Mark 9:33 (DBY)

Passage

And he came to Capernaum, and being in the house, he asked them, Of what were ye reasoning by the way?

Nearby Context

Mark 9:31 for he taught his disciples and said to them, The Son of man is delivered into men's hands, and they shall kill him; and having been killed, after three days he shall rise again.

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

Mark 9:33 And he came to Capernaum, and being in the house, he asked them, Of what were ye reasoning by the way?

Mark 9:34 And they remained silent, for by the way they had been reasoning with one another who [was] greatest.

Mark 9:35 And sitting down he called the twelve; and he says to them, If any one would be first, he shall be last of all, and minister 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 "And they remained silent for by the...", 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.