD
How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,Ephesians uses the same Greek word, μυστήριον (mystērion), and joins it to being made known by revelation. It opens Mark’s contrast: the mystery is hidden, yet it becomes knowable through disclosure.
This reading is from Selah Verse.
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