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Mark 9

And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.

And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.

And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.

And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus.

And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid.

And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.

And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves.

And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the dead.

And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.

And they asked him, saying, Why say the scribes that Elias must first come?

And he answered and told them, Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things; and how it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at nought.

But I say unto you, That Elias is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they listed, as it is written of him.

And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them.

And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him.

And he asked the scribes, What question ye with them?

And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;

And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not.

He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.

And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.

And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.

And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.

Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.

And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead.

But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.

And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out?

And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee; and he would not that any man should know it.

For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.

But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him.

And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?

But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest.

And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.

And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them,

Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.

And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us.

But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me.

For he that is not against us is on our part.

For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.

And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.

And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:

Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:

Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:

Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.

Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.

What does Mark 9:13 mean?

Explanation

[Mark 9:13] is a statement made by Jesus Christ to His disciples.

Jesus refers to the Old Testament prophecy concerning the return of Elijah before the "great and terrible day of the LORD" (as prophesied in Malachi 4:5).

The disciples had been questioning why the scribes say that Elijah must come first, as the Jewish tradition expected Elijah to literally reappear before the Messiah's arrival.

Jesus confirms that Elijah did come, but his arrival was not recognized, and he suffered at the hands of the people.

The deeper meaning of this verse reveals the identity of "Elias" (the Greek form of Elijah) as John the Baptist who came in the "spirit and power" of Elijah (Luke 1:17). John the Baptist fulfilled the role of the herald of the Messiah, preparing the way for Jesus.

However, like the prophets before him, he was not accepted by the majority and ultimately executed. Jesus is emphasizing the pattern of rejection faced by prophets and implying the same will happen to Him.

Top Rated Mark Books

Historical Context

This verse is written in the Gospel of Mark, which is believed to be the earliest Gospel, written around AD 66-70.

The passage is part of a conversation that took place after Jesus' transfiguration where He discussed with the disciples the role and suffering of the Messiah.

The Jewish people at that time expected a warrior king who would liberate them from Roman oppression.

The concept of a suffering servant as the Messiah was not fully understood, though it was prophesied in the Hebrew Scriptures.

Theological Insights

From a theological viewpoint, this verse touches on the concept of prophetic fulfillment in the New Testament. One viewpoint sees John the Baptist as the symbolic Elijah who prepares the way for the Lord's coming, adhering to both the prophecy's spirit and the unexpected fulfillment of scripture.

Another theological angle sees the verse as addressing the issue of recognition and reception of God's messengers. It implies that people often do not recognize God's work at the moment and may even oppose it.

Practical Applications

The teachings of this verse can be applied in daily life by reminding believers to be perceptive of God's working in the world.

Just as John the Baptist was overlooked, modern Christians may overlook God's messengers if they don't match their expectations.

The application is to be humble, discerning, and open to the ways God might be working in unconventional methods or through unexpected people.

Cross-References

Malachi 4:5-6: "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD..."
Matthew 17:12-13: "...Elias is come already, and they knew him not...

Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist."

Luke 1:17: "And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias..."

Language Study

The key word in this verse is "Elias" (Greek: Ἠλίας), which refers to the Hebrew prophet Elijah.

The phrase "is indeed come" is an active perfect indicative form, implying a completed action with continuing results.

The Greek verb implies certainty and fulfillment. The last part, "as it is written of him," emphasizes the fulfillment of the scriptures regarding Elijah's role.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

In comparing this verse with other ancient myths and religious interpretations, a common theme is the return or reappearance of an important figure to signal a significant event, similar to prophecies of a returning hero in other cultures.

However, unlike many myths which may involve a literal return, in the Jewish-Christian narrative, it's the essence and purpose of Elijah represented in John the Baptist that matters more than the literal return of the same person.

Scientific Perspectives

From a scientific perspective, this verse doesn't intersect directly with modern scientific understandings but speaks more to the concept of pattern recognition and expectation in human psychology.

Humans tend to have biases towards what they expect, and these biases can make it difficult to accept new interpretations or see things outside of preconceived notions.

Commentaries

Various experts and biblical commentaries interpret this verse as an affirmation of fulfilled prophecy.

Commentators like Matthew Henry have noted that John the Baptist, in the spirit of Elijah, came to "turn the hearts of the fathers to the children" and that Jesus confirms his identity as fulfilling Elijah's role.

The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary highlights Jesus' point about the treatment of John as reflective of how the Son of Man will also suffer.

Most agree that Jesus is correcting the disciples' misunderstanding of prophecy, which also often includes a correction to the reader's understanding as well.

Mark 9

Mark 9

What does Mark 9:13 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Mark Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does Mark 9:13 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Mark Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?