And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:
Parallel translations
- WEB Immediately coming up from the water, he saw the heavens parting, and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.
- BSB As soon as Jesus came up out of the water, He saw the heavens breaking open and the Spirit descending on Him like a dove.
- NKJV And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.
- NASB And immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon Him;
- NLT As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on him like a dove.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
As Jesus rises from the water, heaven opens and the Spirit descends on Him like a dove. God publicly anoints His Son for ministry.
Overview
The tearing open of the heavens signals direct divine intervention, the same word Mark uses for the temple curtain at Jesus' death. The Spirit's descent anoints Jesus as the promised Messiah, empowering Him for His mission. Here we glimpse the Trinity: the Son baptized, the Spirit descending, the Father about to speak.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- John 1:31–34And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
- Luke 3:22And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.
- Isa 42:1Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
- Matt 3:16And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
- Isa 64:1Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Mark drives urgently to the cross, showing Jesus the Son of God as the suffering Servant who 'came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'
How Mark 1:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.