The Meaning of Mark 13:12 Explained

Mark 13:12

KJV: Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death.

YLT: 'And brother shall deliver up brother to death, and father child, and children shall rise up against parents, and shall put them to death,

Darby: But brother shall deliver up brother to death, and father child; and children shall rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death.

ASV: And brother shall deliver up brother to death, and the father his child; and children shall rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Now  the brother  shall betray  the brother  to  death,  and  the father  the son;  and  children  shall rise up  against  [their] parents,  and  shall cause  them  to be put to death. 

What does Mark 13:12 Mean?

Context Summary

Mark 13:1-13 - Coming Tribulations
Our Lord departed from the Temple, never again to enter its sacred precincts or to open His mouth in public teaching. When He withdrew, the whole system of Judaism was given over to desolation, and the predictions spoken at this time were minutely fulfilled in the fall of Jerusalem under Titus. The Temple was blotted out-indeed, a ploughshare passed over its site; the people were sold into slavery or butchered in the gladiatorial shows; their nationality was obliterated; and their land given to strangers. For more than eighteen centuries the holy places have been defiled.
Christ's words contain a further reference to His second advent. The signs here mentioned were carefully scanned by the early Christians, as one after another they were fulfilled. They saw the Roman world convulsed by rival claimants for the imperial purple; they knew by bitter experience the brunt of the world's hatred; they realized that by the labors of the great apostle of the Gentiles, and others, the gospel had been preached throughout the known world-and when these signs were being fulfilled, and the Roman eagles gathered to prey on the carcass of Judaism, from which the life had passed, they hastened to flee to Pella, from whence they beheld the collapse of the Jewish state. [source]

Chapter Summary: Mark 13

1  Jesus foretells the destruction of the temple;
9  the persecutions for the gospel;
10  that the gospel must be preached to all nations;
14  that great calamities shall happen to the Jews;
24  and the manner of his coming to judgment;
32  the hour whereof being known to none, every man is to watch and pray

What do the individual words in Mark 13:12 mean?

And will deliver up brother brother to death father child will rise up children against parents will put to death them
Καὶ παραδώσει ἀδελφὸς ἀδελφὸν εἰς θάνατον πατὴρ τέκνον ἐπαναστήσονται τέκνα ἐπὶ γονεῖς θανατώσουσιν αὐτούς

παραδώσει  will  deliver  up 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: παραδίδωμι  
Sense: to give into the hands (of another).
ἀδελφὸς  brother 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀδελφός  
Sense: a brother, whether born of the same two parents or only of the same father or mother.
ἀδελφὸν  brother 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀδελφός  
Sense: a brother, whether born of the same two parents or only of the same father or mother.
θάνατον  death 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: θάνατος 
Sense: the death of the body.
πατὴρ  father 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: προπάτωρ 
Sense: generator or male ancestor.
τέκνον  child 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: τέκνον  
Sense: offspring, children.
ἐπαναστήσονται  will  rise  up 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Middle, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἐπανίστημι  
Sense: to cause to rise up against, to raise up against.
τέκνα  children 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Neuter Plural
Root: τέκνον  
Sense: offspring, children.
ἐπὶ  against 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐπί  
Sense: upon, on, at, by, before.
γονεῖς  parents 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: γονεύς  
Sense: fathers, parent, the parents.
θανατώσουσιν  will  put  to  death 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: θανατόω  
Sense: to put to death.