Mark 12:32 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And the scribe said to him, "You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him.

NIV: "Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him.

NASB: And the scribe said to Him, 'Well said, Teacher; You have truly stated that HE IS ONE, AND THERE IS NO OTHER BESIDES HIM;

CSB: Then the scribe said to him, "You are right, teacher. You have correctly said that he is one, and there is no one else except him.

NLT: The teacher of religious law replied, 'Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth by saying that there is only one God and no other.

KJV: And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:

NKJV: So the scribe said to Him, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He.

The Jewish religious and civil leaders have spent several days trying to trap Jesus into doing something they can use to destroy Him (Mark 12:12). Their latest salvo is to send a scribe, an expert in the Law, to ask Jesus what the foremost of the Mosaic laws is. Jesus gives a three-part response: to know God, love God, and love others. The scribe rightfully starts where Jesus does: know and understand that God the Master is one. The addition that "there is no other besides him" is certainly consistent with the affirmation of God's oneness and comes from Deuteronomy 4:35.

Parallelism is a type of poetry that repeats ideas instead of sounds, and it is very popular in Jewish literature. The parallelism in Hosea 6:6 shows how this first line of the Shema fits with the call to love God and others: "For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice | The knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings."

To know God, to understand and accept and live out of the knowledge that He is God and there is no other, is the foundation for love.

In most of Jesus' altercations with the Pharisees and scribes, the arguments are more personal. They especially turn on how the two groups added to Mosaic law in ways God does not intend, and which the people find burdensome (Matthew 23:4). The result of these altercations is usually that the scribes and Pharisees want to destroy Jesus (Mark 3:6; 11:18). In this more philosophical debate, the scribe publicly acknowledges Jesus' wise answer. He even respectfully calls Jesus a "teacher."

Mark 12:28–34 occurs during the last week before the crucifixion. Jesus spends time in the temple courtyard, teaching the people and debating Jewish religious and civil leaders. Intrigued by how Jesus proves the resurrection of the dead to a group of Sadducees (Mark 12:18–26), a scribe of the Pharisees (Matthew 22:34–35) asks Jesus about the greatest commandment in the Mosaic law. The central idea of Jesus' answer is to love God and love others. But He starts at the beginning of the Shema prayer: acknowledge God is your God and He is one. This story is also in Matthew 22:34–40.

This chapter contains lessons taught by Jesus in various circumstances. He explains the eventual destruction of traditional Judaism, the relationship between secular and sacred obligations, the nature of the resurrection, and the most important of God's commandments. Jesus also expounds on Messianic statements in the Old Testament. Jesus also condemns the glory-seeking shallowness of the scribes, and extolls the virtues of sincere, faith-based giving.

Days before, Jesus has entered Jerusalem, hailed as a hero by the people (Mark 11:1–11). While teaching in the temple courtyard, Jesus shows superior understanding of Scripture over the chief priests, scribes, and elders (Mark 12:27–33), the Pharisees and Herodians (Mark 12:13), the Sadducees (Mark 12:18), and the scribes again (Mark 12:35, 38). Sadly, even in the instance where a scribe does understand Scripture, that is no guarantee he will follow it to its logical conclusion: Jesus (Mark 12:28–34). In contrast, a humble widow exemplifies the faithfulness and piety the leaders lack (Mark 12:41–44). Jesus leaves the temple for the last time to teach the disciples on the Mount of Olives (Mark 13). In Mark 14, He prepares for the crucifixion.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.