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Mark 10:26

in Mark 10

They were even more astonished and said to one another, “Who then can be saved?”

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And they were astonished exceedingly, saying unto him, Then who can be saved?

KJV

And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved?

This verse in Mark 10

Commentary

7 notes on this verse

A commentator

Bede

Catena Aurea by Aquinas · Written before 735.

It goes on; And they were astonished above measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved? Since the number of poor people is immeasurably the greater, and these might be saved, though the rich perished, they must have understood Him to mean that all who love riches, although they cannot obtain them, are reckoned in the number of the rich.

This site's exposition

Who then can be saved

on Mark 10:26-27

Who then can be saved registers the disciples' own shock, since if wealth, the very thing their culture treated as evidence of righteousness, is itself an obstacle, no one's chances look better. With men it is impossible, but not with God, for with God all things are possible answers the despair by moving salvation entirely off the ledger of human achievement, rich or poor, and onto the sole capacity of God to do what no man can do for himself. The bench reads the verse as the chapter's real center, the rich young ruler's failure less about money specifically than about the general human inability to purchase entrance into a kingdom given, not earned.

The record, by era

The Medieval Church2 voices

A commentator

Theophylact of Ohrid

Commentary on Mark · Written before 1107.

proposed

But why were the disciples so astonished at these words? After all, they themselves were never rich. I think that in this case they were concerned for all people, since they had already begun to be lovers of mankind.

A commentator

Bede

On the Gospel of Mark · Written before 735.

proposed

And they were more astonished, saying to themselves, "And who can be saved?" To which this response refers, although the crowd of the poor, which could have been saved by the ruin of the rich, is incomparably greater, unless they understood that all who love …

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

And they were astonished out of measure,.... They were still more amazed, their surprise increased exceedingly upon our Lord's using the above comparison; which, in their apprehension, showed, that it was utterly impossible for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God; and they expressed their astonishment, saying, among themselves, who then can be saved? in the Messiah's kingdom, if rich men are not? See Gill on Mat 19:

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

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.
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

11 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.

  • οἱ<the>

    hoiG3588 →19766 times

  • δὲAnd

    deG1161 →2765 times

  • περισσῶςexceedingly

    perissosG4057 →9 times

  • ἐξεπλήσσοντοthey were astonished

    exeplessontoG1605 →13 times

  • λέγοντεςsaying

    legontesG3004 →1325 times

  • πρὸςamong

    prosG4314 →700 times

  • ἑαυτούς·themselves;

    he'autousG1438 →322 times

  • καὶThen

    kaiG2532 →9120 times

  • τίςwho

    tisG5101 →563 times

  • δύναταιis able

    dunataiG1410 →207 times

  • σωθῆναι;to be saved?

    sothenaiG4982 →105 times

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

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

    Acts 16:31

    They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.”

    it leads to

    • John 1:12

      But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God—

    • John 3:36

      Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever rejects the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him.”

    • Acts 2:38–39

      Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

    • Romans 10:9–10

      that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

    • Acts 11:13–14

      He told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter.

  • Through

    Mark 7:37

    The people were utterly astonished and said, “He has done all things well! He makes even the deaf hear and the mute speak!”

    it leads to

    • Mark 6:51

      Then He climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. And the disciples were utterly astounded,

    • Exodus 4:10–11

      “Please, Lord,” Moses replied, “I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since You have spoken to Your servant, for I am slow of speech and tongue.”

  • Through

    2 Corinthians 11:23

    Are they servants of Christ? I am speaking like I am out of my mind, but I am so much more: in harder labor, in more imprisonments, in worse beatings, in frequent danger of…

    it leads to

    • 2 Corinthians 6:4–5

      Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships, and calamities;

Where this verse is studied

About Mark

Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee, Rembrandt, 1633. Public domain.
Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee, Rembrandt, 1633. Public domain.

This page draws on Bede, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Bede, On the Gospel of Mark; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); John Calvin, Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Mark.