Mark 13:9

But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(9) But take heed to yourselves.—The emphatic repetition of the warning is peculiar to St. Mark (comp. Mark 13:23). The description of the sufferings of the disciples (Mark 13:9-13) is found in Luke 21:12 and in Matthew 10:17-22 (where see Notes), but not in St. Matthew’s report of this discourse.

Benson Commentary

Mark 13:9. Take heed to yourselves — Walk circumspectly, and arm yourselves both with patience and fortitude, that you may be able to perform your duty amid all the opposition and persecution which you shall meet with. For they shall deliver you up to councils, &c. — See note on Matthew 10:17; Matthew 24:9. And in the synagogues ye shall be beaten — “It is certain,” says Whitby, “both from Scripture and the Jewish writers, that whipping and beating were punishments used in the synagogues of the Jews. Thus Paul says, he punished the Christians oft in every synagogue, Acts 26:11; and that he did beat in the synagogue those that believed, Acts 22:19 : and that it was usual to whip both their wise men and their disciples, when they had acted perversely, in their synagogues, is fully proved by Campegius Vitringa de Synag. Ver.” And ye shall be brought before rulers and kings — Thus Peter and John were called before the sanhedrim; James and Peter before Herod; and Paul before Nero the emperor, as well as before the Roman governors, Gallio, Felix, and Festus; and some were beaten, as Peter and John, (Acts 5:40,) Paul and Silas. For a testimony against them — The persecutions which you shall suffer shall become a glorious proof, both of your innocence, and of their guilt in rejecting the gospel. See note on Matthew 10:18.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

13:5-13 Our Lord Jesus, in reply to the disciples' question, does not so much satisfy their curiosity as direct their consciences. When many are deceived, we should thereby be awakened to look to ourselves. And the disciples of Christ, if it be not their own fault, may enjoy holy security and peace of mind, when all around is in disorder. But they must take heed that they are not drawn away from Christ and their duty to him, by the sufferings they will meet with for his sake. They shall be hated of all men: trouble enough! Yet the work they were called to should be carried on and prosper. Though they may be crushed and borne down, the gospel cannot be. The salvation promised is more than deliverance from evil, it is everlasting blessedness.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Take heed to yourselves - Be cautious that no man deceive you; or, take care of your lives, not to run into unnecessary danger.

To councils - The higher ecclesiastical courts of the Jews, including the Sanhedrin, or great council of the nation.

Rulers and kings - Referring to Roman officers.

For a testimony against them - Rather to bear testimony to them, or to be witnesses "before them" of the truth. This was" for the sake" of Jesus, or because they were attached to him; and God would overrule it so that at the same time they should bear witness "to" the rulers of the truth, as was the case with Peter and John, Acts 4; with Stephen, Acts 6-7; and with Paul, Acts 23; Acts 24:24-25.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

9. But take heed to yourselves: for—"before all these things" (Lu 21:12); that is, before these public calamities come.

they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten—These refer to ecclesiastical proceedings against them.

and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings—before civil tribunals next.

for my sake, for a testimony against them—rather "unto them"—to give you an opportunity of bearing testimony to Me before them. In the Acts of the Apostles we have the best commentary on this announcement. (Compare Mt 10:17, 18).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

This, so far as concerneth those to whom Christ spake, can only be a sign of the destruction of Jerusalem; but so far as it concerneth others, it is also a sign of the end of the world. It is the fifth sign he gives them; the persecution of the ministers of Christ and the saints of God, for the preaching and profession of the gospel. See Poole on "Matthew 24:9".

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

But take heed to yourselves,.... This does not so much regard their doctrine and conversation, they were to take heed to; in which sense this phrase is sometimes used; but the security of their persons and lives; and the advice is, to take care of them selves, as much as in them lay, how they came into the hands of the persecuting Jews, and exposed themselves to danger, when at any time it could be avoided:

for they shall deliver you up to councils; their greater and lesser sanhedrim; the one consisting of seventy one persons, the other of twenty three, and the least of three only; and before the greater of these, Peter and John were brought, quickly, after the ascension of Christ:

and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten; with forty stripes, save one, as the Apostle Paul was, five, times:

and ye shall be brought before rulers; governors of Roman provinces, as the same apostle was, before Gallio, Festus, and Felix:

and kings for my sake; for the sake of professing Christ, and preaching his Gospel; as some of the apostles were, before Herod, Agrippa, Nero, Domitian, and others:

for a testimony against them: both against the rulers and kings before whom they should be brought, and bear a testimony for Christ, and against the Jews, who should bring them thither; See Gill on Matthew 10:17; see Gill on Matthew 10:18.

Geneva Study Bible

But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a {a} testimony against them.

(a) When they hear you preach it will be a most evident witness against them, so that they will not be able to pretend that they do not know.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

Mark 13:9-13. See on Matthew 24:9; Matthew 14:10-13; Luke 21:12-18. Mark has here interwoven some things from the discourse which is found at Matthew 10:17-22.

ἀρχαί] prefixed with emphasis: beginnings of sorrows (comp. τὸ τέλος, Mark 13:7) are these.

βλέπετε δὲ κ.τ.λ.] but look ye (ye on your part, in the midst of these sorrows that surround you) to yourselves, how your own conduct must be. Comp. on βλέπ. ἑαυτ., 2 John 1:8; Galatians 6:1.

συνέδρια] judicial assemblies, as Matthew 10:17.

καὶ εἰς συναγωγ.] attaches itself, as εἰς συνέδρια precedes, most naturally to this (Luther, Castalio, Erasmus, Beza, Calovius, Elz., Lachmann), so that with δαρήσεσθε begins a further step of the description. The more usual connection with δαρήσεσθε, preferred also by Buttmann, neut. Gr. p. 287 [E. T. 333] and Bleek, is inadmissible, because εἰς cannot be taken in the pregnant meaning (instead of ἐν; for the element of “motion towards” is not implied in δαρήσ.), and because the explanation (see my first edition): ye shall be brought under blows of scourges into synagogues (comp. Bengel, Lange), is not accordant with fact, since the scourging took place in the synagogues; see on Matthew 10:17; Acts 22:19. That δαρήσ. comes in asyndetically, is in keeping with the emotional character of the discourse.

εἰς μαρτύρ. αὐτοῖς] i.e. in order that a testimony may be given to them, the rulers and kings, namely, regarding me (comp. previously ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ), regarding my person and my work (not: “intrepidi, quo causam meam defendatis, animi,” Fritzsche)—which, no doubt, involves their inexcusableness in the event of their unbelief; but it is arbitrary to explain the dative here just as if it were εἰς κατηγορίαν κ. ἔλεγχον αὐτῶν (Euthymius Zigabenus, Theophylact, and many others). Comp. on Matthew 10:18.

Mark 13:10. And this your vocation fraught with suffering will not soon pass away; among all nations (πάντα has the emphasis) must first (before the end of the sorrows appears, comp. ἀρχαὶ ὠδίνων, Mark 13:9), etc. These words are neither disturbing nor inappropriate (as Köstlin judges, p. 352, comp. Schenkel and Weiss); they substantially agree with Matthew 24:14, and do not betray a “more advanced position in point of time” on Mark’s part (Hilgenfeld), nor are they concocted by the latter out of κ. τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, Matthew 10:18 (Weiss).

Mark 13:11. μελετᾶτε the proper word for the studying of discourses. See Wetstein. The opposite of extemporizing. Comp. Dem. 1129, 9 : μελετᾶν τὴν ἀπολογίαν ὑπὲρ ἑαυτῶν.

δοθῇ] has the emphasis.

οὐ γάρ ἐστε ὑμεῖς] of them it is absolutely denied that they are the speakers. Comp. on Matthew 10:20.

Mark 13:12. See on Matthew 10:21. From that hostile delivering up, however (comp. παραδιδόντες, Mark 13:11), neither the relationship of brother nor of child, etc., will protect my confessors.

Mark 13:13. ὑπομείνας] according to the context here: in the confession of my name. See above, διὰ τὸ ὄνομά μου. See, moreover, on Matthew 24:13. The τέλος is that of the ὠδίνων, Mark 13:9, not that “of the theocratic period of the world’s history” (Schenkel).

Expositor's Greek Testament

Mark 13:9-13. Third sign, drawn from apostolic experiences (Matthew 24:9-13, Luke 21:12-19). On the hypothesis that this is an interpolation into the discourse, having no organic connection with it, vide on Mt. The contents of this section, especially in Mk.’s version, correspond closely to Matthew 10:17-22. But the question, in which of the two discourses the logion has the more historical setting, is not thereby settled. Some utterance of the sort was certainly germane to the present situation.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

9. to councils] Of the actual hearers of the Lord some were destined to find this true within little more than fifty days. Thus, in Acts 4:3, we find all the Apostles brought before the Sanhedrim, and again in Acts 5:18; Acts 5:27. Similarly, St Paul was brought before the same Council, Acts 23:1.

in the synagogues ye shall be beaten] “Of the Jews,” says St Paul (2 Corinthians 11:24), “five times received I forty stripes save one;” “thrice was I beaten with rods.” It was part of the duties of the Chazzan, or minister in each synagogue, to maintain order, and scourge the condemned.

before rulers and kings] Thus St Paul stood before Felix (Acts 24:10-22), before Festus (Acts 25:1-11), before Agrippa (Acts 26:1-23), before Nero (2 Timothy 4:16). Our Lord also, we may believe, alluded to the general persecutions of the Christians in later times, and especially to that of the emperor Nero, in which St Peter and St Paul suffered martyrdom.

Bengel's Gnomen

Mark 13:9. Δὲ, but) Do not concern yourselves about other matters, Mark 13:11 : only take heed to yourselves.—παραδώσουσι, they shall deliver you up) From this verse to Mark 13:13, the words are parallel to Matthew 10:17-18. Therefore Mark is not an epitomizer of Matthew.—εἰς) An abbreviated mode of expression: ye shall be brought into the synagogues, amidst stripes. See Glass. canon 2 de verbo. Or rather εἰς is for ἐν, as in Mark 13:16. At all events the mention of stripes is consonant with the synagogues. Matthew 10:17; Matthew 23:34.—αὐτοῖς, to them [against them]) viz. the Jews.

Mark 13:9

Vincent's Word Studies

Sorrows (ὠδίνων)

Rev., rightly, travail; for the word is used especially of birth-throes.

Shall ye be beaten (δαρήσεσθε)

The verb literally means to skin or flay, and by a slang usage, like our phrase to tan or hide, comes to mean to cudgel or beat.