They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory.
Parallel translations
- WEB They said to him, “Grant to us that we may sit, one at your right hand, and one at your left hand, in your glory.”
- BSB They answered, “Grant that one of us may sit at Your right hand and the other at Your left in Your glory.”
- NKJV They said to Him, “Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory.”
- NASB They said to Him, “Grant that we may sit, one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory.”
- NLT They replied, “When you sit on your glorious throne, we want to sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.”
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
They ask to sit at his right and left in his glory. They crave positions of highest honor, misunderstanding the nature of his kingdom.
Overview
James and John seek the chief places of power, assuming glory without suffering. Their request shows they still picture a kingdom of earthly prestige rather than the way of the cross. Their ambition gives Jesus occasion to redefine greatness and to foretell that his path, and theirs, runs through suffering.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Matt 19:28And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
- 1 Kgs 22:19And he said, Hear thou therefore the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left.
- Ps 110:1The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
- Mark 16:19So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
- Luke 24:26Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?
- Mark 8:38Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
- 1 Pet 1:11Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
- Matt 25:31When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
- Ps 45:9Kings’ daughters were among thy honourable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir.
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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 10:37 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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