Mark 16:18

Mark 16:18 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
• New International Version (NIV)they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover."
• New King James Version (NKJV)they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Context of Mark 16:18

16If a person believes in me, then you should baptize that person. And God will save that person. But if a person does not believe, God will judge that person to be guilty. 17These miracles will happen when people believe in me. On my behalf, they will send bad spirits out of people. They will speak new languages. If they pick up a snake, it will not hurt them. If they drink poison, it will not hurt them. They will put their hands on ill people, and God will make those people well.’ 19So, after the Lord Jesus had spoken to the disciples, God took him up into heaven. There he sat down at the right side of God. 20The disciples went out everywhere. They told people God's good news. The Lord worked with them. He did powerful things to show that the message which they spoke was true.]

Mark 16:18 word by word

καὶ ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν ὄφεις ἀροῦσιν, κἂν θανάσιμόν τι πίωσιν, οὐ μὴ αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ ἀρρώστους χεῖρας ἐπιθήσουσιν καὶ καλῶς ἕξουσιν.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• They shall take upαἴρωairō · to take upG142
• serpentsὄφιςophis · snakeG3789
• and ifκἄνkan · and/even ifG2579
• they drinkπίνωpinō piō poō · to drinkG4095
• anyτιςtis · oneG5100
• deadly thingθανάσιμοςthanasimos · deadlyG2286
• it shallβλάπτωblaptō · to hurtG984
• ·οὐou · noG3756
• notμήmē · notG3361
• themαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• they shall layἐπιτίθημιepitithēmi · to put/lay onG2007
• handsχείρcheir · handG5495
• onἐπίepi · upon/to/againstG1909
• the sickἄρρωστοςarrhōstos · illG732
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• they shallἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• recoverκαλῶςkalōs · wellG2573

Cross-references for Mark 16:18

• Genesis 3:15I will cause you and the woman to become enemies. Your descendants and her descendants will always be enemies. One of her descendants will attack your head. You will attack his heel.’
• Psalms 91:13You will win against lions and snakes. You will walk over them!
• Luke 10:19Listen! I have given power to you. You will even stand on dangerous snakes and insects and you will have authority over all the power of the Devil. Nothing will hurt you.
• Acts 28:3Paul picked up some small branches to put on the fire. When he did this, a dangerous snake came out from among the sticks. It had felt the heat from the fire. The snake bit Paul's hand and it held on to it.
• Romans 16:20God gives us peace in our minds. He will quickly help you to win against the power of Satan. I pray that our Lord Jesus will continue to be kind to you.
• 2 Kings 4:39One of the prophets went out into the fields to get some herbs to put in the soup. He found a wild plant and he picked some of its fruits. He filled the pockets of his coat with them. He brought the fruits back with him and he cut them into pieces. He put the pieces into the pot of soup. But he did not know what they were.
• Acts 3:6Then Peter said to the man, ‘I do not have any money. But I do have something else that I will give to you. Jesus Christ from Nazareth gave me authority to do this. So now I tell you to walk!’
• Acts 4:10Now I need to tell you and all the people of Israel what is true. Then you will know how this happened. This man is standing here in front of you and he is well. His legs are strong because of Jesus Christ of Nazareth and his authority. You fixed Jesus to a cross so that he died. But after that, God caused him to become alive again.
• Acts 5:15As a result, people carried their sick friends into the streets and put them on beds and mats. They hoped that Peter would pass that way and make their sick friends well again. They just wanted Peter's shadow to touch them.
• Acts 9:17So Ananias went to Judas's house and he went inside. He put his hands on Saul and he said to him, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus himself has sent me here to you. It was Jesus that you saw on the road when you were coming here to Damascus. He has sent me to you so that you will be able to see again. God will also fill you with his Holy Spirit.’
• Acts 19:12Because of this, people were taking pieces of cloth and clothes that Paul gave to them. Paul had used these things, and people took them to those who were ill. After they touched these cloths, the sick people would become well again. Bad spirits also left them.
• Acts 28:8Publius's father was lying in bed because he was ill. His body was hot and he was very sick. Paul went into his room to see him. Paul prayed for him and he put his hands on the man's head. As a result, the man became well again.
• 1 Corinthians 12:9The same Spirit causes other people to trust God strongly. He gives to other people gifts to make sick people well.
• James 5:14Is anyone ill? They should ask the leaders of the church to come and to pray for them. The leaders should put some olive oil on the sick person. They should pray for him with the authority of the Lord Jesus.

Commentaries on Mark 16:18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18Take up serpents - Several MSS. add , in their hands - shall be enabled to give, when such a proof may be serviceable to the cause of truth, this evidence of their being continually under the power and protection of God, and that all nature is subject to him. This also was literally fulfilled in the case of Paul, Acts 28:5. If they drink any deadly thing - ( ) being understood - if they should through mistake, or accident, drink any poisonous matter…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18They shall take up serpents - When it is necessary for the sake of establishing religion, they shall handle poisonous reptiles without injury, thus showing that God was with them to keep them from harm. This was literally fulfilled when Paul shook the viper from his hand. See Acts 28:5-6. Any deadly thing - Any poison usually causing death. Shall not hurt them - There is a similar promise in Isaiah 43:2. They shall lay hands on the sick … - See instances…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-18Verses 14-18 The evidences of the truth of the gospel are so full, that those who receive it not, may justly be upbraided with their unbelief. Our blessed Lord renewed his choice of the eleven as his apostles, and commissioned them to go into all the world, to preach his gospel to every creature. Only he that is a true Christian shall be saved through Christ. Simon Magus professed to believe, and was baptized, yet he was declared to be in the bonds of…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9-20Nearly all scholars agree that Mark did not write the shorter ending and the longer ending of his Gospel. These endings use different styles, vocabulary, and theology (teaching about God). Also, the two best early Greek manuscripts (Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus) do not include these endings. However, many scholars also doubt that Mark meant to end his Gospel at 16:8. Several reasons support this view: Mark emphasizes that the predictions of Jesus…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 17-1817-18. And these signs shall follow them that believe ... They shall take up serpents--These two verses also are peculiar to Mark. The Ascension and Triumphant Proclamation of the Gospel Thereafter (Mr 16:19, 20).Read the comment

Topics related to Mark 16:18

• Charism
• Disease
• Hand
• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Miracles
• Power
• Serpent

In the dictionaries

• Daemoniac
• Gifts, spiritual
• Receive
• Resurrection of Christ
• Unbelief
• Armenian Versions, of the Bible
• Deadly
• Demon; Demoniac; Demonology
• Jesus Christ
• Joseph Barsabbas

Commentaries on Mark 16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings