and He instructed them that they were to take nothing for their journey, except a mere staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belt—
Parallel translations
- WEB He commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a staff only: no bread, no wallet, no money in their purse,
- KJV And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse:
- BSB He instructed them to take nothing but a staff for the journey—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts—
- NKJV He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts—
- NLT He told them to take nothing for their journey except a walking stick—no food, no traveler’s bag, no money.
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
He instructs them to take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, bag, or money.
Overview
Jesus calls the twelve to travel light, depending on God's provision through those who receive them. The instructions cultivate trust and urgency in their mission. Their dependence reflects the principle that those who serve the gospel may live by it.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- Luke 9:3He said to them, “Take nothing for your journey — neither staffs, nor wallet, nor bread, nor money; neither have two coats apiece.
- Matt 10:9–10Don’t take any gold, silver, or brass in your money belts.
- Luke 10:4Carry no purse, nor wallet, nor sandals. Greet no one on the way.
- Luke 22:35He said to them, “When I sent you out without purse, and wallet, and shoes, did you lack anything?” They said, “Nothing.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
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 6:8 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.