Mark 9:33-34

Questions About the Greatest

9:33 Then ¹  they came to Capernaum. ²  After Jesus ³  was inside the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” 9:34 But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest.

Genesis 44:16

44:16 Judah replied, “What can we say ⁴  to my lord? What can we speak? How can we clear ourselves? ⁵  God has exposed the sin of your servants! ⁶  We are now my lord’s slaves, we and the one in whose possession the cup was found.”

Romans 3:19

3:19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under ⁷  the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world may be held accountable to God.

[9:33]  ¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[9:33]  ² map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 C3; Map3 B2.

[9:33]  ³ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[44:16]  ⁴ tn The imperfect verbal form here indicates the subject’s potential.

[44:16]  ⁵ tn The Hitpael form of the verb צָדֵק (tsadeq) here means “to prove ourselves just, to declare ourselves righteous, to prove our innocence.”

[44:16]  ⁶ sn God has exposed the sin of your servants. The first three questions are rhetorical; Judah is stating that there is nothing they can say to clear themselves. He therefore must conclude that they have been found guilty.

[3:19]  ⁷ tn Grk “in,” “in connection with.”