Mark 14:48 kjv
And Jesus answered and said unto them, Are ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and with staves to take me?
Mark 14:48 nkjv
Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me?
Mark 14:48 niv
"Am I leading a rebellion," said Jesus, "that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me?
Mark 14:48 esv
And Jesus said to them, "Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me?
Mark 14:48 nlt
Jesus asked them, "Am I some dangerous revolutionary, that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me?
Mark 14 48 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Parallels | ||
| Mt 26:55 | In that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me?...” | Jesus' parallel question to the crowd during His arrest. |
| Lk 22:52 | Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple guard and elders, who had come for him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs as against a robber?" | Luke's parallel, explicitly naming the arresting authorities. |
| Jn 18:3 | So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons. | John's account of the armed arresting party, confirming the presence of weapons. |
| "As against a robber" (λῃστήν / lestēs) | ||
| Jn 18:40 | They cried out again, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber (lestēs). | Jesus being equated with a known insurgent/revolutionary by the crowd/authorities. |
| Mk 15:27 | And with him they crucified two robbers (lestai), one on his right and one on his left. | Jesus is literally numbered with lestai, implying He was seen as a dangerous rebel. |
| Mt 27:38 | Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. | Another parallel mentioning the "robbers" crucified with Jesus. |
| Armed Force vs. Jesus' Peaceful Nature | ||
| Mt 26:52 | Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword." | Jesus rebukes Peter's violent act, upholding peaceful principles. |
| Isa 53:7 | He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter... | Prophecy of Jesus' submission and non-resistance during His suffering. |
| Lk 22:36-38 | He said to them, “But now let the one who has a purse take it, and likewise a knapsack. And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one..." And they said, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.” And he said to them, “It is enough.” | Jesus’ earlier enigmatic command about swords, understood to be symbolic of spiritual vigilance rather than physical combat. |
| Jn 18:36 | Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting..." | Jesus clarifies the non-violent nature of His Kingdom, contrasting with their methods. |
| Zech 9:9 | Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!... behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey... | Prophecy of the Messiah's humble, peaceful arrival, contrasting with violent expectations. |
| Unjust/Secret Arrest & Open Teaching | ||
| Mk 14:49 | Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me... | Jesus' follow-up statement, highlighting the hypocrisy of a secret night arrest. |
| Jn 18:20 | Jesus answered him, “I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret." | Jesus' own defense before Annas, confirming His open teaching ministry. |
| Lk 22:53 | When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness. | Jesus connects their clandestine actions to the "power of darkness." |
| Isa 53:8 | By oppression and judgment He was taken away... | Prophecy of the unjust nature of the Messiah's capture and trial. |
| Ps 35:11 | Malicious witnesses rise up; they ask me of things that I do not know. | Anticipates false accusations and unfair proceedings against the innocent. |
| Fulfillment of Scripture/Divine Plan | ||
| Mk 14:49 | ...but let the Scriptures be fulfilled.” | Jesus points to the arrest fulfilling prophecies, even as it highlights their sin. |
| Lk 24:44 | Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." | Broad principle that all events surrounding Jesus fulfilled God's word. |
| Acts 8:32-33 | Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep led to the slaughter or a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.” | Philip's interpretation of Isa 53 applying directly to Jesus' unjust treatment. |
| Ps 41:9 | Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me. | Prophecy of Judas's betrayal, which enabled this secret arrest. |
| Misunderstanding the Messiah/Kingdom | ||
| Jn 6:15 | Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself. | People attempted to seize Jesus as a political king, contrasting with His spiritual kingship. |
| Lk 17:20-21 | Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed... For behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.” | Jesus clarifies His Kingdom is spiritual and internal, not political or militaristic. |
Mark 14 verses
Mark 14 48 Meaning
Jesus responds to His arresting party with a rhetorical question, expressing indignation and pointing out the unjust, conspiratorial, and unnecessarily forceful nature of their actions. He questions why they have come out at night, armed with swords and clubs, to apprehend Him as if He were a dangerous revolutionary or a common criminal who would resist arrest. This statement exposes the hypocrisy and fear of the religious authorities, who previously hesitated to seize Him in broad daylight while He taught openly in the Temple.
Mark 14 48 Context
Mark 14 records the critical moments leading up to Jesus' crucifixion. It begins with plots to arrest Him, the anointing at Bethany, Judas' betrayal, the Last Supper (where Jesus institutes the new covenant and foretells Peter's denial), and the agonizing prayer in Gethsemane. Immediately before verse 48, Judas arrives with a large armed crowd – including temple guards and possibly Roman soldiers (in John's account) – to betray Jesus with a kiss. After Jesus is identified, the crowd lays hands on Him to seize Him. This verse captures Jesus' direct response to this unjust and hypocritical method of arrest, setting the stage for His trials and execution. Historically, during Roman occupation, any perceived revolutionary (a lestes) was swiftly dealt with, often by crucifixion, as a public deterrent. The Jewish authorities' choice to portray Jesus this way served their agenda.
Mark 14 48 Word analysis
- And Jesus answered and said to them,: This opening indicates Jesus' composure and authority even in the face of imminent arrest. It's a deliberate and pointed verbal response, not a panicked reaction. The Greek apokritheis eipen emphasizes a formal, authoritative declaration, rather than a casual remark.
- “Have you come out”: Greek: exēltʰate. This is a strong interrogative. It highlights the concerted effort, intention, and specific mission of the arresting party. They sought Him out and came forth for this specific, premeditated act. It questions their chosen method and timing.
- “as against”: Greek: hōs epi. This phrase translates to "as if against," or "as one goes out for/after." It implies a comparison that Jesus immediately challenges. The authorities were treating Him as if He were a certain kind of dangerous individual, which He clearly was not. This reveals the authorities' perception or, more likely, their false pretense.
- “a robber”: Greek: lēstēn. This is a key term. It refers to more than a common thief (kleptēs). A lestēs was a brigand, a highwayman, or crucially, an insurrectionist, a revolutionary, or one involved in violent insurgency. In the Roman-occupied Judea, lestai were often figures leading rebellions or guerrilla warfare against the Roman government and their Jewish collaborators. By approaching Jesus as a lestes, the authorities were framing Him as a dangerous political agitator, justifying the extreme force and public execution to follow. This categorization immediately links Jesus to Barabbas (Jn 18:40) and the two individuals crucified with Him (Mk 15:27), all of whom were called lestai. This serves a polemical purpose for the Jewish authorities to align Jesus with criminal revolutionaries and gain Roman cooperation.
- “with swords”: Greek: machairōn. These were short swords or large daggers, commonly used in close combat. Their presence indicates an expectation of physical resistance or the need for a decisive capture of a dangerous person. This stands in stark contrast to Jesus' non-violent teachings and character.
- “and clubs?”: Greek: xylon. Referring to sticks, staves, or cudgels, simple but effective blunt weapons. The inclusion of clubs alongside swords suggests a mixed mob, some armed with formal weapons, others with improvised ones, emphasizing the large, aggressive, and threatening nature of the arresting party. Their combined presence signals a readiness to employ significant force, implying Jesus was seen as a violent, armed threat requiring an overwhelming show of strength to subdue.
- "Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs?": This entire rhetorical question serves to highlight the shocking incongruity between Jesus' public, peaceful ministry and the clandestine, violent manner of His arrest. It underscores the profound misunderstanding and intentional mischaracterization of Jesus by the authorities. His question points out their moral cowardice for seizing Him at night rather than during the day when He taught openly in the Temple (Mk 14:49). This method of arrest implicitly levels the accusation against Jesus of being a violent revolutionary, an accusation they would later formalize during His trial to justify His crucifixion. It signifies a profound spiritual battle, operating under "the power of darkness" (Lk 22:53), against the light of truth and the Prince of Peace.
Mark 14 48 Bonus section
- Jesus' question serves as an internal protest, a final prophetic word spoken into the darkness and injustice of His arrest. It exposes the motives and the spiritual state of His accusers.
- The comparison to a lestes was crucial for the authorities to present Jesus as a political threat to Rome, allowing them to use Roman crucifixion (a method of execution reserved for traitors and violent rebels) against Him, despite the religious nature of His alleged blasphemy.
- This verse encapsulates a pivotal moment where the true nature of Jesus' peaceful, spiritual kingdom clashes dramatically with the world's reliance on force and deception.
Mark 14 48 Commentary
Mark 14:48 captures Jesus' powerful, indignant, yet composed response to His unjust arrest. His rhetorical question reveals the core of the authorities' sin: they treated Him, the Prince of Peace, as a violent insurgent (a lestēs), and they sought Him under the cover of night, demonstrating their fear and malevolent intentions. The "swords and clubs" signify an unnecessary display of overwhelming force against one who had consistently taught non-violence and submission to God's will. This scene starkly contrasts Jesus' open, daily teaching in the Temple with their covert, armed seizure, underscoring their hypocrisy and the deep spiritual darkness in which they operated. Ultimately, Jesus' calm response in the face of injustice also points to the prophetic fulfillment of Scripture, where the righteous suffering servant would be numbered with transgressors. Practically, it reminds us that Christ faced mischaracterization and false accusations with truth and dignity, serving as a model for how believers are to endure injustice and stand firm in their identity.