Mark 9:11
in Mark 9And they asked Jesus, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And they asked him, saying, How is it that the scribes say that Elijah must first come?
KJV
And they asked him, saying, Why say the scribes that Elias must first come?
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This verse in Mark 9
Commentary
11 notes on this verseAmong the Jews there circulated a report that before the coming of Christ, Elijah would come. However, the Pharisees did not interpret what was written about Elijah as they should have, but maliciously distorted the meaning of the Scriptures, concealing the truth. For there are …
This site's exposition
Elijah must come first
on Mark 9:11-13
Jesus agrees that Elijah does indeed come first, then adds that Elijah has indeed come, and they have done to him whatever they wished. Mark has already told of John the Baptist's death under Herod in chapter 6.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(non occ.) The design of the disciples in asking this question seems to me to be this. We indeed have seen Elias with Thee, and have seen Thee before seeing Elias, but the Scribes say that Elias cometh first; we therefore believe that they have lied.
The Medieval Church3 voices
(ubi sup.) Or thus; the disciples thought that the change which they had seen in Him in the mount, was His transformation to glory; and they say, If Thou hast already come in glory, wherefore doth not Thy forerunner appear? chiefly because they had seen Elias go away.
Now the Lord puts this forward to oppose the notion of the Pharisees, who held that Elias was the forerunner of the first advent, showing that it led them to a false conclusion; wherefore he subjoins, And how it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at nought. As if He had said, When Elias the Tishbite cometh, he will pacify the Jews, and will bring them to the faith, and thus be the forerunner of the second advent. If then Elias is the forerunner of the first advent, how is it written that the Son of man must suffer? One of these two things therefore will follow; either that Elias is not the forerunner of the first advent, and thus the Scripture will be true; or that he is the forerunner of the first advent, and then the Scriptures will not be true, which say that Christ must suffer; for Elias must restore all things, in which case there will not be an unbelieving Jew, but all, whosoever hear him, must believe on his preaching.
And they asked him, saying: Why then do the Pharisees and Scribes say that Elijah must come first? It is a tradition of the Pharisees, according to Malachi the prophet, who is the last of the twelve, that Elijah will come before the advent of …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And they asked him, saying,.... Being put in mind of it, by seeing Elias on the mount, or else by what Christ had said concerning his resurrection, or both: why say the Scribes, the Vulgate Latin adds, "and Pharisees", that Elias must first come? before the Messiah comes, or before the setting up his kingdom in greater glory; See Gill on Mat 17:10.
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Why say the Scribes, that before the appearing of the Messiah in his glory, according to the order settled in the prophecies of the Old Testament, Elias must first come? But Elias was gone, and Moses too. Now that which raised this difficulty, was, the scribes taught them to expect the person of Elias, whereas the prophecy intended one in the spirit and power of Elias.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1857)
The connection of this passage with the end of the last chapter ought never to be overlooked. Our Lord had been speaking of His own coming death and passion — of the necessity of self-denial, if men would be His disciples — of the need of losing our lives, if we would have them saved. But in the same breath he goes on to speak of His future kingdom and glory. He takes off the edge of His "hard sayings," by promising a sight of that glory to some of those who heard Him.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1857)
proposed
The connection of this passage with the end of the last chapter ought never to be overlooked. Our Lord had been speaking of His own coming death and passion — of the necessity of self-denial, if men would be His disciples — of the need of losing our lives, if we would have them saved. But in the same breath he goes on to speak of His future kingdom and glory. He takes off the edge of His "hard sayings," by promising a sight of that glory to some of those who heard Him. And in the history of the transfiguration, which is here recorded, we see that promise fulfilled. The first thing which demands our notice in these verses, is the marvelous vision they contain of the glory which Christ and His people shall have at His second coming . There can be no doubt that this was one of the principal purposes of the transfiguration. It was meant to teach the disciples, that though their Lord was lowly and poor in appearance now, He would one day appear in such royal majesty as became the Son of God. It was meant to teach those who when their Master came the second time, His saints, like Moses and Elijah, would appear with Him. It was meant to remind them, that though reviled and persecuted now, because they belonged to Christ, they would one day be clothed with honor, and be partakers of their Master's glory. We have reason to thank God for this vision. We are often tempted to give up Christ's service, because of the cross and affliction which it entails. We see few with us, and many against us. We find our names cast out as evil, and all manner of evil said of us, because we believe and love the Gospel. Year after year we see our companions in Christ's service removed by death, and we feel as if we knew little about them, except that they are gone to an unknown world, and that we are left alone. All these things are trying to flesh and blood.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Why say the scribes ... - See the notes at Mat 17:10-13.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| ἐπηρώτων | eperoton | they were asking | G1905 → | 56 times |
| αὐτὸν | auton | Him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| λέγοντες· | legontes | saying: | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| ὅτι | hoti | that | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| λέγουσιν | legousin | Say | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| οἱ | hoi | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| γραμματεῖς | grammateis | scribes | G1122 → | 62 times |
| ὅτι | hoti | that | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| Ἠλίαν | elian | Elijah | G2243 → | 29 times |
| δεῖ | dei | it behooves | G1163 → | 101 times |
| ἐλθεῖν | elthein | to come | G2064 → | 628 times |
| πρῶτον; | proton | first? | G4413 → | 152 times |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐπηρώτωνthey were asking
eperotonG1905 →56 times
αὐτὸνHim
autonG846 →5565 times
λέγοντες·saying:
legontesG3004 →1325 times
ὅτιthat
hotiG3754 →1292 times
λέγουσινSay
legousinG3004 →1325 times
οἱthe
hoiG3588 →19766 times
γραμματεῖςscribes
grammateisG1122 →62 times
ὅτιthat
hotiG3754 →1292 times
ἨλίανElijah
elianG2243 →29 times
δεῖit behooves
deiG1163 →101 times
ἐλθεῖνto come
eltheinG2064 →628 times
πρῶτον;first?
protonG4413 →152 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
Malachi 4:5Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome Day of the LORD.
it leads to
- Luke 1:17
And he will go on before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Matthew 17:10–13
The disciples asked Him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Mark 9:11–13
And they asked Jesus, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Matthew 11:13–14
For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John.
- Malachi 3:1
“Behold, I will send My messenger, who will prepare the way before Me. Then the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple—the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight—see, He…
- Luke 1:17
Through
Matthew 11:14And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.
it leads to
- Malachi 4:5
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome Day of the LORD.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Malachi 4:5
Through
Malachi 3:1“Behold, I will send My messenger, who will prepare the way before Me. Then the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple—the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight—see, He…
it leads to
- Luke 1:76
And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for Him,
- Mark 1:2–3
As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “Behold, I will send My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way.”
- Luke 1:76
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies17
About Mark
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); 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); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Mark and Theophylact of Ohrid, Catena Aurea by Aquinas.