Mark 10:27
in Mark 10Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for all things are possible with God.
KJV
And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.
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This verse in Mark 10
Commentary
13 notes on this verseBut the Lord replies, "Because what is impossible with men is possible with God." This again is full of great wisdom. For a man by himself working and toiling at freedom from passion achieves nothing. But if he plainly shows himself very desirous and earnest about this, he attains it by the addition of the power of God. For God conspires with willing souls. But if they abandon their eagerness, the spirit which is bestowed by God is also restrained.
This site's exposition
Who then can be saved
on Mark 10:26-27
Who then can be saved voices the disciples' shock, since their culture counted wealth as evidence of righteousness. Jesus answers, With man this is impossible, but not with God, placing salvation in God's power alone.
This site's exposition
all things are possible with God
Clement of Alexandria explains that a man working alone for freedom from his passions achieves nothing. God must do it. John Chrysostom adds that the rich man set on this path needs much grace, so his reward for following Christ is great.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
Orthodox: The Lord God wishes nothing inconsistent with his nature, and is able to do all that he wishes, and what he wishes is appropriate and agreeable to his own nature.… Eranistes: Nothing is impossible to almighty God. Orthodox: Then according to your definition sin …
(ubi sup.) And the reason why He says that this is the work of God is, that He may show that he who is put into this path by God, has much need of grace; from which it is proved, that great is the reward of those rich men, who are willing to follow the 1discipline of Christ.
The Medieval Church3 voices
Or we must understand that by, with man it is impossible, but not with God, He means, that when we listen to God, it becomes possible, but as long as we keep our human notions, it is impossible. There follows, For all things are possible with God; when He says all things, you must understand, that have a being; which sin has not, for it is a thing without being and substance. Or else: sin does not come under the notion of strength, but of weakness, therefore sin, like weakness, is impossible with God. But can God cause that not to have been done which has been done? To which we answer, that God is Truth, but to cause that what has been done should not have been done, is falsehood. How then can truth do what is false? He must first therefore quit His own nature, so that they who speak thus really say, Can God cease to be God? which is absurd.
And Jesus, looking at them, said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God." It is not to be understood that the greedy and proud, who were signified by the name of that rich man, will enter …
It goes on; And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God; which we must not take to mean, that covetous and proud persons can enter into the kingdom of Heaven with their covetousness and pride, but that it is possible with God that they should be converted from covetousness and pride to charity and lowliness.
5 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
But with God this is possible. Christ said: "Make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth" (Lk. 16:9). Do you see how all things become possible when we hear the Word of God? "With men this is impossible," that is, it is impossible when …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And Jesus, looking upon them,....
The greatness of the salvation of those that have but a little of this world, and leave it for Christ. This he speaks of, upon occasion of Peter's mentioning what he and the rest of the disciples had left to follow him;
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
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
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἐμβλέψας | emblepsas | Having looked | G1689 → | 12 times |
| αὐτοῖς | autois | on them | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ὁ | ho | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Ἰησοῦς | iesous | Jesus | G2424 → | 908 times |
| λέγει· | legei | says; | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| παρὰ | para | With | G3844 → | 192 times |
| ἀνθρώποις | anthropois | men | G444 → | 549 times |
| ἀδύνατον | adunaton | [it is] impossible | G102 → | |
| ἀλλ᾽ | all᾽ | but | G235 → | 635 times |
| οὐ | ou | not [is impossible] | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| παρὰ | para | with | G3844 → | 192 times |
| θεῷ· | theo | God; | G2316 → | 1312 times |
| πάντα | panta | all things | G3956 → | 1235 times |
| γὰρ | gar | for | G1063 → | 1039 times |
| δυνατὰ | dunata | [are] possible | G1415 → | 32 times |
| παρὰ | para | with | G3844 → | 192 times |
| τῷ | to | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θεῷ.¶ | theo | God. | G2316 → | 1312 times |
ἐμβλέψαςHaving looked
emblepsasG1689 →12 times
αὐτοῖςon them
autoisG846 →5565 times
ὁ<the>
hoG3588 →19766 times
ἸησοῦςJesus
iesousG2424 →908 times
λέγει·says;
legeiG3004 →1325 times
παρὰWith
paraG3844 →192 times
ἀνθρώποιςmen
anthropoisG444 →549 times
ἀδύνατον[it is] impossible
adunatonG102 →
ἀλλ᾽but
all᾽G235 →635 times
οὐnot [is impossible]
ouG3756 →1664 times
παρὰwith
paraG3844 →192 times
θεῷ·God;
theoG2316 →1312 times
πάνταall things
pantaG3956 →1235 times
γὰρfor
garG1063 →1039 times
δυνατὰ[are] possible
dunataG1415 →32 times
παρὰwith
paraG3844 →192 times
τῷ<the>
toG3588 →19766 times
θεῷ.¶God.
theoG2316 →1312 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
Jeremiah 32:27“Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too difficult for Me?
it leads to
- Matthew 19:26
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Jeremiah 32:17
“Oh, Lord GOD! You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too difficult for You!
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 64:8
But now, O LORD, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand.
- Matthew 19:26
Through
Matthew 19:26Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
it leads to
- Jeremiah 32:27
“Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too difficult for Me?
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Luke 1:37
For no word from God will ever fail.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Job 42:2
“I know that You can do all things and that no plan of Yours can be thwarted.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Luke 18:27
But Jesus said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”
- Jeremiah 32:27
Through
Jeremiah 32:17“Oh, Lord GOD! You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too difficult for You!
it leads to
- Genesis 18:14
Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you—in about a year—and Sarah will have a son.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Genesis 18:14
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies27
On this verse
On this chapter
- The Deity of Christ
- Elders and Deacons
- Barnabas, a Good Man
- The Words Tov and Agathosyne
- Why He Said He Came
- How the Cross Saves: The Views of the Atonement
Show the next 6 titles
About Mark
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Bede, On the Gospel of Mark; Bede, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Clement of Alexandria, Who is the Rich Man that Shall Be Saved?; 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 Chrysostom, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theodoret of Cyrus, DIALOGUE 3; Theophylact of Ohrid, Catena Aurea by Aquinas and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Mark.