Mark 10:45
in Mark 10For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For the Son of man also came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
KJV
For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
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This verse in Mark 10
Commentary
13 notes on this verseIt is profitable to me to know that for my sake Christ bore my infirmities, submitted to the affections of my body, that for me and for all he was made sin and a curse, that for me and in me was he humbled and made subject, that for me he is the lamb, the vine, the rock, the servant, the Son of a handmaid, knowing not the day of judgment, for my sake ignorant of the day and the hour.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
A commentator
Augustine of HippoSERMONS ON THE LITURGICAL SEASONS, FOR THE EASTER SEASON, SERMON 231.2 · Written before 430.
proposed
He shared with us our punishment, but not our sin. Death is the punishment of sin. The Lord Jesus Christ came to die; he did not come to sin. By sharing with us the penalty without the sin, he canceled both the penalty and the sin.
He is our sanctification, as himself being purity, that the pure may be encompassed by his purity. He is our redemption, because he sets us free who were held captive under sin, giving himself as a ransom for us, the sacrifice to make expiation for the world. He is our resurrection, because he raises up, and brings to life again, those who were slain by sin.
Such is our Instructor, righteously good. "I came not," He says, "to be ministered unto, but to minister." Wherefore He is introduced in the Gospel "wearied," because toiling for us, and promising "to give His life a ransom for many." For him alone who does so He owns to be the good shepherd. Generous, therefore, is He who gives for us the greatest of all gifts, His own life; and beneficent exceedingly, and loving to men, in that, when He might have been Lord, He wished to be a brother man; and so good was He that He died for us.
The Medieval Church2 voices
And there is an example of this close at hand: "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His soul as a ransom for many." And this is more than service. Indeed, not only to …
Which is a greater thing than to minister. For what can be greater or more wonderful than that a man should die for him to whom he ministers? Nevertheless, this serving and condescension of humility was His glory, and that of all; for before He was made man, He was known only to the Angels; but now that He has become man and has been crucified, He not only has glory Himself, but also has taken up others to a participation in His glory, and ruled by faith over the whole world.
7 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church3 voices
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Note what we have often said, that he who serves is called the Son of Man, and to give his …
Then He proposes an example, that if they lightly regarded His words, His deeds might make them ashamed, saying, For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
(ubi sup.) He did not say, however, that He gave His life a ransom for all, but for many, that is, for those who would believe on Him.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
For even the son of man,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1857)
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 & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The Served of all came to be the Servant of all; and His last act was the grandest Service ever beheld by the universe of God--"HE GAVE HIS LIFE A RANSOM FOR MANY!", &c. "Many" is here to be taken, not in contrast with few or with all, but in opposition to one--the one Son of man for the many sinners.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1857)
proposed
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
19 Greek wordsEvery 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.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καὶ | kai | Even | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| γὰρ | gar | for | G1063 → | 1039 times |
| ὁ | ho | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| υἱὸς | huios | Son | G5207 → | 377 times |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀνθρώπου | anthropou | of Man | G444 → | 549 times |
| οὐκ | ouk | not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| ἦλθεν | elthen | came | G2064 → | 628 times |
| διακονηθῆναι | diakonethenai | to be served | G1247 → | 37 times |
| ἀλλὰ | alla | but | G235 → | 635 times |
| διακονῆσαι | diakonesai | to serve | G1247 → | 37 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| δοῦναι | dounai | to give | G1325 → | 412 times |
| τὴν | ten | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ψυχὴν | psuchen | life | G5590 → | 103 times |
| αὐτοῦ | autou | of Him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| λύτρον | lutron | [as] a ransom | G3083 → | |
| ἀντὶ | anti | for | G473 → | |
| πολλῶν.¶ | pollon | many. | G4183 → | 367 times |
καὶEven
kaiG2532 →9120 times
γὰρfor
garG1063 →1039 times
ὁthe
hoG3588 →19766 times
υἱὸςSon
huiosG5207 →377 times
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
ἀνθρώπουof Man
anthropouG444 →549 times
οὐκnot
oukG3756 →1664 times
ἦλθενcame
elthenG2064 →628 times
διακονηθῆναιto be served
diakonethenaiG1247 →37 times
ἀλλὰbut
allaG235 →635 times
διακονῆσαιto serve
diakonesaiG1247 →37 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
δοῦναιto give
dounaiG1325 →412 times
τὴνthe
tenG3588 →19766 times
ψυχὴνlife
psuchenG5590 →103 times
αὐτοῦof Him
autouG846 →5565 times
λύτρον[as] a ransom
lutronG3083 →
ἀντὶfor
antiG473 →
πολλῶν.¶many.
pollonG4183 →367 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach 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
2 Corinthians 8:9For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.
it leads to
- Romans 8:32
He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, freely give us all things?
- Philippians 2:6–8
Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
- Matthew 20:28
just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
- Romans 5:8
But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
- Romans 8:32
Through
Titus 2:14He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.
it leads to
- Hebrews 9:14
how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, purify our consciences from works of death, so that we may serve the living God!
- Ephesians 2:10
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.
- 1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
- Hebrews 9:14
Through
Matthew 20:28just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
it leads to
- Luke 22:27
For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines? But I am among you as one who serves.
- Luke 22:27
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies27
On this verse
On this chapter
About Mark
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Ambrose of Milan, Exposition of the Christian Faith 2.92; Augustine of Hippo, SERMONS ON THE LITURGICAL SEASONS, FOR THE EASTER SEASON, SERMON 231.2; Bede, On the Gospel of Mark; Bede, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor Book 1; Gregory of Nazianzus, ORATION 30, ON THE SON 20; 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 Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Mark and Theophylact of Ohrid, Catena Aurea by Aquinas.