Lectionary Calendar
Friday, August 29th, 2025
the Week of Proper 16 / Ordinary 21
Attention!
Tired of seeing ads while studying? Now you can enjoy an "Ads Free" version of the site for as little as 10¢ a day and support a great cause!
Click here to learn more!

Read the Bible

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Mark 14:2

"But not during the feast," they said, "or there may be a riot among the people."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Passover;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Rome;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Death of Christ;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Banquet;   Mark, the Gospel of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - John, Gospel of;   Mss;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Arrest ;   Betrayal;   Force;   Last Supper;   Lord's Supper. (I.);   Multitude;   Pharisees (2);   Morrish Bible Dictionary - New Testament;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Chamber;   Passover;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Chronology of the New Testament;   Hap;   Jesus Christ, the Arrest and Trial of;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“Not during the festival,” they said, “so that there won’t be a riot among the people.”
King James Version (1611)
But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an vprore of the people.
King James Version
But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people.
English Standard Version
for they said, "Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar from the people."
New American Standard Bible
for they were saying, "Not during the festival, otherwise there will be a riot of the people."
New Century Version
But they said, "We must not do it during the feast, because the people might cause a riot."
Amplified Bible
but they were saying, "Not during the festival, for the people might riot."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
for they were saying, "Not during the festival, otherwise there might be a riot of the people."
Legacy Standard Bible
for they were saying, "Not during the festival, lest there be a riot of the people."
Contemporary English Version
They were saying, "We must not do it during the festival, because the people will riot."
Complete Jewish Bible
for they said, "Not during the festival, or the people will riot."
Darby Translation
For they said, Not in the feast, lest perhaps there be a tumult of the people.
Easy-to-Read Version
They said, "But we cannot arrest Jesus during the festival. We don't want the people to be angry and cause a riot."
Geneva Bible (1587)
But they sayde, Not in the feast day, least there be any tumult among the people.
George Lamsa Translation
And they said, Not during the feast, for it may cause a riot among the people.
Good News Translation
"We must not do it during the festival," they said, "or the people might riot."
Lexham English Bible
For they said, "Not at the feast, lest there be an uproar by the people."
Literal Translation
But they said, Not during the Feast, lest there will be a tumult of the people.
American Standard Version
for they said, Not during the feast, lest haply there shall be a tumult of the people.
Bible in Basic English
But they said, Not while the feast is going on, for fear there may be trouble among the people.
Hebrew Names Version
For they said, "Not during the feast, because there might be a riot of the people."
International Standard Version
For they kept saying, "This must not happen during the festival, lest there be a riot among the people."
Etheridge Translation
And they said, Not on the festival, lest there be a commotion among the people.
Murdock Translation
But they said: Not on the festival, lest there be commotion among the people.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
But they sayde: not in the feast day, lest any busines arise among the people.
English Revised Version
for they said, Not during the feast, lest haply there shall be a tumult of the people.
World English Bible
For they said, "Not during the feast, because there might be a riot of the people."
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
But they said, Not at the feast, lest there be a tumult of the people.
Weymouth's New Testament
But they said, "Not on the Festival-day, for fear there should be a riot among the people."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
But thei seiden, Not in the feeste dai, lest perauenture a noyse were maad among the puple.
Update Bible Version
for they said, Not during the feast, lest perhaps there shall be a tumult of the people.
Webster's Bible Translation
But they said, Not on the feast-[day], lest there should be an uproar of the people.
New English Translation
For they said, "Not during the feast, so there won't be a riot among the people."
New King James Version
But they said, "Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar of the people."
New Living Translation
"But not during the Passover celebration," they agreed, "or the people may riot."
New Life Bible
These men said, "This must not happen on the day of the special supper. The people would be against it and make much trouble."
New Revised Standard
for they said, "Not during the festival, or there may be a riot among the people."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
for they were saying - Not in the feast, lest there be an uproar of the people.
Douay-Rheims Bible
But they said: Not on the festival day, lest there should be a tumult among the people.
Revised Standard Version
for they said, "Not during the feast, lest there be a tumult of the people."
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
But they sayde: not in the feast daye leest eny busynes aryse amonge the people.
Young's Literal Translation
and they said, `Not in the feast, lest there shall be a tumult of the people.'
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But they sayde: Not in the feast daye, lest there be an vproure in the people.
Mace New Testament (1729)
but they objected, it could not be during the festival, for fear of a popular insurrection.
Simplified Cowboy Version
before the special Passover celebration, because they didn't want the people to riot.

Contextual Overview

1Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were two days away, and the chief priests and scribes were looking for a covert way to arrest Jesus and kill Him. 2"But not during the feast," they said, "or there may be a riot among the people."3While Jesus was in Bethany reclining at the table in the home of Simon the leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke open the jar and poured it on Jesus' head. 4But some of those present expressed their indignation to one another: "Why this waste of perfume? 5It could have been sold for over three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor." And they scolded her. 6But Jesus said, "Leave her alone; why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful deed to Me. 7The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them whenever you want. But you will not always have Me. 8She has done what she could to anoint My body in advance of My burial. 9And truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached in all the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her." 10Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Not: Proverbs 19:21, Proverbs 21:30, Lamentations 3:27, Matthew 26:5

lest: Mark 11:18, Mark 11:32, Luke 20:6, John 7:40, John 12:19

Reciprocal: Matthew 14:5 - when Matthew 26:2 - know Luke 22:1 - General Luke 22:6 - in the absence of the multitude John 13:1 - the feast Acts 4:27 - the people Acts 21:31 - that all

Cross-References

Genesis 10:19
and the borders of Canaan extended from Sidon toward Gerar as far as Gaza, and then toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha.
Genesis 13:10
And Lot looked out and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan, all the way to Zoar, was well watered like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)
Genesis 14:9
against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar-four kings against five.
Genesis 14:10
Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits, and as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some men fell into the pits, but the survivors fled to the hill country.
Genesis 14:20
and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand." Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything.
Deuteronomy 29:23
All its soil will be a burning waste of brimstone and salt, unsown and unproductive, with no plant growing on it, just like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the LORD overthrew in His fierce anger.
Deuteronomy 34:3
the Negev, and the region from the Valley of Jericho (the City of Palms) all the way to Zoar.
1 Samuel 13:18
another toward Beth-horon, and the third down the border road overlooking the Valley of Zeboim facing the wilderness.
Nehemiah 11:34
Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat,
Isaiah 15:5
My heart cries out over Moab; her fugitives flee as far as Zoar, as far as Eglath-shelishiyah; with weeping they ascend the slope of Luhith; they lament their destruction on the road to Horonaim.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But they said not on the feast day,.... The feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread, which was nigh at hand, and would be two days hence, when there would be a great concourse of people from all parts to keep it: and therefore they did not choose to seize him, and put him to death at that time,

lest there should be an uproar of the people; or among them, lest they should rise in his favour, and rescue him out of their hands;

:-.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See this passage explained in the notes at Matthew 26:1-16.

Mark 14:1

And of unleavened bread - So called because at that feast no other bread was used but that which had been made without leaven or yeast.

By craft - By subtlety (Matthew); that is, by some secret plan that would secure possession of him without exciting the opposition of the people.

Mark 14:3

Ointment - This word does not convey quite the proper meaning. This was a perfume. It was used only to give a pleasant odor, and was liquid.

Of spikenard - The “nard,” from which this perfume was made, is a plant of the East Indies, with a small, slender stalk, and a heavy, thick root. The best perfume is obtained from the root, though the stalk and fruit are used for that purpose.

And she brake the box - This may mean no more than that she broke the “seal” of the box, so that it could be poured out. Boxes of perfumes are often sealed or made fast with wax, to prevent the perfume from escaping. It was not likely that she would break the box itself when it was unnecessary, and when the unguent, being liquid, would have been wasted; nor from a broken box or vial could she easily have “poured it” on his head.

Mark 14:5

Three hundred pence - About forty dollars (or 9 British pounds). See the notes at Matthew 26:7.

Mark 14:8

She hath done what she could - She has showed the highest attachment in her power; and it was, as it is now, a sufficient argument against there being any “real” waste, that it was done for the honor of Christ. See this passage explained in the notes at Matthew 26:1-16.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile