The Meaning of Mark 12:39 Explained

Mark 12:39

KJV: And the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts:

YLT: and first seats in the synagogues, and first couches in suppers,

Darby: and first seats in the synagogues, and first places at suppers;

ASV: and chief seats in the synagogues, and chief places at feasts:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  the chief seats  in  the synagogues,  and  the uppermost rooms  at  feasts: 

What does Mark 12:39 Mean?

Context Summary

Mark 12:28-44 - The First Commandment
To the young ruler our Lord named one command as great-the love of one's neighbor. Now, in answer to this scribe, he turned with unerring choice, first to Deuteronomy 6:4-5, and then to Leviticus 19:18, for the two pillars on which the collective and individual life of man must rest. The reverent answer of the scribe proves that he was no ordinary questioner; and our Lord acknowledged this when He told him that a few steps more would bring him into the kingdom of God. Our Lord was David's son by human descent, but as Son of God, proceeding from the Father, He is exalted far above David and all mankind.
In terrible words, Mark 12:38-40, Christ denounced the moral and religious leaders of the time. They made a pretense and a gain of their religion. How great the contrast between them and this poor widow, who cast into God's treasury all that she had to provide for her day's living! Our Lord is quick to notice acts like these, which give evidence of the true heart. [source]

Chapter Summary: Mark 12

1  Jesus tells the parable of the tenants
13  He avoids the snare of the Pharisees and Herodians about paying tribute to Caesar;
18  convicts the Sadducees, who denied the resurrection;
28  resolves the scribe, who questioned of the first commandment;
35  refutes the opinion that the scribes held of the Christ;
38  bidding the people to beware of their ambition and hypocrisy;
41  and commends the poor widow for her two mites, above all

Greek Commentary for Mark 12:39

First seats in the synagogues [πρωτοκατεδριας]
As a mark of special piety, seats up in front while now the hypocrites present in church prefer the rear seats. [source]
Chief places at feasts [πρωτοκλισιας εν τοις δειπνοις]
Recognizing proper rank and station. Even the disciples fall victims to this desire for precedence at table (Luke 22:24). [source]
Uppermost rooms [πρωτοκλισίας]
More correctly, the chief couches,. So Rev., chief places. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Mark 12:39

Luke 20:46 Chief rooms []
Rev., correctly, chief places. See on Mark 12:39. [source]
Luke 14:7 When he marked [επεχων]
Present active participle of επεχω — epechō with τον νουν — ton noun understood, holding the mind upon them, old verb and common.They chose out (εχελεγοντο — exelegonto). Imperfect middle, were picking out for themselves.The chief seats The first reclining places at the table. Jesus condemned the Pharisees later for this very thing (Matthew 23:6; Mark 12:39; Luke 20:46). On a couch holding three the middle place was the chief one. At banquets today the name of the guests are usually placed at the plates. The place next to the host on the right was then, as now, the post of honour. [source]
Luke 14:7 The chief seats [τας πρωτοκλισιας]
The first reclining places at the table. Jesus condemned the Pharisees later for this very thing (Matthew 23:6; Mark 12:39; Luke 20:46). On a couch holding three the middle place was the chief one. At banquets today the name of the guests are usually placed at the plates. The place next to the host on the right was then, as now, the post of honour. [source]

What do the individual words in Mark 12:39 mean?

and first seats in the synagogues first places at the feasts
καὶ πρωτοκαθεδρίας ἐν ταῖς συναγωγαῖς πρωτοκλισίας ἐν τοῖς δείπνοις

πρωτοκαθεδρίας  first  seats 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Plural
Root: πρωτοκαθεδρία  
Sense: to sit in the first seat, the first or chief seat.
συναγωγαῖς  synagogues 
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Plural
Root: συναγωγή  
Sense: a bringing together, gathering (as of fruits), a contracting.
πρωτοκλισίας  first  places 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Plural
Root: πρωτοκλισία  
Sense: the first reclining place, the chief place at table.
ἐν  at 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐν 
Sense: in, by, with etc.
δείπνοις  feasts 
Parse: Noun, Dative Neuter Plural
Root: δεῖπνον 
Sense: supper, especially a formal meal usually held at the evening,.

What are the major concepts related to Mark 12:39?

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