Mark 9:6 (ASV)

Passage

For he knew not what to answer; for they became sore afraid.

Nearby Context

Mark 9:4 And there appeared unto them Elijah with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus.

Mark 9:5 And Peter answereth and saith to Jesus, Rabbi, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.

Mark 9:6 For he knew not what to answer; for they became sore afraid.

Mark 9:7 And there came a cloud overshadowing them: and there came a voice out of the cloud, This is my beloved Son: hear ye him.

Mark 9:8 And suddenly looking round about, they saw no one any more, save Jesus only with themselves.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "knew", "answer", "became", "sore", and "afraid". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "knew" and "answer", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 5's "And Peter answereth and saith to Jesus..." into verse 7's "And there came a cloud overshadowing them...", so "knew" and "answer" 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 "knew" and "answer" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.