Mark 13:1 kjv
And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!
Mark 13:1 nkjv
Then as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, "Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!"
Mark 13:1 niv
As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!"
Mark 13:1 esv
And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!"
Mark 13:1 nlt
As Jesus was leaving the Temple that day, one of his disciples said, "Teacher, look at these magnificent buildings! Look at the impressive stones in the walls."
Mark 13 1 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Matt 24:1 | Jesus left the temple and was going away… the disciples came to show him the buildings... | Parallel account initiating the Olivet Discourse. |
| Lk 21:5 | And while some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones… | Parallel account, also noting the temple's beauty. |
| Mk 13:2 | "Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another…" | Immediate continuation; Jesus' prophetic response. |
| Jer 26:18 | Zion shall be plowed as a field; Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins… | Prophecy of the first Temple's destruction (a precedent). |
| Mic 3:12 | Therefore because of you Zion shall be plowed as a field; Jerusalem shall become heaps… | Similar Old Testament prophecy of desolation. |
| Isa 64:10-11 | Your holy cities have become a wilderness… Our holy and beautiful house… is burned… | Lamentation over past destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple. |
| Ezek 7:22 | I will turn my face from them, and they shall profane my treasured place… | God's warning of abandoning the temple to its desecration. |
| Acts 6:13-14 | We have heard him [Stephen] say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place… | False accusation against Stephen, reflecting belief in Jesus' destructive words. |
| Acts 7:48 | The Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands… | Stephen's sermon on God's transcendence over physical structures. |
| Acts 17:24 | The God who made the world… does not live in temples made by human hands… | Paul's sermon in Athens affirming God's non-confinement to temples. |
| Isa 66:1-2 | Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool… what kind of house can you build for me? | God's absolute sovereignty and transcendence over man-made structures. |
| Jn 2:19-21 | "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." He was speaking about the temple of his body. | Jesus redefines the Temple as His own body, highlighting spiritual over physical. |
| 1 Cor 3:16-17 | Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? | Believers (the Church) are corporately the spiritual temple. |
| 1 Cor 6:19-20 | Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you…? | Individual believers' bodies are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. |
| Eph 2:19-22 | You are no longer strangers… but fellow citizens with the saints… built on the foundation… | The Church is built up into a spiritual dwelling place for God. |
| 1 Pet 2:5 | You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house… | Believers are "living stones" in God's spiritual temple. |
| Heb 8:1-2 | We have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand… a minister in the holy places… | Points to Christ's ministry in a heavenly sanctuary, replacing earthly one. |
| Heb 9:11 | But when Christ appeared as a high priest… through the greater and more perfect tent… | Christ ministering in a superior, spiritual tent (heavenly temple). |
| Rev 21:22 | And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb. | Vision of the New Jerusalem where no physical temple is needed, God is the Temple. |
| 2 Cor 4:18 | We look not at the things that are seen but at the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient… | Contrasts temporary physical realities with enduring unseen ones. |
| Heb 12:26-27 | Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens… removal of what is shaken… | God will remove what is unstable to establish the eternal kingdom. |
| 1 Jn 2:17 | And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. | Worldly things are ephemeral; obedience to God's will endures. |
Mark 13 verses
Mark 13 1 Meaning
Mark 13:1 introduces the pivotal "Olivet Discourse," where Jesus reveals significant prophecies concerning the Temple's future and end-time events. As Jesus exits the magnificent Herodian Temple complex, one of His disciples expresses profound awe at its colossal stones and splendid architecture. This disciple's focus on the Temple's physical grandeur provides the dramatic setup for Jesus' immediate declaration that not a single stone will remain upon another, powerfully shifting the conversation from impressive human constructions to the spiritual realities of divine judgment and eternal truths.
Mark 13 1 Context
Mark 13:1 initiates the "Olivet Discourse" (Mk 13:1-37), which is Jesus' most extensive teaching in Mark's Gospel concerning the end times and the imminent destruction of Jerusalem. The preceding chapter (Mark 12) chronicles Jesus' intense engagements within the Temple courts, where He publicly challenged and exposed the spiritual bankruptcy and rejection of divine authority by the Jewish religious leadership through parables and direct confrontations. Therefore, the Temple is not just a geographical setting but a symbolic center, representing Israel's religious identity and national pride, which Jesus is now physically departing from. This departure is profoundly significant, signaling a shift from the earthly, institutional form of Judaism to the coming spiritual realities of His Kingdom and the prophetic unveiling of future trials.
Mark 13 1 Word analysis
- As he came out (ἐκπορευομένου, ekporeuomenou): The Greek imperfect participle signifies an ongoing or recently completed action. It marks a decisive transition, as Jesus moves away from the physical epicenter of Jewish worship, signifying a shift in focus from earthly religious structures to spiritual truths and coming prophecies.
- of the temple (τοῦ ἱεροῦ, tou hierou): This refers to the expansive Temple precinct, the colossal Herodian complex that included courts, colonnades, and gates, rather than the inner sanctuary (naos). Its massive scale, still under construction in Jesus' day, embodied Jewish identity, nationalistic pride, and perceived divine presence.
- one of his disciples (εἷς τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ, heis tōn mathētōn autou): The anonymity suggests that this sentiment of awe was widespread among the disciples, perhaps reflecting a common human fascination with impressive man-made achievements. It subtly underscores their earthly perspective at this point.
- said to him (λέγει αὐτῷ, legei autō): The Greek present tense ("says") is used for vividness (historic present), making the interaction immediate and dramatic for the reader.
- Look (Ἴδε, Ide): An imperative verb, directing immediate attention to what is physically visible. It highlights the disciple's awe and invites Jesus to witness the spectacle, yet simultaneously sets up a profound contrast with what Jesus is about to reveal concerning unseen future events.
- Teacher (Διδάσκαλε, Didaskale): A customary respectful address for Jesus, acknowledging His authority and role as an instructor, though the disciples often struggled to comprehend the full depth of His spiritual teachings.
- what wonderful (ποταποί, potapoi): This exclamatory adjective expresses deep astonishment and admiration, signifying not just "what kind of," but "how magnificent!" or "what remarkable!" It reveals the disciple's earthly, visual-centric appreciation for human grandeur.
- stones (λίθοι, lithoi): Refers to the colossal, expertly hewn stones of the Temple's foundational blocks and walls, some of which were of monumental size, a testament to Herod's engineering ambition. These were a source of immense national pride.
- and what wonderful buildings (καὶ ποταπαὶ οἰκοδομαί, kai potapai oikodomai): Encompasses the entire architectural ensemble of the Temple complex – its porticos, courtyards, and various elaborate structures. The repetition of potapoi further emphasizes the overwhelming visual and experiential impact of its grandeur on the disciples.
Mark 13 1 Bonus section
This introductory verse is strategically crucial, setting the stage for Jesus' most extensive eschatological teaching in Mark's Gospel. The disciples’ natural human response of being captivated by the Temple’s material splendor sharply contrasts with Jesus’ prophetic insight into its imminent spiritual and physical dissolution. Their focus on the visible and temporary compels Jesus to elevate their gaze toward unseen, eternal realities, encompassing the foretelling of future judgment, profound tribulation, and His eventual return. This interaction is a poignant illustration of the disciples’ repeated difficulty in grasping the spiritual essence of Jesus’ mission and the nature of God's Kingdom, a Kingdom not reliant on earthly magnificence but rooted in God's redemptive purpose. The simple question about the temple's material strength becomes the direct impetus for Jesus to teach about its profound spiritual fragility and coming demolition, positioning this verse as the literal entry point to understanding His detailed end-time prophecies.
Mark 13 1 Commentary
Mark 13:1 forms the evocative threshold to Jesus’ significant prophetic discourse. The disciple’s expression of astonishment, "Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!", profoundly illustrates a recurring human tendency to fixate on the visible, the magnificent, and the enduring nature of physical accomplishments, especially when imbued with religious or national significance. Herod’s Temple was indeed a masterwork, a tangible symbol of Jewish identity and perceived divine presence. However, Jesus' ensuing response, articulated in the very next verse (Mk 13:2), fundamentally redirects the disciples' focus. He immediately pivots from their admiration for transient man-made grandeur to the enduring reality of God’s ultimate sovereignty and judgment. This brief yet potent exchange establishes a striking contrast: the human fascination with temporal beauty versus the divine foresight of what is truly eternal. It subtly unveils the disciples' spiritual limitations at this juncture, as they struggled to comprehend Jesus' spiritual kingdom, which transcends earthly monuments, being founded on divine truth and "living stones."