The Meaning of Mark 10:45 Explained

Mark 10:45

KJV: For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

YLT: for even the Son of Man came not to be ministered to, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.'

Darby: For also the Son of man did not come to be ministered to, but to minister, and give his life a ransom for many.

ASV: For the Son of man also came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For  even  the Son  of man  came  not  to be ministered unto,  but  to minister,  and  to give  his  life  a ransom  for  many. 

What does Mark 10:45 Mean?

Study Notes

life
Or, soul. Cf. Isaiah 53:10 ; Isaiah 53:12 (Greek - ἀπόλλυμι ," the soul or the essential life, not as commonly, "zoe," the active life).

Verse Meaning

Even the Son of Man had to follow the rule that Jesus just explained. He is the great example of it. His incarnation was not that of a potentate whom others had to serve but that of a servant who met the needs of others.
His service extended to giving His life as a ransom (Gr. lytron, cf. Matthew 20:28). In koine Greek (the common Greek of the New Testament world), this word often described the money paid to release slaves. In the New Testament, it has a narrower, more theological meaning, namely, release or redemption. The only two occurrences of this word in the New Testament are in Matthew 20:28 and Mark 10:45. The Exodus is the great Old Testament instance of this redemption and release.
"For" (Gr. anti), used in Mark only here, means "instead of" or "in place of," a clear reference to substitution (cf. Matthew 2:22; Luke 11:11; 1 Peter 3:9). [1]
"Many" (lit. "the many") contrasts with the one life (Gr. psychen) of Jesus given as a payment (cf. Mark 14:24). One man"s act affected many others (cf. Isaiah 53:11-12). "Many" does not mean some in contrast to all. While Jesus" death benefits everyone in one sense and the elect in another sense, that was not the point of Jesus" contrast here. Jesus took the place of everyone else by paying the penalty for their sins.
This verse is not only the climax of this pericope ( Mark 10:35-41), but it is the key verse of Mark"s Gospel. It summarizes the ministry of Jesus as the Suffering Servant of the Lord, Mark"s particular emphasis. [2] Here it constituted another announcement of Jesus" coming death, but it added the purpose for His dying not previously revealed.
"This verse contains the clearest statement of the object of Christ"s coming found in the gospels. But this theological declaration was made to enforce a practical truth for everyday conduct." [1]
That John finally got the message is clear from what he wrote in 1 John 3:16 : "He laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."
Contrasts between a Helper and a ServantA HelperA ServantA helper helps others when it is convenient.A servant serves others even when it is inconvenient.A helper helps people that he or she likes.A servant serves even people that he or she dislikes.A helper helps when he or she enjoys the work.A servant serves even when he or she dislikes the work.A helper helps when the circumstances are convenient.A servant serves even when the circumstances are inconvenient.A helper helps with a view to obtaining personal satisfaction.A servant serves even when he or she receives no personal satisfaction.A helper helps with an attitude of assisting another.A servant serves with an attitude of enabling another.

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 10:45

[]
See note onMark 10:39.sa120 [source]
For many [ἀντὶ πολλῶν]
For, in the sense of over against, instead of; not on behalf of. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Mark 10:45

Matthew 20:28 A ransom for many [λυτρον αντι πολλων]
The Son of man is the outstanding illustration of this principle of self-abnegation in direct contrast to the self-seeking of James and John. The word translated “ransom” is the one commonly employed in the papyri as the price paid for a slave who is then set free by the one who bought him, the purchase money for manumitting slaves. See examples in Moulton and Milligan‘s Vocabulary and Deissmann‘s Light from the Ancient East, pp. 328f. There is the notion of exchange also in the use of αντι — anti Jesus gave his own life as the price of freedom for the slaves of sin. There are those who refuse to admit that Jesus held this notion of a substitutionary death because the word in the N.T. occurs only here and the corresponding passage in Mark 10:45. But that is an easy way to get rid of passages that contradict one‘s theological opinions. Jesus here rises to the full consciousness of the significance of his death for men. [source]
Mark 10:39  []
See notes on Matthew 20:23-28 for discussion on these memorable verses ( Mark 10:39-45 ) identical in both Matthew and Mark. In particular in Mark 10:45 note the language of Jesus concerning his death as “a ransom for many” ( lutron anti pollōn ), words of the Master that were not understood by the apostles when spoken by Jesus and which have been preserved for us by Peter through Mark. Some today seek to empty these words of all real meaning as if Jesus could not have or hold such a conception concerning his death for sinners. [source]
John 19:30 Had received [ελαβεν]
Second aorist active indicative of λαμβανω — lambanō Jesus took the vinegar (a stimulant), though he had refused the drugged vinegar. It is finished Same for as in John 19:28. A cry of victory in the hour of defeat like νενικηκα — nenikēka in John 16:33. Jesus knew the relation of his death to redemption for us (Mark 10:45; Matthew 20:28; Matthew 26:28). Bowed his head First aorist active participle of κλινω — klinō This vivid detail only in John. Gave up his spirit With the quotation of Psalm 31:5 according to Luke 23:46, “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit” (the last of the seven sayings of Jesus on the Cross that are preserved for us). Jesus died with the words of this Psalm upon his lips. The apostle John had come back to the Cross. [source]
1 Timothy 2:6 Ransom [ἀντίλυτρον]
N.T.oolxx. oClass. Λύτρον ransom Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45, applied to Christ's life given for many. But neither this nor any of its kindred words is used by Paul. He uses ἀπολύτρωσις, but that means the act not the means of redemption. [source]
1 Timothy 2:6 A ransom for all [αντιλυτρον υπερ παντων]
“A reminiscence of the Lord‘s own saying” (Lock) in Matthew 20:28 (Mark 10:45) where we have λυτρον αντι πολλων — lutron anti pollōn In the papyri υπερ — huper is the ordinary preposition for the notion of substitution where benefit is involved as in this passage. Αντι — Anti has more the idea of exchange and αντιλυτρον υπερ — antilutron huper combines both ideas. Λυτρον — Lutron is the common word for ransom for a slave or a prisoner. Paul may have coined αντιλυτρον — antilutron with the saying of Christ in mind (only one MS. of Psalm 48:9 and Orph. Litt. 588). See note on Galatians 1:4 “who gave himself for our sins.” [source]

What do the individual words in Mark 10:45 mean?

Even for the Son - of Man not came to be served but to serve and to give the life of Him [as] a ransom for many
καὶ γὰρ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἦλθεν διακονηθῆναι ἀλλὰ διακονῆσαι καὶ δοῦναι τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ λύτρον ἀντὶ πολλῶν

καὶ  Even 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: καί  
Sense: and, also, even, indeed, but.
Υἱὸς  Son 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: υἱός  
Sense: a son.
τοῦ  - 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἀνθρώπου  of  Man 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: ἄνθρωπος  
Sense: a human being, whether male or female.
ἦλθεν  came 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἔρχομαι  
Sense: to come.
διακονηθῆναι  to  be  served 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Passive
Root: διακονέω  
Sense: to be a servant, attendant, domestic, to serve, wait upon.
διακονῆσαι  to  serve 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active
Root: διακονέω  
Sense: to be a servant, attendant, domestic, to serve, wait upon.
δοῦναι  to  give 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active
Root: διδῶ 
Sense: to give.
ψυχὴν  life 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: ψυχή  
Sense: breath.
αὐτοῦ  of  Him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
λύτρον  [as]  a  ransom 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: λύτρον  
Sense: the price for redeeming, ransom.
πολλῶν  many 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: πολύς  
Sense: many, much, large.