The Meaning of Mark 8:27 Explained

Mark 8:27

KJV: And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am?

YLT: And Jesus went forth, and his disciples, to the villages of Caesarea Philippi, and in the way he was questioning his disciples, saying to them, 'Who do men say me to be?'

Darby: And Jesus went forth and his disciples, into the villages of Caesarea-Philippi. And by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Who do men say that I am?

ASV: And Jesus went forth, and his disciples, into the villages of Caesarea Philippi: and on the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Who do men say that I am?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  Jesus  went out,  and  his  disciples,  into  the towns  of Caesarea  Philippi:  and  by  the way  he asked  his  disciples,  saying  unto them,  Whom  do  men  say  that I  am? 

What does Mark 8:27 Mean?

Context Summary

Mark 8:22-38 - The Cost Of Following Jesus
Our attention has been drawn to the Master's sighs; here, however, was another characteristic act. He spat on the eyes of the blind man, perhaps to excite his expectation and faith. Repulsive as ophthalmia is in the East, it did not repel Him nor staunch the flow of His pity.
We do not at once see everything clearly, but step by step we come unto perfect vision. Here we see through a glass darkly, there face to face. There was a great price to be paid; it was only through suffering and death that Jesus could do His greatest work, in redeeming and cleansing the children of men. He might have been the miracle-worker apart from Calvary; but to be the Savior, He must not spare Himself but be willing to pour out His soul even unto death. It was hard for the Apostles to learn this lesson; they wanted the Master to spare Himself. Peter, especially, sought to dissuade Him; but the Lord knew better the desperate need of men and how it must be met. There are three conditions to be fulfilled by those who have resolved to follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. 1. We must deny self; 2. Each must take up his cross; 3. We must think more of others than of ourselves. If these are realized, the soul is following Christ and making progress, even though it deems itself stagnant or drifting back. [source]

Chapter Summary: Mark 8

1  Jesus feeds the people miraculously;
10  refuses to give a sign to the Pharisees;
14  admonishes his disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Herod;
22  gives a blind man his sight;
27  acknowledges that he is the Jesus who should suffer and rise again;
34  and exhorts to patience in persecution for the profession of the gospel

Greek Commentary for Mark 8:27

Into the villages of Caesarea Philippi [εις τας κωμας Καισαριας της Πιλιππου]
Parts (μερη — merē) Matthew 16:13 has, the Caesarea of Philippi in contrast to the one down on the Mediterranean Sea. Mark means the villages belonging to the district around Caesarea Philippi. This region is on a spur of Mount Hermon in Iturea ruled by Herod Philip so that Jesus is safe from annoyance by Herod Antipas or the Pharisees and Sadducees. Up here on this mountain slope Jesus will have his best opportunity to give the disciples special teaching concerning the crucifixion just a little over six months ahead. So Jesus asked (επηρωτα — epērōtā descriptive imperfect) [source]
Who do men say that I am? [Τινα με λεγουσιν οι αντρωποι ειναι]
Matthew 16:13 has “the Son of Man” in place of “I” here in Mark and in Luke 9:18. He often described himself as “the Son of Man.” Certainly here the phrase could not mean merely “a man.” They knew the various popular opinions about Jesus of which Herod Antipas had heard (Mark 3:21, Mark 3:31). It was time that the disciples reveal how much they had been influenced by their environment as well as by the direct instruction of Jesus. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Mark 8:27

Luke 9:28 Into the mountain [εις το ορος]
Probably Mount Hermon because we know that Jesus was near Caesarea Philippi when Peter made the confession (Mark 8:27; Matthew 16:13). Hermon is still the glory of Palestine from whose heights one can view the whole of the land. It was a fit place for the Transfiguration.To pray (προσευχασται — proseuxasthai). Peculiar to Luke who so often mentions Christ‘s habit of prayer (cf. Luke 3:21). See also Luke 9:29 “as he was praying” (εν τωι προσευχεσται — en tōi proseuchesthai one of Luke‘s favourite idioms).His countenance was altered Literally, “the appearance of his face became different.” Matthew 17:2 says that “his face did shine as the sun.” Luke does not use the word “transfigured” Literally, And his raiment white radiant. There is no and between “white” and “dazzling.” The participle εχαστραπτων — exastraptōn is from the compound verb meaning to flash The simple verb is common for lightning flashes and bolts, but the compound in the lxx and here alone in the N.T. See note on Mark 9:3 “exceeding white” and the note on Matthew 17:2 “white as the light.” [source]
John 6:69 We have believed [ημεις πεπιστευκαμεν]
Perfect active indicative of πιστευω — pisteuō “We have come to believe and still believe” (John 6:29). And know Same tense of γινωσκω — ginōskō “We have come to know and still know.” Thou art the Holy One of God Bernard follows those who believe that this is John‘s report of the same confession given by the Synoptics (Mark 8:27.; Matthew 16:13-20; Luke 9:18.), an utterly unjustifiable conclusion. The details are wholly different. Here in the synagogue in Capernaum, there on Mt. Hermon near Caesarea Philippi. What earthly difficulty is there in supposing that Peter could make a noble confession twice? That is to my mind a wooden conception of the apostles in their growing apprehension of Christ. [source]

What do the individual words in Mark 8:27 mean?

And went forth - Jesus the disciples of Him into the villages of Caesarea - Philippi on the way He was questioning the disciples saying to them Whom Me do pronounce - men to be
Καὶ ἐξῆλθεν Ἰησοῦς οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ εἰς τὰς κώμας Καισαρείας τῆς Φιλίππου ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ ἐπηρώτα τοὺς μαθητὰς λέγων αὐτοῖς Τίνα με λέγουσιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι εἶναι

ἐξῆλθεν  went  forth 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἐξέρχομαι 
Sense: to go or come forth of.
  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Ἰησοῦς  Jesus 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰησοῦς  
Sense: Joshua was the famous captain of the Israelites, Moses’ successor.
μαθηταὶ  disciples 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: μαθητής  
Sense: a learner, pupil, disciple.
αὐτοῦ  of  Him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
εἰς  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: εἰς  
Sense: into, unto, to, towards, for, among.
κώμας  villages 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Plural
Root: κώμη  
Sense: the common sleeping place to which labourers in the field return, a village.
Καισαρείας  of  Caesarea 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: Καισάρεια  
Sense: Caesarea of Philippi was situated at the foot of Lebanon near the sources of the Jordan in Gaulanitis, and formerly called Paneas; but afterward being rebuilt by Philip the tetrarch, it was called by him Caesarea, in honour of Tiberias Caesar; subsequently called Neronias by Agrippa II, in honour of Nero.
τῆς  - 
Parse: Article, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Φιλίππου  Philippi 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: Φίλιππος  
Sense: an apostle of Christ.
ὁδῷ  way 
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Singular
Root: ὁδός 
Sense: properly.
ἐπηρώτα  He  was  questioning 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἐπερωτάω  
Sense: to accost one with an enquiry, put a question to, enquiry of, ask, interrogate.
μαθητὰς  disciples 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: μαθητής  
Sense: a learner, pupil, disciple.
λέγων  saying 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
αὐτοῖς  to  them 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
Τίνα  Whom 
Parse: Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: τίς  
Sense: who, which, what.
με  Me 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Accusative 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
λέγουσιν  do  pronounce 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
οἱ  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἄνθρωποι  men 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: ἄνθρωπος  
Sense: a human being, whether male or female.
εἶναι  to  be 
Parse: Verb, Present Infinitive Active
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.

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