Mark · Chapter 12 · Love

Mark 12:30 — Bible Verse Meaning & Context

Love is the centre of Scripture's story. Read this one slowly.

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Read in chapter context · Mark 12

Both translations, side by side

WEB · World English Bible

"you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment."

KJV · King James Version

"And2532 thou shalt love25 the Lord2962 thy4675 God2316 with1537 all3650 thy4675 heart2588, and2532 with1537 all3650 thy4675 soul5590, and2532 with1537 all3650 thy4675 mind1271, and2532 with1537 all3650 thy4675 strength2479: this3778 is the first4413 commandment1785."

How the translations differ: The WEB is a modern public-domain revision of the 1901 ASV; the KJV dates to 1611. The KJV uses thou, shalt, thy, while the WEB renders these as you, shall, your. Both translate the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text — the differences are stylistic, not theological.

In context

Mark 12:30 in Mark 12

A Bible verse rarely stands alone. Here is Mark 12:30 read with the verses immediately before and after — the surrounding flow of Mark 12. Read the full chapter →

v.28 One of the scribes came, and heard them questioning together. Knowing that he had answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the greatest of all?”
v.29 Jesus answered, “The greatest is, ‘Hear, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one:
v.30 you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.
v.31 The second is like this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
v.32 The scribe said to him, “Truly, teacher, you have said well that he is one, and there is none other but he,

Book background

About the Book of Mark

Testament: New Testament
Genre: Gospel
Author: John Mark, recording Peter's testimony
Date written: c. 55–65 AD
Audience: Roman / Gentile Christians
Chapters: 16

Mark is the shortest, most action-driven Gospel — the word "immediately" appears more than 40 times. Mark presents Jesus as the suffering Servant who came "not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (10:45). The book accelerates toward the cross and the empty tomb.

Setting: Likely written in Rome; the earliest of the Gospels.

Key themes: servant · action · cross · discipleship · authority

Read Mark from the beginning →

Memorisation aid

How to memorise Mark 12:30

Mark 12:30 contains 31 words in 4 clauses. Learn one clause at a time, then chain them. The first-letter mnemonic (FLM) under each clause is a memory hook — once you can speak the FLM from memory, the full clause follows.

1

you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart

YSLTLY
2

and with all your soul

AWAYS
3

and with all your mind

AWAYM
4

and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.

AWAYST

Frequently asked

FAQ about Mark 12:30

What does Mark 12:30 say?

Mark 12:30 reads: "you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment." — from the New Testament, Mark (Gospel). The full verse is shown above with both the World English Bible (WEB) and King James Version (KJV) translations side by side.

What book of the Bible is Mark 12:30 in?

Mark 12:30 is in the book of Mark, traditionally attributed to John Mark, recording Peter's testimony and written around c. 55–65 AD. Mark is gospel in the New Testament, originally addressed to Roman / Gentile Christians. Best known for "the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve".

What is Mark 12:30 about?

Mark 12:30 is primarily a Bible verse about Love. Within Mark, Mark is the shortest, most action-driven Gospel — the word "immediately" appears more than 40 times. Read the full passage above with surrounding context.

What is the difference between Mark 12:30 in WEB and KJV?

Mark 12:30 in the World English Bible (WEB) reads: "you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.". The King James Version (KJV) reads: "And2532 thou shalt love25 the Lord2962 thy4675 God2316 with1537 all3650 thy4675 heart2588, and2532 with1537 all3650 thy4675 soul5590, and2532 with1537 all3650 thy4675 mind1271, and2532 with1537 all3650 thy4675 strength2479: this3778 is the first4413 commandment1785.". The WEB is a modern public-domain translation that updates the KJV's 1611 English while keeping a similar formal-equivalence style. Both render the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text.

How long is Mark 12:30?

Mark 12:30 is 31 words in the WEB translation (161 characters), broken into 4 clauses. It is a longer verse, often broken into smaller phrases for memorisation. Estimated reading time is about 9 seconds.

How can I memorise Mark 12:30?

To memorise Mark 12:30, split it into its 4 natural clauses and learn one at a time. Repeat the full verse out loud five times, then write it from memory. Saving the verse as a photo wallpaper using our verse image studio helps daily review — the visual association with a memorable background dramatically improves recall.

Why does Mark 12:30 matter in Mark?

How can I apply Mark 12:30 today?

Many readers use Mark 12:30 as a daily reminder verse — saving it as a phone wallpaper, sharing it on Pinterest, or memorising it for prayer. The verse studio on this page lets you download Mark 12:30 on 52 different backgrounds for free. Pair the verse with the surrounding chapter context shown above to understand its full meaning before applying it.

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