Mark 13:20

Mark 13:20 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect’s sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.
• New International Version (NIV)“If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days.

Context of Mark 13:20

18You must pray to God that this time of trouble will not happen in winter. 19Very bad troubles will happen to people at that time and cause them a lot of pain. Nothing as bad has ever happened before, since God created the world. Nothing as bad will ever happen again. The Lord God will cause those days of very bad trouble to come to an end. If he did not do that, there would be nobody still alive. But God will cause those days to be not too many. He will do that to help the people that he has chosen. 21At that time, someone may say to you, “Look, here is the Messiah!” Or they may say, “Look, he is there!” If they say that, do not believe them. 22Some people will even say, “I am the Messiah.” Other people will say, “I am a prophet from God.” But their words will be false. They will do strange and powerful things for people to see. If possible, they would even deceive the people that God has chosen.

Mark 13:20 word by word

καὶ εἰ μὴ ἐκολόβωσεν κύριος τὰς ἡμέρας, οὐκ ἂν ἐσώθη πᾶσα σάρξ· ἀλλὰ διὰ τοὺς ἐκλεκτοὺς οὓς ἐξελέξατο ἐκολόβωσεν τὰς ἡμέρας.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• exceptεἰei · if: notG1487
• exceptμήmē · notG3361
• that the Lordκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962
• had shortenedκολοβόωkoloboō · to shortenG2856
• those daysὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• those daysἡμέραhēmera · dayG2250
• noοὐou · noG3756
• noἄνan · ifG302
• fleshπᾶςpas · allG3956
• fleshσάρξsarx · fleshG4561
• should be savedσῴζωsōzō · to saveG4982
• butἀλλάalla · butG235
• forδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
• the elect’s sakeἐκλεκτόςeklektos · selectG1588
• whomὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• he hath chosenἐκλέγωeklegomai · to selectG1586

Cross-references for Mark 13:20

• Isaiah 1:9Unless the Lord Almighty had left some of us alive, we would have become like Sodom. We would have been completely destroyed, like Gomorrah.
• Isaiah 6:13Even if only one tenth part of the people remain in the land, enemies will continue to destroy it. It will be like they are cutting down a great oak tree. But the base of the tree with its roots will still be there. From the part that remains, a holy branch will grow.’
• Isaiah 65:8This is what the Lord says: ‘If grapes still have some juice in them, someone will say, “Do not destroy them. There is some juice there that we can use.” I will do the same thing for my servants. I will not destroy them all.
• Zechariah 13:8In the whole country,’ says the Lord, ‘two thirds of the people will die. But one third will still be living there.
• Matthew 24:22God will cause those days of great trouble to be not so many. If he did not do that, there would be nobody still alive. But God will cause those days to come to an end. He will do that to help the people that he has chosen.
• Romans 11:5It is the same at this time too. There is a small number of Israel's people that God has chosen to trust him. He has chosen them because he is very kind.

Commentaries on Mark 13:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20Had shortened those days - Because of his chosen, added by D, Armenian, and five of the Itala. See Matthew 24:22.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-23Verses 14-23 The Jews in rebelling against the Romans, and in persecuting the Christians, hastened their own ruin apace. Here we have a prediction of that ruin which came upon them within less than forty years after this. Such destruction and desolation, that the like cannot be found in any history. Promises of power to persevere, and cautions against falling away, well agree with each other. But the more we consider these things, the more we shall see…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20God’s shortening of this time of suffering is mentioned often in Jewish writings written between the Old and New Testaments (for example, 2 Esdras 2:13; 2 Baruch 20:1). This statement emphasizes both the terrible suffering of God’s people during this tribulation (a time of great trouble) and God’s mercy in shortening those days. nobody would be saved: The whole population of Judea might have died if this time of suffering had lasted longer. elect: These…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh--that is, no human life. should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days--But for this merciful "shortening," brought about by a remarkable concurrence of causes, the whole nation would have perished, in which there yet remained a remnant to be afterwards gathered out. This portion of the prophecy closes, in Luke, with the following vivid and…Read the comment

Topics related to Mark 13:20

• Jerusalem
• Jesus Continued
• Predestination
• Watchfulness

In the dictionaries

• Choose
• Predestination
• Andrew
• Choose; Chosen
• Elect
• Eschatology of the New Testament
• Flesh
• Jesus Christ
• Mark, the Gospel According to
• Millennium, Premillennial View

Commentaries on Mark 13

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings