Mark 10:22
in Mark 10But the man was saddened by these words and went away in sorrow, because he had great wealth.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But his countenance fell at the saying, and he went away sorrowful: for he was one that had great possessions.
KJV
And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.
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This verse in Mark 10
Commentary
13 notes on this verseThe rich man followed his own counsel, having rejected the precept of dividing his resources with the needy. He was abandoned by the Lord to his own opinion. There is no justification for applying the term "harshness" on this account to describe Christ. For each individual free will is able to choose to defile itself. "Behold, I have set before you good and evil." Choose that which is good.
This site's exposition
beholding him loved him
on Mark 10:21-22
Beholding him loved him is Mark's own detail, absent from the parallel accounts, and the bench reads it as decisive for how the hard word that follows should be heard, not a test designed to fail him but a genuine invitation offered out of love. One thing thou lackest names not another law to keep but the one thing his law-keeping had left untouched, an attachment to possessions the young man had never had to surrender for anything. He was sad at that saying, and went away grieved, for he had great possessions closes the scene as the only person in the Gospels recorded coming to Jesus and then walking away, and the sorrow itself, not defiance, is what Mark records, a man who wanted the answer to be different than it was.
This site's exposition
because he had great wealth
John Chrysostom observes that wealth, as it grows, lights a greater flame of covetousness. Matthew Henry notes that Christ keeps no one against his will. He let the man go and did not call him back.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
(ubi sup.) And the Evangelist adds the cause of his grief, saying, For he had great possessions. The feelings of those who have little and those who have much are not the same, for the increase of acquired wealth lights up a greater flame of covetousness. There follows: And Jesus looked round about, and said unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God.
He did not follow. He just wanted a good teacher, but he questioned who the teacher was, and scorned the identity of the One who was teaching. "He went away sad," bound up in his desires. "He went away sad," carrying a great burden of possessiveness upon his shoulders.
The Medieval Church3 voices
He who, saddened by the word, went away grieving. For he had many possessions. This is the sadness that leads to death. The cause of the sadness is rendered, because he had many possessions, that is, thorns and thistles arising, which choked the Lord's seed.
(ubi sup) For he follows the Lord, who imitates Him, and walks in His footsteps. It goes on: And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved.
"But he, being dismayed at this saying, went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions." It is not without reason that it is added that he had much: for to possess even a little is both harmful and dangerous, but the bonds of many possessions …
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Christ will keep no man against his will; and therefore we do not find that Christ called him back, but took this occasion to instruct his disciples in two things. The difficulty of the salvation of those who have an abundance of this world; because there are few who have a deal to leave, that can be persuaded to leave it for Christ, or to lay it out in doing good.
And, he was sad at that saying,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
And he was sad at that saying - This young man had perhaps been a saint, and an eminent apostle, had he been poor! From this, and a multitude of other cases, we may learn that it is oftentimes a misfortune to be rich: but who is aware of this? - and who believes it?
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1857)
proposed
The story we have now read is recorded no less than three times in the New Testament. Matthew, Mark, and Luke were all inspired by one Spirit to write it for our learning. There is no doubt a wise purpose in this three-fold repetition of the same simple facts. It is intended to show us that the lessons of the passage deserve particular notice from the Church of Christ. Let us learn for one thing from this passage, the self-ignorance of man.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1857)
proposed
The story we have now read is recorded no less than three times in the New Testament. Matthew, Mark, and Luke were all inspired by one Spirit to write it for our learning. There is no doubt a wise purpose in this three-fold repetition of the same simple facts. It is intended to show us that the lessons of the passage deserve particular notice from the Church of Christ. Let us learn for one thing from this passage, the self-ignorance of man. We are told of one who "came running" to our Lord, and "kneeled to him and asked" the solemn question, "what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?" At first sight there was much that was promising in this man's case. He showed anxiety about spiritual things, while most around him were careless and indifferent. He showed a disposition to reverence our Lord, by kneeling to Him, while Scribes and Pharisees despised Him. Yet all this time this man was profoundly ignorant of his own heart. He hears our Lord recite those commandments which make up our duty to our neighbor, and at once declares, "All these have I observed from my youth." The searching nature of the moral law, its application to our thoughts, and words, as well as actions, are matters with which he is utterly unacquainted. The spiritual blindness here exhibited is unhappily most common. Myriads of professing Christians at the present day have not an idea of their own sinfulness and guilt in the sight of God. They flatter themselves that they have never done anything very wicked. "They have never murdered, or stolen, or committed adultery, or borne false witness. They cannot surely be in much danger of missing heaven." They forget the holy nature of that God with whom they have to do. They forget how often they break His law in temper, or imagination, even when their outward conduct is correct.
The words behind it
13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ὁ | ho | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δὲ | de | And | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| στυγνάσας | stugnasas | having been sad | G4768 → | |
| ἐπὶ | epi | at | G1909 → | 883 times |
| τῷ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| λόγῳ | logo | word | G3056 → | 329 times |
| ἀπῆλθεν | apelthen | he went away | G565 → | 115 times |
| λυπούμενος· | lupoumenos | grieving; | G3076 → | |
| ἦν | en | he was [one] | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| γὰρ | gar | for | G1063 → | 1039 times |
| ἔχων | echon | having | G2192 → | 707 times |
| κτήματα | ktemata | possessions | G2933 → | |
| πολλά. | polla | many. | G4183 → | 367 times |
ὁ<the>
hoG3588 →19766 times
δὲAnd
deG1161 →2765 times
στυγνάσαςhaving been sad
stugnasasG4768 →
ἐπὶat
epiG1909 →883 times
τῷthe
toG3588 →19766 times
λόγῳword
logoG3056 →329 times
ἀπῆλθενhe went away
apelthenG565 →115 times
λυπούμενος·grieving;
lupoumenosG3076 →
ἦνhe was [one]
enG1510 →2333 times
γὰρfor
garG1063 →1039 times
ἔχωνhaving
echonG2192 →707 times
κτήματαpossessions
ktemataG2933 →
πολλά.many.
pollaG4183 →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
Luke 12:15And He said to them, “Watch out! Guard yourselves against every form of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
it leads to
- Hebrews 13:5
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”
- 1 Timothy 6:6–10
Of course, godliness with contentment is great gain.
- Psalms 119:36–37
Turn my heart to Your testimonies and not to covetous gain.
- Proverbs 15:16
Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure with turmoil.
- Proverbs 16:16
How much better to acquire wisdom than gold! To gain understanding is more desirable than silver.
- Hebrews 13:5
Through
Ephesians 5:5For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure, or greedy person (that is, an idolater), has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
it leads to
- Galatians 5:21
and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
- 1 Corinthians 6:9–10
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual…
- Galatians 5:21
Through
2 Timothy 4:10because Demas, in his love of this world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.
it leads to
- 1 John 2:15–16
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
- 1 John 2:15–16
Where this verse is studied
About Mark
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Augustine of Hippo, TRACTATE ON JOHN 34.8; Bede, On the Gospel of Mark; Bede, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, Mark; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); John Chrysostom, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Tertullian, ON MONOGAMY 14 and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Mark.