What Does Mark 3:14 Mean?
And he made twelve, so that they might be with him, and so that he might send them out to herald.
Key words are shown with the Hebrew or Greek and what each word meant.
Selah Decoded Version The Selah Decoded Version renders what the Hebrew and Greek words meant to the people who first heard them.
King James wording
King James Version
And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,THE KEY
The sending begins in being with Jesus: the verse names presence as a purpose before proclamation.
THE MEANING
The verse holds together two purposes in your life with Jesus: being with him and being sent to proclaim. Proclamation rises from the relationship the verse names first.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It loosens the belief that closeness to Jesus is a prize earned through successful service: being with him is named as a purpose before the sending.
THE ROOT
ἀποστέλλῃ
apostellē
GROWS FROM
ἀποστέλλω
apostellō
to send away, dispatch
“send them out” in this verse is apostellē. The sending verb shares its root with ἀπόστολος (apostolos), meaning “one sent” or “envoy,” and ἀποστολή (apostolē), meaning “sending” or “commission.” The connection reveals sending as the act that gives the sent one their purpose; here, that act follows being with Jesus.
ALSO GROWS
apostolos: one sent, envoy
ἀπόστολος
This related word names the person through the sending that this verse describes.
apostolē: sending, commission
ἀποστολή
This branch makes the shared root visible: the commission grows from the act of sending.
κηρύσσειν
kēryssein
GROWS FROM
κηρύσσω
kērussō
to proclaim publicly as a herald
The word carries the image of a herald announcing a message openly. It frames the sending as public proclamation, not a message kept within the circle of those who are with Jesus.
ALSO GROWS
kēryx: herald
κῆρυξ
The herald is the one who publicly carries the announcement, clarifying the work named in the verse.
kērygma: proclamation, announcement
κήρυγμα
This related word names the public message carried by the sent ones.
THE PATTERN
Being with the sender precedes and gives shape to being sent as a witness.
And he said, Surely I will be with you, and this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you. When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.And you also bear witness, because from the beginning you have been with me.Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and grasped that they were unlettered and ordinary men, they marveled, and they knew them, that they had been with Jesus.THE THREAD
And he called the twelve to himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over the unclean breaths.The sending verb here and in Mark 6:7 is ἀποστέλλω (apostellō), meaning “send” or “dispatch.” Mark 6:7 shows the purpose named here taking shape as the twelve go out.
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