Mark 12 · Verse 29

Mark 12:29

And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
Mark 12:29, King James Version

Mark 12:29 in other translations

BSBJesus replied, “This is the most important: ‘Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One.
WEBJesus answered, “The greatest is: ‘Hear, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.
ASVJesus answered, The first is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God, the Lord is one:
YLTand Jesus answered him--‘The first of all the commands is, Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one;
DARBYAnd Jesus answered him, The first commandment of all is, Hear, Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord;
BBEJesus said in answer, The first is, Give ear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord;
WebsterAnd Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord.

What does Mark 12:29 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
29. And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is--The readings here vary considerably. Tischendorf and Tregelles read simply, "the first is"; and they are followed by Meyer and Alford. But though the authority for the precise form of the received text is slender, a form almost identical with it seems to have most weight of authority. Our Lord here gives His explicit sanction to the distinction between commandments of a more fundamental and primary character, and commandments of a more dependent and subordinate nature; a distinction of which it is confidently asserted by a certain class of critics that the Jews knew nothing, that our Lord and His apostles nowhere lay down, and which has been invented by Christian divines. (Compare Mt 23:23). Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord--This every devout Jew recited twice every day, and the Jews do it to this day; thus keeping up the great ancient national protest against the polytheisms and pantheisms of the heathen world: it is the great utterance of the national faith in One Living and Personal God--"One Jehovah!"

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 29. Hear, O Israel. This was said to call the attention of the to the great importance of the truth about to be proclaimed. See De 6:4,6.

The Lord our God, etc. Literally, "Jehovah, our God, is one Jehovah." The other nations worshipped many gods, but the God of the Jews was one, and one only. Jehovah was undivided; and this great truth it was the design of the separation of the Jewish people from other nations to keep in mind. This was the peculiar truth which was communicated to the Jews, and this they were required to keep and remember for ever.

(k) "commandments is" De 6:4,5, Lk 10:27

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Mark 12:28-34

Those who sincerely desire to be taught their duty, Christ will guide in judgment, and teach his way. He tells the scribe that the great commandment, which indeed includes all, is, that of loving God with all our hearts. Wherever this is the ruling principle in the soul, there is a disposition to every other duty. Loving God with all our heart, will engage us to every thing by which he will be pleased. The…

Read the full comment on Mark 12:28-34 →

Mark 12:29 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.

ἀπεκρίθηapekrithēAnsweredG611
ὁho<the>G3588
ἸησοῦςIēsousJesusG2424
ὅτιhotiTheG3754
πρώτηprōtēfirstG4413
πασῶνpasōnof allG3956
τῶνtōn<the>G3588
ἐντολῶν·entolōncommandments:G1785
ἄκουεakouedo listenG191
Ἰσραήλ,IsraēlO Israel:G2474
κύριοςkurios[The] LordG2962
ὁhotheG3588
θεὸςtheosGodG2316
ἡμῶνhēmōnof usG3165
κύριοςkurios[the] LordG2962
εἷςheisOneG1520
ἐστιν·estinis;G1510

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

Cross references for Mark 12:29

  • Luke 10:27

    And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.

  • Deuteronomy 6:4

    Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:

  • Galatians 3:20

    Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.

  • Romans 3:30

    Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.

  • Jude 1:25

    To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

  • James 2:19

    Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

  • 1 Corinthians 8:4

    As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.

  • Mark 12:32-33

    And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.

  • Deuteronomy 30:6

    And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.

  • 1 Timothy 2:5

    For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

  • Matthew 10:37

    He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

  • 1 Timothy 1:5

    Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Hear.
32,33; De 6:4; 10:12; 30:6; Pr 23:26; Mt 10:37; Lu 10:27; 1Ti 1:5

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

Context

  • Mark 12:28

    And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?

  • Mark 12:29

    And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:

  • Mark 12:30

    And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

Read all of Mark 12

Mark 12:29 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y Jesús le respondió: El primer mandamiento de todos es: Oye, Israel, el Señor nuestro Dios, el Señor uno es.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Jésus lui répondit: Le premier de tous les commandements est: « Écoute, Israël, le ✶Seigneur notre Dieu est un seul ✶Seigneur;
German
Elberfelder 1871		Jesus aber antwortete ihm: Das erste Gebot von allen ist: "Höre, Israel: der Herr, unser Gott, ist ein einiger Herr;
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Jesus autem respondit ei: Quia primum omnium mandatum est: Audi Israël, Dominus Deus tuus, Deus unus est: