Mark 9:34
New International Version
But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.

New Living Translation
But they didn’t answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest.

English Standard Version
But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest.

Berean Standard Bible
But they were silent, for on the way they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest.

Berean Literal Bible
And they were silent, for along the road they had been discussing with one another which was greatest.

King James Bible
But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest.

New King James Version
But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.

New American Standard Bible
But they kept silent, for on the way they had discussed with one another which of them was the greatest.

NASB 1995
But they kept silent, for on the way they had discussed with one another which of them was the greatest.

NASB 1977
But they kept silent, for on the way they had discussed with one another which of them was the greatest.

Legacy Standard Bible
But they kept silent, for on the way they had discussed with one another which of them was the greatest.

Amplified Bible
But they kept quiet, because on the road they had discussed and debated with one another which one [of them] was the greatest.

Christian Standard Bible
But they were silent, because on the way they had been arguing with one another about who was the greatest.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But they were silent, because on the way they had been arguing with one another about who was the greatest.

American Standard Version
But they held their peace: for they had disputed one with another on the way, who was the greatest.

Contemporary English Version
They had been arguing about which one of them was the greatest, and so they did not answer.

English Revised Version
But they held their peace: for they had disputed one with another in the way, who was the greatest.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They were silent. On the road they had argued about who was the greatest.

Good News Translation
But they would not answer him, because on the road they had been arguing among themselves about who was the greatest.

International Standard Version
But they kept silent, because they had argued on the road with one another about who was the greatest.

Majority Standard Bible
But they were silent, for on the way they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest.

NET Bible
But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest.

New Heart English Bible
But they were silent, for they had disputed one with another on the way about who was the greatest.

Webster's Bible Translation
But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest.

Weymouth New Testament
But they remained silent; for on the way they had debated with one another who was the chief of them.

World English Bible
But they were silent, for they had disputed with one another on the way about who was the greatest.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And they were silent, for they reasoned with one another in the way who is greater;

Berean Literal Bible
And they were silent, for along the road they had been discussing with one another which was greatest.

Young's Literal Translation
and they were silent, for with one another they did reason in the way who is greater;

Smith's Literal Translation
And they were silent; for they discussed to one another in the way, who the greatest.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But they held their peace, for in the way they had disputed among themselves, which of them should be the greatest.

Catholic Public Domain Version
But they were silent. For indeed, on the way, they had disputed among themselves as to which of them was greater.

New American Bible
But they remained silent. They had been discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest.

New Revised Standard Version
But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
But they kept silent, for on the road they had argued with one another, which was the greatest of them.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But they were silent, for they had been arguing on the road with one another who was the greatest among them.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
But they were silent. For they had been disputing with one another along the road which was greatest.

Godbey New Testament
And they were silent: for they were disputing to one another in the way, who was the greater.

Haweis New Testament
But they held their peace. For they had been disputing with each other on the road, which was the greatest.

Mace New Testament
at which they were silent, for upon the road they had disputed about precedency.

Weymouth New Testament
But they remained silent; for on the way they had debated with one another who was the chief of them.

Worrell New Testament
But they were silent; for they disputed with one another in the way, who was the greatest.

Worsley New Testament
But they held their peace; for they had been disputing with each other by the way who should be the greatest.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Greatest in the Kingdom
33Then they came to Capernaum. While Jesus was in the house, He asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” 34But they were silent, for on the way they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest. 35Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the last of all and the servant of all.”…

Cross References
Matthew 18:1-4
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” / Jesus invited a little child to stand among them. / “Truly I tell you,” He said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ...

Luke 9:46-48
Then an argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. / But Jesus, knowing the thoughts of their hearts, had a little child stand beside Him. / And He said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in My name welcomes Me, and whoever welcomes Me welcomes the One who sent Me. For whoever is the least among all of you, he is the greatest.”

Matthew 20:20-28
Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and knelt down to make a request of Him. / “What do you want?” He inquired. She answered, “Declare that in Your kingdom one of these two sons of mine may sit at Your right hand, and the other at Your left.” / “You do not know what you are asking,” Jesus replied. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” “We can,” the brothers answered. ...

Luke 22:24-27
A dispute also arose among the disciples as to which of them should be considered the greatest. / So Jesus declared, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in authority over them call themselves benefactors. / But you shall not be like them. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who leads like the one who serves. ...

Matthew 23:11-12
The greatest among you shall be your servant. / For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Philippians 2:3-4
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves. / Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

James 4:1-3
What causes conflicts and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from the passions at war within you? / You crave what you do not have; you kill and covet, but are unable to obtain it. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask. / And when you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures.

1 Peter 5:5-6
Young men, in the same way, submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” / Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, so that in due time He may exalt you.

Romans 12:10
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Outdo yourselves in honoring one another.

1 Corinthians 1:10-12
I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree together, so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be united in mind and conviction. / My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. / What I mean is this: Individuals among you are saying, “I follow Paul,” “I follow Apollos,” “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.”

1 Corinthians 3:3-4
for you are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and dissension among you, are you not worldly? Are you not walking in the way of man? / For when one of you says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere men?

Galatians 5:19-21
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; / idolatry and sorcery; hatred, discord, jealousy, and rage; rivalries, divisions, factions, / and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Ephesians 4:2-3
with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, / and with diligence to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

Proverbs 13:10
Arrogance leads only to strife, but wisdom is with the well-advised.

Proverbs 16:18
Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.


Treasury of Scripture

But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest.

they had.

Matthew 18:1
At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?

Matthew 20:21-24
And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom…

Luke 9:46-48
Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest…

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Argued Argument Chief Debated Discussed Disputed Greater Greatest Held Kept Peace Quiet Reason Reasoning Silent Themselves Way
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Argued Argument Chief Debated Discussed Disputed Greater Greatest Held Kept Peace Quiet Reason Reasoning Silent Themselves Way
Mark 9
1. Jesus is transfigured.
11. He instructs his disciples concerning the coming of Elijah;
14. casts forth a deaf and mute spirit;
30. foretells his death and resurrection;
33. exhorts his disciples to humility;
38. bidding them not to prohibit such as are not against them,
42. nor to give offense to any of the faithful.














But they were silent
The disciples' silence indicates a sense of shame or guilt. This reaction suggests they were aware that their discussion was inappropriate. Silence in the presence of Jesus often signifies a recognition of His authority and the disciples' own shortcomings. This moment reflects the human tendency to seek self-promotion, even among those closest to Jesus.

for on the way
The phrase "on the way" indicates that this conversation took place during their travels. Jesus and His disciples were often on the move, journeying through Galilee and other regions. This setting highlights the itinerant nature of Jesus' ministry and the informal teaching moments that occurred during these travels. The road was a place of learning and revelation, as seen in other instances such as the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35).

they had been arguing
The disciples' argument reveals their misunderstanding of Jesus' teachings about the Kingdom of God. Despite witnessing Jesus' miracles and hearing His teachings, they still grappled with worldly concepts of power and status. This argument is a reflection of human nature's inclination towards competition and self-interest, which Jesus consistently challenged.

about which of them was the greatest
This discussion about greatness underscores the disciples' lack of comprehension regarding the nature of true greatness in the Kingdom of God. Jesus later addresses this by teaching that true greatness comes from humility and servanthood (Mark 9:35). This theme is consistent throughout Scripture, as seen in Jesus' washing of the disciples' feet (John 13:1-17) and His teaching that the last shall be first (Matthew 20:16). The disciples' focus on personal status contrasts sharply with Jesus' example of self-sacrifice and service.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jesus
The central figure in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus is the teacher and leader of the disciples, guiding them in understanding the Kingdom of God.

2. The Disciples
The followers of Jesus who are learning from Him. In this passage, they are caught in a moment of human weakness, arguing about their own status.

3. The Way
This refers to the journey Jesus and His disciples are taking, both physically towards Jerusalem and spiritually towards understanding His mission.
Teaching Points
Humility Over Ambition
The disciples' argument reveals a common human tendency to seek personal greatness. Jesus teaches that true greatness in His Kingdom is marked by humility and service to others.

Silence and Reflection
The disciples' silence when confronted by Jesus suggests an opportunity for self-reflection. In our own lives, moments of silence can be powerful for introspection and spiritual growth.

The Path of Discipleship
Following Jesus involves a journey of transformation. As we walk "on the way" with Him, we are called to leave behind worldly measures of success and embrace His values.

Community and Unity
Arguments about status can disrupt community. Jesus calls His followers to unity and mutual respect, focusing on collective growth rather than individual accolades.(34) Who should be the greatest.--Better, more simply, who was the greatest.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
But
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

they were silent,
ἐσιώπων (esiōpōn)
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 4623: To keep silence, be silent, either voluntarily or involuntarily. From siope; to be dumb; figuratively, to be calm.

for
γὰρ (gar)
Conjunction
Strong's 1063: For. A primary particle; properly, assigning a reason.

on
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

the
τῇ (tē)
Article - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

way
ὁδῷ (hodō)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3598: A way, road, journey, path. Apparently a primary word; a road; by implication, a progress; figuratively, a mode or means.

they had been arguing
διελέχθησαν (dielechthēsan)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 1256: To converse, address, preach, lecture; I argue, reason. Middle voice from dia and lego; to say thoroughly, i.e. Discuss.

with
πρὸς (pros)
Preposition
Strong's 4314: To, towards, with. A strengthened form of pro; a preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. Toward.

each other
ἀλλήλους (allēlous)
Personal / Reciprocal Pronoun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 240: One another, each other. Genitive plural from allos reduplicated; one another.

which [of them was]
τίς (tis)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5101: Who, which, what, why. Probably emphatic of tis; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what.

[the] greatest.
μείζων (meizōn)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular - Comparative
Strong's 3173: Large, great, in the widest sense.


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