Markos 14

1 4 Now it was two days before Pesach, the Chag HaMatzot. And the Rashei Hakohanim and the Sofrim were seeking how they might by ormah (cunning) do away with Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach.

2 For they were saying, Not at the Chag, for fear that a riot break out among the am haaretz.

3 And he was in Beit-Anyah at the bais of Shimon the leper, reclining at tish, and an isha (woman) came, having an alabaster flask of costly perfume, pure nard, and having broken open the alabaster flask, she poured [it on] the head of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach.

4 Now some were there who in ka’as (anger) said to one another, For what reason has this waste of ointment taken place?

5 For this was able to be sold for more than three hundred denarii and to be given to the aniyim. And they were reproaching her.

6 But Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said, Leave her alone. Why are you bringing about difficulty for the isha? Has she not performed one of the Gemilut Chasadim on me?

7 For always the aniyim you have with you, and when you wish you are able to do maasim tovim for them, but me you do not always have. [DEVARIM 15:11]

8 With what she had she did all she could. She prepared ahead of time to anoint my basar for the kevurah (burial) [TEHILLIM 16:9-10; IYOV 19:25-27; YESHAYAH 53:9].

9 And, omein, I say to you, wherever the Besuras HaGeulah is proclaimed in kol haaretz, also what this isha did will be spoken in her memory.

10 And Yehudah from Kriot, one of the Shneym Asar, went to the Rashei Hakohanim in order that he might betray him to them.

11 And there was chedvah (joy, gaiety, rejoicing) with the ones having heard and they gave the havtachah (promise) of a matnat kesef (gift of money) to Yehudah. And he was seeking how he might conveniently betray Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach.

12 And at the rishon of the Chag HaMatzot, when it was customary to prepare the Pesach Korban for mo’ed zevach, his talmidim say to him, Where do you wish us to go and make the preparations for you to conduct the Seder? [SHEMOT 12:1-11; DEVARIM 16:1-4]

13 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach sends two of his talmidim and he says to them, Go into the city, and you will meet a man carrying a jar of water; follow him;

14 And wherever he enters, tell the Baal Bayit that the Rebbe says, Where is my mekom linah where I can conduct the Pesach Seder with my talmidim?

15 And he will show you a large aliyyah having been furnished and ready. And there prepare for us.

16 And the talmidim went out and they came into the city and found things just as Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach told them, and they made preparations for Pesach.

17 And erev having come, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach arrives with the Shneym Asar.

18 And while they were at tish in a yechidus, reclining and eating, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said, Omein, I say to you, that one of you will betray me, OKHEL LACHEMI (the one eating my bread TEHILLIM 41:10 (9).

19 They began to have agmat nefesh (grief), and, one by one, to say to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, Surely I am not the one?

20 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said to them, It is one of the Shneym Asar, the one dipping with me into the bowl [SHEMOT 12:8; TEHILLIM 41:10 (9)].

21 For the Ben HaAdam [Moshiach, DANIEL 7:13 14] goes just as it has been written concerning him [YESHAYAH 53:3; DANIEL 9:26; ZECHARYAH 12:10], but woe to that man through whom the Ben HaAdam is betrayed. [It would have been] better for him if that man had not been born.

22 And at [Moshiach’s] Seudah, while they were eating, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, having taken the matzah, having made the HaMotzi, broke the middle matzah, giving the afikoman to Moshiach’s talmidim, and said, Take and eat, this is my BASAR. [SHEMOT 12:8]

23 And having taken the Cup of Redemption [and] having made the bracha, he gave it to Moshiach’s talmidim, and everyone drank of it.

24 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said to them, HINEI DAHM HABRIT (SHEMOT 24:8), the dahm of me (Moshiach, see Isa 53:7), which is being poured out lama’an RABBIM (for the sake of MANY YESHAYAH 53:11).

25 Omein, I say to you, that no longer will I by any means drink of the p’ri hagefen (fruit of the vine) until Yom HaHu when I drink it chadash (new) in the Malchut Hashem.

26 And having sung the Hallel, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

27 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach says to them, All of you will fall away, for it has been written, I will strike down ES HAROEH UTEFUTEN HATZON (the Shepherd and the sheep will be scattered). [ZECHARYAH 13:7]

28 But after I am made to stand up alive in the Techiyas HaMoshiach, I will go before you into the Galil.

29 But Shimon Kefa said to him, Even if everyone will fall away, yet I will not.

30 And he says to him, Omein, I say to you, that you today, balailah hazeh (during this night) before the tarnegol crows twice, you will make hakhchashah (denial) of me shalosh paamim (three times).

31 But Kefa kept saying with vehemence, If it is necessary for me to die al kiddush ha-Shem for you, by no means will I make hakhchashah of you. And so also everyone declared.

32 And they come to a place of which the name [was] Gat Shmanim and Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach says to his talmidim, Sit down here while I daven.

33 And he takes Kefa and Yaakov and Yochanan with him and he began to be distressed and to be troubled.

34 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach says to them, My agmat nefesh (grief) is great, even to the point of mavet (death). Remain here and stay awake and shomer (on guard).

35 And having gone forth a little, he was falling on the ground and was davening that, if it is possible, this shaah (hour) might pass from him.

36 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach was saying, Abba, Avi, all things [are] possible for you. Take away this KOS [YESHAYAH 51:17; 53:12] from me. But not what I will, but what you [will].

37 And he comes and finds them sleeping, and he says to Shimon Kefa, Are you sleeping? Did you not have chozek (strength) to stay awake one hour?

38 Stay shomer and daven that you may not enter into nisayon (trial, temptation). Indeed the ruach [is] ready but the basar [is] weak.

39 And again he went away and davened the same dvarim (words) as before. [14:36]

40 And once again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were falling shut, and they did not have daas of what they might answer him.

41 And he comes the shlishit (third) time and says to them, Sleep [for] the remainder and take your rest. It is enough. The shaah (hour) has come. Hinei, the Ben HaAdam [Moshiach] is betrayed into the hands of choteim (sinners).

42 Get up, let us go. Hinei, the one betraying me has drawn near.

43 And, ofen ort, bishas maise (at the same time) Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach is speaking, Yehudah arrives, one of the Shneym Asar, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs with Rashei Hakohanim and the Sofrim and the Zekenim.

44 Now the one betraying Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach had given a signal to them, saying, Whomever I may give the neshikah (kiss), he is [the one], chap him (seize him)! And lead [him] away under guard.

45 And when he came, he ofen ort approached Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach and says, Rebbe. And he gave him the neshikah (kiss).

46 And they laid their hands on Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach and arrested him.

47 But one of those standing by drew his cherev and struck the servant of the Kohen Gadol and cut off his ear.

48 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach answered and said to them, Do you come out with swords and clubs as against a shoded (robber) to arrest me?

49 Every day I was with you in the Beis HaMikdash teaching Torah and you did not arrest me; but let the Kitvei Hakodesh be fulfilled. [YESHAYAH 53:7-12]

50 And, having left Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, everyone fled.

51 And a certain bocher was following along with Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, and the bocher was wearing nothing but a linen garment around his naked body, and they seized the bocher.

52 But the bocher ran away naked, leaving the linen garment behind.

53 And they led away Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach to the Kohen Gadol. And all the Rashei Hakohanim and the Zekenim and the Sofrim were assembled.

54 And Shimon Kefa from a distance followed Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach right into the courtyard of the Kohen Gadol. And Kefa was sitting together with the servants and warming himself near the ohr of the hadlakah (bonfire).

55 And the Rashei Hakohanim and [the] whole Sanhedrin were seeking edut against Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach in order to have him under the onesh mavet, and they were not finding any.

56 For many gave edut sheker against Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, and the eduyot were not in agreement.

57 And some, taking the stand, were giving edut sheker (false testimony) against him:

58 We heard him saying, I will bring churban to this Beis HaMikdash made with human hands, and, after shlosha yamim, another, not made with hands, I will build.

59 So their eduyot were not in agreement.

60 And having stood up in their midst, the Kohen Gadol questioned Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, saying, Do you not answer anything to what these bear solemn edut (testimony) against you?

61 But Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach was silent and did not answer anything. [YESHAYAH 53:7-8] Again the Kohen Gadol was questioning him and says to him, Are you the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, HaBen Hamevorakh?

62 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said, Ani hu, and you will see the BEN HAADAM [DANIEL 7:13-14] YOSHEV LIMIN HaGevurah [TEHILLIM 110:1] UVA IM ANENEI HASHOMAYIM (the Ben HaAdam [Moshiach] sitting at the right hand of power and coming with the clouds of heaven).

63 And the Kohen Gadol, making the keriah (ritual tearing) of his tunic, says, What further need do we have of edim (witnesses)? [VAYIKRA 10:6; 21:10; 24:16; BAMIDBAR 14:6]

64 You heard him commit Chillul Hashem gidduf (blasphemy). How does it seem to you? And they all condemned Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach to be deserving of mishpat mavet. [VAYIKRA 24:16]

65 And some began to spit on him and to cover his face and to strike him and to say to him, Let’s hear a dvar nevuah (word of prophecy)! And the shomrim (guards) took custody of him by slapping Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach.

66 And Shimon Kefa being below in the courtyard, one of the maids of the Kohen Gadol comes by.

67 And having seen Kefa warming himself, having looked him over, she says, You also were with the one from Natzeret, Yehoshua!

68 But he denied [it], saying, I do not have daas (knowledge) or binah (understanding) of what you are saying. And he walked away and went outside into the entryway. And a tarnegol crowed.

69 And the maid, having seen him, began again to say to the ones standing by, This is one of them!

70 But again he made hakhchashah (denial). And after a little [while] again the ones having stood by were saying to Kefa, You are one of them, for indeed you are a Gelili (inhabitant of the Galil).

71 And Kefa began to speak a klalah (curse) and to swear, I do not have daas of this man I don’t know the one of whom you speak!

72 And ofen ort for a second time, a tarnegol crowed. And then Kefa remembered the dvar that Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach had spoken to him, Before a tarnegol crows twice, shalosh paamim (three times) you will make hakhchashah (denial) of me. (Mk 14:30). And having broken down, Kefa was weeping.

Markos 14 Commentary

Chapter 14

Christ anointed at Bethany. (1-11) The passover, Jesus declares that Judas would betray him. (12-21) The Lord's supper instituted. (22-31) Christ's agony in the garden. (32-42) He is betrayed and taken. (43-52) Christ before the high priest. (53-65) Peter denies Christ. (66-72)

Verses 1-11 Did Christ pour out his soul unto death for us, and shall we think any thing too precious for him? Do we give him the precious ointment of our best affections? Let us love him with all the heart, though it is common for zeal and affection to be misunderstood and blamed; and remember that charity to the poor will not excuse any from particular acts of piety to the Lord Jesus. Christ commended this woman's pious attention to the notice of believers in all ages. Those who honour Christ he will honour. Covetousness was Judas' master lust, and that betrayed him to the sin of betraying his Master; the devil suited his temptation to that, and so conquered him. And see what wicked contrivances many have in their sinful pursuits; but what appears to forward their plans, will prove curses in the end.

Verses 12-21 Nothing could be less the result of human foresight than the events here related. But our Lord knows all things about us before they come to pass. If we admit him, he will dwell in our hearts. The Son of man goes, as it is written of him, as a lamb to the slaughter; but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed! God's permitting the sins of men, and bringing glory to himself out of them, does not oblige them to sin; nor will this be any excuse for their guilt, or lessen their punishment.

Verses 22-31 The Lord's supper is food for the soul, therefore a very little of that which is for the body, as much as will serve for a sign, is enough. It was instituted by the example and the practice of our Master, to remain in force till his second coming. It was instituted with blessing and giving of thanks, to be a memorial of Christ's death. Frequent mention is made of his precious blood, as the price of our redemption. How comfortable is this to poor repenting sinners, that the blood of Christ is shed for many! If for many, why not for me? It was a sign of the conveyance of the benefits purchased for us by his death. Apply the doctrine of Christ crucified to yourselves; let it be meat and drink to your souls, strengthening and refreshing your spiritual life. It was to be an earnest and foretaste of the happiness of heaven, and thereby to put us out of taste for the pleasures and delights of sense. Every one that has tasted spiritual delights, straightway desires eternal ones. Though the great Shepherd passed through his sufferings without one false step, yet his followers often have been scattered by the small measure of sufferings allotted to them. How very apt we are to think well of ourselves, and to trust our own hearts! It was ill done of Peter thus to answer his Master, and not with fear and trembling. Lord, give me grace to keep me from denying thee.

Verses 32-42 Christ's sufferings began with the sorest of all, those in his soul. He began to be sorely amazed; words not used in St. Matthew, but very full of meaning. The terrors of God set themselves in array against him, and he allowed him to contemplate them. Never was sorrow like unto his at this time. Now he was made a curse for us; the curses of the law were laid upon him as our Surety. He now tasted death, in all the bitterness of it. This was that fear of which the apostle speaks, the natural fear of pain and death, at which human nature startles. Can we ever entertain favourable, or even slight thoughts of sin, when we see the painful sufferings which sin, though but reckoned to him, brought on the Lord Jesus? Shall that sit light upon our souls, which sat so heavy upon his? Was Christ in such agony for our sins, and shall we never be in agony about them? How should we look upon Him whom we have pierced, and mourn! It becomes us to be exceedingly sorrowful for sin, because He was so, and never to mock at it. Christ, as Man, pleaded, that, if it were possible, his sufferings might pass from him. As Mediator, he submitted to the will of God, saying, Nevertheless, not what I will, but what thou wilt; I bid it welcome. See how the sinful weakness of Christ's disciples returns, and overpowers them. What heavy clogs these bodies of ours are to our souls! But when we see trouble at the door, we should get ready for it. Alas, even believers often look at the Redeemer's sufferings in a drowsy manner, and instead of being ready to die with Christ, they are not even prepared to watch with him one hour.

Verses 43-52 Because Christ appeared not as a temporal prince, but preached repentance, reformation, and a holy life, and directed men's thoughts, and affections, and aims to another world, therefore the Jewish rulers sought to destroy him. Peter wounded one of the band. It is easier to fight for Christ than to die for him. But there is a great difference between faulty disciples and hypocrites. The latter rashly and without thought call Christ Master, and express great affection for him, yet betray him to his enemies. Thus they hasten their own destruction.

Verses 53-65 We have here Christ's condemnation before the great council of the Jews. Peter followed; but the high priest's fire-side was no proper place, nor his servants proper company, for Peter: it was an entrance into temptation. Great diligence was used to procure false witnesses against Jesus, yet their testimony was not equal to the charge of a capital crime, by the utmost stretch of their law. He was asked, Art thou the Son of the Blessed? that is, the Son of God. For the proof of his being the Son of God, he refers to his second coming. In these outrages we have proofs of man's enmity to God, and of God's free and unspeakable love to man.

Verses 66-72 Peter's denying Christ began by keeping at a distance from him. Those that are shy of godliness, are far in the way to deny Christ. Those who think it dangerous to be in company with Christ's disciples, because thence they may be drawn in to suffer for him, will find it much more dangerous to be in company with his enemies, because there they may be drawn in to sin against him. When Christ was admired and flocked after, Peter readily owned him; but will own no relation to him now he is deserted and despised. Yet observe, Peter's repentance was very speedy. Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall; and let him that has fallen think of these things, and of his own offences, and return to the Lord with weeping and supplication, seeking forgiveness, and to be raised up by the Holy Spirit.