Mark 1 · Verse 40

Mark 1:40

And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
Mark 1:40, King James Version

Mark 1:40 in other translations

BSBThen a leper came to Jesus, begging on his knees: “If You are willing, You can make me clean.”
WEBA leper came to him, begging him, kneeling down to him, and saying to him, “If you want to, you can make me clean.”
ASVAnd there cometh to him a leper, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
YLTand there doth come to him a leper, calling on him, and kneeling to him, and saying to him--‘If thou mayest will, thou art able to cleanse me.'
DARBYAnd there comes to him a leper, beseeching him, and falling on his knees to him, and saying to him, If thou wilt thou canst cleanse me.
BBEAnd a leper came to him and, going down on his knees before him, made a request, saying, If it is your pleasure, you have the power to make me clean.
WebsterAnd there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying to him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

What does Mark 1:40 mean?

Barnes' Notes
Verses 40-45. And there came a leper, etc. Mt 8:1, and Mt 8:1.

Kneeling down to him. He kneeled, and inclined his face to the ground, in token of deep humiliation, and earnest entreaty. Compare Lk 5:12.

If thou wilt. There was an acknowledgment of the almighty power of Jesus, and an appeal to his benevolence.

Make me clean. Canst heal me of this loathsome and offensive disease--in the eye of the law justly regarded as unclean--and render me legally clean, and restore me to the privileges of the congregation.

And Jesus--touched him. It was by the law considered as unclean to touch a leprous man. See Nu 5:2. The fact that Jesus touched him was evidence that the requisite power had been already put forth to heal him; that Jesus regarded him as already clean.

I will. Here was a most manifest proof of his Divine power. None but God can work a miracle. Yet Jesus does it by his own will --by an exertion of his own power. He was, therefore, Divine.

See thou say nothing to any man. The law of Moses required that the man who was healed of the leprosy should be pronounced clean by the priest, before he could be admitted again to the privileges of the congregation, Lev 19:1, etc. Christ, though he had cleansed him, yet required him to be obedient to the law of the land; to go at once to the priest, and not to make delay by stopping to converse about his being healed. It was also possible, that if he did not go at once, evil-minded men would go before him and prejudice the priest, and prevent his declaring the healing to be thorough because it was done by Jesus. It was further of importance that the priest should pronounce it to be a genuine cure, that there might be no cavils among the Jews against its being a real miracle.

Offer--those things, etc. Two birds, and cedar-wood, and scarlet, and hyssop. And after eight days, two he-lambs, without blemish, and one ewe-lamb, and fine flour, and oil, Lev 14:4,10.

For a testimony unto them. Not to the priest, but to the people, that they may have evidence that it is a real cure. The testimony of the priest on the subject would be decisive.

(a) "those things" Lev 14:2-32 (b) "testimony" Rom 15:4, 1Cor 10:11

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 40 There came a leper - See the notes on Mat 8:2, etc. Should any be inclined to preach on this cleansing of the leper, Mark is the best evangelist to take the account from, because he is more circumstantial than either Matthew or Luke. I. Consider this leper. 1. He heard of Jesus and his miracles. 2. He came to him for a cure, conscious of his disease. 3. He earnestly besought him to grant the mercy he needed. 4. He fell down on his knees, (with his face to the earth, Luk 5:12), thus showing his humbled state, and the distress of his soul. 5. He appealed to his love - if thou wilt; with a full conviction of his ability - thou canst; in order to get healed. II. Consider Jesus. 1. He is moved with tender compassion towards him: this is the alone source of all human salvation. 2. He stretches forth his hand, showing thus his readiness to relieve him. 3. He touches him; though this was prohibited by the law, and rendered him who did it in any common case legally unclean. 4. He proves at once his infinite love and unlimited power, by his word and by his act; I will - be thou cleansed; and immediately his leprosy was removed. But see on Mat 8:2 (note).

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Mark 1:40-45
We have here Christ's cleansing of a leper. It teaches us to apply to the Saviour with great humility, and with full submission to his will, saying, "Lord, if thou wilt," without any doubt of Christ's readiness to help the distressed. See also what to expect from Christ; that according to our faith it shall be to us. The poor leper said, If thou wilt. Christ readily wills favours to those who readily refer themselves to his will. Christ would have nothing done that looked like seeking praise of the people. But no reasons now exist why we should hesitate to spread the praises of Christ.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Mark 1:40 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ΚαὶKaiAndG2532
ἔρχεταιerchetaicomesG2064
πρὸςprostoG4314
αὐτὸνautonHimG846
λεπρὸςleprosa leperG3015
παρακαλῶνparakalōnimploringG3870
αὐτὸνautonHimG846
καὶkaiandG2532
γονυπετῶνgonupetōnkneeling downG1120
καὶkaiandG2532
λέγωνlegōnsayingG3004
αὐτῷautōto HimG846
ὅτιhotithatG3754
ἐὰνeanIfG1437
θέλῃςthelēsYou may be willingG2309
δύνασαίdunasaiYou are ableG1410
μεmemeG3165
καθαρίσαι.katharisaito cleanse.G2511

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Mark 1:40

  • Luke 5:12-14

    And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him. And he charged him to tell no man: but go, and shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

  • Matthew 8:2-4

    And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

  • Leviticus 13:1-14

    And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, saying, When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a rising, a scab, or bright spot, and it be in the skin of his flesh like the plague of leprosy; then he shall be brought unto Aaron the priest, or unto one of his sons the priests: And the priest shall look on the plague in the skin of the flesh: and when the hair in the plague is turned white, and the plague in sight be deeper than the skin of his flesh, it is a plague of leprosy: and the priest shall look on him, and pronounce him unclean. If the bright spot be white in the skin of his flesh, and in sight be not deeper than the skin, and the hair thereof be not turned white; then the priest shall shut up him that hath the plague seven days: …

  • 2 Samuel 3:29

    Let it rest on the head of Joab, and on all his father’s house; and let there not fail from the house of Joab one that hath an issue, or that is a leper, or that leaneth on a staff, or that falleth on the sword, or that lacketh bread.

  • Matthew 17:14

    And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,

  • Mark 9:22-23

    And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us. Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

  • Mark 10:17

    And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?

  • Deuteronomy 24:8-9

    Take heed in the plague of leprosy, that thou observe diligently, and do according to all that the priests the Levites shall teach you: as I commanded them, so ye shall observe to do. Remember what the Lord thy God did unto Miriam by the way, after that ye were come forth out of Egypt.

  • 2 Kings 7:3

    And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die?

  • Matthew 11:5

    The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.

  • Luke 22:41

    And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,

  • 2 Kings 15:5

    And the Lord smote the king, so that he was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house. And Jotham the king’s son was over the house, judging the people of the land.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
there.
Mt 8:2-4; Lu 5:12-14
a leper.
Le 13:1-14:57; Nu 12:10-15; De 24:8,9; 2Sa 3:29; 2Ki 5:5-27
2Ki 5:27; 7:3; 15:5; Mt 11:5; Lu 17:12-19
kneeling.
10:17; 2Ch 6:13; Mt 17:14; Lu 22:41; Ac 7:60; Eph 3:14
if thou.
9:22,23; Ge 18:14; 2Ki 5:7

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Mark 1:39

    And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils.

  • Mark 1:40

    And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

  • Mark 1:41

    And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.

Read all of Mark 1

Mark 1:40 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y un leproso vino á él, rogándole; é hincada la rodilla, le dice: Si quieres, puedes limpiarme.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et un lépreux vient à lui, le suppliant et se jetant à genoux devant lui, et lui disant: Si tu veux, tu peux me rendre net.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und es kommt ein Aussätziger zu ihm, bittet ihn und kniet vor ihm nieder und spricht zu ihm: Wenn du willst, kannst du mich reinigen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et venit ad eum leprosus deprecans eum: et genu flexo dixit ei: Si vis, potes me mundare.