Mark 13:20

Mar_13:20

Shortened those days.

God shortened the siege

Many circumstances combined to secure the primary fulfilment of these words. The incomplete state of the fortifications, the paucity of food, the factious fights within the city, etc., shortened the siege; and Titus himself exclaimed, God has fought for us: what could human hand or engines do against these towers! (Stock.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

13:20 God’s shortening of his timetable for the days of calamity is referred to frequently in intertestamental Jewish literature (e.g., 2 Esdras 2:13; 2 Baruch 20:1). This statement emphasizes the horrors of this tribulation experienced by God’s people, but also God’s mercy in shortening this time. • not a single person will survive: The whole population of Judea might have been destroyed if the days of anguish had been longer. • chosen ones (literally elect): Followers of Jesus.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Mar 13:20. Οὓς ἐξελέξατο, whom He hath chosen) Herein is illustrated the power of prayer.—ἐκολοβωσε, He hath shortened) by His decree.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mar 13:20 . The merciful shortening of the days, out of regard to the elect, is here directly ascribed to God. Mt. uses the passive construction, where vide as to the idea of shortening and the reason. τοὺς ἐκλεκτοὺς οὓς ἐξελέξατο , the elect whom He elected, recalling “the creation which God created” in Mar 13:19 ; but more than a mere literary idiosyncrasy, emphasising the fact that the elect are God’s elect, whom He loves and will care for, and whose intercessions for others He will hear.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 20. Had shortened those days] Because of his chosen, added by D, Armenian, and five of the Itala. See Mt 24:22.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

20. except that the Lord had shortened] The word rendered “shortened” only occurs here and in the parallel, Mat_24:22. It denotes to dock or curtail. It occurs in the LXX. version of 2Sa_4:12, where we read that David “commanded his young men, and they cut off the hands and the feet” of the murderers of Ishbosheth. If in God’s pitying mercy the number of those awful days had not been shortened, no flesh could have been saved.

for the elect’s sake] i. e. for the sake of the Christians.

he hath shortened] Had the horrors within and without which accompanied the siege of Jerusalem been prolonged, the utter desolation of the country would have been the result. But in mercy they were shortened, (1) by the swift and energetic measures of the invading armies, and (2) by the infatuation of the besieged. On his part Titus encircled the city with a wall five miles in extent, and fortified it with thirteen strong garrisons in the almost incredibly short space of three days, and Josephus makes special mention of his eagerness to bring the siege to an end. On the other hand, the leaders of the factions within slew the men who would have taught them how the siege might be prolonged, burnt the corn which would have enabled them to hold out against the enemy, and abandoned the towers, which were in reality impregnable. Thus the city, which in the time of Zedekiah (2Ki_25:1-6; Jer_39:1-2) had resisted the forces of Nebuchadnezzar for sixteen months, was taken by the Romans in less than five.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For false Christs and false prophets shall rise,.... As there did, both before and after the destruction of Jerusalem:

and shall show signs and wonders; as they pretended to do, and did, at least to the appearance of people:

to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect; who were chosen in Christ, unto eternal life; in consequence of which they truly believed in him, and were constant followers of him; but this was not possible: though such was the force of their deception, that there was apparent danger of it, were it not for the power and grace of God; See Gill on Mat 24:24.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

20 And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect’s sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.

Ver. 20. Except the Lord had shortened] Mutilaverat, truncaverat, εκολοβωσε. Not in respect of the divine decree, but, 1. Of the long miseries that the people had deserved. 2. Of the enemies’ rage, that would have exceeded. See Zec 1:13.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

This may be explained in a more general sense of the persecution of Antichrist, which will be dreadful beyond description, and executed in every part of the world. The time however allowed to him and his wicked agents to tread under foot the holy city, (Apocalypse xi. 2.) i.e. the Church of Christ, will not extend beyond forty-two months, or three years and a half. This space of time Christ has set apart to purify his Church, and try his servants; and therefore he allows them to fall under the power of this merciless tyrant; and it was given unto him, says St. John, speaking of this event, to make war with the saints, and overcome them. (Apocalypse xiii. 7.) We are admonished of the same by the prophet Daniel: (vii. 21.) I beheld, says he, and lo that horn (Antichrist) made war against the saints, and prevailed against them; and he shall speak words against the Most High, and shall crush the saints of the Most High ... and they shall be delivered into his hand until a time, and times, and half a time, (Daniel vii. 25.) i.e. a year, two years, and half a year, or three years and a half, the same with St. John. (Pastorini, p. 327 and 8.) --- St. Augustine, speaking of this dreadful period, says: this persecution will be the last; it will happen towards the approach of the last judgment, and will fall upon the Church in every part of the world; that is, the whole city of Christ will be persecuted by the whole city of the devil, as far as both are extended upon earth. (De civit. lib. xx. chap. xi.) But our Saviour will put a stop to these calamities on account of his elect, unwilling that they should be tempted above their strength; for he will descend himself from heaven, and, as St. Paul tells us, will kill the wicked man, Antichrist, with the breath of his mouth, and shall destroy him with the brightness of his coming.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

And except the Lord had shortened the days, no flesh would have been saved: but for the elect"s sake, whom he chose, he shortened the days. St. Matthew"s record (Mat_24:22) differs from that of St. Mark in the omission of the words "the Lord," and the clause "whom he chose." If the time of the siege of Jerusalem had lasted much longer, not one of the nation could have survived; all would have perished by war, or famine, or pestilence. The Romans raged against the Jews as an obstinate and rebellious nation, and would have exterminated them. But "the Lord" shortened the time of this frightful catastrophe, for the elect"s sake, that is, partly for the sake of the Christians who could not escape from Jerusalem, and partly for that of the Jews, who, subdued by this awful visitation, were converted to Christ or would hereafter be converted to him We learn from hence how great is the love of God towards his elect, and his care for them. For their sakes he spared many Jews. For their sakes he created and preserves the whole world. Yea, for their sakes, Christ the eternal Son was made man, and became obedient unto death. "All things are yours, and ye are Christ"s, and Christ is God"s.

It may be added that a number of providential circumstances combined to shorten these days of terror. Titus was himself disposed to clemency, and friendly towards Josephus. Moreover, he was attached to Bernice, a Jewess, the sister of Agrippa. All these and other circumstances conspired in the providence of God to "shorten the days."

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The elect - The Christians: whom he hath chosen - That is, hath taken out of, or separated from, the world, through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. He hath shortened - That is, will surely shorten.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

20. ἐκολόβωσεν. Lit. “amputated,” and so “curtailed”; in 2Sa 4:12 of cutting off hands and feet. God has decided to shorten the days, and they are regarded as shortened.

κύριος. Elsewhere in Mk this use of Κύριος without the art. is found only in quotations; Mar 1:3, Mar 11:9, Mar 12:11; Mar 12:29-30; Mar 12:36. It is freq. in Luke 1, 2. The duration of “those days” is not indicated.

οὐκ ἂν ἐσώθη πᾶσα σάρξ. Hebraistic. The negative belongs to the verb and πᾶσα σάρξ is one term; “the whole of mankind would have been not saved” = “no flesh would have been saved.” In other words, οὐ πᾶς = “no one,” not (as in class. Grk) “not every one.” Cf. Luk 1:37; Rom 3:20; 1Co 1:29; Gal 2:16. “All flesh” is a common Hebraism for the human race; Luk 3:6; Joh 17:2; Act 2:17; etc. The siege lasted only from April or May to September, but the loss of life was immense; and it would have been greater, but for “the elect,” whose presence and prayers secured a shortening of the time of destruction. “The elect” probably means the believers who were true to their high calling. See the Apocalypse of Baruch xxi. 2, lxxxiii. 1–6; Enoch i. 1. The superfluous ἐξελέξατο is in Mk’s style; see on Mar 1:32, Mar 6:25. It is not in Mt.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

20.] κτίσεως ἧς ἔκτισεν … and ἐκλεκτοὺς οὓς ἐξελέξατο, peculiarities of Mark’s style—for greater solemnity. [Joh 17:26: 5:16, cited strangely by Mr. Elliott to disprove this, are no cases in point. In both those, the expression is necessary to the sense: here, and usually in St. Mark, it is merely idiomatic.]

Meyer remarks that the first ι in θλιψις, being long by nature, and not by position only, ought to be circumflexed.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

20. Καὶ εἰ μὴ ἐκολόβωσεν3 κύριος τὰς ἡμέρας, οὐκ ἂν ἐσώθη πᾶσα σάρξ—And if the Lord had not shortened those days, no flesh would have been saved. The aor. tenses put this action in the past—if the Lord had not shortened the time, no flesh would have been saved. The language is proleptic, stating the event as it already existed in the Divine decree.1 It is needless to say that ἐσώθη is used of physical deliverance, though it has been interpreted of the deliverance from temptation to unfaithfulness in such an hour of trial. τοὺς ἐκλεκτοὺς οὕς ἐξελέξατο—the elect, whom he elected.2 There will be some among that multitude given over to destruction who are God’s own chosen ones, and on their account he shortened (in the Divine decree) these days. It would be the number, and not the length of those days, that God would shorten.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Shortened. See on Mt 24:22.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.