![]() Home > Glossary > TOC > Mk 4 > Parable of the Sower > Verses > Mark 4:4b | 1a 1b 1c 1d | 2a 2b | 3 | 4a 4b | 5a 5b | 6a 6b | 7a 7b 7c | 8a 8b 8c 8d 8e | 9 - 15d | 16a - 20e | Mk 4:4b ... "and came the flyers of-the heaven, and down-ate it."
The 3rd and 4th phrases have these 9 dialog words, ... kai ēlthen ta peteina tou ouranou, kai katefagen auto (and came the flyers of-the heaven, and down-ate it). The 7 dialog words are top down from the mouth of Jesus to the triangles holding the flyers. The Greek noun "to peteinon" (the flyer, the bird) is derived from the verb "petomai," meaning "to fly." The last 6 words "peteina tou ouranou, kai katefagen auto" (flyers of heaven and they down-ate it) are tangent to the two triangles holding "the flyers of heaven." This term is later clarified in Mk 4:32d, the "flyers of heaven" do not represent "birds," but people who have obtained everlasting life. They feed on "the word" of God. The pronoun "auto" (it) refers to "what was sown" which logically means "seeds," or metaphorically "the word (443)." The diagram shows the two flyers eating the "seeds" that have dropped down from beside "the way" (hē hodos 352). 4:4a < Verses > 4:5a |