Mark 9 10

Mark 9:10 kjv

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

Mark 9:10 nkjv

So they kept this word to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead meant.

Mark 9:10 niv

They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what "rising from the dead" meant.

Mark 9:10 esv

So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean.

Mark 9:10 nlt

So they kept it to themselves, but they often asked each other what he meant by "rising from the dead."

Mark 9 verses

Mark 9 10 Meaning

And they kept this saying, questioning among themselves what the rising from the dead meant. After witnessing the Transfiguration and receiving Jesus' specific command to tell no one what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead, the disciples Peter, James, and John were left grappling with the perplexing concept of an individual's resurrection. Their primary confusion stemmed from trying to reconcile Jesus' declaration with their deeply rooted Jewish understanding of resurrection as a general, eschatological event for all humanity at the end of time, not the unique rising of a single person, especially the Messiah, before that time. They observed the instruction not to reveal the vision but internally struggled to comprehend its profound implications concerning Jesus' death and subsequent triumph over it.

Mark 9 10 Context

Mark 9:10 immediately follows the Transfiguration of Jesus on the mountain, an event witnessed by Peter, James, and John. In Mark 9:2-8, Jesus is revealed in glory, accompanied by Moses and Elijah, with God's voice declaring Him "My beloved Son." Crucially, in Mark 9:9, as they descend the mountain, Jesus commands them: "Tell no one what you have seen, until the Son of Man has risen from the dead." This injunction is the direct catalyst for the disciples' bewildered discussion in verse 10. The broader context of Mark's Gospel shows Jesus progressively revealing His identity as the Messiah, yet consistently challenging the disciples' popular expectation of a victorious, political king. Instead, Jesus repeatedly foretells His suffering, death, and resurrection (Mk 8:31, 9:31, 10:33-34), concepts alien to their Messianic understanding, especially a Messiah who dies and then rises. This verse highlights their profound spiritual confusion amidst divine revelation, emphasizing their human inability to grasp God's plan apart from direct understanding illuminated by the Spirit.

Mark 9 10 Word analysis

• And (Καί - kai): A conjunction indicating a continuation from the previous instruction. It links their internal discussion to Jesus' preceding command about secrecy and the resurrection.

• they kept (κρατοῦντες - kratountes): A present active participle from the verb κρατέω (krateō). It signifies 'holding fast to,' 'keeping a firm grasp on,' 'retaining,' or 'observing.' It suggests not just keeping the secret, but diligently holding the words of Jesus in their minds, grappling with their meaning.

• this saying (τὸν λόγον - ton logon): Refers specifically to Jesus' command and especially the cryptic phrase "until the Son of Man has risen from the dead." It was the specific statement about resurrection that truly perplexed them.

• among themselves (πρὸς ἑαυτούς - pros heautous): Indicates an internal, private discussion. This detail underscores their adherence to Jesus' command not to tell others yet, but also highlights their limited comprehension as they could only discuss it amongst the select three who witnessed it.

• questioning (συνζητοῦντες - synzētountes): A present active participle from συζητέω (syzēteō). It means 'to discuss together,' 'to debate,' 'to inquire jointly,' or 'to dispute.' It vividly portrays their active struggle to understand, indicating confusion rather than passive reception.

• what (τί - ti): An interrogative pronoun, signifying their intense inquiry into the meaning or significance of the resurrection. It conveys a deep search for clarification.

• the rising (ἀναστῆναι - anastēnai): An aorist active infinitive from ἀνίστημι (anistēmi), meaning 'to stand up,' 'to rise.' This term refers to the act of resurrection. It implies a single, specific event rather than a general, widespread occurrence.

• from the dead (ἐκ νεκρῶν - ek nekrōn): Literally "out from among dead ones." This phrase is critical. It distinguishes Jesus' resurrection from the traditional Jewish expectation of a general resurrection of all dead people at the end of time. This particular phrase refers to one person rising uniquely from the state of death.

• meant: The English translation adds 'meant,' as the Greek construction "what the rising from the dead" (τί ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστῆναι) naturally implies their inquiry into the significance or purpose of such an event.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "kept this saying, questioning": This juxtaposition shows the disciples' obedience to the command of silence ("kept") contrasted with their profound internal struggle to comprehend its content ("questioning"). Their actions are external, their understanding is internal and incomplete.
  • "among themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead meant": This group of words pinpoints the intimate and perplexed nature of their discussion. The focus is entirely on the concept of resurrection, which for them was conceptually incompatible with their Messianic expectations and common Jewish eschatology of a single, end-time, general resurrection.

Mark 9 10 Bonus section

The disciples' perplexity concerning Jesus' resurrection mirrors a broader theme in the Gospels: the human difficulty in fully grasping spiritual truths and divine plans, particularly when they diverge from established expectations or worldly wisdom. Their focus on the term "rising from the dead" indicates a theological curiosity, but one bounded by their existing framework. The phrase "ἐκ νεκρῶν" (out from the dead) emphasizing an individual rising, not a collective one, was perhaps the key source of their confusion. Their asking about Elijah immediately afterward (Mk 9:11) suggests they might have been attempting to place Jesus' mysterious resurrection statement into the known prophetic sequence, implying Elijah must precede the general resurrection, not a Messiah's singular one. This sets up a crucial point in the narrative where their future understanding will only come with the fulfillment of these prophecies, underscoring the role of hindsight and post-resurrection spiritual enlightenment (Jn 20:9; Lk 24:45). This struggle is also a dramatic irony, as the readers know the outcome the disciples are trying to deduce.

Mark 9 10 Commentary

Mark 9:10 concisely reveals the disciples' bewilderment despite receiving privileged revelation during the Transfiguration. Their difficulty lay in the collision between Jesus' specific mention of His individual resurrection ("the Son of Man has risen") and their ingrained theological framework. Jewish belief centered on a general bodily resurrection at the end of days (Dan 12:2), and the idea of a Messiah who must die and then rise before the consummation of all things was a theological anomaly. The disciples, expecting a victorious earthly king who would conquer Rome, simply could not fit suffering, death, and an individual resurrection into their schema for the Messiah. Their "questioning" signifies not defiance, but deep, intellectual, and spiritual incomprehension. This moment underscores their human limitations and the gradual, progressive nature of revelation. It highlights that even direct divine encounter does not immediately confer full understanding; rather, it often precedes a period of perplexity and growth until the Spirit illumines the truth after Christ's actual resurrection. The disciples, at this point, could not grasp the full glory of the resurrection apart from the necessary prior suffering.