And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Parallel translations
- WEB A voice came out of the sky, “You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
- BSB And a voice came from heaven: “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”
- NKJV Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
- NASB and a voice came from the heavens: “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”
- NLT And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”
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
The Father's voice declares Jesus to be His beloved Son in whom He delights. Heaven confirms Jesus' identity and approval.
Overview
This declaration echoes Psalm 2:7 (the messianic King) and Isaiah 42:1 (the chosen Servant), uniting royal and suffering-servant themes. The Father's pleasure rests on the Son even before His public works, grounding Jesus' mission in eternal love. For Mark's readers, it answers the opening claim that Jesus is the Son of God.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- 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.
- Mark 9:7And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.
- Matt 3:17And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
- Ps 2:7I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.
- Col 1:13Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
- Rom 1:4And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
- John 3:16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
- 2 Pet 1:17–18For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
- John 12:28–30Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.
- John 3:35–36The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.
- Luke 9:35And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.
- John 5:20–23For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.
- John 5:37And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.
- John 1:34And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
- Matt 17:5While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
- John 6:69And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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 1:11 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.