Mark 9 32

Mark 9:32 kjv

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

Mark 9:32 nkjv

But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.

Mark 9:32 niv

But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it.

Mark 9:32 esv

But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.

Mark 9:32 nlt

They didn't understand what he was saying, however, and they were afraid to ask him what he meant.

Mark 9 verses

Mark 9 32 Meaning

Mark 9:32 reveals the profound spiritual incomprehension and deep-seated fear of Jesus' disciples regarding His explicit prophecy of His impending suffering, death, and resurrection. Despite Jesus clearly articulating God's divine plan, their preconceived notions of a glorious, conquering Messiah prevented them from grasping the truth. Their fear kept them from seeking further clarification, leaving them in continued ignorance concerning the central message of His mission.

Mark 9 32 Context

Mark 9:32 follows immediately after Jesus' second direct prediction of His passion in Mark 9:31, stating, "The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And when He is killed, after three days He will rise." This specific conversation occurs as they are passing through Galilee. Prior to this, Jesus had revealed His glory at the Transfiguration (Mk 9:2-8), where His disciples witnessed Him speaking with Moses and Elijah about His "departure which He was about to accomplish in Jerusalem" (Lk 9:31). Yet, despite these divine revelations and explicit predictions, the disciples remained profoundly perplexed and resistant to the idea of a suffering Messiah. Their Jewish cultural context heavily anticipated a Messiah who would be a powerful king and deliverer, overthrowing Roman rule and establishing an earthly kingdom of Israel. The notion of the Messiah suffering and dying was antithetical to these expectations and deeply disturbing, challenging their core understanding of God's plan.

Mark 9 32 Word Analysis

• But they (Ἀυτοὶ δὲ - Autoi de): "But" serves as a strong contrasting conjunction, highlighting the sharp distinction between Jesus' clear revelation and the disciples' internal response. "They" refers specifically to the disciples, collectively indicating their shared difficulty.
• did not understand (οὐκ ᾔδεισαν - ouk ēdeisan): This is from the Greek verb eidō (to know), which denotes not merely a lack of information but a profound inability to grasp, comprehend, or assimilate a truth intellectually and spiritually. It suggests a mental and spiritual block or refusal to accept something contrary to their deeply ingrained expectations. It implies not just ignorance, but an unwillingness to know something so unsettling.
• what he said (τὸ ῥῆμα - to rhēma): Refers directly and precisely to the specific words Jesus had just uttered in Mk 9:31 concerning His passion (suffering, death, and resurrection). This emphasizes that their incomprehension was about Jesus' explicit verbal instruction, not a vague intuition.
• and were afraid (ἐφοβοῦντο - ephobounto): From the Greek phobeō, meaning to fear, be terrified, or be reverent. Here, it denotes an active, ongoing state of fear (imperfect tense) that paralyzed them. This fear was likely multifaceted: terror at the prospect of Jesus' suffering and death, fear of challenging or questioning Jesus' divine authority, and fear of hearing an answer that would further confirm such a horrific and paradoxical future.
• to ask him (αὐτὸν ἐπερωτῆσαι - auton eperōtēsai): "To ask him" uses eperotēsai, which means to inquire, interrogate, or seek further clarification, often implying a detailed or earnest question. Their fear was so strong that it prevented them from even initiating a dialogue to clarify what they did not understand, leaving their confusion unresolved and unaddressed.

Words-Group Analysis

• "But they did not understand what he said": This phrase encapsulates the disciples' spiritual dullness and resistance to the divine reality of the suffering Messiah. Despite clear articulation from Jesus, their pre-existing frameworks and expectations rendered them incapable of internalizing this counter-intuitive truth. Their lack of understanding highlights the gap between Jesus' divine foresight and human limited perception.
• "and were afraid to ask him": This part reveals the profound emotional and psychological barrier that compounded their intellectual misunderstanding. The fear here is a deterrent to deeper knowledge and faith. It suggests that while they were perplexed, they were also apprehensive of what a clear explanation might entail, or fearful of the rebuke they might receive for questioning such a solemn divine pronouncement, as Peter had in Mk 8:32-33. This fear stagnated their spiritual growth and prevented them from progressing in their understanding of Jesus' true mission.

Mark 9 32 Bonus section

The repeated motif in Mark's Gospel of the disciples' slowness to understand the nature of Jesus' Messiahship and mission highlights a crucial theological point: truly grasping who Jesus is requires divine revelation and a humble openness, not merely intellectual proximity. Their fear to ask further questions also points to the potential for spiritual pride or embarrassment, demonstrating their reluctance to expose their ignorance or accept a truth so contrary to popular opinion and personal desire. This episode stands in stark contrast to Jesus' consistent teaching on humility and servant leadership, themes He immediately revisits after this incident in the following verses (Mk 9:33-37), underscoring their desperate need for spiritual transformation.

Mark 9 32 Commentary

Mark 9:32 profoundly underscores the deep chasm between Jesus' divine knowledge and the disciples' limited human understanding and strong cultural expectations. This verse captures a moment of spiritual paralysis where intellectual incomprehension merged with incapacitating fear. The disciples' inability to grasp Jesus' clear words about His passion reveals how profoundly their Messianic hopes were shaped by worldly ideas of power and glory, not divine self-sacrifice. They clung to an expectation of a conquering king, making the concept of a suffering and dying Messiah an incomprehensible scandal. Their fear was not merely a passive state but an active impediment, preventing them from even attempting to clarify what troubled them. This fear hints at the terrifying nature of the truth Jesus was revealing, which fundamentally challenged their entire worldview and potentially threatened their own comfort and security within their expected victorious kingdom. The irony is that the disciples, who were closest to Jesus and had witnessed His power and transfigured glory, still could not reconcile the reality of divine suffering with their aspirations. This narrative serves as a poignant illustration of human resistance to uncomfortable divine truths and the essential role of the Spirit in illuminating understanding.