Mark 12:39 (GNV)

Passage

And the chiefe seates in the Synagogues, and the first roumes at feastes,

Nearby Context

Mark 12:37 Then Dauid himselfe calleth him Lord: by what meanes is he then his sonne? and much people heard him gladly.

Mark 12:38 Moreouer he saide vnto them in his doctrine, Beware of the Scribes which loue to goe in long robes, and loue salutations in the markets,

Mark 12:39 And the chiefe seates in the Synagogues, and the first roumes at feastes,

Mark 12:40 Which deuoure widowes houses, euen vnder a colour of long prayers. These shall receiue the greater damnation.

Mark 12:41 And as Iesus sate ouer against the treasurie, he beheld how the people cast money into the treasurie, and many rich men cast in much.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "chiefe", "seates", "synagogues", "first", "roumes", and "feastes". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "chiefe" and "seates", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 38's "Moreouer he saide vnto them in his..." into verse 40's "Which deuoure widowes houses euen vnder a...", so "chiefe" and "seates" 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 "chiefe" and "seates" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.