Mark 4:10–12

The Purpose of Parables

4:10 When he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. 4:11 He said to them, “The secret12 of the kingdom of God has been given13 to you. But to those outside, everything is in parables,

4:12 so that although they look they may look but not see,

and although they hear they may hear but not understand,

so they may not repent and be forgiven.”14

12	tn Grk “the mystery.” sn The key term secret (μυστήριον, mustērion) can mean either (1) a new revelation or (2) a revealing interpretation of existing revelation as in Dan 2:17–23, 27–30. Jesus seems to be explaining how current events develop old promises, since the NT consistently links the events of Jesus’ ministry and message with old promises (Rom 1:1–4; Heb 1:1–2). The traditional translation of this word, “mystery,” is misleading to the modern English reader because it suggests a secret which people have tried to uncover but which they have failed to understand (L&N 28.77).
13	tn This is an example of a “divine passive,” with God understood to be the source of the revelation (see ExSyn 437–38).
14	sn A quotation from Isa 6:9–10. Thus parables both conceal or reveal depending on whether one is open to hearing what they teach.