God & Savior

Mark 10:45

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
Mark 10:45
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Study notes

The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.

Explanation

James and John asked for places of honour (10:35-40). Jesus teaches that greatness in His kingdom means serving others (10:42-44). He Himself is the example. A ransom was a price paid to set someone free.

Theology

Jesus describes His death as a ransom: He gives His life to set many free. This verse is central to Christian teaching about the purpose of the cross.

Original language
  • υἱὸς (huios): son
    Greek · Noun, nominative, singular, masculine · Strong's G5207 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Son.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Mark 10:45, word 4

  • ἀνθρώπου (anthrōpou): a human
    Greek · Noun, genitive, singular, masculine · Strong's G0444 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Of Man: the title Jesus most often uses for Himself (compare Daniel 7:13-14).

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Mark 10:45, word 6

  • διακονηθῆναι (diakonēthēnai): to serve
    Greek · Verb, aorist, passive, infinitive · Strong's G1247 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    To be served.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Mark 10:45, word 9

  • διακονῆσαι (diakonēsai): to serve
    Greek · Verb, aorist, active, infinitive · Strong's G1247 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    To serve.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Mark 10:45, word 11

  • ψυχὴν (psuchēn): soul
    Greek · Noun, accusative, singular, feminine · Strong's G5590H · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Life, soul.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Mark 10:45, word 15

  • λύτρον (lutron): ransom
    Greek · Noun, accusative, singular, neuter · Strong's G3083 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Ransom: the price paid to free a slave or captive.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Mark 10:45, word 17

  • πολλῶν (pollōn): much
    Greek · Adjective, genitive, plural, masculine · Strong's G4183 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Many.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Mark 10:45, word 19

Cross-references
Sources

Original language and places

Reference data from open datasets, shown as published by their sources. Word-by-word English is a literal guide, not a translation.

Original language (Greek)

καὶ γὰρ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἦλθεν διακονηθῆναι ἀλλὰ διακονῆσαι καὶ δοῦναι τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ λύτρον ἀντὶ πολλῶν.

  1. καὶkai“Even”
    Conjunction · from καί · “and” · Strong's G2532
  2. γὰρgar“for”
    Conjunction · from γάρ · “for” · Strong's G1063
  3. ὁho“the”
    Article, nominative, singular, masculine · “the/this/who” · Strong's G3588
  4. υἱὸςhuios“Son”
    Noun, nominative, singular, masculine · from υἱός · “son” · Strong's G5207
  5. τοῦtou“<the>”
    Article, genitive, singular, masculine · from ὁ · “the/this/who” · Strong's G3588
  6. ἀνθρώπουanthrōpou“of Man”
    Noun, genitive, singular, masculine · from ἄνθρωπος · “a human” · Strong's G0444
  7. οὐκouk“not”
    Particle, negative · from οὐ · “no” · Strong's G3756
  8. ἦλθενēlthen“came”
    Verb, 2nd aorist, active, indicative, 3rd person singular · from ἔρχομαι · “to come/go” · Strong's G2064
  9. διακονηθῆναιdiakonēthēnai“to be served”
    Verb, aorist, passive, infinitive · from διακονέω · “to serve” · Strong's G1247
  10. ἀλλὰalla“but”
    Conjunction · from ἀλλά · “but” · Strong's G0235
  11. διακονῆσαιdiakonēsai“to serve”
    Verb, aorist, active, infinitive · from διακονέω · “to serve” · Strong's G1247
  12. καὶkai“and”
    Conjunction · from καί · “and” · Strong's G2532
  13. δοῦναιdounai“to give”
    Verb, 2nd aorist, active, infinitive · from δίδωμι · “to give” · Strong's G1325
  14. τὴνtēn“the”
    Article, accusative, singular, feminine · from ὁ · “the/this/who” · Strong's G3588
  15. ψυχὴνpsuchēn“life”
    Noun, accusative, singular, feminine · from ψυχή · “soul” · Strong's G5590H
  16. αὐτοῦautou“of Him”
    Personal pronoun, genitive, singular, masculine · from αὐτός · “he/she/it/self” · Strong's G0846
  17. λύτρονlutron“[as] a ransom”
    Noun, accusative, singular, neuter · “ransom” · Strong's G3083
  18. ἀντὶanti“for”
    Preposition · from ἀντί · “for” · Strong's G0473
  19. πολλῶν.pollōn“many.”
    Adjective, genitive, plural, masculine · from πολύς · “much” · Strong's G4183
  • Prepared by the God & Savior team. Not yet reviewed by an editor.
  • Greek words: STEP Bible (STEPBible.org), based on work at Tyndale House, Cambridge. CC BY 4.0. Source (version ed476a8)