Mark 9:35
in Mark 9Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the last of all and the servant of all.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he sat down, and called the twelve; and he saith unto them, If any man would be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all.
KJV
And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.
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This verse in Mark 9
Commentary
13 notes on this verseWhere it is to be observed, that the disciples disputed by the way concerning the chief place, but Christ Himself sat down to teach humility; for princes toil while the humble repose.
This site's exposition
What were you discussing on the way
on Mark 9:33-35
On the way they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest, on the road where He had just foretold His death. He answers that the first must be the last of all and the servant of all.
This site's exposition
the servant of all
John Chrysostom turns ambition around. Whoever loves the highest honor should pursue the lowest place and put himself behind others. Gregory of Nyssa adds that each disciple is subordinate to his brother, and to all.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
Let vanity be unknown among you. Let simplicity and harmony and a guileless attitude weld the community together. Let each remind himself that he is not only subordinate to the brother at his side, but to all. If he knows this, he will truly be a disciple of Christ.
If you are in love with precedence and the highest honor, pursue the things in last place, pursue being the least valued of all, pursue being the lowliest of all, pursue being the smallest of all, pursue placing yourselves behind others.
(Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.) The disciples indeed wished to receive honour at the hands of the Lord; they also had a desire to be made great by Christ, for the greater a man is, the more worthy of honour he becomes, for which reason He did not throw an obstacle in the way of that desire, but brought in humility.
The Medieval Church2 voices
For His wish is not that we should usurp for ourselves chief places, but that we should attain to lofty heights by lowliness.
(ubi sup.) Seeing however the thoughts of the disciples, the Lord takes care to heal the desire of glory by humility; for He first, by simply commanding humility, admonishes them that a high station was not to be aimed at. Wherefore it goes on: And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.
5 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church2 voices
And sitting down, he called the twelve and said to them, "If anyone wants to be first among you, he will be the last of all and the servant of all." And taking a child, he set him in the midst of them. And embracing …
But the Lord, although He does not forbid the aspiration toward greater honor (for He commands us to desire the higher degrees), nevertheless does not permit us to seize primacy from others; on the contrary, He wants us to attain exaltation through humility.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And he sat down,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all--that is, "let him be" such: he must be prepared to take the last and lowest place.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-run:18w-of-35
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1857)
proposed
The dullness of the disciples in spiritual things appears once more, as soon as this announcement was made. There was good in the tidings as well as seeming evil — sweet as well as bitter — life as well as death — the resurrection as well as the cross. But it was all darkness to the bewildered twelve. "They did not understand what He was saying, and were afraid to ask." Their minds were still full of their mistaken ideas of their Master's reign upon earth. They thought that His earthly kingdom was immediately to appear. Never are we so slow to understand, as when prejudice and pre-conceived opinions darken our eyes. The immense importance of our Lord's death and resurrection comes out strongly in this fresh announcement which He makes. It is not for nothing that He reminds us again that He must die. He would have us know that His death was the great end for which He came into the world. He would remind us that by that death the great problem was to be solved — how God could be just, and yet justify sinners. He did not come upon earth merely to teach, and preach, and work miracles. He came to make satisfaction for sin, by His own blood and suffering on the cross. Let us never forget this. The incarnation, and example, and words of Christ, are all of deep importance. But the grand object which demands our notice in the history of His earthly ministry, is His death on Calvary. Let us mark, in the second place, in these verses, the ambition and love of pre-eminence which the apostles exhibited. "By the way they disputed among themselves who was the greatest." How strange this sounds! Who would have thought that a few fishermen and publicans could have been overcome by envious rivalry, and the desire of supremacy?
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 | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| καθίσας | kathisas | having sat down | G2523 → | 44 times |
| ἐφώνησεν | ephonesen | He called | G5455 → | 43 times |
| τοὺς | tous | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δώδεκα | dodeka | Twelve | G1427 → | 75 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| λέγει | legei | He says | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| αὐτοῖς· | autois | to them; | G846 → | 5565 times |
| εἴ | ei | If | G1487 → | 508 times |
| τις | tis | anyone | G5100 → | 528 times |
| θέλει | thelei | desires | G2309 → | 208 times |
| πρῶτος | protos | first | G4413 → | 152 times |
| εἶναι, | einai | to be, | G1511 → | 123 times |
| ἔσται | estai | he will be | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| πάντων | panton | of all | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| ἔσχατος | eschatos | last | G2078 → | 52 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| πάντων | panton | of all | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| διάκονος. | diakonos | servant. | G1249 → |
ΚαὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
καθίσαςhaving sat down
kathisasG2523 →44 times
ἐφώνησενHe called
ephonesenG5455 →43 times
τοὺςthe
tousG3588 →19766 times
δώδεκαTwelve
dodekaG1427 →75 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
λέγειHe says
legeiG3004 →1325 times
αὐτοῖς·to them;
autoisG846 →5565 times
εἴIf
eiG1487 →508 times
τιςanyone
tisG5100 →528 times
θέλειdesires
theleiG2309 →208 times
πρῶτοςfirst
protosG4413 →152 times
εἶναι,to be,
einaiG1511 →123 times
ἔσταιhe will be
estaiG1510 →2333 times
πάντωνof all
pantonG3956 →1235 times
ἔσχατοςlast
eschatosG2078 →52 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
πάντωνof all
pantonG3956 →1235 times
διάκονος.servant.
diakonosG1249 →
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
Matthew 23:11The greatest among you shall be your servant.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 9:19
Though I am free of obligation to anyone, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.
- John 13:14–15
So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.
- Galatians 5:13
For you, brothers, were called to freedom; but do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. Rather, serve one another in love.
- Mark 10:43–44
But it shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,
- 2 Corinthians 4:5
For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.
- 1 Corinthians 9:19
Through
Luke 22:26But you shall not be like them. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who leads like the one who serves.
it leads to
- 1 Peter 5:5
Young men, in the same way, submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
- 1 Peter 5:3
not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.
- Luke 9:48
And He said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in My name welcomes Me, and whoever welcomes Me welcomes the One who sent Me. For whoever is the least among all of you,…
- 1 Peter 5:5
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies17
On this verse
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About Mark
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Bede, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Bede, On the Gospel of Mark; Gregory of Nyssa, ON THE CHRISTIAN MODE OF LIFE 8.1; J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, Mark; 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; Jerome, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; John Chrysostom, THE GOSPEL OF ST MATTHEW, HOMILY 58; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Pseudo-Chrysostom, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Theophylact of Ohrid, Catena Aurea by Aquinas and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Mark.