But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared.
Parallel translations
- WEB but to sit at my right hand and at my left hand is not mine to give, but for whom it has been prepared.”
- BSB But to sit at My right or left is not Mine to grant. These seats belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”
- NKJV but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared.”
- NASB But to sit on My right or on My left is not Mine to give; but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”
- NLT But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. God has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen.”
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
Jesus says the places of honor are not his to grant but are prepared by the Father. Positions in the kingdom are determined by God, not by human request.
Overview
Jesus defers the granting of honored places to the Father's appointment, reflecting his submission within his earthly mission. This humbles the ambitious request by removing it from the realm of favoritism. It teaches that kingdom honor is God's gift, given according to his wise and sovereign purpose.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Matt 20:23And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.
- John 17:24Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
- Matt 25:34Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
- Heb 11:16But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
- John 17:2As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.
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 10:40 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
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.