Mark 14:21

The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! good were it for that man if he had never been born.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(21) Good were it for that man.—St. Mark, it will be noted, omits the fact recorded by St. Matthew, that the last “Is it I?” was uttered by the Traitor.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

14:12-21 Nothing could be less the result of human foresight than the events here related. But our Lord knows all things about us before they come to pass. If we admit him, he will dwell in our hearts. The Son of man goes, as it is written of him, as a lamb to the slaughter; but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed! God's permitting the sins of men, and bringing glory to himself out of them, does not oblige them to sin; nor will this be any excuse for their guilt, or lessen their punishment.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See this passage explained in the notes at Matthew 26:20-35.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

Mr 14:12-26. Preparation for, and Last Celebration of, the Passover—Announcement of the Traitor—Institution of the Supper. ( = Mt 26:17-30; Lu 22:7-23, 39; Joh 13:21-30).

See on [1501]Lu 22:7-23; [1502]Lu 22:39; and see on [1503]Joh 13:10, 11; [1504]Joh 13:18, 19; [1505]Joh 13:21-30.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

See Poole on "Mark 14:17"

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

The son of man indeed goeth,.... Out of this world by death,

as it is written; both in the book of God's decrees, and in the Scriptures of the Old Testament;

but woe to that man by whom the son of man is betrayed! whose sin will not be excused, nor lessened by fulfilling the decrees of God, and by accomplishing the prophecies of the Bible:

good were it for that man if he had never been born; so aggravating will be his crime, so dreadful his punishment; See Gill on Matthew 26:24.

Geneva Study Bible

The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! good were it for that man if he had never been born.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Mark 14:21. ὅτι, assigns a reason for the fact just stated. To fulfil Scripture (Psalm 41:9) the Son of Man must go from the earth through betrayal by an intimate. This verse contains an instance in Mk. of the construction μὲν δὲ (again in Mark 14:38 and in Mark 16:19-20).—καλὸν αὐτῷ, good for him, without the ἦν as in Mt. For the construction vide on Mt. and Burton, M. and T. in N. T., § 248.—ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐκεῖνος: this repetition (vide τῷ ἀ. ἐκ. above) gives a tragic solemnity to the utterance = good for aim, if he had not been born, that man! Cf. Mark 2:20, “days will come, etc., and then shall they fast, in that day”.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

21. woe to that man] The intimation just given was uttered privately for the ear of St John alone, and through him was possibly made known to St Peter; but the incident was of so ordinary a character, that it would fail to attract any notice whatever, and could only be a sign to the Apostle of Love. Then aloud, as we may believe, the Holy One uttered His final warning to the Traitor, and pronounced words of immeasurable woe on him by whom He was about to be betrayed, “It were good for that man if he had never been born.” But the last appeal had no effect upon him. “Rabbi, is it I?” he inquired, steeling himself to utter the shameless question. “Thou hast said,” replied the Saviour, in words probably heard only by those close by, and gave him “the sop,” and Satan entered into him, as St John tells us (Mark 13:27) with awful impressiveness. “That thou doest, do quickly,” the Saviour continued; and the traitor arose and went forth, and it was night (John 13:27-30), but the night was not darker than the darkness of his soul.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 21. - For the Son of man goeth (ὑπάγει) - goeth, departeth from this mortal scene: the reference is, of course, to his death - even as it is written of him; as, for example, in Psalm 22 and Isaiah 41 It was foreordained by God that he was to suffer as a victim for the sins of the whole world. But this predestined purpose of God did not make the guilt any the less of those who brought the Savior to his cross. Good were it for that man if he had not been born. The Greek is καλὸν η΅ν αὐτῷ εἰ οὐκ ἐγεννήθη ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐκεῖνος: literally, good were it for him, if that man had not been born. Better not to have lived at all than to have lived and died ill. Existence is no blessing, but a curse, to him who consciously and wilfully defeats the purpose of his existence. St. Matthew (Matthew 26:25) here introduces Judas as asking the question, "Is it I, Rabbi?" And our Lord answers him affirmatively, "Thou hast said." This was probably said in a low voice. Had it been said so as to be heard by others, such as Peter and John, they might have risen at once to inflict summary vengeance upon the apostate traitor. Mark 14:21