Mark 13:14

But when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains,

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WEBBE

“But when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not” (let the reader understand), “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains,

BSB

So when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be ( let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

KJV

But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:

ASV

But when ye see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not (let him that readeth understand), then let them that are in Judæa flee unto the mountains:

BBE

But when you see the unclean thing which makes destruction, in the place where it has no right to be (let this be clear to the reader), then let those who are in Judaea go quickly to the mountains:

Original Greek

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ὅταν hotan When G3752 δὲ de then G1161 ἴδητε idēte you may see G1492 τὸ to the G3588 βδέλυγμα bdelugma abomination G946 τῆς tēs of the G3588 ἐρημώσεως erēmōseōs desolation G2050 τὸ to which G3588 ῥηθὲν rhēthen having been spoken of G2046 ὑπὸ hupo by G5259 Δανιὴλ Daniēl Daniel G1158 τοῦ tou (the) G3588 προφήτου prophētou prophet G4396 ἑστηκότα hestēkota already standing G2476 ὅπου hopou where G3699 οὐ ou not G3756 δεῖ dei it should — G1163 ὁ ho the [one] G3588 ἀναγινώσκων anaginōskōn reading G314 νοείτω noeitō he should understand — G3539 τότε tote then G5119 οἱ hoi those G3588 ἐν en in G1722 τῇ tēa (the) G3588 Ἰουδαίᾳ Ioudaia Judea G2449 φευγέτωσαν pheugetōsan they should flee G5343 εἰς eis to G1519 τὰ ta the G3588 ὄρη orē mountains G3735

The early church

All 7
(de con. ii. 77) Matthew says, standing in the holy place; but with this verbal difference Mark has expressed the same meaning; for He says where it ought not to stand, because it ought not to stand in the holy place. (Epist. cxcix. 9.) But Luke, in order to show that the abomination of desolation happened when Jerusalem was taken, in this same place gives the words of our Lord, And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. (Luke 21:20) It goes on: Then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains.
Augustine of Hippo · d. 430Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)
(ubi sup.) When we are challenged to understand what is said, we may conclude that it is mystical. But it may either be said simply of Antichrist, or of the statue of Cæsar, which Pilate put into the temple, or of the equestrian statue of Adrian, which for a long time stood in the holy of holies itself. An idol is also called abomination according to the Old Testament, and he has added of desolation, because it was placed in the temple when desolate and deserted.
Bede · d. 735Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)
(ubi sup.) It is on record that this was literally fulfilled, when on the approach of the war with Rome and the extermination of the Jewish people, all the Christians who were in that province, warned by the prophecy, fled far away, as Church history relates, and retiring beyond Jordan, remained for a time in the city of Pella under the protection of Agrippa, the king of the Jews, of whom mention is made in the Acts, and who with that part of the Jews, who chose to obey him, always continued subject to the Roman empire.
Bede · d. 735Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)
(ubi sup.) In a spiritual sense, however, when we see the abomination of desolation standing where it ought not, that is, heresies and crimes reigning amongst them, who appear to be consecrated by the heavenly mysteries, then whosoever of us remain in Judæa, that is, in the confession of the true faith, ought to mount the higher in virtue, the more men we see following the broad paths of vice.
Bede · d. 735Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)
Or he means by the abomination of desolation, the entrance of enemies into the city by violence. And well does he say, Who are in Judæa, for the Apostles were no longer in Judæa, but before the battle had been driven from Jerusalem. We must also avoid sin with fervour, and not coldly and quietly.
Theophylact of Ohrid · d. 1107Catena Aurea (Aquinas, 1274)

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 14–23

The Jews in rebelling against the Romans, and in persecuting the Christians, hastened their own ruin apace. Here we have a prediction of that ruin which came upon them within less than forty years after this. Such destruction and desolation, that the like cannot be found in any history. Promises of power to persevere, and cautions against falling away, well agree with each other. But the more we consider these things, the more we shall see abundant cause to flee without delay for refuge to Christ, and to renounce every earthly object, for the salvation of our souls.

Read Matthew Henry on Mark 13 →

Parallel passages

2

The same words or events elsewhere.

Matthew 24:15–16Luke 21:21

Cross-references

14

People & places

Daniel Judea

Topics

Jerusalem

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.