Bible Strands
Mark 8:36
What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Jesus speaks to his disciples in the region of Caesarea Philippi, within the teaching block (Mark 8:31–38) that follows his first passion prediction and Peter's confession.
The words — Both key verbs are commercial: ὠφελεῖ (ōphelei, "profits") and κερδῆσαι (kerdēsai, "to gain") draw on the language of market advantage, framing the question as a transaction.
The thread — The parallel stands in Matthew 16:26 and Luke 9:25; Psalms 49:17 echoes the same logic from the opposite direction — death carries nothing away.
Why it lands — It forces a cost-benefit calculation in which the "profit" side is the maximum possible gain and the "loss" side is the one thing that cannot be recovered or exchanged.
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
For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
Cross-references
- Matthew 16:26 What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
- Luke 9:25 What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet lose or forfeit his very self?
- Psalms 49:17 For when he dies, he will carry nothing away; his abundance will not follow him down.
- James 1:9 The brother in humble circumstances should exult in his high position.
- Philippians 3:7 But whatever was gain to me I count as loss for the sake of Christ.
- Luke 12:19 Then I will say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take it easy. Eat, drink, and be merry!”’
- Hebrews 11:24 By faith Moses, when he was grown, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.
- Romans 6:21 What fruit did you reap at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? The outcome of those things is death.
- Job 2:4 “Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give up all he owns in exchange for his life.
- Revelation 18:7 As much as she has glorified herself and lived in luxury, give her the same measure of torment and grief. In her heart she says, ‘I sit as queen; I am not a widow and will never see grief.’