Bible Strands
Mark 9:6
For they were all so terrified that Peter did not know what else to say.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Peter addresses Jesus and the other disciples immediately after proposing they construct three shelters on the mountain. The statement occurs during the Transfiguration, positioned between his suggestion and the subsequent appearance of the enveloping cloud.
The words — The Greek ἔκφοβοι (ekphoboi) carries the literal sense of "terrified" or "extremely afraid," denoting the group's shared physical reaction. Peter's failure to continue speaking derives from ᾔδει (ēdei) "he knew" joined with οὐ (ou) "not," indicating a complete lack of a further reply.
The thread — This speechlessness before divine manifestation aligns with Daniel's reaction in Daniel 10:15 and the women's alarm at the empty tomb in Mark 16:5. It also corresponds to John's collapse in Revelation 1:17 when confronted with the same glory.
Why it lands — The text records that human proposals collapse when confronted with direct divine action. It requires the reader to acknowledge that terror and silence are the factual human response before God's manifest presence.
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 he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid.
Cross-references
- Daniel 10:15 While he was speaking these words to me, I set my face toward the ground and became speechless.
- Mark 16:5 When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.
- Revelation 1:17 When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. But He placed His right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last,