Verse Lens · Expanded explanation
Mark 12:29 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 29. 29And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
This verse begins the foremost command with Israel's Shema, preserving Jesus' Jewish confession of the one God.
The scribe and Jesus meet at Israel's center
This verse is one part of that explanation in Mark 12:28-34. The complete section carries the connected meaning and how it should shape life.
Read It With
- Mark 12:28-34
Read Mark 12:29 with 12:28-34. This verse begins the foremost command with Israel's Shema, preserving Jesus' Jewish confession of the one God. The complete unit's controlling movement is: A scribe asks for the foremost command; Jesus joins Israel's Shema with Leviticus's neighbor love, and the scribe recognizes their priority over offerings, receiving Jesus' near-the-kingdom commendation.
Follow the Context
- A scribe asks for the foremost command
- Jesus joins Israel's Shema with Leviticus's neighbor love
- the scribe recognizes their priority over offerings, receiving Jesus' near-the-kingdom commendation.
Phrase-by-Phrase Explanation
“And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God…”
In plain language: begins the foremost command with Israel's Shema, preserving Jesus' Jewish confession of the one God
A scribe asks for the foremost command; Jesus joins Israel's Shema with Leviticus's neighbor love, and the scribe recognizes their priority over offerings, receiving Jesus' near-the-kingdom commendation. Within that movement, this wording begins the foremost command with Israel's Shema, preserving Jesus' Jewish confession of the one God.
Why it matters: This wording carries a material narrative, lexical, textual, historical, theological, ethical, or misuse boundary.
How certain? probableWhat This Verse Is Not Saying
The passage does not oppose Christian love to Jewish law. Read Mark 12:29 with Mark 12:28-34. In context, the verse begins the foremost command with Israel's Shema, preserving Jesus' Jewish confession of the one God.
What Remains True
Love of the one God and love of neighbor stand together at the center of Torah and exceed ritual performance without opposing Judaism. At Mark 12:29, begins the foremost command with Israel's Shema, preserving Jesus' Jewish confession of the one God.
Teach It Back
Explain Mark 12:29's specific contribution to Mark 12:28-34: begins the foremost command with Israel's Shema, preserving Jesus' Jewish confession of the one God. Include the surrounding movement, one uncertainty or ethical boundary, and what the verse does not authorize.
Your explanation stays in this browser. It is not sent or saved.
Continue in Context
Read the complete section for the connected explanation and how it should shape life. This verse is a doorway into that passage, not a saying that stands alone.
Read Mark 12:28-34 — Love of God and Neighbor Stands at the CenterSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? probable
Where care is needed
The preferred reading follows Mark's immediate narrative and whole-book movement while keeping the material alternative visible: Jesus answers within Torah and receives a Jewish scribe positively. Christian reading must preserve the Shema's Jewish identity rather than claim Jesus invented love over law.
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact KJV wording, paragraph flags, supplied-word markup, and coverage.
Exact location: Mark 12:28-34, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM corpus
Open source ↗Greek textual evidence
The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition
Michael W. Holmes, editor; Society of Biblical Literature and Logos
Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software, 2010
Supports: Greek wording, sentence relations, and material variants checked independently of the KJV.
Exact location: Faithlife SBLGNT official repository, data/sblgnt/text/Mark.txt, 12:28-34
Open the Mark Greek text file ↗Translation and textual notes
NET Bible — Mark with translators' and textual notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, 2005–2026 online edition
Supports: Verse-level translation, syntax, older-English clarification, variants, background, and alternatives.
Exact location: NET Bible Mark PDF, printed pp. 1868–1901, 12:28-34 and attached translator/textual notes
Open the official NET Mark PDF ↗