And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it;
Parallel translations
- WEB He commanded them that they should tell no one, but the more he commanded them, so much the more widely they proclaimed it.
- BSB Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more He ordered them, the more widely they proclaimed it.
- NKJV Then He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it.
- NASB And He gave them orders not to tell anyone; but the more He ordered them, the more widely they continued to proclaim it.
- NLT Jesus told the crowd not to tell anyone, but the more he told them not to, the more they spread the news.
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 tells the witnesses to keep silent, yet they spread the news all the more. His command and their disobedience both highlight the magnitude of the miracle.
Overview
This is part of Mark's recurring 'messianic secret,' where Jesus restrains publicity so that his identity will be understood through the cross rather than mere wonder-working. The people's irrepressible proclamation underscores that the work was undeniable. Their zeal, though disobedient, reflects how the good news of Jesus naturally overflows into testimony.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Matt 8:4And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
- Mark 5:43And he charged them straitly that no man should know it; and commanded that something should be given her to eat.
- Mark 3:12And he straitly charged them that they should not make him known.
- Mark 8:26And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town.
- Mark 1:44–45And saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
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 7:36 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.