Mark 10:31

Greek (Tischendorf 8th ed.)

English Translation

But many who are first will be last; and the last first."

World English Bible · Public Domain

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ἔσχατοι

éschatos

G2078

“last”

Adjective, Nominative, Plural, Masculine, Superlative

Appears 53× in the Greek New Testament
First appears at Matthew 5:26

Full Thayer's Definition

Origin: a superlative probably from G2192 (in the sense of contiguity)

TDNT: 13:37,3

1. extreme a. last in time or in place b. last in a series of places c. last in a temporal succession 2. the last a. last, referring to time b. of space, the uttermost part, the end, of the earth c. of rank, grade of worth, last i.e. lowest

About this verse

These counts appear in no published source. They are computed here, from the morphology-tagged text and Lemma’s own curated glosses. What Lemma adds →

9: words
7: distinct lemmas
Gospels: section

Shared distinctive vocabulary

ἔσχατοι last G2078 occurs in 48 verses of the Greek New Testament. Also found in:

Repetition

Words recur within this verse:

πρῶτοι first G4413 ×2
ἔσχατοι last G2078 ×2

Cross-references

Topical passages linked to Mark 10:31 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — connected by theme and wording, ordered by reader-vote popularity; previews shown in the World English Bible.

Matthew 19:30 But many will be last who are first; and first who are last.
Matthew 20:16 So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few are chosen."
Luke 13:30 Behold, there are some who are last who will be first, and there are some who are first who will be last."
Romans 9:30–33 What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who didn't follow after righteousness, attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith;
Matthew 8:11–12 I tell you that many will come from the east and the west, and will sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven,
Matthew 21:31 Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said to him, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly I tell you that the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering into the Kingdom of God before you.
Luke 18:11–14 The Pharisee stood and prayed to himself like this: 'God, I thank you, that I am not like the rest of men, extortioners, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.
Acts 13:46–48 Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, and said, "It was necessary that God's word should be spoken to you first. Since indeed you thrust it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.

Luke 7:29–30 When all the people and the tax collectors heard this, they declared God to be just, having been baptized with John's baptism.
Luke 7:40–47 Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you." He said, "Teacher, say on."

Cross-references courtesy of OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0).

Commentary

Notes on Mark 10:31 from classic Christian and Jewish commentators (each source and its license shown beneath its notes). The classic Christian expositions comment on the surrounding passage and are grouped to its opening verse, so a note may address several verses; the Jewish commentaries on the Tanakh (Rashi and others) are per-verse, so they appear only where the commentator wrote on this verse.

Lemma curates 59 commentaries, every one of them public domain or Creative Commons licensed, each selected and text-cleaned for this edition rather than reprinted as found. About our sources →

Tyndale Open Study Notes

Tyndale Open Resources

10:31 But many . . . greatest then: The account ends with a proverb, contrasting the way that God understands life and how people generally understand it (for similar sayings, see Matt 20:16; Luke 13:30). For those with eyes to see and ears to hear (Mark 4:9-12; 8:18), the Kingdom of God has already come, and the overturning of this world’s values has begun.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Bengel's Gnomon

Johann Albrecht Bengel

Mar 10:31. Ἔσονται πρῶτοι, first shall be) First (πρῶτοι), is the subject; see Mat 19:30, note.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Expositor's Greek Testament

ed. W. Robertson Nicoll

Mar 10:31 . On this apothegm vide on Mt.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(31) Many that are first shall be last.—It will be noted that St. Mark omits the parable of the Labourers in the Vineyard, which follows in St. Matthew as an illustration of the truth.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne

31. many that are first] Very signally was the former part of this verse fulfilled temporarily in the case of St peter himself, finally in that of Judas; while the latter part was wonderfully realised in the instance of St Paul, so that this passage is chosen for the Gospel of the Festival of “the Conversion of St Paul.” It was now that, to impress upon His hearers the important lesson that entrance into the kingdom of heaven is not a matter of mercenary calculation, our Lord delivered the memorable Parable of the Labourers in the Vineyard (Mat_20:1-16).

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

John Gill's Exposition

And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him,.... The Gentiles, as the Roman soldiers did; the one at the connivance, and the other by the order of their governor:

and shall spit upon him; on his face, as the Syriac and Persic versions render it, and as they did; see Mar 15:19. This clause is placed by the Vulgate Latin, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions, between the two former; though, according to the order in which these things were executed, he was first scourged, then mocked, and then spit upon: all which express both the cruel and indecent usage he was to meet with:

and shall kill him, and the third day he shall rise again. The Persic version between these two clauses read, "and shall put him in a grave"; which is not in any copy of this text, nor in any other version; nor indeed was this done by the Gentiles, but by Joseph of Arimathea.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Trapp's Complete Commentary

John Trapp

31 But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.

Ver. 31. {See Trapp on "Mat 19:30"}

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The Pulpit Commentary

But many that are first shall be last; and the last first. Most fitly does our Lord add this weighty sentence to what has just gone before. For thus he places himself, his grace, and his gospel in direct opposition to the corrupt teaching of the scribes and Pharisees. Perhaps the disciples thought within themselves, "How can it come to pass that we, the poor, the unlearned, the despised, are to sit upon thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel, amongst whom are men far our superiors in station, in learning, and in authority, such as are the scribes and Pharisees, and that rich young ruler just mentioned." Our Lord here teaches them that the future will reveal great changes that some who are first here will be last there, and some who seem last here will be first there. The disciples, and others like them, who, having forsaken all and followed Christ, seemed to be last in this world, will be first in the world to come most dear to Christ, the King of Heaven, in their lives; most like to him in their zeal for his cause.

The kingdom of God a revolution of the world-order.

I BECAUSE REWARD WILL BE ACCORDING TO CHARACTER AND WORK,

II IT WILL NOT BE OF DESERT, BUT OF GRACE,

III EVERY SAINT WILL RECEIVE WHAT IS ESSENTIAL TO HIS HAPPINESS, USEFULNESS, AND SPIRITUAL ADVANCEMENT,

IV BUT THERE WILL BE DEGREES IN THE GLORY AND BLESSEDNESS OF THE REDEEMED.

1. Reflecting the manifold glory of God.

2. Correcting and compensating the inequalities of time.

3. Stimulating to nobler attainment. M.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges

31. πολλοὶ δὲ ἒσονται. Lk. gives this Saying at an earlier point (Mar 13:30); it was probably uttered more than once, and it is capable of more than one application. Many who think that they have earned much will be disappointed, and many who think that they have earned little will be surprised, as the labourers in the vineyard. The fortunate and unfortunate will often change places, as Dives and Lazarus. “The greyhaired saint may fail at last,” as Judas, and the greyhaired sinner may be saved, as the penitent robber.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

International Critical Commentary

31. πολλοὶ δὲ ἔσονται πρῶτοι ἔσχατοι—but many first shall be last. This is a warning to the disciples that the mere fact, that they were the earliest disciples and nearest his person, does not necessarily give them preëminence, nor any exclusive right to the blessings promised by him. The parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard, each of whom received his shilling without regard to the time that he had worked, is inserted by Mt. to enforce this saying.

THIRD PREDICTION OF DEATH

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Lesson kit

Teaching starters — assembled from the data on this page, not authored interpretation. Every prompt links to the verse data it draws on. Edit before teaching.

Mark, in the Gospels, opens this verse with 9 words (7 distinct Greek lemmas). Its most distinctive word is éschatos (“last”). A historical commentator’s framing appears above. Read the whole chapter for the surrounding context.

Discussion questions

How does “last” (éschatos) shape what this verse is saying?
Matthew 5:26 shares the word «last» with this verse. How do the two illuminate each other?
“first” occurs 2× in this one verse. What is the effect of the repetition?
The translations on this page render this verse differently — a whole-verse word diff, not a word-by-word alignment. What might account for the different wordings?
Reading how Tyndale Open Study Notes and Bengel's Gnomon read this verse, where do the two commentators agree and where do they part?

Things to notice

These translations choose different wording for 3 words in this verse.
“first” occurs 2× in this single verse.
7 distinct Greek lemmas span 9 words in this verse.