Mark 12:38 (WEB)

Passage

In his teaching he said to them, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk in long robes, and to get greetings in the marketplaces,

Nearby Context

Mark 12:36 For David himself said in the Holy Spirit, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet.”’Psalm 110:1

Mark 12:37 Therefore David himself calls him Lord, so how can he be his son?” The common people heard him gladly.

Mark 12:38 In his teaching he said to them, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk in long robes, and to get greetings in the marketplaces,

Mark 12:39 and the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts:

Mark 12:40 those who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.”

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "teaching", "said", "beware", "scribes", "like", "walk", "long", and "robes". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "teaching" and "said", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 37's "Therefore David himself calls him Lord so..." into verse 39's "and the best seats in the synagogues...", so "teaching" and "said" 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 "teaching" and "said" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.