Bible Strands
Mark 1:24
“What do You want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — An unclean spirit speaking through a man in the synagogue addresses Jesus directly as He begins His public ministry.
The words — The text uses λέγων (legōn) for "saying" and τί ἡμῖν (ti hēmin) to ask "what to us," framing the confrontation as a direct challenge to Jesus’s presence.
The thread — This declaration echoes in Luke 4:34 with identical phrasing but occurs in a different synagogue setting, while Matthew 8:29 records a separate Gadarenes confrontation using the title "Son of God."
Why it lands — The text records a demon’s recognition of Jesus as "the Holy One of God" and its fear of destruction, asking the reader to confront the reality that spiritual forces acknowledge Christ’s authority before humans do.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.
Cross-references
- Matthew 8:29 “What do You want with us, Son of God?” they shouted. “Have You come here to torture us before the appointed time?”
- James 2:19 You believe that God is one. Good for you! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
- Luke 4:34 “Ha! What do You want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”
- Acts 3:14 You rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you.
- Revelation 3:7 To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of the One who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no one can open.
- Mark 5:7 And he shouted in a loud voice, “What do You want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You before God not to torture me!”
- Luke 8:28 When the man saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before Him, shouting in a loud voice, “What do You want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You not to torture me!”
- Acts 2:27 because You will not abandon my soul to Hades, nor will You let Your Holy One see decay.
- Psalms 16:10 For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, nor will You let Your Holy One see decay.
- Psalms 89:18 Surely our shield belongs to the LORD, and our king to the Holy One of Israel.