10 And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.

Were the Disciples Ignorant of the Resurrection?

Saying to themselves...what the rising from the dead should mean - Mark 9:10 .

"The rising from the dead" in question was without doubt Christ's own resurrection. The disciples could not be ignorant as to the meaning of resurrection in the abstract. Even Herod supposed that Christ was John "risen from the dead" (Mar. 6:16); and Christ himself had raised the dead in the presence of some of his disciples, at least.—(10:35–43.)

Besides, it was a part of the national faith that the dead should rise. We find Martha referring to this as a matter of course when Jesus told her Lazarus would rise:

"I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."—(Jno. 11:24.)

The Pharisees, the ruling sect of the nation, believed there should be a resurrection of the just and unjust (Acts 24:15), whence it is impossible to imagine the disciples ignorant of it. Jesus taught it in his discourse, as Daniel (12:2), Isaiah (25:8; 26:19), and Job (19:26), had done before. But in the case referred to in the question, their lack of understanding is not wonderful. Jesus, concerning the transfiguration,

"charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen till the Son of Man were risen from the dead."

This was the difficulty. The Son of Man was alive, and they had no expectation of his death.

"They thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear."—(Luke 19:11.)

Had they been questioned on the point, they would doubtless have said, as the people said,

"We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou the Son of Man must be lifted up?"—(Jno. 12:34.)

When, therefore, Jesus said,

"Tell no man what things ye have seen, until the Son of Man be risen from the dead," it is no marvel that they should "question with one another what the (Son of Man) rising from the dead should mean."

We are told by John concerning even a later period that

"as yet they knew not the Scripture that he must rise again from the dead.'—(Jno. 20:9)

The Christadelphian, June 1873