Mark 13:36
in Mark 13Otherwise, he may arrive without notice and find you sleeping.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.
KJV
Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.
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This verse in Mark 13
Commentary
14 notes on this verse(Hom. in Evan. 9) Not only, however, those of us who rule over Churches, but all are required to watch the doors of their hearts, lest the evil suggestions of the devil enter into them, and lest our Lord find us sleeping. Wherefore concluding this parable He adds, Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning: lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.
This site's exposition
instructed the doorkeeper to keep watch
on Mark 13:34-37
The discourse closes on a man who left his house and instructed the doorkeeper to keep watch. The last line, I say to everyone: Keep watch, carries the command from the four disciples to all who hear it.
This site's exposition
find you sleeping
Adam Clarke notes that a sleeping doorkeeper leaves the house open to thieves, and he takes the doorkeeper as a picture of the gospel's ministers. Gill describes the sleep as idleness in grace and neglect of duty. The master's arrival will be sudden.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Having spoken these words, he said to me, "Let us go, and after two days let us come and clean these stones, and cast them into the building; for all things around the tower must be cleaned, lest the Master come suddenly and find the places about the tower dirty, and be displeased, and these stones be not returned for the building of the tower, and I also shall seem to be neglectful towards the Master."
The Medieval Church3 voices
But let us also consider what is said from another perspective. Evening signifies the end when someone dies in old age; midnight, when someone reaches the middle of life; cockcrow, when reason begins to unfold in us, for the cock signifies reason, which awakens us …
For we must needs watch with our souls before the death of the body. For he who sleeps applies not his mind to real bodies, but to phantoms, and when he awakes, he possesses not what he had seen; so also are those, whom the love of this world seizes upon in this life; they quit after this life what they dreamed was real.
See again that He has not said, I know not when the time will be, but, Ye know not. For the reason why He concealed it was that it was better for us; for if, now that we know not the end, we are careless, what should we do if we knew it? We should keep on our wickednesses even unto the end. Let us therefore attend to His words; for the end comes at even, when a man dies in old age; at midnight, when he dies in the midst of his youth; and at cockcrow, when our reason is perfect within us; for when a child begins to live according to his reason, then the cock cries loud within him, rousing him from the sleep of sense; but the age of childhood is the morning.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
(4.) His coming will indeed be coming suddenly; it will be a great surprise and terror to those that are careless, and asleep, it will come upon them as a thief in the night. (5.) It is therefore the indispensable duty of all Christ's disciples, to watch, to be awake, and keep awake; " What I say unto you four (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens+odd-straight-quotes
6 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, 4 Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled? How apt many of Christ's own disciples are to idolize things that look great, and have been long looked upon as sacred.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-run:43w-of-66
Lest coming suddenly,.... Unthought of, and unexpected, at an unawares: he find you sleeping; inactive in the exercise of grace, and negligent in the performance of duty; unprepared for his coming, and unfit for service.
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
He find you sleeping - A porter asleep exposes the house to be robbed, and well deserves punishment. No wonder that the man is constantly suffering loss who is frequently off his guard. Our Lord shows us in this parable: 1. That himself, ascended to heaven, is the man gone from home. 2. That believers collectively are his family. 3. That his servants are those who are employed in the work of faith and labor of love. 4. That the porter represents the ministers of his Gospel, who should continually watch for the safety and welfare of the whole flock.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1857)
proposed
“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.” Mark 13:32-37 These verses conclude Mark's report of our Lord's prophecy on the Mount of Olives. They ought to form a personal application of the whole discourse to our consciences. We learn from these verses, that the exact time of our Lord Jesus Christ's second advent is purposely withheld from His church . The event is certain. The precise day and hour are not revealed. "Of that day and hour knows no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven." There is deep wisdom and mercy in this intentional silence. We have reason to thank God that the thing has been hidden from us. Uncertainty about the date of the Lord's return is calculated to keep believers in an attitude of constant expectation, and to preserve them from despondency. What a dreary prospect the early church would have had before it, if it had known for certain that Christ would not return to earth for at least fifteen hundred years! The hearts of men like Athanasius, Chrysostom, and Augustine, might well have sunk within them, if they had been aware of the centuries of darkness through which the world would pass, before their Master came back to take the kingdom. What a quickening motive, on the other hand, true Christians have perpetually had, for a close walk with God!
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1857)
proposed
“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Find you sleeping - Inattentive to your post, neglecting your duty, and unprepared for his coming.
The words behind it
6 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| μὴ | me | lest | G3361 → | 1066 times |
| ἐλθὼν | elthon | having come | G2064 → | 628 times |
| ἐξαίφνης | exaiphnes | suddenly | G1810 → | |
| εὕρῃ | heure | he may find | G2147 → | 175 times |
| ὑμᾶς | humas | you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| καθεύδοντας. | katheudontas | sleeping. | G2518 → | 22 times |
μὴlest
meG3361 →1066 times
ἐλθὼνhaving come
elthonG2064 →628 times
ἐξαίφνηςsuddenly
exaiphnesG1810 →
εὕρῃhe may find
heureG2147 →175 times
ὑμᾶςyou
humasG4771 →2973 times
καθεύδοντας.sleeping.
katheudontasG2518 →22 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Luke 21:34But watch yourselves, or your hearts will be weighed down by dissipation, drunkenness, and the worries of life—and that day will spring upon you suddenly like a snare.
it leads to
- Mark 4:19
but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:2–8
For you are fully aware that the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
- Luke 12:45–46
But suppose that servant says in his heart, ‘My master will be a long time in coming,’ and he begins to beat the menservants and maidservants, and to eat and drink and get drunk.
- Luke 12:40
You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect.”
- 1 Peter 4:3–7
For you have spent enough time in the past carrying out the same desires as the Gentiles: living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing, and detestable idolatry.
- Mark 4:19
Through
Mark 14:40And again Jesus returned and found them sleeping—for their eyes were heavy. And they did not know what to answer Him.
it leads to
- Genesis 44:16
“What can we say to my lord?” Judah replied. “How can we plead? How can we justify ourselves? God has exposed the iniquity of your servants. We are now my lord’s slaves—both we and…
- Romans 3:19
Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.
- Mark 9:33–34
Then they came to Capernaum. While Jesus was in the house, He asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?”
- Genesis 44:16
Where this verse is studied
About Mark
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Alexander Maclaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture, Mark; Gregory the Dialogist, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Pseudo-Jerome, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Shepherd of Hermas, Shepherd of Hermas, Similitude 9; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Mark and Theophylact of Ohrid, Catena Aurea by Aquinas.