The Meaning of Mark 13:9 Explained

Mark 13:9

KJV: 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.

YLT: 'And take ye heed to yourselves, for they shall deliver you up to sanhedrims, and to synagogues, ye shall be beaten, and before governors and kings ye shall be set for my sake, for a testimony to them;

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

ASV: But take ye heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in synagogues shall ye be beaten; and before governors and kings shall ye stand for my sake, for a testimony unto them.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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  {5625;71:5701} before  rulers  and  kings  for my  sake,  for  a testimony  against them. 

What does Mark 13:9 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The disciples could anticipate persecution from the Jews and the Gentiles, from religious and secular courts. However such treatment would provide opportunity to bear witness for Jesus. This warning is appropriate for all disciples in the inter-advent era as are all the warnings in this discourse.

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 13:9

But take heed to yourselves [λεπετε δε υμεις εαυτους]
Only in Mark, but dominant note of warning all through the discourse. Note υμεις — humeis here, very emphatic. [source]
Councils [συνεδρια]
Same word as the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem. These local councils Second future passive indicative second person plural. The word επι ηγεμονων και βασιλεων — derō means to flay or skin and here has been softened into beat like our tan or skin in the vernacular. Aristophanes has it in this colloquial sense as have the papyri in the Koiné. Before governors and kings (στατησεστε — epi hēgemonōn kai basileōn). Gentile rulers as well as before Jewish councils. Shall stand First aorist passive indicative second person plural of histēmi f0). [source]
Shall ye be beaten [δερω]
Second future passive indicative second person plural. The word επι ηγεμονων και βασιλεων — derō means to flay or skin and here has been softened into beat like our tan or skin in the vernacular. Aristophanes has it in this colloquial sense as have the papyri in the Koiné. Before governors and kings Gentile rulers as well as before Jewish councils. [source]
Shall stand [ιστημι]
First aorist passive indicative second person plural of histēmi f0). [source]
Sorrows [ὠδίνων]
Rev., rightly, travail; for the word is used especially of birth-throes. [source]
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. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Mark 13:9

John 15:21 Unto you [εις υμας]
Like the dative υμιν — humin (Textus Receptus) as in the papyri and modern Greek (Robertson, Grammar, p. 594). For my name‘s sake See John 15:20. See this same warning and language in Matthew 10:22; Mark 13:13; Matthew 24:9; Luke 21:17). There is little difference in meaning from ενεκεν μου — heneken mou (Mark 13:9; Luke 21:12). Loyalty to the name of Christ will bring persecution as they will soon know (Acts 5:41; Philemon 1:29; 1 Peter 4:14). About the world‘s ignorance of God see Luke 23:34; Acts 3:17; John 16:3. [source]
2 John 1:8 Look to yourselves [βλεπετε εαυτους]
Imperative active with reflexive pronoun as in Mark 13:9. The verb often used absolutely (Philemon 3:2) like our “look out.” [source]
Revelation 12:2 Travailing in birth [ὠδίνουσα]
See on sorrows, Mark 13:9, and see on pains, Acts 2:24. [source]
Revelation 10:11 Thou must prophesy again [δει σε παλιν προπητευσαι]
Not a new commission (Revelation 1:19), though now renewed. C.f. Ezekiel 4:7; Ezekiel 6:2; Jeremiah 1:10. The παλιν — palin (again) points to what has preceded and also to what is to come in Revelation 11:15. Here it is predictive prophecy In the case, in regard to as in John 12:16 (with γραπω — graphō), not in the presence of (επι — epi with genitive, Mark 13:9) nor against (επι — epi with the accusative, Luke 22:53). For this list of peoples see Revelation 5:9, occurring seven times in the Apocalypse. [source]

What do the individual words in Mark 13:9 mean?

Take heed however you to yourselves they will betray you to courts and in synagogues you will be beaten before governors kings you will stand because of Me for a testimony to them
Βλέπετε δὲ ὑμεῖς ἑαυτούς παραδώσουσιν ὑμᾶς εἰς συνέδρια καὶ εἰς συναγωγὰς δαρήσεσθε ἐπὶ ἡγεμόνων βασιλέων σταθήσεσθε ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ εἰς μαρτύριον αὐτοῖς

Βλέπετε  Take  heed 
Parse: Verb, Present Imperative Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: βλέπω  
Sense: to see, discern, of the bodily eye.
δὲ  however 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
ἑαυτούς  to  yourselves 
Parse: Reflexive Pronoun, Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἑαυτοῦ  
Sense: himself, herself, itself, themselves.
παραδώσουσιν  they  will  betray 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: παραδίδωμι  
Sense: to give into the hands (of another).
συνέδρια  courts 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: συνέδριον  
Sense: any assembly (esp.
συναγωγὰς  synagogues 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Plural
Root: συναγωγή  
Sense: a bringing together, gathering (as of fruits), a contracting.
δαρήσεσθε  you  will  be  beaten 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Passive, 2nd Person Plural
Root: δέρω  
Sense: to flay, skin.
ἐπὶ  before 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐπί  
Sense: upon, on, at, by, before.
ἡγεμόνων  governors 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: ἡγεμών  
Sense: a leader of any kind, a guide, ruler, prefect, president, chief, general, commander, sovereign.
βασιλέων  kings 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: βασιλεύς  
Sense: leader of the people, prince, commander, lord of the land, king.
σταθήσεσθε  you  will  stand 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Passive, 2nd Person Plural
Root: ἵστημι  
Sense: to cause or make to stand, to place, put, set.
ἕνεκεν  because 
Parse: Preposition
Root: εἵνεκεν 
Sense: on account of, for the sake of, for.
ἐμοῦ  of  Me 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
μαρτύριον  a  testimony 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: μαρτύριον  
Sense: testimony.
αὐτοῖς  to  them 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.