Mark 6:15
in Mark 6Others were saying, “He is Elijah,” and still others, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But others said, It is Elijah. And others said, It is a prophet, even as one of the prophets.
KJV
Others said, That it is Elias. And others said, That it is a prophet, or as one of the prophets.
⋯
This verse in Mark 6
Commentary
12 notes on this verse(Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.) It seems to me that this prophet means that one of whom Moses said, God will raise up a prophet unto thee of thy brethren. (Deut. 8:15.) They were right indeed, but because they feared to say openly, This is the Christ, they used the voice of Moses, veiling their own surmise through fear of their rulers.
This site's exposition
John the Baptist has risen from the dead
on Mark 6:14-16
The people guess Elijah or a prophet, and Herod's guilty conscience settles on one answer, John, whom I beheaded, has risen from the dead. Mark sets the account of John's death inside the mission of the Twelve.
This site's exposition
He is Elijah
Adam Clarke prefers the reading followed here, a prophet like one of the prophets of old, which he says mends the sense. Theophylact of Ohrid suggests some named Elijah because Jesus rebuked the people as Elijah had. Each guess placed him among the prophets.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
A commentator
JosephusAntiquities of the Jews - Book XVIII, Chapter 5, Section 2 · Written before 100.
proposed
Now some of the Jews thought that the destruction of Herod's army came from God, and that very justly, as a punishment of what he did against John, that was called the Baptist: for Herod slew him, who was a good man, and commanded the …
The Medieval Church3 voices
(in Marc. 2, 25) Here we are taught how great was the envy of the Jews. For, lo, they believe that John, of whom it was said that he did no miracle, could rise from the dead, and that, without the witness of any one. But Jesus, approved of God by miracles and signs, whose resurrection, Angels and Apostles, men and women, preached, they chose to believe was carried away by stealth, rather than suppose that He had risen again. And these men, in saying that John was risen from the dead, and that therefore mighty works were wrought in him, had just thoughts of the power of the resurrection, for men, when they shall have risen from the dead, shall have much greater power, than they possessed, when still weighed down by the weakness of the flesh. There follows, But others said, that it is Elias.
But others said of Christ that He was Elijah, because He rebuked many, for example when He said: "O faithless generation!"
For John confuted many men, when he said, Ye generation of vipers. It goes on, But others said, that it is a prophet, or as one of the prophets.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Others said that it is Elias,....
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Christ's retirement into a desert place with his disciples; the crowds that followed him thither to receive instruction from him; and his feeding five thousand of them with five loaves and two fishes,
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
Or, as one of the prophets - η, or, is omitted by ABCEGHKLMS - BHV, and one hundred others, Syriac, all the Arabic, all the Persic, Coptic, Ethiopic, Gothic, Slavonic, Vulgate, two Itala, Origen, Victor, and Theophylact. Bengel, Wetstein, and Griesbach leave it out of the text: the omission of it mends the sense much.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1857)
proposed
These verses describe the death of one of the most eminent saints of God. They relate the murder of John the Baptist. Of all the evangelists none tells this melancholy story so fully as Mark. Let us see what practical lessons the passage contains for our own souls. We see, in the first place, the amazing power of truth over the conscience . Herod "fears" John the Baptist while he lives, and is troubled about him after he dies. A friendless, solitary preacher, with no other weapon than God's truth, disturbs and terrifies a king. Everybody has a conscience.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1857)
proposed
These verses describe the death of one of the most eminent saints of God. They relate the murder of John the Baptist. Of all the evangelists none tells this melancholy story so fully as Mark. Let us see what practical lessons the passage contains for our own souls. We see, in the first place, the amazing power of truth over the conscience . Herod "fears" John the Baptist while he lives, and is troubled about him after he dies. A friendless, solitary preacher, with no other weapon than God's truth, disturbs and terrifies a king. Everybody has a conscience. Here lies the secret of a faithful minister's power. This is the reason why Felix "trembled," and Agrippa was "almost persuaded," when Paul the prisoner spoke before them. God has not left Himself without witness in the hearts of unconverted people. Fallen and corrupt as man is, there are thoughts within him accusing or excusing, according as he lives — thoughts that will not be shut out — thoughts that can make even kings, like Herod, restless and afraid. None ought to remember this so much as ministers and teachers. If they preach and teach Christ's truth, they may rest assured that their work is not in vain. Children may seem inattentive in schools. Hearers may seem careless in congregations. But in both cases there is often far more going on in the conscience than our eyes see. Seeds often spring up and bear fruit, when the sower, like John the Baptist, is dead or gone. We see, in the second place, how far people may go in religion, and yet miss salvation by yielding to one master-sin. King Herod went further than many. He "feared John." He "knew that he was a just man and holy." He "observed" him. He "heard him, and did many things" in consequence. He even "heard him gladly." But there was one thing Herod would not do. He would not cease from adultery. He would not give up Herodias.
The words behind it
15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἄλλοι | alloi | Others | G243 → | 155 times |
| δὲ | de | however | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| ἔλεγον | elegon | were saying | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| ὅτι | hoti | that | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| Ἠλίας | elias | Elijah | G2243 → | 29 times |
| ἐστίν· | estin | He is; | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| ἄλλοι | alloi | Others | G243 → | 155 times |
| δὲ | de | now | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| ἔλεγον | elegon | were saying | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| ὅτι | hoti | that | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| προφήτης | prophetes | A prophet | G4396 → | 144 times |
| ὡς | hos | like | G5613 → | 500 times |
| εἷς | heis | one | G1520 → | 343 times |
| τῶν | ton | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| προφητῶν. | propheton | prophets. | G4396 → | 144 times |
ἄλλοιOthers
alloiG243 →155 times
δὲhowever
deG1161 →2765 times
ἔλεγονwere saying
elegonG3004 →1325 times
ὅτιthat
hotiG3754 →1292 times
ἨλίαςElijah
eliasG2243 →29 times
ἐστίν·He is;
estinG1510 →2333 times
ἄλλοιOthers
alloiG243 →155 times
δὲnow
deG1161 →2765 times
ἔλεγονwere saying
elegonG3004 →1325 times
ὅτιthat
hotiG3754 →1292 times
προφήτηςA prophet
prophetesG4396 →144 times
ὡςlike
hosG5613 →500 times
εἷςone
heisG1520 →343 times
τῶνof the
tonG3588 →19766 times
προφητῶν.prophets.
prophetonG4396 →144 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
Malachi 4:5Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome Day of the LORD.
it leads to
- Mark 9:11–13
And they asked Jesus, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Luke 1:17
And he will go on before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to…
- Matthew 17:10–13
The disciples asked Him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
- Matthew 11:13–14
For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John.
- Malachi 3:1
“Behold, I will send My messenger, who will prepare the way before Me. Then the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple—the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight—see, He…
- Mark 9:11–13
Through
Matthew 21:11The crowds replied, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
it leads to
- John 9:17
So once again they asked the man who had been blind, “What do you say about Him, since it was your eyes He opened?” “He is a prophet,” the man replied.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- John 9:17
Through
Matthew 16:14They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
it leads to
- Matthew 14:2
and said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Matthew 14:2
Through
John 1:25asked him, “Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 18:18
I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. I will put My words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him.
- Deuteronomy 18:18
Where this verse is studied
About Mark
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Alexander Maclaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture, Mark; Bede, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews - Book XVIII, Chapter 5, Section 2; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Pseudo-Chrysostom, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Mark and Theophylact of Ohrid, Catena Aurea by Aquinas.