Mark 16:18
They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
Original Language Analysis
ὄφεις
serpents
G3789
ὄφεις
serpents
Strong's:
G3789
Word #:
1 of 17
a snake, figuratively, (as a type of sly cunning) an artful malicious person, especially satan
ἀροῦσιν
They shall take up
G142
ἀροῦσιν
They shall take up
Strong's:
G142
Word #:
2 of 17
to lift up; by implication, to take up or away; figuratively, to raise (the voice), keep in suspense (the mind), specially, to sail away (i.e., weigh
μὴ
G3361
μὴ
Strong's:
G3361
Word #:
8 of 17
(adverb) not, (conjunction) lest; also (as an interrogative implying a negative answer (whereas g3756 expects an affirmative one)) whether
αὐτοὺς
them
G846
αὐτοὺς
them
Strong's:
G846
Word #:
9 of 17
the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative g1438) of the third person, and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons
ἐπὶ
on
G1909
ἐπὶ
on
Strong's:
G1909
Word #:
11 of 17
properly, meaning superimposition (of time, place, order, etc.), as a relation of distribution (with the genitive case), i.e., over, upon, etc.; of re
χεῖρας
hands
G5495
χεῖρας
hands
Strong's:
G5495
Word #:
13 of 17
the hand (literally or figuratively (power); especially (by hebraism) a means or instrument)
ἐπιθήσουσιν
they shall lay
G2007
ἐπιθήσουσιν
they shall lay
Strong's:
G2007
Word #:
14 of 17
to impose (in a friendly or hostile sense)
Cross References
Luke 10:19Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.Acts 19:12So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.Acts 4:30By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.Acts 3:16And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.Acts 9:34And Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately.Mark 5:23And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.Acts 3:12And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?Psalms 91:13Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.Romans 16:20And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.Acts 4:10Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
Historical Context
Snake-handling cults wrongly use this verse to justify deliberate risk-taking. The verse promises protection in kingdom service, not immunity when tempting God (Matthew 4:7). Early Christians faced poisoning attempts by opponents. The Didache and early church fathers record prayers for healing. Medieval confusion mixed biblical healing with superstition; Reformation recovered biblical practices.
Questions for Reflection
- How do you distinguish between faith-filled obedience in danger versus presumptuous testing of God?
- What does biblical healing ministry look like—should churches today expect the same apostolic signs?
- How do you reconcile promised healing with unanswered prayers and persistent illness among believers?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
They shall take up serpents (ὄφεις ἀροῦσιν, opheis arousin)—likely refers to Acts 28:3-5 where Paul survived a viper bite. If they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them (κἂν θανάσιμόν τι πίωσιν οὐ μὴ αὐτοὺς βλάψῃ)—not permission to test God by deliberately handling snakes or drinking poison, but promise of divine protection in unavoidable danger during kingdom mission.
They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover (ἐπὶ ἀρρώστους χεῖρας ἐπιθήσουσιν καὶ καλῶς ἕξουσιν)—apostolic healing ministry confirmed the gospel (Acts 3:1-10, 5:12-16, 28:8). Hand-laying symbolizes impartation of blessing, not magical ritual. James 5:14-15 continues this practice with elders praying over the sick. Healing serves God's redemptive purposes, not human demands—Paul himself left Trophimus sick (2 Timothy 4:20).