Mark 10:26

KJV

And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved?

KJV (with Strong's)

And {G1161} they were astonished {G1605} out of measure {G4057}, saying {G3004} among {G4314} themselves {G1438},{G2532} Who {G5101} then can {G1410} be saved {G4982}?

Complete Jewish Bible

They were utterly amazed and said to him, "Then who can be saved?"

Berean Standard Bible

They were even more astonished and said to one another, “Who then can be saved?”

American Standard Version

And they were astonished exceedingly, saying unto him, Then who can be saved?

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Mark 10:26 captures the profound astonishment and bewilderment of Jesus' disciples upon hearing His radical teaching regarding the difficulty for the wealthy to enter the Kingdom of God. Their shocked question, "Who then can be saved?", underscores the perceived impossibility of salvation from a human perspective, particularly given their cultural assumptions about wealth as a sign of divine favor. This moment serves as a critical pivot, setting the stage for Jesus to reveal that true salvation is not a matter of human effort or status, but solely a work of divine power and grace.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is deeply embedded within a crucial narrative sequence in Mark's Gospel. It immediately follows the poignant encounter between Jesus and the rich young ruler, who, despite his apparent moral uprightness and earnest desire for eternal life, ultimately "went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions" ([Mark 10:22](/mark/10-22 "Mark 10:22 - The Rich Young Ruler's Sorrow")). Jesus then uses this encounter as a teaching moment for His disciples, declaring, "How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!" ([Mark 10:23](/mark/10-23 "Mark 10:23 - Jesus' Teaching on Riches")). He further intensifies this point with the memorable and seemingly impossible analogy of a camel passing through the eye of a needle ([Mark 10:25](/mark/10-25 "Mark 10:25 - The Camel and Needle Analogy")). The disciples' "astonishment out of measure" in [Mark 10:26](/mark/10-26 "Mark 10:26 - Disciples' Astonishment") is a direct, visceral reaction to the profound challenge Jesus' words pose to their understanding of salvation and divine blessing.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** In ancient Jewish society, wealth was often viewed as a tangible sign of God's blessing and favor, a reward for righteousness and obedience to the Mosaic Law. Conversely, poverty could be seen as a sign of divine displeasure or a consequence of sin. This cultural paradigm meant that if even a seemingly righteous and blessed individual like the rich young ruler, who diligently kept the commandments, found it difficult to enter the Kingdom, then the traditional pathways to salvation were fundamentally challenged. The disciples, steeped in this worldview, would have found Jesus' teaching utterly counter-intuitive and deeply unsettling. Their question, "Who then can be saved?", reflects a genuine crisis of understanding, as it dismantled their conventional wisdom regarding the relationship between material prosperity and spiritual standing before God.
* **Key Themes:** Mark 10:26 contributes significantly to several overarching themes within Mark's Gospel and the broader biblical narrative. Firstly, it highlights the **Human Impossibility of Salvation**, emphasizing that human effort, merit, or possessions are utterly insufficient to earn entry into God's Kingdom. The disciples' bewilderment underscores that salvation is beyond human capacity. Secondly, it foreshadows the theme of **Divine Possibility**, which Jesus immediately clarifies in the subsequent verse, stating, "With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible" ([Mark 10:27](/mark/10-27 "Mark 10:27 - With God All Things Are Possible")). This sets up the crucial theological truth that salvation is entirely a work of God's grace and power, not human achievement. Thirdly, the passage continues Jesus' consistent theme of **Challenging Conventional Wisdom and Religious Norms**, particularly concerning who is truly "great" in the Kingdom of God and the deceptive nature of worldly security.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **astonished (Greek, _ekplḗssō'_):** This verb, a compound of `ek` (out) and `plḗssō` (to strike), literally means "to strike out" or "to strike with astonishment." It conveys a sense of being utterly overwhelmed, dumbfounded, or struck with a profound and sudden shock, indicating a reaction far beyond mere surprise. The disciples' worldview was being fundamentally challenged.
* **out of measure (Greek, _perissōs'_):** This adverb means "superabundantly," "exceedingly," or "beyond measure." When combined with `ekplḗssō`, it intensifies the degree of their astonishment, emphasizing that their reaction was not just surprise, but an extreme, almost overwhelming, level of bewilderment and dismay. It suggests a complete disruption of their expectations.
* **saved (Greek, _sṓzō'_):** This verb means "to save," "deliver," "preserve," "heal," or "make whole." In this context, it refers to spiritual salvation – being delivered from sin and its consequences, and entering into eternal life in the Kingdom of God. The disciples' question revolves around the ultimate destiny of humanity, highlighting their concern for who could possibly attain this divine favor if the seemingly most favored could not.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And they were astonished out of measure,"**: This clause vividly describes the disciples' extreme reaction. The Greek intensifies the sense of their shock, indicating that Jesus' teaching about the rich young ruler and the camel and needle analogy had profoundly shaken their understanding of God's ways and the path to salvation. Their astonishment was not mild but "out of measure," signifying a complete disruption of their theological and cultural assumptions.
* **"saying among themselves,"**: This phrase indicates an internal dialogue or a collective expression of their shared bewilderment. It suggests a moment of confusion and perhaps even fear, as they grappled with the implications of Jesus' words. Their discussion among themselves highlights their struggle to reconcile Jesus' teaching with their ingrained beliefs.
* **"Who then can be saved?"**: This rhetorical question expresses the disciples' utter despair and logical conclusion based on their worldview. If wealth, often seen as a sign of God's blessing, was a hindrance, and if even a righteous, commandment-keeping individual like the rich young ruler could not easily enter the Kingdom, then who, indeed, could achieve salvation? This question reveals their deep-seated anxiety and the radical nature of Jesus' message.

#### Literary Devices
Mark 10:26 powerfully employs several literary devices to convey the depth of the disciples' reaction and the significance of Jesus' teaching. The phrase "astonished out of measure" employs **Hyperbole**, emphasizing the extreme, almost unbelievable, degree of their bewilderment. This exaggeration underscores how profoundly Jesus' words challenged their deeply held cultural and theological assumptions about wealth and divine favor. The disciples' utterance, "Who then can be saved?", functions as a potent **Rhetorical Question**. It is not posed in expectation of a direct, simple answer, but rather as an expression of their profound dismay, confusion, and the perceived impossibility of the situation from their limited human perspective. This rhetorical device effectively communicates their internal crisis and sets the stage for Jesus' subsequent, divinely-empowered answer. Furthermore, there is a subtle **Dramatic Irony** at play; the disciples, who have left everything to follow Jesus, are still bound by conventional thinking, highlighting the ongoing process of their spiritual transformation and the radical nature of the Kingdom of God that Jesus is revealing.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Mark 10:26 serves as a crucial theological turning point, exposing the fundamental truth that salvation is utterly beyond human capacity or merit. The disciples' question, born of their cultural assumptions, highlights humanity's inherent inability to save itself, whether through wealth, good deeds, or adherence to religious law. This verse underscores the biblical principle that no amount of human effort or external status can earn one's way into God's Kingdom. Instead, it powerfully sets the stage for the revelation that salvation is a sovereign act of God's grace, made possible only through His divine intervention. It shifts the focus from what humans can do to what God alone can accomplish, thereby emphasizing His omnipotence and boundless mercy in providing a way for humanity to be reconciled to Him.

* [Mark 10:27](/mark/10-27 "Mark 10:27 - With God All Things Are Possible")
* [Ephesians 2:8-9](/ephesians/2-8-9 "Ephesians 2:8-9 - Salvation by Grace Through Faith")
* [Romans 3:23-24](/romans/3-23-24 "Romans 3:23-24 - Justification by Grace Through Redemption")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The disciples' astonished question in Mark 10:26 resonates deeply with the human condition, reminding us that our natural inclination is to rely on our own resources, achievements, or perceived righteousness for security and standing before God. This verse challenges us to confront any "possessions"—whether material wealth, intellectual prowess, social status, or even our own moral efforts—that we might be clinging to as a means of salvation or self-justification. It calls us to a radical self-examination, asking what we truly trust in for our eternal well-being. The profound bewilderment of the disciples serves as a powerful mirror, reflecting our own tendencies to limit God's power or to misunderstand the nature of His grace. Ultimately, this verse compels us to abandon all reliance on human capability and to place our complete and utter dependence on God alone for salvation, recognizing that what is impossible for us is gloriously possible for Him.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **What "possessions" or perceived strengths in my life might I be unknowingly trusting in for security or acceptance, rather than solely relying on God?**
* **How does the disciples' astonishment challenge my own assumptions about who is "worthy" or "unworthy" of God's grace?**
* **In what areas of my life do I feel something is "impossible," and how can this verse encourage me to trust in God's limitless power?**

### FAQ
**Why were the disciples so astonished by Jesus' teaching about wealth?**

Answer: The disciples were astonished because their cultural and religious understanding linked wealth with divine blessing and favor. In ancient Jewish society, prosperity was often seen as a sign of God's approval for righteousness. Therefore, if even a rich, seemingly righteous person like the rich young ruler found it difficult to enter the Kingdom, it shattered their conventional wisdom. This implied that their traditional pathways to salvation, based on outward status or adherence to the law, were insufficient, leading to their profound bewilderment and the question, "Who then can be saved?"

**Does this verse imply that wealth is inherently evil or that all rich people are excluded from the Kingdom of God?**

Answer: No, this verse does not imply that wealth is inherently evil or that all rich people are excluded. Instead, it highlights the *danger* of trusting in wealth and the difficulty it poses for those who prioritize their possessions over God. Jesus' teaching is not a condemnation of wealth itself, but a warning against the spiritual complacency and self-reliance that often accompany it. The "eye of a needle" analogy ([Mark 10:25](/mark/10-25 "Mark 10:25 - The Camel and Needle Analogy")) emphasizes the *impossibility* of human effort, not a blanket condemnation of a social class. The core issue is where one places their ultimate trust and security.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Mark 10:26, with its stark declaration of human impossibility regarding salvation, powerfully sets the stage for the absolute necessity and sufficiency of Christ. The disciples' despairing question, "Who then can be saved?", finds its ultimate and glorious answer in the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is the one who accomplishes what is utterly impossible for humanity. The very next verse, [Mark 10:27](/mark/10-27 "Mark 10:27 - With God All Things Are Possible"), clarifies that "with God all things are possible," a truth realized through Jesus' atoning sacrifice. He is the "Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" ([John 1:29](/john/1-29 "John 1:29 - Jesus, the Lamb of God")), making salvation accessible not by human merit or wealth, but by grace through faith in Him. Jesus' life, death, and resurrection provide the perfect righteousness and redemption that no human effort could ever achieve ([Romans 3:23-24](/romans/3-23-24 "Romans 3:23-24 - Justification by Grace Through Redemption")). He is the "way, the truth, and the life," and "no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" ([John 14:6](/john/14-6 "John 14:6 - Jesus, the Way, Truth, and Life")). Thus, the human impossibility highlighted in Mark 10:26 serves to magnify the divine possibility found solely in Christ, who perfectly fulfilled the requirements of God's law and bore the penalty for sin, opening the way for all who believe to be truly saved.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Acts 16:31

And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

Mark 6:51

And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered.

Mark 7:37

And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.

2 Corinthians 11:23

Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I [am] more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.

Romans 10:9

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Romans 10:13

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Luke 18:26

And they that heard [it] said, Who then can be saved?