Mark 12:32
in Mark 12“Right, Teacher,” the scribe replied. “You have stated correctly that God is One and there is no other but Him,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the scribe said unto him, Of a truth, Teacher, thou hast well said that he is one; and there is none other but he:
KJV
And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:
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This verse in Mark 12
Commentary
13 notes on this verseAnd the scribe said - The answer of the scribe, contained in Mar 12:32-34, is not found either in Matthew or Luke. This is another proof against Mark’s supposed abridgment.
This site's exposition
the scribe replied
on Mark 12:32-34
The scribe answers, Right, Teacher, and adds that such love is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices, an echo of Hosea 6:6 and of Samuel's word to Saul. When Jesus saw that the man had answered wisely, He told him he was not far from the kingdom of God. And no one dared to question Him any further, and the questioning in the temple is spent.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
Accordingly, God's judgment will be more full and complete, because it will be pronounced at the very last, in an eternal irrevocable sentence, both of punishment and of consolation, (on men whose) souls are not to transmigrate into beasts, but are to return into their own proper bodies.
The answer of the Scribe seems to accord with the words of the Lord, for He too proclaims the innermost and inmost love of one God, and professes the love of one's neighbour as real as the love of self, and places love of God and love of one's neighbour above all the burnt offerings of sacrifices.
A commentator
Apostolic ConstitutionsConstitutions of the Holy Apostles Book 7 · Written before 380.
proposed
The first way, therefore, is that of life; and is this, which the law also does appoint: "To love the Lord God with all thy mind, and with all thy soul, who is the one and only God, besides whom there is no other;" "and thy neighbour as thyself." And whatsoever thou wouldest not should be done to thee, that do not thou to another.
The Medieval Church2 voices
Matthew says that the scribe approached (Christ) "testing" (Matt. 22:35), while Mark notes of him that he "answered wisely." Do the evangelists contradict each other? No; at first he probably asked as one testing, but then he was enlightened by Christ's answer and responded wisely, …
See how He has enumerated all the powers of the soul; for there is a living power in the soul, which He explains, when He says, With all thy soul, and to this belong anger and desire, all of which He will have us give to Divine love. There is also another power, which is called natural, to which belong nutriment and growth, and this also is all to be given to God, for which reason He says, With all thy heart. There is also another power, the rational, which He calls the mind, and that too is to be given whole to God. He says that it is like, because these two commandments are harmonious one with the other, and mutually contain the other. For he who loves God, loves also His creature; but the chief of His creatures is man, wherefore he who loves God ought to love all men. But he who loves his neighbour, who so often offends him, ought much more to love Him, who is ever giving him benefits. And therefore on account of the connection between these commandments, He adds, There is none other commandment greater than these. It goes on: And the Scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God, and there is none other but he: and to love him with all the heart, and with all the soul, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. By which He shows that he was not perfect, for He did not say, Thou art within the kingdom of heaven, but, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God.
6 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
And the scribe said to him: Well said, teacher, you have truly said that there is one God, and there is none other besides him. And to love him with all your heart, and with all your understanding, and with all your soul, and with …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And thus must we subscribe to Christ's sayings, must set to our seal that they are true. Christ had quoted that great doctrine, that the Lord our God is one Lord; and this he not only assented to, but added, " There is none other but he; and therefore we must have no other God besides." This excludes all rivals with him, and secures the throne in the heart entire for him.
And the Scribe said unto him,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1857)
These verses contain a conversation between our Lord Jesus Christ and "one of the Scribes." For the third time in one day we see our Lord tried by a hard question. Having put to silence the Pharisees and Sadducees, He is asked to decide a point on which much difference of opinion prevailed among the Jews — "Which is the first commandment of all?" We have reason to bless God that so many hard questions were propounded to our Lord. Without them the marvelous words of wisdom which His three answers contain, might never have been spoken at all.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master--Teacher. thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he--The genuine text here seems clearly to have been, "There is one," without the word "God"; and so nearly all critical editors and expositors read.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1857)
proposed
These verses contain a conversation between our Lord Jesus Christ and "one of the Scribes." For the third time in one day we see our Lord tried by a hard question. Having put to silence the Pharisees and Sadducees, He is asked to decide a point on which much difference of opinion prevailed among the Jews — "Which is the first commandment of all?" We have reason to bless God that so many hard questions were propounded to our Lord. Without them the marvelous words of wisdom which His three answers contain, might never have been spoken at all. Here, as in many other cases, we see how God can bring good out of evil. He can make the most malicious assaults of His enemies work round to the good of His church, and redound to His own praise. He can make the enmity of Pharisees and Sadducees and Scribes minister instruction to His people. Little did the three questioners in this chapter think what benefit their crafty questions would confer on all Christendom. "Out of the eater came forth meat." (Judges 14:14.) Let us observe, in these verses, how high is our Lord Jesus Christ's standard of duty to God and man . The question that the Scribe propounded was a very wide one — "Which is the first commandment of all?" The answer he received was probably very unlike what he expected. At any rate, if he thought that our Lord would commend to him the observance of some outward form or ceremony, he was mistaken. He hears these solemn words — "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength — this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, you shall love your neighbor as yourself." How striking is our Lord's description of the FEELING with which we ought to regard both God and our neighbor! We are not merely to obey the one, or to abstain from injuring the other.
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 |
| εἶπεν | eipen | said | G2036 → | 925 times |
| αὐτῷ | auto | to Him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ὁ | ho | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γραμματεύς· | grammateus | scribe; | G1122 → | 62 times |
| καλῶς, | kalos | Right, | G2573 → | 35 times |
| διδάσκαλε, | didaskale | Teacher, | G1320 → | 58 times |
| ἐπ᾽ | ep᾽ | according to | G1909 → | 883 times |
| ἀληθείας | aletheias | truth | G225 → | 109 times |
| εἶπες | eipes | You have spoken | G2036 → | 925 times |
| ὅτι | hoti | that | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| εἷς | heis | One | G1520 → | 343 times |
| ἐστιν | estin | He is | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| οὐκ | ouk | not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| ἔστιν | estin | there is | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| ἄλλος | allos | another | G243 → | 155 times |
| πλὴν | plen | besides | G4133 → | |
| αὐτοῦ. | autou | Him. | G846 → | 5565 times |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
εἶπενsaid
eipenG2036 →925 times
αὐτῷto Him
autoG846 →5565 times
ὁthe
hoG3588 →19766 times
γραμματεύς·scribe;
grammateusG1122 →62 times
καλῶς,Right,
kalosG2573 →35 times
διδάσκαλε,Teacher,
didaskaleG1320 →58 times
ἐπ᾽according to
ep᾽G1909 →883 times
ἀληθείαςtruth
aletheiasG225 →109 times
εἶπεςYou have spoken
eipesG2036 →925 times
ὅτιthat
hotiG3754 →1292 times
εἷςOne
heisG1520 →343 times
ἐστινHe is
estinG1510 →2333 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
οὐκnot
oukG3756 →1664 times
ἔστινthere is
estinG1510 →2333 times
ἄλλοςanother
allosG243 →155 times
πλὴνbesides
plenG4133 →
αὐτοῦ.Him.
autouG846 →5565 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
Isaiah 46:9Remember what happened long ago, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me.
it leads to
- Isaiah 45:21–22
Speak up and present your case—yes, let them take counsel together. Who foretold this long ago? Who announced it from ancient times? Was it not I, the LORD? There is no other God but…
- Isaiah 42:9
Behold, the former things have happened, and now I declare new things. Before they spring forth I proclaim them to you.”
- Psalms 111:4
He has caused His wonders to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and compassionate.
- Isaiah 46:5
To whom will you liken Me or count Me equal? To whom will you compare Me, that we should be alike?
- Deuteronomy 33:26
“There is none like the God of Jeshurun, who rides the heavens to your aid, and the clouds in His majesty.
- Isaiah 45:21–22
Through
Deuteronomy 4:39Know therefore this day and take to heart that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other.
it leads to
- Joshua 2:11
When we heard this, our hearts melted and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in the heavens above and on the earth below.
- Joshua 2:11
Through
Deuteronomy 4:35You were shown these things so that you would know that the LORD is God; there is no other besides Him.
it leads to
- Isaiah 45:18
For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens—He is God; He formed the earth and fashioned it; He established it; He did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be…
- Isaiah 45:18
Through
Isaiah 45:14This is what the LORD says: “The products of Egypt and the merchandise of Cush, along with the Sabeans, men of stature, will come over to you and will be yours; they will trudge…
it leads to
- Isaiah 49:23
Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow to you facedown and lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD;…
- Isaiah 49:23
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies8
On this verse
About Mark
This page draws on 13 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Alexander Maclaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture, Mark; Apostolic Constitutions, Constitutions of the Holy Apostles Book 7; Bede, On the Gospel of Mark; Charles Spurgeon, The Gospel of the Kingdom; Hilary of Poitiers, ON THE TRINITY 9.24; 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; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Tertullian, A Treatise on the Soul; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Mark and Theophylact of Ohrid, Catena Aurea by Aquinas.