Mark 9:33 (ASV)

Passage

And they came to Capernaum: and when he was in the house he asked them, What were ye reasoning on the way?

Nearby Context

Mark 9:31 For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered up into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and when he is killed, after three days he shall rise again.

Mark 9:32 But they understood not the saying, and were afraid to ask him.

Mark 9:33 And they came to Capernaum: and when he was in the house he asked them, What were ye reasoning on the way?

Mark 9:34 But they held their peace: for they had disputed one with another on the way, who [was] the greatest.

Mark 9:35 And he sat down, and called the twelve; and he saith unto them, If any man would be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "came", "capernaum", "house", "asked", and "reasoning". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "came" and "capernaum", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 32's "But they understood not the saying and..." into verse 34's "But they held their peace for they...", so "came" and "capernaum" 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 "came" and "capernaum" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.