Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Mark 14:21
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.
21. woe to that man ] The intimation just given was uttered privately for the ear of St John alone, and through him was possibly made known to St Peter; but the incident was of so ordinary a character, that it would fail to attract any notice whatever, and could only be a sign to the Apostle of Love. Then aloud, as we may believe, the Holy One uttered His final warning to the Traitor, and pronounced words of immeasurable woe on him by whom He was about to be betrayed, “ It were good for that man if he had never been born.” But the last appeal had no effect upon him. “ Rabbi, is it I? ” he inquired, steeling himself to utter the shameless question. “ Thou hast said,” replied the Saviour, in words probably heard only by those close by, and gave him “the sop,” and Satan entered into him, as St John tells us (Mar 13:27) with awful impressiveness. “ That thou doest, do quickly,” the Saviour continued; and the traitor arose and went forth, and it was night (Joh 13:27-30), but the night was not darker than the darkness of his soul.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 21. Goeth] That is, to die. See Clarke on Mt 26:24.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The son of man indeed goeth,…. Out of this world by death,
as it is written; both in the book of God’s decrees, and in the Scriptures of the Old Testament;
but woe to that man by whom the son of man is betrayed! whose sin will not be excused, nor lessened by fulfilling the decrees of God, and by accomplishing the prophecies of the Bible:
good were it for that man if he had never been born; so aggravating will be his crime, so dreadful his punishment; [See comments on Mt 26:24].
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
1) “The Son of man indeed goeth,” (hoti ho men huios tou anthropou hupagei) “Because the Son of man is surely going,” departing this life, Isa 53:3-12; Psa 55:12-14.
2) “As it is written of Him:” (kathos gegraptai peri autou) “Just as (in a specific way) that it has been written (in prophecy) concerning Him,” Act 2:23; Rom 9:19-23.
3) “But woe to that man,” (ouai de ti anthropo ekeino) “But woe (be) to that man,” woe awaits that particular man.
4) “By whom the Son of man is betrayed!” (di ou ho huios anthropou paradidotai) “Through whom the Son of man is betrayed!” Mat 26:24.
5) “Good were it for that man,” (kalon auto ho anthropos) “It would be ideal for that man,” Judas Iscariot, the traitor, as it is for the man who offends or causes a young Christian to stumble, fall or go wrong, Mat 18:6.
6) “If he had never been born.” (ei oukegennethe) “If he was never born,” had not been born at all. Joh 17:12; Act 1:25.
Three lessons to be learned from this are:
1) There is no evil that fallen men are not capable of deliberately committing.
2)There is no person strong enough to trust his own flesh.
3) The foreknowing of God does not make void the criminality of any person’s sins, anyone’s chosen wicked deeds.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(21) Good were it for that man.St. Mark, it will be noted, omits the fact recorded by St. Matthew, that the last Is it I? was uttered by the Traitor.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
21 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.
Ver. 21. Good were it for that man ] For his own particular: for otherwise, in respect of the glory of God’s justice, in that man’s righteous condemnation, good it was that he was born.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Mar 14:21 . , assigns a reason for the fact just stated. To fulfil Scripture (Psa 41:9 ) the Son of Man must go from the earth through betrayal by an intimate. This verse contains an instance in Mk. of the construction (again in Mar 14:38 and in Mar 16:19-20 ). , good for him, without the as in Mt. For the construction vide on Mt. and Burton, M. and T. in N. T., 248. : this repetition ( vide . . above) gives a tragic solemnity to the utterance = good for aim, if he had not been born, that man! Cf. Mar 2:20 , “days will come, etc., and then shall they fast, in that day”.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
The Son of man, See App-98.
is written = it standeth written.
of = concerning. Greek. peri. App-104. Not the same word as in verses: Mar 14:18, Mar 14:20, Mar 14:23, Mar 18:25, Mar 18:69, Mar 18:70.
that man. Emphatic,
by = by means of. Greek. dia. App-104. Mar 14:1. Not the some word as in Mar 14:1.
if, &c. Assnming the condition as an actual fact. App-118. a,
never = not. Greek. ou. App-105.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
goeth: Mar 14:49, Gen 3:15, Psa 22:1-31, Psa 69:1-36, Isa 52:14, Isa 53:1-12, Dan 9:24, Dan 9:26, Zec 13:7, Mat 26:24, Mat 26:54, Mat 26:56, Luk 22:22, Luk 24:26, Luk 24:27, Luk 24:44, Joh 19:28, Joh 19:36, Joh 19:37, Act 2:23, Act 4:27, Act 13:27-29
but: Psa 55:15, Psa 109:6-20, Mat 18:7, Mat 27:3-5, Act 1:16-20, Act 1:25
good: Mat 18:6, Mat 18:7, Mat 26:24, Mat 26:25
Reciprocal: 1Ki 14:6 – for I am 2Ch 18:22 – and the Lord Rom 9:19 – Why doth
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1
Judas refused to repent after his dark deed and therefore he went to perdition (Joh 17:12). This is why Jesus said it would have been good for him not to have been born.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Verse 21
That is, the event must take place, as predetermined in the sovereign counsels of God,–but woe to the wicked agent through whose instrumentality the work is done. This is a very strong and remarkable assertion of the great moral truth, that the sovereignty of God is absolute and entire over every event that comes to pass, while yet it does not shield the guilty from moral responsibility for the part they perform in the accomplishment of his designs. The calm decision with which the principle is asserted in reference to so very strong a case, directly involving as it does, the great difficulty of difficulties in moral philosophy, makes this one of the most remarkable passages in the sacred Scriptures. The Son of man goeth, as it is written of him, but woe unto him by whom he is betrayed.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
Jesus explained that His betrayal was part of divine purpose that the Old Testament had predicted (e.g., Psalms 22; Isaiah 53). Nevertheless the betrayer would bear the responsibility for his deed and would pay a severe penalty.
"The fact that God turns the wrath of man to his praise does not excuse the wrath of man." [Note: Cranfield, The Gospel . . ., p. 424.]
The seriousness of Judas’ act was in direct proportion to the innocence of the person he betrayed (cf. Mar 14:9). "By whom the Son of Man is betrayed" (NASB) views Judas as Satan’s instrument.