For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
Parallel translations
- WEB For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world, and forfeit his life?
- BSB What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?
- NKJV For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
- NASB For what does it benefit a person to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?
- NLT And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?
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
Gaining the whole world profits nothing if one forfeits his soul. Nothing earthly outweighs eternal life.
Overview
Jesus exposes the folly of trading one's eternal soul for temporary worldly gain. The rhetorical question presses every hearer to weigh ultimate priorities. In light of the cross, it calls us to count all earthly treasure as loss compared to knowing and following Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Matt 16:26For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
- Luke 9:25For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?
- Ps 49:17For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him.
- Jas 1:9–11Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:
- Phil 3:7–9But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
- Luke 12:19–20And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
- Heb 11:24–26By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter;
- Rom 6:21What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
- Rev 18:7–8How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
- Job 2:4And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.
- Mal 3:14Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts?
- Ps 73:18–20Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction.
- Luke 16:19–23There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:
- Matt 4:8–10Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
- Job 22:2Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself?
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 8:36 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.