Mark 13:12 Meaning and Explanation
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Loyalty to Christ will divide even families: brother will betray brother to death, fathers their children, and children will rise against parents.
What Does Mark 13:12 Mean?
Jesus now names the bitterest cost. Persecution will not always come from strangers; it will cross the supper table. Brother handing over brother, father and son, children against parents — the words recall the prophet Micah's lament that a man's enemies are the men of his own house.
Jesus refuses to recruit disciples with false advertising; he tells them the worst at the start. And he asks nothing he will not endure first — within days, one of his own twelve will hand him over with a kiss. For every believer who has known a family fractured by faith, this verse is strange comfort: Jesus saw it, named it, and walked through it himself. The household of God holds those whose households let them go.
Mark 13:12 in the Original Language
paradidomi (παραδίδωμι), 'betray' -- to hand over, delivering someone into another's power; the word used of Judas handing over Jesus.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mark 13:12
What does Mark 13:12 mean?
Loyalty to Christ will divide even families: brother will betray brother to death, fathers their children, and children will rise against parents.