Mark 9:34 (DBY)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

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.

Mark 9:36 And taking a little child he set it in their midst, and having taken it in his arms he said to them,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "remained", "silent", "been", "reasoning", "another", and "greatest". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "remained" and "silent", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 33's "And he came to Capernaum and being..." into verse 35's "And sitting down he called the twelve...", so "remained" and "silent" 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 "remained" and "silent" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.