Mark 13:34

Mark 13:34 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.
• New International Version (NIV)It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.
• English Standard Version (ESV)It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake.
• New King James Version (NKJV)It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch.

Context of Mark 13:34

32Nobody knows the day or the hour when all these things will happen. Only God the Father knows when they will happen. The angels who are in heaven do not know. Even the Son does not know. 33Watch carefully! Keep awake! You do not know the time when all these things will happen. It is like when a man begins a journey. Before the master leaves his house, he gives authority to his servants. He tells each servant about the work that he should do. Then he tells the servant at the door to watch for his master's return. 35So you must watch carefully. You do not know when the master of the house will come back. He might arrive in the evening, or in the middle of the night. Or he might arrive early in the morning, or just before the sun rises. 36When he arrives, he may surprise you. He may even find you asleep!

Mark 13:34 word by word

ὡς ἄνθρωπος ἀπόδημος ἀφεὶς τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ καὶ δοὺς τοῖς δούλοις αὐτοῦ τὴν ἐξουσίαν, ἑκάστῳ τὸ ἔργον αὐτοῦ, καὶ τῷ θυρωρῷ ἐνετείλατο ἵνα γρηγορῇ.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• asὡςhōs · as/whenG5613
• a manἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
• taking a far journeyἀπόδημοςapodēmos · absentG590
• who leftἀφίημιaphiēmi · to release: leaveG863
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• houseὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• houseοἰκίαoikia · homeG3614
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• gaveδίδωμιdidōmi · to giveG1325
• authorityἐξουσίαexousia · authorityG1849
• servantsδοῦλοςdoulos · slaveG1401
• to every manἕκαστοςhekastos · eachG1538
• workἔργονergon · workG2041
• commandedἐντέλλωentellomai · to orderG1781
• the porterθυρωρόςthurōros · gatekeeperG2377
• toἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• watchγρηγορέωgrēgoreuō · to keep watchG1127

Cross-references for Mark 13:34

• Matthew 24:45Jesus then said, ‘You should be like a wise servant. Be someone that the master can trust. The master will choose a man like that. He will say to him, “Rule over my house and all my other servants. Give everyone their food to eat at the right time.”
• Matthew 25:14Jesus said, ‘The kingdom of heaven is also like a man who began a journey. Before the master went away, he told his servants to come to him. He said to them, “Take care of all my money and all my things for me.”
• Luke 19:12Jesus said to them, ‘An important man left his home and he travelled a long way to another country. There he would receive authority to rule his own country. After that, he would return home and he would be king.
• Romans 12:4Each part of our body works in a different way. But all the parts belong to our one body.
• Romans 13:6This is also the reason why you pay taxes to the government. You should pay them, because the officers are God's servants. They are doing the work that God has given to them.
• 1 Corinthians 3:5Is Apollos important? Is Paul important? No! We are God's servants. We told you God's good news and you believed it. Each of us is doing the job which the Lord has given to us.
• 1 Corinthians 12:4The Holy Spirit helps us with different kinds of gifts. But it is the same Spirit who gives them.
• 1 Corinthians 15:58So you must continue to be strong in your spirits, my Christian friends that I love. Do not let anything move you away from your faith. Continue to work hard as you serve the Lord. You know that whatever you do for him will not be useless.
• Colossians 3:24You know that you will receive the good things that the Lord has promised to his people. He will give you what is right for you. The Lord Jesus Christ is the master that you serve.
• Colossians 4:1Masters, be fair to your servants. Give them what is right. Remember that you also serve a master, and he is in heaven.
• Ezekiel 3:17‘Son of man, I have made you a guard to warn Israel's people about danger. You must listen to the messages that I will give to you. Then you must use my messages to warn the Israelites.
• Ezekiel 33:2‘Son of man, speak to your people. Say to them, “Think about what might happen if I send an army to attack a country. The people of that country might choose one of their own men to be a guard to warn them about danger.
• Luke 12:36You must be like servants that are waiting for their master to arrive. When he returns home from the marriage party, he will knock on the door. His servants should be ready to open it for him immediately.
• Acts 20:29I know that trouble will come to you after I leave. Bad people will come to teach you. They will cause trouble for the believers, like dangerous wild animals that attack sheep.
• Matthew 16:19I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. You will tell people here on earth what is right for them to do. And you will tell them what is not right for them to do. God in heaven will give you this authority. He will agree with what you say.’
• John 10:3The person who watches the gate opens it for the shepherd. The sheep recognize the shepherd's voice. He calls each of his own sheep by their name and he leads them out.

Commentaries on Mark 13:34

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 34Left his house - , family. Our blessed Lord and Master, when he ascended to heaven, commanded his servants to be faithful and watchful. This fidelity to which he exhorts his servants consists in doing every thing well which is to be done, in the heart or in the family, according to the full extent of the duty. The watchfulness consists in suffering no stranger nor enemy to enter in by the senses, which are the gates of the soul; in permitting nothing…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 34Who left his house - The word “house” often means family. Our Saviour here represents himself as going away, leaving his household the church, assigning to the apostles and all his servants their duty, and leaving it uncertain when he would return. Since his return was a matter of vast consequence, and as the affairs of his kingdom were entrusted to them, just as the affairs of a house are to servants when the master is absent, so it was of vast…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 28-37Verses 28-37 We have the application of this prophetic sermon. As to the destruction of Jerusalem, expect it to come very shortly. As to the end of the world, do not inquire when it will come, for of that day and that hour knoweth no man. Christ, as God, could not be ignorant of anything; but the Divine wisdom which dwelt in our Saviour, communicated itself to his human soul according to the Divine pleasure. As to both, our duty is to watch and pray. Our…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 34-35The point of this parable is not that the Lord’s return is doubtful or completely unexpected (see Matthew 24:45–51; 25:1–30; Luke 12:36–38; 19:12–27). Rather, it teaches that there will be no warning sign before he comes. The parable uses symbolic language in at least two ways: The master (Greek kurios, “lord” or “master”) represents the Lord Jesus Christ. The servants represent the Christian community. However, interpreting the doorkeeper as the apostles…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3434. For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, &c.--The idea thus far is similar to that in the opening part of the parable of the talents (Mt 25:14, 15). and commanded the porter--the gatekeeper. to watch--pointing to the official duty of the ministers of religion to give warning of approaching danger to the people.Read the comment

Topics related to Mark 13:34

• Commandments
• Earth
• Jesus Continued
• Temptation
• Watchfulness

In the dictionaries

• Son of man
• Choose
• Authority in Religion
• Doorkeeper
• Eschatology of the New Testament
• Far; Farther
• Jesus Christ
• Mark, the Gospel According to
• Millennium, Premillennial View
• Parousia

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