The Meaning of Mark 13:4 Explained

Mark 13:4

KJV: Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?

YLT: Tell us when these things shall be? and what is the sign when all these may be about to be fulfilled?'

Darby: Tell us, when shall these things be, and what is the sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled?

ASV: Tell us, when shall these things be? and what'shall be the sign when these things are all about to be accomplished?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Tell  us,  when  shall these things  be?  and  what  [shall be] the sign  when  all  these things  shall  be fulfilled? 

What does Mark 13:4 Mean?

Context Summary

Mark 13:1-13 - Coming Tribulations
Our Lord departed from the Temple, never again to enter its sacred precincts or to open His mouth in public teaching. When He withdrew, the whole system of Judaism was given over to desolation, and the predictions spoken at this time were minutely fulfilled in the fall of Jerusalem under Titus. The Temple was blotted out-indeed, a ploughshare passed over its site; the people were sold into slavery or butchered in the gladiatorial shows; their nationality was obliterated; and their land given to strangers. For more than eighteen centuries the holy places have been defiled.
Christ's words contain a further reference to His second advent. The signs here mentioned were carefully scanned by the early Christians, as one after another they were fulfilled. They saw the Roman world convulsed by rival claimants for the imperial purple; they knew by bitter experience the brunt of the world's hatred; they realized that by the labors of the great apostle of the Gentiles, and others, the gospel had been preached throughout the known world-and when these signs were being fulfilled, and the Roman eagles gathered to prey on the carcass of Judaism, from which the life had passed, they hastened to flee to Pella, from whence they beheld the collapse of the Jewish state. [source]

Chapter Summary: Mark 13

1  Jesus foretells the destruction of the temple;
9  the persecutions for the gospel;
10  that the gospel must be preached to all nations;
14  that great calamities shall happen to the Jews;
24  and the manner of his coming to judgment;
32  the hour whereof being known to none, every man is to watch and pray

Greek Commentary for Mark 13:4

Tell us, when shall these things be? [Ειπον ημιν ποτε ταυτα εσται]
The Revised Version punctuates it as a direct question, but Westcott and Hort as an indirect inquiry. They asked about the when Matthew 24:3 includes “the sign of thy coming and the end of the world,” showing that these tragic events are brought before Jesus by the disciples. See discussion of the interpretation of this discourse on Matthew 24:3. This chapter in Mark is often called “The Little Apocalypse” with the notion that a Jewish apocalypse has been here adapted by Mark and attributed to Jesus. Many of the theories attribute grave error to Jesus or to the Gospels on this subject. The view adopted in the discussion in Matthew is the one suggested here, that Jesus blended in one picture his death, the destruction of Jerusalem within that generation, the second coming and end of the world typified by the destruction of the city. The lines between these topics are not sharply drawn in the report and it is not possible for us to separate the topics clearly. This great discourse is the longest preserved in Mark and may be due to Peter. Mark may have given it in order “to forewarn and forearm” (Bruce) the readers against the coming catastrophe of the destruction of Jerusalem. Both Matthew (Matthew 24) and Luke (Luke 21:5-36) follow the general line of Mark 13 though Matthew 24:43-25:46 presents new material (parables). [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Mark 13:4

Hebrews 8:8 Finding fault with them [μεμπομενος αυτους]
Present middle participle of μεμπομαι — memphomai (cf. αμεμπτος — amemptos), old verb, in N.T. only here and Romans 9:19. The covenant was all right, but the Jews failed to keep it. Hence God made a new one of grace in place of law. Why do marriage covenants so often fail to hold? The author quotes in Hebrews 8:8-12; Jeremiah 31:31-34 (in lxx 38:31-34) in full which calls for little explanation or application to prove his point (Hebrews 8:13). I will make Future active of συντελεω — sunteleō old compound verb to accomplish as in Mark 13:4; Romans 9:28. A new covenant In Hebrews 12:24 we have διατηκης νεας — diathēkēs neas but καινης — kainēs in 1 Corinthians 11:25. Καινος — Kainos is fresh, on new lines as opposed to the old (παλαιος — palaios) as in 2 Corinthians 3:6, 2 Corinthians 3:14; νεος — neos is young or not yet old. [source]
Revelation 18:4 Come forth, my people, out of her [εχελτατε ο λαος μου εχ αυτης]
Second aorist (urgency) active imperative See also the call of Abram (Genesis 12:1). the rescue of Lot (Genesis 19:12.). In the N.T. see Mark 13:4; 2 Corinthians 6:14; Ephesians 5:11; 1 Timothy 5:11. ινα μη — Hosea laos is vocative with the form of the nominative. [source]

What do the individual words in Mark 13:4 mean?

Tell us when these things will be And what [will be] the sign when are going to be accomplished all
Εἰπὸν ἡμῖν πότε ταῦτα ἔσται καὶ τί τὸ σημεῖον ὅταν μέλλῃ συντελεῖσθαι πάντα

Εἰπὸν  Tell 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: λέγω  
Sense: to speak, say.
ἡμῖν  us 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative 1st Person Plural
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
ταῦτα  these  things 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Nominative Neuter Plural
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.
ἔσται  will  be 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Middle, 3rd Person Singular
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
τί  what  [will  be] 
Parse: Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: τίς  
Sense: who, which, what.
σημεῖον  sign 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: σημεῖον  
Sense: a sign, mark, token.
μέλλῃ  are  going 
Parse: Verb, Present Subjunctive Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: μέλλω  
Sense: to be about.
συντελεῖσθαι  to  be  accomplished 
Parse: Verb, Present Infinitive Middle or Passive
Root: συντελέω  
Sense: to end together or at the same time.