And they come again to Jerusalem: and as he was walking in the temple, there come to him the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders,

MARK 11:27KJV
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Mark 11:27 (KJV)

What does Mark 11:27 mean?

Mark 11:27 sets the scene for a challenge to Jesus by Jerusalem’s religious leaders. Jesus and his companions have returned to the city, and the leaders approach him as he walks in the temple.

The temple was the center of Jewish worship in Jerusalem. The chief priests, scribes, and elders were groups with influence in the city’s religious and public life. Their approach follows Jesus’ actions in the temple the previous day.

The Greek behind Mark 11:27

  • “temple” — ἱερόν (hieron): The Greek word refers to the temple complex. Jesus was walking in its grounds or courts; the word does not necessarily mean the inner sanctuary.
  • “scribes” — γραμματεῖς (grammateis): The word refers to people trained in reading and interpreting written texts. In this setting, the scribes were teachers and interpreters of Jewish law.

Why Mark 11:27 matters

  • The encounter brings together several groups of leaders. Mark names chief priests, scribes, and elders, showing that the people approaching Jesus represent more than one part of Jerusalem’s leadership.
  • The question that follows concerns Jesus’ authority. In verse 28, the leaders ask by what authority he does “these things,” connecting their approach with what Jesus has been doing.
  • The setting makes the encounter especially pointed. Jesus is in the temple complex, the place where he had driven out buyers and sellers the day before (Mark 11:15–17).

Where else these words appear

“Jerusalem” Greek G2414 · used in 59 verses

  • Matthew 2:1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,
  • Luke 2:22 And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord;
  • Acts 8:14 Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:

“temple” Greek G2411 · used in 67 verses

  • Matthew 4:5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
  • Luke 19:47 And he taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him,
  • Acts 3:3 Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.

“scribes” Greek G1122 · used in 67 verses

  • Matthew 2:4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
  • Matthew 26:57 And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.
  • Mark 15:31 Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save.

“elders” Greek G4245 · used in 67 verses

  • Matthew 15:2 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
  • Luke 20:1 And it came to pass, that on one of those days, as he taught the people in the temple, and preached the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes came upon him with the elders,
  • 1 Timothy 5:2 The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity.