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He took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave to them. They all drank of it.
Mark 14:23 · World English Bible
Parallel translations
  • KJV And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it.
  • BSB Then He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it.
  • ESV And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it.
  • NKJV Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it.
  • NASB And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, and they all drank from it.
  • NLT And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them, and they all drank from it.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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 gives the cup with thanksgiving, and all the disciples drink. It signals that his coming death is for them.

Overview

The shared cup, received with thanksgiving, draws the disciples into participation in what Jesus is about to accomplish. That all of them drink underscores the comprehensive scope of his gift. The act foreshadows the blood he will pour out, explained in the next verse.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 5

  • Matt 26:27He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave to them, saying, “All of you drink it,
  • Mark 14:22As they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had blessed, he broke it, and gave to them, and said, “Take, eat. This is my body.”
  • 1 Cor 10:16The cup of blessing which we bless, isn’t it a sharing of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, isn’t it a sharing of the body of Christ?
  • Rom 14:6He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks. He who doesn’t eat, to the Lord he doesn’t eat, and gives God thanks.
  • Luke 22:17He received a cup, and when he had given thanks, he said, “Take this, and share it among yourselves,

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (6)

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 14:23YouTube · 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 14:23 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.