The Meaning of Mark 14:43 Explained

Mark 14:43

KJV: And immediately, while he yet spake, cometh Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.

YLT: And immediately -- while he is yet speaking -- cometh near Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude, with swords and sticks, from the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders;

Darby: And immediately, while he was yet speaking, Judas comes up, being one of the twelve, and with him a great crowd, with swords and sticks, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.

ASV: And straightway, while he yet spake, cometh Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  immediately,  while he  yet  spake,  cometh  Judas,  one  of the twelve,  and  with  him  a great  multitude  with  swords  and  staves,  from  the chief priests  and  the scribes  and  the elders. 

What does Mark 14:43 Mean?

Verse Meaning

All the synoptic writers apparently repeated that Judas was one of the Twelve, even though the reader already knows this, to stress the tragedy of Jesus" betrayal. [1] Judas guided the mob ( Acts 1:16) that had come with authority from the Sanhedrin. Part of the crowd consisted of Jewish temple police ( Luke 22:52) and Roman soldiers ( John 18:12). The police carried clubs and the soldiers short swords.

Context Summary

Mark 14:32-52 - Alone In The Hour Of Trial
When the soul is overwhelmed, it seeks to be alone, and yet not too far from human sympathy and help. The three most trusted might enter the enclosure, but even they could not share the depth of the Master's anguish, which was so great as to threaten His very life. He cried to Him who could save Him from dying before His trial and sentence, and was saved from what He feared. Our Lord did not shrink from physical suffering, but from the horror of becoming sin-bearer for the race, and putting away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. His disciples failed Him, but as He submitted to the Father's will His spirit rose triumphant. Sleep on now-the past is irrevocable. The disciples fled as fast as their feet would carry them. If only they had prayed, they would have been steadfast and unmovable. There are good reasons for supposing that the young man mentioned here was Mark himself. [source]

Chapter Summary: Mark 14

1  A conspiracy against Jesus
3  Expensive perfume is poured on his head by a woman
10  Judas sells his Master for money
12  Jesus himself foretells how he will be betrayed by one of his disciples;
22  after the passover prepared, and eaten, institutes his last supper;
26  declares beforehand the flight of all his disciples, and Peter's denial
43  Judas betrays him with a kiss
46  Jesus is apprehended in the garden;
53  falsely accused and impiously condemned of the council;
65  shamefully abused by them;
66  and thrice denied by Peter

Greek Commentary for Mark 14:43

And the scribes [και των γραμματεων]
Mark adds this item while John 18:3 mentions “Pharisees.” It was evidently a committee of the Sanhedrin for Judas had made his bargain with the Sanhedrin (Mark 14:1; Matthew 26:3; Matthew 26:47-56). See discussion of the betrayal and arrest on Luke 22:2 for details. [source]
One of the twelve []
See on Matthew 26:47; as also onmultitude. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Mark 14:43

John 18:3 The band of soldiers [την σπειραν]
No word for “of soldiers” in the Greek, but the Latin spira (roll or ball) was used for a military cohort (Polybius 11, 23, 1) as in Matthew 27:27; Acts 10:1, etc., here for a small band secured from the Tower of Antonia. The Synoptics do not mention the soldiers, but only the “officers” as here Dramatic historical present middle indicative. With lanterns and torches Both old words, πανος — phanos only here in N.T., λαμπας — lampas an oil lamp (Matthew 25:1). It was full moon, but Judas took no chances for it may have been cloudy and there were dark places by the walls and under the olive trees. Μετα — Meta is accompanied with and weapons Mark (Mark 14:43) mentions “swords and staves.” Probably the temple guard had weapons as well as the soldiers. [source]

What do the individual words in Mark 14:43 mean?

And immediately while yet of Him speaking comes up - Judas one of the Twelve with Him a crowd with swords clubs from the chief priests scribes elders
Καὶ εὐθὺς ἔτι αὐτοῦ λαλοῦντος παραγίνεται 〈ὁ〉 Ἰούδας εἷς τῶν δώδεκα μετ’ αὐτοῦ ὄχλος μετὰ μαχαιρῶν ξύλων παρὰ τῶν ἀρχιερέων γραμματέων πρεσβυτέρων

εὐθὺς  immediately 
Parse: Adverb
Root: εὐθέως  
Sense: straightway, immediately, forthwith.
ἔτι  while  yet 
Parse: Adverb
Root: ἔτι  
Sense: yet, still.
αὐτοῦ  of  Him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
λαλοῦντος  speaking 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: ἀπολαλέω 
Sense: to utter a voice or emit a sound.
παραγίνεται  comes  up 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: παραγίνομαι  
Sense: to be present, to come near, approach.
〈ὁ〉  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Ἰούδας  Judas 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰούδας 
Sense: the fourth son of Jacob.
εἷς  one 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: εἷς  
Sense: one.
τῶν  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
δώδεκα  Twelve 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: δώδεκα  
Sense: twelve.
ὄχλος  a  crowd 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ὄχλος  
Sense: a crowd.
μαχαιρῶν  swords 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Plural
Root: μάχαιρα  
Sense: a large knife, used for killing animals and cutting up flesh.
ξύλων  clubs 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Neuter Plural
Root: ξύλον  
Sense: wood.
ἀρχιερέων  chief  priests 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: ἀρχιερεύς  
Sense: chief priest, high priest.
γραμματέων  scribes 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: γραμματεύς  
Sense: a clerk, scribe, esp.
πρεσβυτέρων  elders 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: πρεσβύτερος  
Sense: elder, of age,.