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Mark 9

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1
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. ​

The Transfiguration of Jesus 2–13

2
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. ​
3
And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.
4
And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus. ​
5
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.
6
For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid.
7
And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him. ​
8
And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves.
9
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. ​
10
And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.
11
And they asked him, saying, Why say the scribes that Elias must first come? ​
12
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.
13
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. ​

Jesus Heals a Demoniac Boy 14–29

14
And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them.
15
And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him.
16
And he asked the scribes, What question ye with them?
17
And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit;
18
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.
19
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. ​
20
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.
21
And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child.
22
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.
23
Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. ​
24
And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. ​
25
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.
26
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.
27
But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.
28
And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out?
29
And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting. ​

Jesus Predicts His Death Again 30–32

30
And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee; and he would not that any man should know it.
31
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. ​
32
But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him.

True Greatness: Servant of All 33–37

33
And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?
34
But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest. ​
35
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. ​
36
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,
37
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.

Tolerance and Inclusion in Ministry 38–41

38
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.
39
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.
40
For he that is not against us is on our part. ​
41
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.

Warnings Against Sin and Stumbling 42–50

42
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. ​
43
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: ​
44
Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
45
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:
46
Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
47
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:
48
Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. ​
49
For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. ​
50
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. ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for Mark 9

Verse 1

some of them that stand here — The promise is bounded: 'shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power' (cf. Luke 9:27). The next verse, 'after six days', leads into the Transfiguration, which Peter later recalls as the 'power and coming of our Lord' (2 Pet 1:16).

Verse 2

he was transfigured — Metamorphoo, to change form. 'After six days' dates it from the confession and the first announcement of the cross (8:31). Peter, James and John, the three taken here, are the same three Jesus took into the house of Jairus (Mark 5:37) and to Gethsemane (Mark 14:33).

Verse 4

Elias with Moses — The Law (Moses) and the prophets (Elias) appear together with Jesus. Luke records what they discussed: 'his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem' (Luke 9:31). Moses had foretold a prophet like himself, 'unto him ye shall hearken' (Deut 18:15), the command repeated in v.7.

Verse 7

This is my beloved Son: hear him — The Father's voice from the cloud, as at the baptism (Mark 1:11), now addressed to the three disciples and adding 'hear him'. Peter recalls it: 'there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory' (2 Pet 1:17). The cloud 'overshadowed' (episkiazo) them; Moses and Elias are no longer seen (v.8).

Verse 9

till the Son of man were risen from the dead — The silence has a set end: the resurrection. Matthew gives the same charge, 'Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead' (Matt 17:9). The disciples keep the word but do not grasp it (v.10).

Verse 11

Elias must first come — The scribes' teaching rests on Mal 4:5, 'Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD'. Having just seen Elias on the mount, the three ask how his coming fits with Jesus' words about rising from the dead.

Verse 13

Elias is indeed come — Jesus names the fulfilment: 'this is Elias, which was for to come' (Matt 11:14), and Matthew adds that the disciples understood he spoke of John the Baptist (Matt 17:13). 'Whatsoever they listed' points to John's imprisonment and death (Mark 6:17–28), the pattern for the Son of man's own suffering (v.12).

Verse 19

O faithless generation — Apistos, without faith. The words 'how long shall I be with you?' echo the LORD's complaint of Israel in the wilderness, 'How long will this people provoke me?' (Num 14:11). The rebuke reaches the crowd and the disciples who could not cast the spirit out (v.18; Matt 17:20, 'Because of your unbelief').

Verse 23

all things are possible to him that believeth — Jesus turns back the father's 'if thou canst' (v.22): the 'if' lies not in his power but in the father's belief. The same Greek verb for 'canst' (dynamai) is used in both sentences, and 'possible' (dynatos) is of the same root. Faith is the way into what God is able to do.

Verse 24

help thou mine unbelief — The father answers at once, 'with tears', with belief and its lack in one breath. Boetheo, 'help', is the word he used in v.22, 'help us'; now he asks help for himself. Jesus does not refuse the mixed prayer: the spirit is cast out (v.25). The apostles' request, 'Increase our faith' (Luke 17:5), is of the same kind.

Verse 29

by prayer and fasting — The answer to the disciples' question in v.28: this 'kind' (genos) goes out only by prayer, with fasting named beside it. Matthew gives the reason as 'your unbelief' and the mustard seed (Matt 17:20). Prayer and fasting are paired also in Dan 9:3.

Verse 31

delivered into the hands of men — The second of three announcements of the passion in Mark (8:31; 9:31; 10:33). 'Delivered' is paradidomi, to hand over, the verb of Judas's betrayal and of Mark 10:33, 'shall be delivered unto the chief priests'. Each time rising follows: 'after three days' (8:31), 'the third day' (10:34).

Verse 34

who should be the greatest — Their silence answers Jesus' question in v.33. The same dispute returns at the Last Supper: 'a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest' (Luke 22:24). It comes straight after the announcement of the cross in v.31, which they 'understood not' (v.32).

Verse 35

servant of all — Diakonos, one who waits at table. Having sat down as a teacher, Jesus names the way up: last and servant. He gives himself as the pattern, 'the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister' (Mark 10:45). The child of v.36 is the picture of one with no claim to rank.

Verse 40

he that is not against us is on our part — The saying settles the question John raised in v.38. Jesus also says, 'He that is not with me is against me' (Luke 11:23). The first is said of a man casting out devils in Christ's name, who could not soon speak evil of him (v.39); the second, of any who do not gather with him.

Verse 42

offend one of these little ones — Skandalizo, to cause to stumble. The 'little ones' are those who 'believe in me'. Matt 18:6 and Luke 17:2 give the same saying and call the stone onikos, one so large that a donkey turned it, not the hand mill. Jesus says drowning would be better than this offence.

Verse 43

into the fire that never shall be quenched — 'Hell' is geenna, Gehenna, from the Valley of Hinnom at Jerusalem. The hand that 'offends' is the member that makes one stumble (skandalizo, v.42). The same counsel is given of hand, foot and eye in Matt 18:8–9, and of the right eye and hand in Matt 5:29–30.

Verse 48

Where their worm dieth not — Quoted from Isa 66:24: 'their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched'. In Isaiah it closes the book, with the carcases of those who 'transgressed against me'. Jesus applies it to Gehenna and repeats it three times (vv.44, 46, 48 in the KJV) after each of the warnings.

Verse 49

salted with fire — Halizo, to salt. The second clause draws on the law of offerings: 'every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt' (Lev 2:13). Fire and salt both go with the altar; the verse joins the trial by fire that falls on every one to the salt that sets a sacrifice apart for God.

Verse 50

Have salt in yourselves — The saying is also in Matt 5:13 and Luke 14:34, with the same warning of salt that has 'lost his savour'; Mark's word is analos, saltless. Here it ends with the point of the dispute in v.34: 'have peace one with another'. Paul similarly speaks of speech 'seasoned with salt' (Col 4:6).