Mark 14:44

44 Now he that delivered him up had given them a sign between them, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that is he; seize him, and lead [him] away safely.

Mark 14:44 Meaning and Commentary

Mark 14:44

And he that betrayed him had given them a token
A common sign, in which they agreed; and so this same Greek word is used by the Jews F3:

``said R. Phinehas in the name of R. Reuben, did you ever see one man go out of the north, and another from the south, and meet each other, except they made, (anmyo) , "a common sign", between them.''

Such an one the traitor gave his company;

saying, whomsoever I shall kiss, the same is he;
Jesus of Nazareth; who was to be delivered to them:

take him, and lead him away safely;
with care and caution, lest he should get out of their hands, and make his escape, as he had sometimes done: the word "safely", is omitted in the Arabic, Persic, and Ethiopic versions. The Vulgate Latin renders it "cautiously", and so does the Syriac version, which joins it to the words, "take him"; (See Gill on Matthew 26:48).


FOOTNOTES:

F3 Midras Samuel, sect. 9. apud Buxtorf. Lex. Rab. p. 1519.

Mark 14:44 In-Context

42 Arise, let us go; behold, he that delivers me up has drawn nigh.
43 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.
44 Now he that delivered him up had given them a sign between them, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that is he; seize him, and lead [him] away safely.
45 And being come, straightway coming up to him, he says, Rabbi, Rabbi; and he covered him with kisses.
46 And they laid their hands upon him and seized him.
The Darby Translation is in the public domain.