Verse Lens · Expanded explanation
Mark 14:21 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 21. 21The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! good were it for that man if he had never been born.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
This verse anchors a specific action, description, or claim at Mark 14:21 within Mark 14:12-25: “The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! good were it for that man if he had never been born”.
Read It With
- Mark 14:12-25
Read Mark 14:21 with 14:12-25. This verse anchors a specific action, description, or claim at Mark 14:21 within Mark 14:12-25: “The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! good were it for that man if he had never been born”. The complete unit's controlling movement is: During Passover preparation and meal Jesus names the betrayer's nearness, gives bread as his body and the cup as covenant blood poured for many, and promises future kingdom drinking.
Why This Verse Appears Here
This verse anchors a specific action, description, or claim at Mark 14:21 within Mark 14:12-25: “The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! good were it for that man if he had never been born”. This specific contribution advances Mark 14:12-25 toward its narrated or taught result.
Follow the Context
- Mark 14:12-25 is one coherent narrated or teaching movement titled “Jesus Interprets Passover Bread and Cup around Betrayal.” Its opening change of scene, speaker, audience, journey stage, or controversy and its closing response distinguish it from the adjacent unit.
- During Passover preparation and meal Jesus names the betrayer's nearness, gives bread as his body and the cup as covenant blood poured for many, and promises future kingdom drinking.
- The meal stands within Jewish Passover and covenant imagery; Christian practice must not erase that Jewish setting. Traditions differ on sacramental presence and atonement, which the narrative does not exhaustively settle.
What This Verse Is Not Saying
The meal does not authorize antisemitism or replacement of Jewish Passover.
What Remains True
This verse anchors a specific action, description, or claim at Mark 14:21 within Mark 14:12-25: “The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! good were it for that man if he had never been born”. Its faithful force remains governed by God's kingdom, Jesus' cross-defined authority, truthful discipleship, and protection of vulnerable people.
How It Can Shape Life
- When teaching Mark 14:21, explain this exact role inside Mark 14:12-25, state the material uncertainty or first-century control, and refuse the unit's first harmful misuse.
Teach It Back
Explain Mark 14:21's specific contribution to Mark 14:12-25: anchors a specific action, description, or claim at Mark 14:21 within Mark 14:12-25: “The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! good were it for that man if he had never been born”. Include the surrounding movement, one uncertainty or ethical boundary, and what the verse does not authorize.
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Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read Mark 14:12-25 — Jesus Interprets Passover Bread and Cup around BetrayalSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? probable
Where care is needed
The preferred reading follows Mark's immediate narrative and whole-book movement while keeping the material alternative visible: The meal stands within Jewish Passover and covenant imagery; Christian practice must not erase that Jewish setting. Traditions differ on sacramental presence and atonement, which the narrative does not exhaustively settle.
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact KJV wording, paragraph flags, supplied-word markup, and coverage.
Exact location: Mark 14:12-25, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM corpus
Open source ↗Greek textual evidence
The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition
Michael W. Holmes, editor; Society of Biblical Literature and Logos
Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software, 2010
Supports: Greek wording, sentence relations, and material variants checked independently of the KJV.
Exact location: Faithlife SBLGNT official repository, data/sblgnt/text/Mark.txt, 14:12-25
Open the Mark Greek text file ↗Translation and textual notes
NET Bible — Mark with translators' and textual notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, 2005–2026 online edition
Supports: Verse-level translation, syntax, older-English clarification, variants, background, and alternatives.
Exact location: NET Bible Mark PDF, printed pp. 1868–1901, 14:12-25 and attached translator/textual notes
Open the official NET Mark PDF ↗