Bible Strands
Mark 9:12
He replied, “Elijah does indeed come first, and he restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected?
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Jesus speaks to his disciples immediately after they ask why the scribes claim Elijah must precede the Messiah. His response occurs between their inquiry in Mark 9:11 and his identification of John the Baptist as the fulfilled Elijah in Mark 9:13.
The words — ἀποκριθεὶς (apokritheis) translates literally to "answering," marking the direct reply to the disciples' question. Ἠλίας (Ēlias) denotes the prophet Elijah, whose expected return frames the entire exchange.
The thread — The text links Elijah's restorative role to the suffering of the Son of Man, drawing on Isaiah 52:14, 50:6, and 53:1 for the rejection motif. Jesus uses these passages to show that prophetic restoration and messianic suffering operate within the same redemptive timeline.
Why it lands — The passage states that the Messiah's suffering and rejection are explicitly written in Scripture. It requires the reader to accept that divine restoration proceeds through the very rejection the prophets foretold.
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
And he answered and told them, Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things; and how it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things, and be set at nought.
Cross-references
- Isaiah 53:1 Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
- Isaiah 50:6 I offered My back to those who struck Me, and My cheeks to those who tore out My beard. I did not hide My face from scorn and spittle.
- Isaiah 52:14 Just as many were appalled at Him—His appearance was disfigured beyond that of any man, and His form was marred beyond human likeness—
- Isaiah 40:3 A voice of one calling: “Prepare the way for the LORD in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert.
- Luke 1:16 Many of the sons of Israel he will turn back to the Lord their God.
- Isaiah 49:7 Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel, to Him who was despised and abhorred by the nation, to the Servant of rulers: “Kings will see You and rise, and princes will bow down, because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen You.”
- Luke 23:11 And even Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked Him. Dressing Him in a fine robe, they sent Him back to Pilate.
- Psalms 22:1 For the choirmaster. To the tune of “The Doe of the Dawn.” A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from saving me, so far from my words of groaning?
- Zechariah 13:7 Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, against the man who is My Companion, declares the LORD of Hosts. Strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn My hand against the little ones.
- Matthew 11:2 Meanwhile John heard in prison about the works of Christ, and he sent his disciples