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

18And pray that your flight will not be in winter. 19For there will be greater anguish in those days than at any time since God created the world. And it will never be so great again. In fact, unless the Lord shortens that time of calamity, not a single person will survive. But for the sake of his chosen ones he has shortened those days. 21“Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah,’ or ‘There he is,’ don’t believe it. 22For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones.

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 1:9If the Lord of Heaven’s Armies had not spared a few of us, we would have been wiped out like Sodom, destroyed like Gomorrah.
• Isaiah 6:13If even a tenth—a remnant—survive, it will be invaded again and burned. But as a terebinth or oak tree leaves a stump when it is cut down, so Israel’s stump will be a holy seed.”
• Isaiah 65:8“But I will not destroy them all,” says the Lord. “For just as good grapes are found among a cluster of bad ones (and someone will say, ‘Don’t throw them all away— some of those grapes are good!’), so I will not destroy all Israel. For I still have true servants there.
• Zechariah 13:8Two-thirds of the people in the land will be cut off and die,” says the Lord. “But one-third will be left in the land.
• Matthew 24:22In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive. But it will be shortened for the sake of God’s chosen ones.
• Romans 11:5It is the same today, for a few of the people of Israel have remained faithful because of God’s grace—his undeserved kindness in choosing them.

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