Mark 14:44

44 And his traitor had given to them a token, and said [saying], Whomever I [shall] kiss, he it is; hold ye him, and lead ye him warily.

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).

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FOOTNOTES:

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

Mark 14:44 In-Context

42 Rise ye, go we; lo! he that shall betray me is nigh.

43 And yet while he spake, Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, came, and with him much people with swords and staves, sent from the high priests, and the scribes, and from the elder men. [And, yet him speaking, Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, came, and with him much company with swords and staves, sent from the highest priests, and scribes, and elder men.]

44 And his traitor had given to them a token, and said [saying], Whomever I [shall] kiss, he it is; hold ye him, and lead ye him warily.

45 And when he came, at once he came to him, and said [+And when he had come, anon he coming to him, saith], Master; and he kissed him.

46 And they laid hands on him, and held him.