Mark 1:13 (DRB)

Passage

And he was in the desert forty days and forty nights, and was tempted by Satan. And he was with beasts: and the angels ministered to him.

Nearby Context

Mark 1:11 And there came a voice from heaven: Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

Mark 1:12 And immediately the Spirit drove him out into the desert.

Mark 1:13 And he was in the desert forty days and forty nights, and was tempted by Satan. And he was with beasts: and the angels ministered to him.

Mark 1:14 And after that John was delivered up, Jesus came in Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,

Mark 1:15 And saying: The time is accomplished and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the gospel:

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "desert", "forty", "days", "nights", "tempted", "satan", and "beasts". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "desert" and "forty", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 12's "And immediately the Spirit drove him out..." into verse 14's "And after that John was delivered up...", so "desert" and "forty" 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 "desert" and "forty" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.