Mark 8:36

Mark 8:36 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
• New International Version (NIV)What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?
• English Standard Version (ESV)For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?
• New King James Version (NKJV)For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?

Context of Mark 8:36

34Then Jesus called the crowd, along with his disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 35For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and for the gospel will save it. For what benefit is it for a person to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his life? 37What can a person give in exchange for his life? 38For if anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

Mark 8:36 word by word

τί γὰρ ὠφελεῖ ἄνθρωπον κερδῆσαι τὸν κόσμον ὅλον καὶ ζημιωθῆναι τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ;Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• whatτίςtis · which?G5101
• shall it profitὠφελέωōpheleō · to helpG5623
• a manἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
• ifἐάνean · ifG1437
• he shall gainκερδαίνωkerdainō · to gainG2770
• theὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• theκόσμοςkosmos · worldG2889
• wholeὅλοςholos · allG3650
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• loseζημιόωzēmioō · to loseG2210
• his ownαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• soulψυχήpsuchē · soulG5590

Cross-references for Mark 8:36

• Job 2:4But Satan answered the Lord, “Skin for skin! Indeed, a man will give up all that he has to save his life!
• Psalms 49:17For he will take nothing with him when he dies; his wealth will not follow him down into the grave.
• Psalms 73:18Surely you put them in slippery places; you bring them down to ruin.
• Matthew 4:8Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their grandeur.
• Matthew 16:26For what does it benefit a person if he gains the whole world but forfeits his life? Or what can a person give in exchange for his life?
• Luke 9:25For what does it benefit a person if he gains the whole world but loses or forfeits himself?
• Luke 12:19And I will say to myself, “You have plenty of goods stored up for many years; relax, eat, drink, celebrate!”’
• Luke 16:19“There was a rich man who dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day.
• Philippians 3:7But these assets I have come to regard as liabilities because of Christ.
• Revelation 18:7As much as she exalted herself and lived in sensual luxury, to this extent give her torment and grief because she said to herself, ‘I rule as queen and am no widow; I will never experience grief!’
• Job 22:2“Is it to God that a strong man is of benefit? Is it to him that even a wise man is profitable?
• Malachi 3:14You have said, ‘It is useless to serve God. How have we been helped by keeping his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord who rules over all?
• Romans 6:21So what benefit did you then reap from those things that you are now ashamed of? For the end of those things is death.
• Hebrews 11:24By faith, when he grew up, Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter,
• James 1:9Now the believer of humble means should take pride in his high position.

Commentaries on Mark 8:36

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 27-38Verses 27-38 See this passage illustrated in the notes at Mark 8:32 He spake that saying openly - With boldness or confidence, or without parables or figures, so that there could be no possibility of misunderstanding him. Mark 8:38 Ashamed of me - Ashamed to own attachment to me on account of my lowly appearance and my poverty. And of my words - My doctrines, my instructions. This adulterous and sinful generation - This age given to wickedness…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 34-38Verses 34-38 Frequent notice is taken of the great flocking there was to Christ for help in various cases. All are concerned to know this, if they expect him to heal their souls. They must not indulge the ease of the body. As the happiness of heaven with Christ, is enough to make up for the loss of life itself for him, so the gain of all the world in sin, will not make up for the ruin of the soul by sin. And there is a day coming, when the cause of Christ…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 36-37The implied answer to the rhetorical question Jesus asks is that possessing the entire world has no value if you give up eternal life. “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose” (Jim Elliot). You need your soul to enjoy the benefits of the world to come. When you forfeit your life or soul, there is nothing you can give to purchase it back.Read the comment

Topics related to Mark 8:36

• Jesus, the Christ
• Wicked (People)
• Worldliness

In the dictionaries

• Adulterous
• Deeply
• Faint
• Sigh
• Forfeit
• Mark, the Gospel According to
• Resurrection
• World, Cosmological

Commentaries on Mark 8

• 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