Mark 13:34

Bible in Basic English (1941)

It is as when a man who is in another country for a time, having gone away from his house, and given authority to his servants and to everyone his work, gives the porter an order to keep watch.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Ὡς ἄνθρωπος ἀπόδημος, ἀφεὶς τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ, καὶ δοὺς τοῖς δούλοις αὐτοῦ τὴν ἐξουσίαν, καὶ ἑκάστῳ τὸ ἔργον αὐτοῦ, καὶ τῷ θυρωρῷ ἐνετείλατο ἵνα γρηγορῇ.

Transliteration

As anthrōpos apodēmos, apheis the oikian of-him, and dous to-the doulois of-him the exousian, and to-each the ergon of-him, and to-the thyrōrō eneteilato that he grēgorē.

Grammar Details

• *anthrōpos*: nominative, masculine, singular - man/person
• *apodēmos*: nominative, masculine, singular - away from home/traveling
• *apheis*: aorist participle, active, nominative, masculine, singular - having left
• *oikian*: accusative, feminine, singular - house
• *dous*: aorist participle, active, nominative, masculine, singular - having given
• *doulois*: dative, masculine, plural - servants/slaves
• *exousian*: accusative, feminine, singular - authority/power
• *ergon*: accusative, neuter, singular - work/task
• *thyrōrō*: dative, masculine, singular - doorkeeper/gatekeeper
• *eneteilato*: aorist, indicative, middle, 3rd singular - commanded/ordered
• *grēgorē*: present, subjunctive, active, 3rd singular - might watch/be alert

Word Meanings

• *anthrōpos*: man/person/human being
• *apodēmos*: away from home/traveling/on a journey
• *apheis*: having left/departed/gone away
• *oikian*: house/home/household
• *dous*: having given/granted/provided
• *doulois*: servants/slaves/bondservants
• *exousian*: authority/power/right
• *ergon*: work/task/deed
• *thyrōrō*: doorkeeper/gatekeeper/porter
• *eneteilato*: commanded/ordered/charged
• *grēgorē*: might watch/be alert/stay awake

Referenced Verses

• John 10:3 : 3 The porter lets him in; and the sheep give ear to his voice; he says over the names of the sheep, and takes them out.
• Matt 25:14-30 : 14 For it is as when a man, about to take a journey, got his servants together, and gave them his property. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one; to everyone as he was able; and he went on his journey. 16 Straight away he who had been given the five talents went and did trade with them, and made five more. 17 In the same way he who had been given the two got two more. 18 But he who was given the one went away and put it in a hole in the earth, and kept his lord's money in a secret place. 19 Now after a long time the lord of those servants comes, and makes up his account with them. 20 And he who had the five talents came with his other five talents, saying, Lord, you gave into my care five talents: see, I have got five more. 21 His lord said to him, Well done, good and true servant: you have been true in a small thing, I will give you control over great things: take your part in the joy of your lord. 22 And he who had the two talents came and said, Lord, you gave into my care two talents: see, I have got two more. 23 His lord said to him, Well done, good and true servant: you have been true in a small thing, I will give you control over great things: take your part in the joy of your lord. 24 And he who had had the one talent came and said, Lord, I had knowledge that you are a hard man, getting in grain where you have not put seed, and making profits for which you have done no work: 25 And I was in fear, and went away, and put your talent in the earth: here is what is yours. 26 But his lord in answer said to him, You are a bad and unready servant; if you had knowledge that I get in grain where I did not put seed, and make profits for which I have done no work, 27 Why, then, did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I would have got back what is mine with interest? 28 Take away, then, his talent and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will be given, and he will have more: but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And put out the servant who is of no profit into the outer dark: there will be weeping and cries of sorrow.
• 1 Cor 15:58 : 58 For this cause, my dear brothers, be strong in purpose and unmoved, ever giving yourselves to the work of the Lord, because you are certain that your work is not without effect in the Lord.
• Col 3:24 : 24 Being certain that the Lord will give you the reward of the heritage: for you are the servants of the Lord Christ.
• Matt 24:45-47 : 45 Who is the true and wise servant, whom his lord has put over those in his house, to give them their food at the right time? 46 A blessing on that servant, who will be doing so when his lord comes. 47 Truly, I say to you, he will put him over all he has.
• Luke 12:36-40 : 36 And be like men who are looking for their lord, when he comes back from the bride-feast; so that when he comes to the door, it will be open to him quickly. 37 Happy are those servants who are watching when the lord comes; truly I say to you, he will make himself their servant and, placing them at the table, he will come out and give them food. 38 And if he comes in the second division of the night or in the third, and they are watching for him, happy are those servants. 39 But be certain of this, that if the master of the house had had knowledge of the time when the thief was coming, he would have been watching, and would not have let his house be broken into. 40 So be ready: for the Son of man is coming at a time when you are not looking for him.
• Ezek 3:17-21 : 17 Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the children of Israel: so give ear to the word of my mouth, and give them word from me of their danger. 18 When I say to the evil-doer, Death will certainly be your fate; and you give him no word of it and say nothing to make clear to the evil-doer the danger of his evil way, so that he may be safe; that same evil man will come to death in his evil-doing; but I will make you responsible for his blood. 19 But if you give the evil-doer word of his danger, and he is not turned from his sin or from his evil way, death will overtake him in his evil-doing; but your life will be safe. 20 Again, when an upright man, turning away from his righteousness, does evil, and I put a cause of falling in his way, death will overtake him: because you have given him no word of his danger, death will overtake him in his evil-doing, and there will be no memory of the upright acts which he has done; but I will make you responsible for his blood. 21 But if you say to the upright man that he is not to do evil, he will certainly keep his life because he took note of your word; and your life will be safe.
• Ezek 33:2-9 : 2 Son of man, give a word to the children of your people, and say to them, When I make the sword come on a land, if the people of the land take a man from among their number and make him their watchman: 3 If, when he sees the sword coming on the land, by sounding the horn he gives the people news of their danger; 4 Then anyone who, hearing the sound of the horn, does not take note of it, will himself be responsible for his death, if the sword comes and takes him away. 5 On hearing the sound of the horn, he did not take note; his blood will be on him; for if he had taken note his life would have been safe. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming, and does not give a note on the horn, and the people have no word of the danger, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them; he will be taken away in his sin, but I will make the watchman responsible for his blood. 7 So you, son of man, I have made you a watchman for the children of Israel; and you are to give ear to the word of my mouth and give them news from me of their danger. 8 When I say to the evil-doer, Death will certainly overtake you; and you say nothing to make clear to the evil-doer the danger of his way; death will overtake that evil man in his evil-doing, but I will make you responsible for his blood. 9 But if you make clear to the evil-doer the danger of his way for the purpose of turning him from it, and he is not turned from his way, death will overtake him in his evil-doing, but your life will be safe.
• Matt 16:19 : 19 I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatever is fixed by you on earth will be fixed in heaven: and whatever you make free on earth will be made free in heaven.
• Luke 19:12-17 : 12 So he said, A certain man of high birth went into a far-away country to get a kingdom for himself, and to come back. 13 And he sent for ten of his servants and gave them ten pounds and said to them, Do business with this till I come. 14 But his people had no love for him, and sent representatives after him, saying, We will not have this man for our ruler. 15 And when he came back again, having got his kingdom, he gave orders for those servants to whom he had given the money to come to him, so that he might have an account of what business they had done. 16 And the first came before him, saying, Lord, your pound has made ten pounds. 17 And he said to him, You have done well, O good servant: because you have done well in a small thing you will have authority over ten towns.
• Acts 20:29-31 : 29 I am conscious that after I am gone, evil wolves will come in among you, doing damage to the flock; 30 And from among yourselves will come men who will give wrong teaching, turning away the disciples after them. 31 So keep watch, having in mind that for three years without resting I was teaching every one of you, day and night, with weeping.
• Rom 12:4-8 : 4 For, as we have a number of parts in one body, but all the parts have not the same use, 5 So we, though we are a number of persons, are one body in Christ, and are dependent on one another; 6 And having different qualities by reason of the grace given to us, such as the quality of a prophet, let it be made use of in relation to the measure of our faith; 7 Or the position of a Deacon of the church, let a man give himself to it; or he who has the power of teaching, let him make use of it; 8 He who has the power of comforting, let him do so; he who gives, let him give freely; he who has the power of ruling, let him do it with a serious mind; he who has mercy on others, let it be with joy.
• Rom 13:6 : 6 For the same reason, make payment of taxes; because the authority is God's servant, to take care of such things at all times.
• 1 Cor 3:5-9 : 5 What then is Apollos? and what is Paul? They are but servants who gave you the good news as God gave it to them. 6 I did the planting, Apollos did the watering, but God gave the increase. 7 So then the planter is nothing, and the waterer is nothing; but God who gives the increase. 8 Now the planter and the waterer are working for the same end: but they will have their separate rewards in the measure of their work. 9 For we are workers with God: you are God's planting, God's building. 10 In the measure of the grace given to me, I, as a wise master-builder, have put the base in position, and another goes on building on it. But let every man take care what he puts on it.
• 1 Cor 12:4-9 : 4 Now there are different qualities given to men, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are different sorts of servants, but the same Lord. 6 And there are different operations, but the same God, who is working all things in all. 7 But to every man some form of the Spirit's working is given for the common good. 8 For to one are given words of wisdom through the Spirit; and to another words of knowledge through the same Spirit: 9 To another faith in the same Spirit; and to another the power of taking away disease, by the one Spirit; 10 And to another the power of working wonders; and to another the prophet's word; and to another the power of testing spirits; to another different sorts of tongues; and to another the power of making clear the sense of the tongues: 11 But all these are the operations of the one and the same Spirit, giving to every man separately as his pleasure is. 12 For as the body is one, and has a number of parts, and all the parts make one body, so is Christ. 13 For through the baptism of the one Spirit we were all formed into one body, Jews or Greeks, servants or free men, and were all made full of the same Spirit. 14 For the body is not one part, but a number of parts. 15 If the foot says, Because I am not the hand, I am not a part of the body; it is no less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear says, Because I am not the eye, I am not a part of the body; it is a part of the body all the same. 17 If all the body was an eye, where would be the hearing? if all was hearing, where would be the smelling? 18 But now God has put every one of the parts in the body as it was pleasing to him. 19 And if they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 But now they are all different parts, but one body. 21 And the eye may not say to the hand, I have no need of you: or again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. 22 No, those parts which seem to be feeble are the more necessary; 23 And to those parts of the body which seem to have less honour we give all the more honour; and to those parts of the body which are a cause of shame to us we give the greater respect; 24 But those parts of the body which are beautiful have no need of such care: and so the body has been joined together by God in such a way as to give more honour to those parts which had need of it; 25 So that there might be no division in the body; but all the parts might have the same care for one another. 26 And if there is pain in one part of the body, all the parts will be feeling it; or if one part is honoured, all the parts will be glad. 27 Now you are the body of Christ, and every one of you the separate parts of it. 28 And God has put some in the church, first, Apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers; then those with wonder-working powers, then those with the power of taking away disease, helpers, wise guides, users of strange tongues. 29 Are all Apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? have all the power of working wonders? 30 Are all able to take away disease? have all the power of tongues? are all able to give their sense? 31 But let your desires be turned to the more important things given by the Spirit. And now I am pointing out to you an even better way.
• Col 4:1 : 1 Masters, give your servants what is right and equal, conscious that you have a Master in heaven.
• Rev 3:7 : 7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia say: These things says he who is holy, he who is true, he who has the key of David, opening the door so that it may be shut by no one, and shutting it so that it may be open to no one.