For they were all so terrified that Peter did not know what else to say.
Parallel translations
- WEB For he didn’t know what to say, for they were very afraid.
- KJV For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid.
- NKJV because he did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid.
- NASB For he did not know how to reply; for they became terrified.
- NLT He said this because he didn’t really know what else to say, for they were all terrified.
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
Peter spoke out of fear, not knowing what to say. The disciples were terrified by the heavenly vision.
Overview
Mark candidly notes that Peter's words sprang from awe and confusion rather than understanding. The fear is the proper human response to encountering divine glory. The honesty of this detail, likely from Peter's own recollection, reminds readers that even the closest disciples grasped Jesus' glory only gradually.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- Mark 16:5–8When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.
- Rev 1:17When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. But He placed His right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last,
- Dan 10:15–19While he was speaking these words to me, I set my face toward the ground and became speechless.
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 9:6 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.