Mark 9:10 Meaning and Explanation
“And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Even close to Jesus, the disciples could not yet grasp resurrection, and He stayed patient with their wondering.
The Context of Mark 9:10
This comes just after the Transfiguration, as Jesus, Peter, James, and John walk down the mountain. Jesus has told them to tell no one what they saw until the Son of man is risen from the dead (verse 9). The three are now turning that strange phrase over among themselves.
What Does Mark 9:10 Mean?
Three of Jesus' closest friends had just seen His glory blaze on the mountain, and now they walk back down holding a sentence they cannot crack. He had spoken of rising from the dead, and they kept it among themselves, asking each other quietly what it could possibly mean. They were not faithless; they were honest, carrying a truth too large to fit into anything they yet understood. Resurrection was not the picture they had of how the story would go.
There is comfort in seeing the disciples confused so close to Jesus. He did not cast them off for failing to understand, and He did not stop walking with them. He let them wonder, knowing that what puzzled them now would become the ground they stood on later, once the stone was rolled away. The truth they could not yet hold was Christ Himself, who would soon rise and turn their questions into joy.
Mark 9:10 in the Original Language
anastasis (ἀνάστασις), 'rising' -- a standing up again, the raising of the dead back to life.
How to Apply Mark 9:10 Today
Sometimes we walk with Jesus and still cannot make sense of what He has said or allowed. The disciples show us that confusion is not the same as unbelief. We can hold our questions honestly, stay close to Him, and trust that what we cannot understand today He may make plain in time.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mark 9:10
What does Mark 9:10 mean?
Even close to Jesus, the disciples could not yet grasp resurrection, and He stayed patient with their wondering.
What is the context of Mark 9:10?
This comes just after the Transfiguration, as Jesus, Peter, James, and John walk down the mountain. Jesus has told them to tell no one what they saw until the Son of man is risen from the dead (verse 9). The three are now turning that strange phrase over among themselves.
How can I apply Mark 9:10 today?
Sometimes we walk with Jesus and still cannot make sense of what He has said or allowed. The disciples show us that confusion is not the same as unbelief. We can hold our questions honestly, stay close to Him, and trust that what we cannot understand today He may make plain in time.