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Mark 10:37

in Mark 10

They answered, “Grant that one of us may sit at Your right hand and the other at Your left in Your glory.”

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And they said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and one on thy left hand, in thy glory.

KJV

They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory.

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This verse in Mark 10

Commentary

12 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

In thy glory - In the kingdom of thy glory - three MSS. Which kingdom they expected to be established on earth. And be baptized - Or, be baptized. Instead of και and η or, is the reading of BCDL, five others, Coptic, Armenian, later Syriac in the margin, Vulgate, all the Itala, and Origen. See the note on Mat 20:22.

This site's exposition

we want You to do for us whatever we ask

on Mark 10:35-37

James and John open with we want You to do for us whatever we ask, directly after the fullest prediction of His suffering. They ask for the seats at His right and left in His glory.

This site's exposition

one of us may sit at Your right hand

John Chrysostom notes that James and John had been honored above the others, so they expected an easy grant. Adam Clarke says they expected an earthly kingdom. Augustine answers that Christ leads to glory only by the way of humility.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers2 voices

A commentator

Augustine of Hippo

TRACTATE ON JOHN 28.5.2 · Written before 430.

proposed

Ponder how profound this is. They were conferring with him about glory. He intended to precede loftiness with humility and, only through humility, to ready the way for loftiness itself. For, of course, even those disciples who wanted to sit, the one on his right, the other on his left, were looking to glory. They were on the lookout, but did not see by what way. In order that they might come to their homeland in due order, the Lord called them back to the narrow way. For the homeland is on high and the way to it is lowly. The homeland is life in Christ; the way is dying with Christ. The way is suffering with Christ; the goal is abiding with him eternally. Why do you seek the homeland if you are not seeking the way to it?

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Catena Aurea by Aquinas · Written before 407.

proposed

(ubi sup.) Or we may fitly say that both took place; for seeing themselves honoured above the rest, they thought that they could easily obtain the foregoing petition; and that they might the more easily succeed in their request, they took their mother with them, that they might pray unto Christ together with her.

The Medieval Church2 voices

A commentator

Theophylact of Ohrid

Catena Aurea by Aquinas · Written before 1107.

proposed

Now the abovementioned disciples thought that He was going up to Jerusalem, to reign there, and then to suffer what He had foretold. And with these thoughts, they desired to sit on the right and the left hand; wherefore there follows, They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, the other on thy left hand, in thy glory.

A commentator

Theophylact of Ohrid

Commentary on Mark · Written before 1107.

proposed

Another Evangelist (Matt. 20:20) relates that their mother (of James and John) approached Jesus. But probably both things happened: these two apostles, being ashamed before the others, sent their mother ahead first, and then they themselves also came separately, as the Evangelist indicates by saying, …

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

As, on the one hand, there are some that do not use, so, on the other hand, there are some that abuse, the great encouragements Christ has given us in prayer. He hath said, Ask, and it shall be given you; and it is a commendable faith to ask for the great things he has promised; but it was a culpable presumption in these disciples to make such a boundless demand upon their Master;
4 more voices on this verse

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

They said unto him,....

The Nineteenth Century3 voices

Let us mark in this passage, the ignorance of our Lord's disciples . We find James and John petitioning for the first places in the kingdom of glory. We find them confidently declaring their ability to drink of their Master's cup and be baptized with their Master's baptism. In spite of all the plain warnings of our Lord, they clung obstinately to the belief that Christ's kingdom on earth was immediately going to appear. Notwithstanding their many shortcomings in Christ's service, they had no misgivings as to their power to endure any thing which might come upon them.

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory--that is, Assign to us the two places of highest honor in the coming kingdom.

quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-run:22w-of-37

Let us mark in this passage, the ignorance of our Lord's disciples . We find James and John petitioning for the first places in the kingdom of glory. We find them confidently declaring their ability to drink of their Master's cup and be baptized with their Master's baptism. In spite of all the plain warnings of our Lord, they clung obstinately to the belief that Christ's kingdom on earth was immediately going to appear. Notwithstanding their many shortcomings in Christ's service, they had no misgivings as to their power to endure any thing which might come upon them. With all their faith, and grace, and love to Jesus, they neither knew their own hearts, nor the nature of the path before them. They still dreamed of temporal crowns, and earthly rewards. They still knew not what manner of men they were. There are few true Christians who do not resemble James and John, when they first begin the service of Christ. We are apt to expect far more present enjoyment from our religion, than the Gospel warrants us to expect. We are apt to forget the cross, and the tribulation, and to think only of the crown. We form an incorrect estimate of our own fortitude and power of endurance. We misjudge our own ability to stand temptation and trial. And the result of all is that we often buy wisdom dearly, by bitter experience, after many disappointments, and not a few falls. Let the case before us teach us the importance of a solid and calm judgment in our religion. Like James and John, we are right in coveting the best gifts, and in telling all our desires to Christ. Like them we are right in believing that Jesus is King of kings, and will one day reign upon the earth. But let us not, like them, forget that there is a cross to be borne by every Christian, and that "through much tribulation we must enter into the kingdom of God." (Acts 14:22.)

The words behind it

20 Greek words

Every Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

9 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Matthew 19:28Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, in the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.5 worksMark 16:19After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.3 worksPsalms 110:1The LORD said to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”3 worksLuke 24:26Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and then to enter His glory?”3 works1 Peter 1:11trying to determine the time and setting to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.2 works1 Kings 22:19Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left.2 works
The other 3 cross-references, with their words ▾
Matthew 25:31When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne.2 worksPsalms 45:9The daughters of kings are among your honored women; the queen stands at your right hand, adorned with the gold of Ophir.1 worksMark 8:38If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in His Father’s glory with the holy angels.”1 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Psalms 110:1

    The LORD said to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”

    it leads to

    • Hebrews 10:12–13

      But when this Priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God.

    • 1 Corinthians 15:25

      For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.

    • Luke 20:42–43

      For David himself says in the book of Psalms: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand

    • Hebrews 1:13

      Yet to which of the angels did God ever say: “Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet”?

    • Mark 12:35–37

      While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, He asked, “How can the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David?

  • Through

    Mark 16:19

    After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.

    it leads to

    • Hebrews 12:2

      Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand…

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • 1 Peter 3:22

      who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers subject to Him.

  • Through

    Luke 24:26

    Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and then to enter His glory?”

    it leads to

    • Isaiah 53:1–12

      Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

Where this verse is studied

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About Mark

Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee, Rembrandt, 1633, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Public domain.
Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee, Rembrandt, 1633, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Public domain.
Mark: the study guide →Read Mark 10 →
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Augustine of Hippo, TRACTATE ON JOHN 28.5.2; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theophylact of Ohrid, Catena Aurea by Aquinas and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Mark.

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