The Meaning of Mark 10:37 Explained

Mark 10:37

KJV: They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory.

YLT: and they said to him, 'Grant to us that, one on thy right hand and one on thy left, we may sit in thy glory;'

Darby: And they said to him, Give to us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and one on thy left hand, in thy glory.

ASV: And they said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and one on thy left hand, in thy glory.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

<1161> They said  unto him,  Grant  unto us  that  we may sit,  one  on  thy  right hand,  and  the other  on  thy  left hand,  in  thy  glory. 

What does Mark 10:37 Mean?

Context Summary

Mark 10:23-52 - True Riches And Real Greatness
Wealth brings many temptations. It is not said that rich men cannot get through the gate, but they will have to stoop very low and be stripped of the love of wealth, though not necessarily of wealth itself. In Christ's kingdom to give all is to get all. The surrendered life needs no pity, for what it loses on the material side is more than compensated by its enormous spiritual gains, Mark 10:30-31. Perhaps the request of the two brethren was dictated rather by the desire to be near the Master than by ambition; but in any case there is only one price to be paid. We must know the fellowship of His sufferings, if we are to share His glory, 2 Timothy 2:11, etc. It is easy to say, "We are able;" but had they not experienced the day of Pentecost, these two aspirants had certainly failed, Philippians 4:13. If you are not called to suffer with Him, then serve. Service like Christ's will bring you near His throne, as will also a share in His suffering. With us as with Bartimaeus, obstacles and difficulties should not daunt, but rather incite to more eager prayers. Christ is ever saying to men-Courage! Only faith could make a blind man cast away his garment, but he knew that he would be able to find it again with the sight that Jesus would certainly bestow. [source]

Chapter Summary: Mark 10

1  Jesus disputes with the Pharisees concerning divorce;
13  blesses the children that are brought unto him;
17  resolves a rich man how he may inherit everlasting life;
23  tells his disciples of the danger of riches;
28  promises rewards to those who forsake all for the gospel;
32  foretells his death and resurrection;
35  bids the two ambitious suitors to think rather of suffering with him;
46  and restores to Bartimaeus his sight

Greek Commentary for Mark 10:37

In thy glory [εν τηι δοχηι]
Matthew 20:21 has “in thy kingdom.” See note on Matthew 20:20 for the literal interpretation of Matthew 19:28. They are looking for a grand Jewish world empire with apocalyptic features in the eschatological culmination of the Messiah‘s kingdom. That dream brushed aside all the talk of Jesus about his death and resurrection as mere pessimism. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Mark 10:37

Revelation 1:6 Glory and dominion [ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος]
Rev., correctly, rendering the two articles, “the glory and the dominion.” The articles express universality: all glory; that which everywhere and under every form represents glory and dominion. The verb be (the glory) is not in the text. We may render either as an ascription, be, or as a confession, is. The glory is His. Δόξα glorymeans originally opinion or judgment. In this sense it is not used in Scripture. In the sacred writers always of a good or favorable opinion, and hence praise, honor, glory (Luke 14:10; Hebrews 3:3; 1 Peter 5:4). Applied to physical objects, as light, the heavenly bodies (Acts 22:11; 1 Corinthians 15:40). The visible brightness in manifestations of God (Luke 2:9; Acts 7:55; Luke 9:32; 2 Corinthians 3:7). Magnificence, dignity (Matthew 4:8; Luke 4:6). Divine majesty or perfect excellence, especially in doxologies, either of God or Christ (1 Peter 4:11; Judges 1:25; Revelation 4:9, Revelation 4:11; Matthew 16:27; Mark 10:37; Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26; 2 Corinthians 3:18; 2 Corinthians 4:4). The glory or majesty of divine grace (Ephesians 1:6, Ephesians 1:12, Ephesians 1:14, Ephesians 1:18; 1 Timothy 1:11). The majesty of angels (Luke 9:26; Judges 1:8; 2 Peter 2:10). The glorious condition of Christ after accomplishing His earthly work, and of the redeemed who share His eternal glory (Luke 24:26; John 17:5; Philemon 3:21; 1 Timothy 3:16; Romans 8:18, Romans 8:21; Romans 9:23; 2 Corinthians 4:17; Colossians 1:27).| Trench remarks upon the prominence of the doxological element in the highest worship of the Church as contrasted with the very subordinate place which it often occupies in ours. “We can perhaps make our requests known unto God, and this is well, for it is prayer; but to give glory to God, quite apart from anything to be directly gotten by ourselves in return, this is better, for it is adoration.” Dr. John Brown in his Memoir of his father, one of the very finest biographical sketches in English literature, records a formula used by him in closing his prayers on specially solemn occasions: “And now unto Thee, O Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, the one Jehovah and our God, we would - as is most meet - with the Church on earth and the Church in heaven, ascribe all honor and glory, dominion and majesty, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end, Amen” (“Horae Subsecivae”). Compare the doxologies in |1 Peter 4:11|; |Galatians 1:5|; |Revelation 4:9|, |Revelation 4:11|; |Revelation 5:13|; |Revelation 7:12|; |Judges 1:25|; |1 Chronicles 29:11|.|Forever and ever ( εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων )|Lit., unto the ages of the ages. For the phrase compare Galatians 1:5; Hebrews 13:21; 1 Peter 4:11. It occurs twelve times in Revelation, but not in John's Gospel or Epistles. It is the formula of eternity.|Amen ( ἀμὴν )|The English word is a transcription of the Greek and of the Hebrew. A verbal adjective, meaning firm, faithful. Hence ὁ ἀμὴν , the Amen, applied to Christ (Revelation 3:14). It passes into an adverbial sense by which something is asserted or confirmed. Thus often used by Christ, verily. John alone uses the double affirmation, verily, verily. See on John 1:51; see on John 10:1.| [source]

What do the individual words in Mark 10:37 mean?

- And they said to Him Grant to us that one of [us] at [Your] right hand and at [Your] left hand we might sit in the glory of You
Οἱ δὲ εἶπαν αὐτῷ Δὸς ἡμῖν ἵνα εἷς σου ἐκ δεξιῶν καὶ ἐξ ἀριστερῶν καθίσωμεν ἐν τῇ δόξῃ σου

Οἱ  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
εἶπαν  they  said 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: λέγω  
Sense: to speak, say.
αὐτῷ  to  Him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
Δὸς  Grant 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: διδῶ 
Sense: to give.
ἡμῖν  to  us 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative 1st Person Plural
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
ἵνα  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ἵνα  
Sense: that, in order that, so that.
εἷς  one 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: εἷς  
Sense: one.
σου  of  [us] 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 2nd Person Singular
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
ἐκ  at 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐκ 
Sense: out of, from, by, away from.
δεξιῶν  [Your]  right  hand 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Neuter Plural
Root: δεξιός  
Sense: the right, the right hand.
ἐξ  at 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐκ 
Sense: out of, from, by, away from.
ἀριστερῶν  [Your]  left  hand 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Neuter Plural
Root: ἀριστερός  
Sense: left.
καθίσωμεν  we  might  sit 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Active, 1st Person Plural
Root: καθίζω  
Sense: to make to sit down.
δόξῃ  glory 
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Singular
Root: δόξα  
Sense: opinion, judgment, view.
σου  of  You 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 2nd Person Singular
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.