So they answered, “John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.”
Parallel translations
- WEB They told him, “John the Baptizer, and others say Elijah, but others: one of the prophets.”
- KJV And they answered, John the Baptist: but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets.
- BSB They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”
- NASB They told Him, saying, “John the Baptist; and others say Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.”
- NLT “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other prophets.”
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
People variously identify Jesus as John the Baptist, Elijah, or a prophet. The crowds sense his greatness but miss his true identity.
Overview
Each guess honors Jesus as a mighty figure yet falls short of recognizing him as the Messiah. These were the same opinions reported earlier in Mark (6:14-15). The inadequate answers set up the contrast with the true confession Jesus is about to draw from his disciples.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- John 1:21They asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.”
- Mal 4:5Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of Yahweh comes.
- Mark 9:11–13They asked him, saying, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
- Matt 14:2and said to his servants, “This is John the Baptizer. He is risen from the dead. That is why these powers work in him.”
- Mark 6:14–16King Herod heard this, for his name had become known, and he said, “John the Baptizer has risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him.”
- Matt 16:14They said, “Some say John the Baptizer, some, Elijah, and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.”
- Luke 9:7–9Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him; and he was very perplexed, because it was said by some that John had risen from the dead,
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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 8:28 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.