Devine Scripture

Mark 15:33

What does Mark 15:33 mean?

A plain-English look at Mark 15:33 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What Mark 15:33 means

From the sixth to the ninth hour there is darkness over the whole land—a notable cosmic sign during Jesus' crucifixion. This darkness interrupts the day and suggests God’s presence and judgment at work, reflecting the gravity of the moment. It may symbolize mourning, divine wrath, or the weight of bearing sin. The unusual darkness underscores the extraordinary nature of the event: the death of the Son of God affects creation itself, signaling a theological reality beyond human comprehension.

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.

KJV

King James Version · 1611

And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.

ASV

American Standard Version · 1901

And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

And when the sixth hour had come, it was dark over all the land till the ninth hour.

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

And the sixth hour having come, darkness came over the whole land till the ninth hour,

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole earth until the ninth hour.

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

And when [the] sixth hour was come, there came darkness over the whole land until [the] ninth hour;

Context

This darkness takes place just after the mocking and before Jesus’ final cry. Mark’s time markers (sixth to ninth hour) frame the crucifixion. The darkness serves as a solemn backdrop to Jesus’ suffering, heightening the narrative’s cosmic scale and preparing readers for his cry of dereliction at the ninth hour and the dramatic events that follow.

v.32Let the Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reproached him.

v.33This passage

v.34And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Cross references

Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  • Psalms 105:28

    He sent darkness, and made it dark; And they rebelled not against his words.

  • Amos 8:9

    And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord Jehovah, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day.

  • Mark 15:25

    And it was the third hour, and they crucified him.

  • Matthew 27:45

    Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour.

  • Isaiah 50:3

    I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering.

  • Luke 23:44

    And it was now about the sixth hour, and a darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour,

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