Mark 6:29

When John’s disciples heard about this, they came and took his body and placed it in a tomb.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — The narrator addresses readers at the moment Herod’s execution of John the Baptist concludes, immediately preceding the apostles’ return to Jesus. The account records the disciples’ response to the news of their master’s death.

The words — The text highlights ἀκούσαντες (akousantes), literally “having heard,” and ἦραν (ēran), literally “they took up,” describing the disciples’ swift physical response to the report. These verbs frame the action as a direct, unmediated reaction to the news.

The thread — This burial sequence parallels Matthew 14:12, where the disciples also take the body and inform Jesus. It echoes the honorable burials of faithful leaders in 2 Chronicles 24:16 and 1 Kings 13:29.

Why it lands — The verse demands recognition that faithful followers perform tangible duties of respect even amid political violence. It requires readers to account for how communities respond to the loss of their leaders without romanticizing the event.

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

ΚαὶKaiAnd ἀκούσαντεςakousanteshaving heard [it]οἱhoithe μαθηταὶmathētaidisciples αὐτοῦautouof him ἦλθονēlthoncame καὶkaiand ἦρανēranthey took up τὸtothe πτῶμαptōmabody αὐτοῦautouof him καὶkaiand ἔθηκανethēkanlaid αὐτὸautoit ἐνenin τῷtō<the>μνημείῳ.¶mnēmeiō[a] tomb.

King James Version

And when his disciples heard of it, they came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb.

Cross-references

Matthew 14:12 Then John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it. And they went and informed Jesus.
2 Chronicles 24:16 And Jehoiada was buried with the kings in the City of David, because he had done what was good in Israel for God and His temple.
1 Kings 13:29 So the old prophet lifted up the body of the man of God, laid it on the donkey, and brought it back to his own city to mourn for him and bury him.
Matthew 27:57 When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea named Joseph, who himself was a disciple of Jesus.
Acts 8:2 God-fearing men buried Stephen and mourned deeply over him.