Limitless Word
And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on me.
Mark 10:48 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB Many rebuked him, that he should be quiet, but he cried out much more, “You son of David, have mercy on me!”
  • BSB Many people admonished him to be silent, but he cried out all the louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
  • NKJV Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
  • NASB Many were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
  • NLT “Be quiet!” many of the people yelled at him. But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

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

Blind Bartimaeus refuses to be silenced and cries out all the more for mercy, addressing Jesus as the Son of David.

Overview

The crowd tries to hush him, but Bartimaeus persists, calling Jesus 'Son of David'—a confession of His messianic identity. His desperate, persistent appeal for mercy models the kind of bold, undeterred faith Jesus commends. Ironically, a blind beggar sees who Jesus truly is more clearly than the religious leaders.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 13

  • Mark 7:26–29The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.
  • Jer 29:13And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
  • Luke 11:5–10And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;
  • Luke 18:1–8And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
  • Heb 5:7Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
  • Gen 32:24–28And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.
  • Ps 62:12Also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy: for thou renderest to every man according to his work.
  • Matt 20:31And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.
  • Luke 18:39And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou son of David, have mercy on me.
  • Matt 19:13Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them.
  • Matt 15:23–28But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.
  • Mark 5:35While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?
  • Eph 6:18Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (2)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Mark videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Mark 10:48YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on MarkMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    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 10:48 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.