And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
Parallel translations
- WEB A leper came to him, begging him, kneeling down to him, and saying to him, “If you want to, you can make me clean.”
- BSB Then a leper came to Jesus, begging on his knees: “If You are willing, You can make me clean.”
- NKJV Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.”
- NASB And a man with leprosy *came to Jesus, imploring Him and kneeling down, and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.”
- NLT A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. “If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean,” he said.
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
A leper begs Jesus, trusting that He is able to cleanse him if He is willing. He approaches with humility and confidence in Jesus' power.
Overview
Leprosy made a person ritually unclean and socially outcast, so this man's bold approach is striking. His words affirm Jesus' power while humbly leaving the choice to His will. This sets up a powerful demonstration of Jesus' compassion and authority over defilement.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 19
- Luke 5:12–14And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
- Matt 8:2–4And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
- Lev 13:1–14And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, saying,
- 2 Sam 3:29Let it rest on the head of Joab, and on all his father’s house; and let there not fail from the house of Joab one that hath an issue, or that is a leper, or that leaneth on a staff, or that falleth on the sword, or that lacketh bread.
- Matt 17:14And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,
- Mark 9:22–23And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.
- Deut 24:8–9Take heed in the plague of leprosy, that thou observe diligently, and do according to all that the priests the Levites shall teach you: as I commanded them, so ye shall observe to do.
- Mark 10:17And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?
- Matt 11:5The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
- Num 12:10–15And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.
- Luke 17:12–19And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:
- Luke 22:41And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,
- 2 Kgs 15:5And the LORD smote the king, so that he was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house. And Jotham the king’s son was over the house, judging the people of the land.
- 2 Kgs 7:3And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die?
- 2 Kgs 5:5–27And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment.
- Acts 7:60And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
- Gen 18:14Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.
- 2 Chr 6:13For Solomon had made a brasen scaffold of five cubits long, and five cubits broad, and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court: and upon it he stood, and kneeled down upon his knees before all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven,
- Eph 3:14For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
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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 1:40 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
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