Mark 12:38 (ASV)

Passage

And in his teaching he said, Beware of the scribes, who desire to walk in long robes, and [to have] salutations in the marketplaces,

Nearby Context

Mark 12:36 David himself said in the Holy Spirit, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Till I make thine enemies the footstool of thy feet.

Mark 12:37 David himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he his son? And the common people heard him gladly.

Mark 12:38 And in his teaching he said, Beware of the scribes, who desire to walk in long robes, and [to have] salutations in the marketplaces,

Mark 12:39 and chief seats in the synagogues, and chief places at feasts:

Mark 12:40 they that devour widows` houses, and for a pretence make long prayers; these shall receive greater condemnation.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "teaching", "said", "beware", "scribes", "desire", "walk", "long", and "robes". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "teaching" and "said", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 37's "David himself calleth him Lord and whence..." into verse 39's "and chief seats in the synagogues and...", so "teaching" and "said" belong inside that flow. In Mark context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "teaching" and "said" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.