“What might this parable be?”
The full verse · Luke 8:9 · KJV
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Asked by
Disciples: "his disciples" (Luke 8:9), the followers of Jesus; "the twelve were with him" in this period, along with certain women (Luke 8:1-2), and Mark says "they that were about him with the twelve" asked of the parable (Mark 4:10). They asked Him what the parable of the sower might be (Luke 8:9)
The Scene
After Jesus tells the parable of the sower to a large crowd gathered "out of every city" and cries, "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear," His disciples ask Him about it (Luke 8:4-8).
Why It Was Asked
The purpose behind the questionThe disciples had heard the story but not its meaning. Jesus had just called out, "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear" (Luke 8:8), and they wanted to hear rightly. Gill says they wanted to know "what is the sense and meaning of it?" Mark adds that they asked when Jesus "was alone" (Mark 4:10). Matthew Henry draws the lesson: "We should covet earnestly to know the true intent, and full extent, of the word we hear."
The Response
What Scripture recordsJesus first told them, "Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables" (Luke 8:10). Then He explained the story plainly: "Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God" (Luke 8:11). He described four kinds of hearers: those by the way side, from whose hearts the devil takes the word; those on the rock, who "for a while believe"; those among thorns, "choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life"; and those on good ground, who "keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience" (Luke 8:12-15). He closed with a warning: "Take heed therefore how ye hear" (Luke 8:18).
Historical Context
The world behind the wordsThe Greek wording is tentative. "Asked" is in the imperfect tense (epērōtōn), and "might be" is the optative mood (eiē), a form used for what may or could be. The KJV's "What might this parable be?" keeps that gentle, searching tone.
Jesus calls the meaning "the mysteries of the kingdom of God" (Luke 8:10). Barnes, in his notes on the parallel in Matthew 13, explains that a mystery in the Bible "properly means a thing that is 'concealed,' or that 'has been concealed,'" and adds that "it does not mean that the thing was 'incomprehensible,' or even difficult to be understood." In his words, it is a truth that "had not been made known," though "plain enough if revealed." Barnes refers his comment on Luke 8:4 to those notes on Matthew 13:1-23.
The Bigger Picture
Where this fits in God's storyThis question shows how God's truth is received. Jesus spoke to the crowd in parables, but He explained them to those who came and asked. Understanding is something "given" (Luke 8:10). The disciples did not figure it out on their own; they asked the One who told the story.
The parable itself is about hearing. Barnes says the seed stands for "the word of God communicated in any manner to the minds of people." The good ground hears the word "in an honest and good heart" and keeps it (Luke 8:15). The disciples' question fits Jesus' call to hear with care (Luke 8:8, 18). Asking Jesus what His word means is part of letting it take root.
Look Closer
According to Jesus, why could the disciples understand what others could not?
Carry the question into prayer and conversation.
Lord, I want to understand Your word and not just hear it; what are You teaching me in the passage I keep reading but do not yet grasp?
A prayer to carry into the day.
- The disciples were not embarrassed to ask what Jesus meant. What keeps you from asking honest questions about Scripture?
- Tell about a time a passage you had heard many times suddenly made sense. What helped you see it?
For you, a small group, a friend, or the dinner table.
Do not be afraid to say, "I don't understand this." The disciples asked, and Jesus explained. Bring your questions about Scripture to Him in prayer, and talk them through with others who love His word.
Understanding is a gift (Luke 8:10), so ask for it humbly, but also receive it actively. Jesus' answer ends with "Take heed therefore how ye hear" (Luke 8:18). The goal is not only to know what a passage means but to "keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience" (Luke 8:15). Growth from the word takes time.
Built from the biblical text and checked against trusted commentaries and lexicons. References & Sources
Keep questioning
“Why speakest thou unto them in parables?”
“Know ye not this parable? And how then will ye know all parables?”
“Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? And not to be set on a candlestick?”
“Have ye understood all these things?”