Mark 13 · Verse 32

Mark 13:32

But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.

Mark 13:32, King James Version

Mark 13:32 in other translations

BSB	No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
WEB	“But of that day or that hour no one knows—not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
ASV	But of that day or that hour knoweth no one, not even the angels in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.
YLT	‘And concerning that day and the hour no one hath known--not even the messengers who are in the heaven, not even the Son--except the Father.
DARBY	But of that day or of that hour no one knows, neither the angels who are in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father.
BBE	But of that day or that hour no one has knowledge, not even the angels in heaven, or the Son, but the Father.
Webster	But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.

What does Mark 13:32 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

32. But of that day and that hour--that is, the precise time. knoweth no man--literally, no one. no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father--This very remarkable statement regarding "the Son" is peculiar to Mark. Whether it means that the Son was not at that time in possession of the knowledge referred to, or simply that it was not among the things which He had received to communicate--has been matter of much controversy even among the firmest believers in the proper Divinity of Christ. In the latter sense it was taken by some of the most eminent of the ancient Fathers, and by Luther, Melancthon, and most of the older Lutherans; and it is so taken by Bengel, Lange, Webster and Wilkinson, Chrysostom and others understood it to mean that as man our Lord was ignorant of this. It is taken literally by Calvin, Grotius, De Wette, Meyer, Fritzsche, Stier, Alford, and Alexander.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes

Verse 32. Neither the Son. This text has always presented serious difficulties. It has been asked, If Jesus had a Divine nature, how could he say he knew not the day and hour of a future event? In reply, it has been said that the passage was wanting, according to Ambrose, in some Greek manuscripts. But it is now found in all, and there can be little doubt that the passage is genuine. Others have said that the verb rendered "knoweth," means sometimes to make known, or to reveal; and that the passage means, "That day and hour none makes known, neither the angels, nor the Son, but the Father." It is true, the word has sometimes that meaning, as in 1Cor 2:2; but then it is natural to ask where has the Father made it known? In what place did he reveal it? After all, the passage has no more difficulty than that in Lk 2:52, where it is said that Jesus increased in wisdom and stature. He had a human nature. He grew as a man in knowledge. As a man, his knowledge must be finite, for the faculties of the human soul are not infinite. As a man, he often spoke, reasoned, inquired, felt, feared, read, learned, ate, drank, and walked. Why are not all these, which imply that he was a man--that, as a man, he was not infinite --why are not these as difficult as the want of knowledge respecting the particular time of a future event; especially when that time must be made known by God, and when he chose that the man, Christ Jesus, should grow and think, and speak as a man?

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 32 Neither the Son - This clause is not found either in Matthew or Luke; and Ambrose says it was wanting in some Greek copies in his time. To me it is utterly unaccountable, how Jesus, who knew so correctly all the particulars which he here lays down, and which were to a jot and tittle verified by the event - how he who knew that not one stone should be left on another, should be ignorant of the day and hour when this should be done, though Daniel, Dan 9:24, etc., could fix the very year, not less than five hundred years before it happened: how he in whom the fullness of the Godhead dwelt bodily, and all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, should not know this small matter, I cannot comprehend, but on this ground, that the Deity which dwelt in the man Christ Jesus might, at one time, communicate less of the knowledge of futurity to him than at another. However, I strongly suspect that the clause was not originally in this Gospel. Its not being found in the parallel places in the other evangelists is, in my opinion, a strong presumption against it. But Dr. Macknight, and others, solve this difficulty in the following manner. They suppose the verb οιδεν to have the force of the Hebrew conjugation Hiphel, in which verbs are taken in a causative, declarative, or permissive sense; and that it means here, make known, or promulge, as it is to be understood in 1Cor 2:2. This intimates that this secret was not to be made known, either by men or angels, no, not even by the Son of man himself; but it should be made known by the Father only, in the execution of the purposes of his justice. I am afraid this only cuts the knot, but does not untie it.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Mark 13:28-37

We have the application of this prophetic sermon. As to the destruction of Jerusalem, expect it to come very shortly. As to the end of the world, do not inquire when it will come, for of that day and that hour knoweth no man. Christ, as God, could not be ignorant of anything; but the Divine wisdom which dwelt in our Saviour, communicated itself to his human soul according to the Divine pleasure. As to both, our duty…

Read the full comment on Mark 13:28-37 →

Mark 13:32 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ΠερὶPeriConcerningG4012

δὲdenowG1161

τῆςtēstheG3588

ἡμέραςhēmerasdayG2250

ἐκείνηςekeinēsthatG1565

ἢēorG2228

τῆςtēstheG3588

ὥραςhōrashourG5610

οὐδεὶςoudeisno [one]G3762

οἶδενoidenknows

οὐδὲoudenot evenG3761

οἱhoitheG3588

ἄγγελοιangeloiangelsG32

ἐνeninG1722

οὐρανῷouranōheavenG3772

οὐδὲoudenorG3761

ὁhotheG3588

υἱὸςhuiosSonG5207

εἰeionlyG1487

μὴmēexceptG3361

ὁhotheG3588

πατήρ.patērFather.G3962

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Mark 13:32

Matthew 24:36-42
But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. …
Acts 1:7
And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.
Matthew 25:13
Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
Revelation 3:3
Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
1 Thessalonians 5:1-2
But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
Mark 13:26-27
And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.
Matthew 25:6
And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
2 Peter 3:10
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
Matthew 25:19
After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.
Revelation 1:1
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

of.
26,27; Mt 24:36-42; 25:6,13,19; Ac 1:7; 1Th 5:2; 2Pe 3:10; Re 3:3
neither.
Re 1:1

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Mark 13:31
Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.
Mark 13:32
But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.
Mark 13:33
Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.

Read all of Mark 13

Mark 13:32 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Empero de aquel día y de la hora, nadie sabe; ni aun los ángeles que están en el cielo, ni el Hijo, sino el Padre.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Mais quant à ce jour-là, ou à l’heure, personne n’en a connaissance, pas même les anges qui sont dans le ciel, ni même le Fils, mais le Père.
German Elberfelder 1871	Von jenem Tage aber oder der Stunde weiß niemand, weder die Engel, die im Himmel sind, noch der Sohn, sondern nur der Vater.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	De die autem illo vel hora nemo scit, neque angeli in cælo, neque Filius, nisi Pater.