Mark 8:36

For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world, and forfeit his life?

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Other translations

WEBBE

For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?

BSB

What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?

KJV

For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

ASV

For what doth it profit a man, to gain the whole world, and forfeit his life?

BBE

What profit has a man if he gets all the world with the loss of his life?

Original Greek

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τί ti What G5101 γὰρ gar for G1063 ὠφελεῖ ōphelei profits G5623 τὸν ton (the) G3588 ἄνθρωπον anthrōpon a man G444 ἐὰν ean if G1437 κερδῆσαι kerdēsai to gain G2770 τὸν ton the G3588 κόσμον kosmon world G2889 ὅλον holon whole G3650 καὶ kai and G2532 ζημιωθῆναι zēmiōthēnai to lose G2210 τὴν tēn the G3588 ψυχὴν psuchēn soul G5590 αὐτοῦ; autou of him G846

The early church

(ubi sup.) As therefore He had said, For who so ever will save his life shall lose it, lest any one should suppose this loss to be equivalent to that salvation, He adds, For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul, &c. As if He said, Think not that he has saved his soul, who has shunned the perils of the cross; for when a man, at the cost of his soul, that is, his life, gains the whole world, what has he besides, now that his soul is perishing? Has he another soul to give for his soul? For a man can give the price of his house in exchange for the house, but in losing his soul, he has not another soul to give. And it is with a purpose that He says, Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? for God, in exchange for our salvation, has given the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
John Chrysostom · d. 407Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 34–38

Frequent notice is taken of the great flocking there was to Christ for help in various cases. All are concerned to know this, if they expect him to heal their souls. They must not indulge the ease of the body. As the happiness of heaven with Christ, is enough to make up for the loss of life itself for him, so the gain of all the world in sin, will not make up for the ruin of the soul by sin. And there is a day coming, when the cause of Christ will appear as glorious, as some now think it mean and contemptible. May we think of that season, and view every earthly object as we shall do at that great day.

Read Matthew Henry on Mark 8 →

Parallel passages

2

The same words or events elsewhere.

Matthew 16:26Luke 9:25

Cross-references

15

Topics

Wicked (People)

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.