Mark 14:12

Preparing the Passover

12 On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, ^[a] when the Passover lamb was to be sacrificed, Jesus’ disciples asked Him, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?” ¹

Mark 14:12 Meaning and Commentary

Mark 14:12

And the first day of unleavened bread
Being come, which was the fourteenth of Nisan:

when they killed the passover;
that is, "the Jews", as the Syriac and Persic versions supply; for any Israelite, that not a priest, might slay it: their canon runs thus ^F24,

``an Israelite kills (the passover), and a priest receives (the blood), and gives it to his neighbour, and his neighbour to his neighbour, and he receives (the basin) full, and returns it empty; the priest that is near to the altar sprinkles it, at one sprinkling, over against the bottom of it.''

Upon which the commentators ^F25 observe, that the slaying of the passover by strangers; that is, such as are not priests, lawful. And so Philo the Jew, speaking of the passover, says ^F26;

``at which time the common people do not bring their sacrifices to the altar, and the priests slay; but by the command of the law, (sumpan to eynov) , "the whole nation", does the work of a priest; every one particularly bringing the sacrifices for himself, and then slaying them with his own hands.''

But then it was always killed in the court of the temple, and after the middle of the day; (See Gill on Matthew 26:17);

his disciples said unto him, where wilt thou that we go and prepare,
that thou mayst eat the passover:
for it was now Thursday morning, and the passover was to be slain after the middle of the day, between the two evenings, and eaten in Jerusalem at night; and they were now at Bethany, near two miles from the city; and it was usual for servants to get ready the passover for their masters; (See Gill on Matthew 26:17).

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FOOTNOTES:

F24 Misn. Pesachim, c. 5. sect. 6.
F25 Jarchi, Maimon. & Bartenora in ib.
F26 De Vita Mosis, l. 3. p. 686.

Mark 14:12 In-Context

10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them.

11 They were delighted to hear this, and they promised to give him money. So Judas began to look for an opportunity to betray Jesus.

12 On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb was to be sacrificed, Jesus’ disciples asked Him, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?”

13 So He sent two of His disciples and told them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jug of water will meet you. Follow him,

14 and whichever house he enters, say to the owner, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is My guest room, where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?’

Cross References

• 1. (Matthew 26:17–19; Luke 22:7–13)

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally On the first day of the Unleavened; see Exodus 12:14–20.