Mark 13:21
New International Version
At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it.

New Living Translation
“Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah,’ or ‘There he is,’ don’t believe it.

English Standard Version
And then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it.

Berean Standard Bible
At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is!’ do not believe it.

Berean Literal Bible
And then if anyone says to you, 'Behold, here is the Christ! Behold, there!' you shall not believe it.

King James Bible
And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not:

New King James Version
“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Look, He is there!’ do not believe it.

New American Standard Bible
And then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ’; or, ‘Look, there He is’; do not believe it;

NASB 1995
“And then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ’ or, ‘Behold, He is there’ do not believe him;

NASB 1977
“And then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ’; or, ‘Behold, He is there’; do not believe him;

Legacy Standard Bible
And then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ’; or, ‘Behold, He is there’; do not believe him;

Amplified Bible
Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed)!’ or, ‘Look, He is there!’ do not believe it;

Christian Standard Bible
“Then if anyone tells you, ‘See, here is the Messiah! See, there! ’ do not believe it.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
“Then if anyone tells you, Look, here is the Messiah! Look—there!’ do not believe it!

American Standard Version
And then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is the Christ; or, Lo, there; believe it not:

Contemporary English Version
If someone should say, "Here is the Messiah!" or "There he is!" don't believe it.

English Revised Version
And then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is the Christ; or, Lo, there; believe it not:

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"At that time don't believe anyone who tells you, 'Here is the Messiah!' or 'There he is!'

Good News Translation
"Then, if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Messiah!' or, 'Look, there he is!'--do not believe it.

International Standard Version
"At that time, if anyone says to you, 'Look! Here is the Messiah!', or, 'Look! There he is!' don't believe it,

Majority Standard Bible
At that time if anyone says to you, ?Look, here is the Christ!? or ?There He is!? do not believe it.

NET Bible
Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'Look, there he is!' do not believe him.

New Heart English Bible
Then if anyone tells you, 'Look, here is the Christ.' or, 'Look, there.' do not believe it.

Webster's Bible Translation
And then, if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or lo, he is there; believe him not.

Weymouth New Testament
"At that time if any one says to you, 'See, here is the Christ!' or 'See, He is there!' do not believe it.

World English Bible
Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Look, there!’ don’t believe it.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And then, if any may say to you, Behold, here [is] the Christ, or, Behold, there, you may not believe;

Berean Literal Bible
And then if anyone says to you, 'Behold, here is the Christ! Behold, there!' you shall not believe it.

Young's Literal Translation
And then, if any may say to you, Lo, here is the Christ, or, Lo, there, ye may not believe;

Smith's Literal Translation
And if any say to you, Behold, here Christ; or, behold, there; believe ye not:
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; lo, he is here: do not believe.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And then, if anyone will have said to you: ‘Behold, here is the Christ. Behold, in that place.’ Do not believe it.

New American Bible
If anyone says to you then, ‘Look, here is the Messiah! Look, there he is!’ do not believe it.

New Revised Standard Version
And if anyone says to you at that time, ‘Look! Here is the Messiah!’ or ‘Look! There he is!’—do not believe it.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Then if any man should say to you, Behold, here is the Christ; or, behold, there; do not believe it.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“Then, if a man shall say to you, 'Look, here is The Messiah, and 'Look, he is going there', you should not believe him.”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
And then, if any one say to you: Lo! here is the Christ, or, Lo! there; believe him not.

Godbey New Testament
And if then one may say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, Lo, there; believe not.

Haweis New Testament
And then, if any man say to you, Lo, here is the Messiah! or, lo there! believe it not.

Mace New Testament
Then if any one shall say to you, Christ is here, or, he is there, don't believe it.

Weymouth New Testament
"At that time if any one says to you, 'See, here is the Christ!' or 'See, He is there!' do not believe it.

Worrell New Testament
And then, if any one shall say to you, 'Lo, here is the Christ!' or, 'Lo, there!' believe him not;

Worsley New Testament
And then if any shall say to you, Behold, here is the Christ, or, Behold, He is there, believe it not:

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Abomination of Desolation
20If the Lord had not cut short those days, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom He has chosen, He has cut them short. 21 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is!’ do not believe it. 22For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible.…

Cross References
Matthew 24:23-24
At that time, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is!’ do not believe it. / For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive even the elect, if that were possible.

Luke 17:23
People will tell you, ‘Look, there He is!’ or ‘Look, here He is!’ Do not go out or chase after them.

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4
Let no one deceive you in any way, for it will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness—the son of destruction—is revealed. / He will oppose and exalt himself above every so-called god or object of worship. So he will seat himself in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.

2 Thessalonians 2:9-10
The coming of the lawless one will be accompanied by the working of Satan, with every kind of power, sign, and false wonder, / and with every wicked deception directed against those who are perishing, because they refused the love of the truth that would have saved them.

1 John 4:1
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Revelation 13:13-14
And the second beast performed great signs, even causing fire from heaven to come down to earth in the presence of the people. / Because of the signs it was given to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived those who dwell on the earth, telling them to make an image to the beast that had been wounded by the sword and yet had lived.

Revelation 19:20
But the beast was captured along with the false prophet, who on its behalf had performed signs deceiving those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. Both the beast and the false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.

Deuteronomy 13:1-3
If a prophet or dreamer of dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you, / and if the sign or wonder he has spoken to you comes about, but he says, “Let us follow other gods (which you have not known) and let us worship them,” / you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. For the LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love Him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Jeremiah 14:14
“The prophets are prophesying lies in My name,” replied the LORD. “I did not send them or appoint them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a false vision, a worthless divination, the futility and delusion of their own minds.

Jeremiah 23:16
This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They are filling you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD.

Ezekiel 13:6-7
They see false visions and speak lying divinations. They claim, ‘Thus declares the LORD,’ when the LORD did not send them; yet they wait for the fulfillment of their message. / Haven’t you seen a false vision and spoken a lying divination when you proclaim, ‘Thus declares the LORD,’ even though I have not spoken?

Zechariah 13:2-3
And on that day, declares the LORD of Hosts, I will erase the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered. I will also remove the prophets and the spirit of impurity from the land. / And if anyone still prophesies, his father and mother who bore him will say to him, ‘You shall not remain alive, because you have spoken falsely in the name of the LORD.’ When he prophesies, his father and mother who bore him will pierce him through.

Matthew 7:15
Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

Acts 20:29-30
I know that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. / Even from your own number, men will rise up and distort the truth to draw away disciples after them.

2 Peter 2:1
Now there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.


Treasury of Scripture

And then if any man shall say to you, See, here is Christ; or, see, he is there; believe him not:

Deuteronomy 13:1-3
If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, …

Matthew 24:5,23-25
For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many…

Luke 17:23,24
And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them

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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














At that time
This phrase situates the verse within a specific eschatological context. In the Greek, "τότε" (tote) refers to a particular moment in the future, often associated with the end times. Jesus is speaking about a period of great tribulation and deception. Historically, this reflects the Jewish understanding of the "Day of the Lord," a time of divine intervention and judgment. It serves as a reminder to be vigilant and discerning in times of spiritual upheaval.

if anyone says to you
The Greek word "ἐάν" (ean) introduces a conditional statement, emphasizing the potential for deception. This phrase underscores the personal responsibility of believers to be cautious about whom they listen to. In a historical context, false prophets and messianic claimants were not uncommon, and Jesus warns His followers to be wary of such figures.

‘Look, here is the Christ!’
The term "Christ" comes from the Greek "Χριστός" (Christos), meaning "Anointed One," equivalent to the Hebrew "Messiah." This phrase highlights the expectation of a messianic figure who would deliver Israel. However, Jesus warns against those who falsely claim this title, indicating that true recognition of the Messiah requires spiritual discernment rather than mere physical presence.

or ‘There He is!’
This phrase suggests a sense of urgency and immediacy, as if the speaker is pointing out a physical location. The historical context of the first century was rife with political and religious turmoil, leading many to eagerly anticipate a messianic deliverer. Jesus cautions against such hasty declarations, reminding believers that His return will be unmistakable and not confined to a single location.

do not believe it
The Greek "μὴ πιστεύσητε" (mē pisteusēte) is a strong imperative, commanding believers to reject false claims. This instruction is crucial for maintaining doctrinal purity and spiritual integrity. In a broader scriptural context, this echoes the warnings found throughout the New Testament about false teachers and prophets. It serves as a call to remain steadfast in faith, grounded in the truth of God's Word, and to rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment.

Verses 21, 22. - And then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is the Christ; or, Lo, there, believe it not; for there shall arise false Christs and false prophets. Josephus mentions one Simon of Gerasa, who, pretending to be a deliverer of the people from the Romans, gathered around him a crowd of followers, and gained admission into Jerusalem, and harassed the Jews. In like manner, Eleazar and John, leaders of the Zealots, gained admission into the holy place, under pretense of defending the city, but really that they might plunder it. But it seems as though our Lord here. looked beyond the siege of Jerusalem to the end of the world; and he warns us that as the time of his second advent approaches, deceivers will arise, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect. The word "to seduce" (ἀποπλανᾶν) is more properly rendered, as in the Revised Version, to lead astray. Every age has produced its crop of such deceivers; and it may be expected that, as the time of the end draws nearer and nearer, their number will increase. Sometimes those idiosyncrasies in them which show themselves in lying wonders, are the result of self-delusion; but still oftener they are deliberate attempts made for the purpose of imposing on the unwary. Sometimes they are a combination of both. In the cases to which our Lord refers there is evidently an intention to lead astray, although it may have had its origin in self-deceit. In our day there is a sad tendency to lead men astray with regard to the great fundamental verities of Christianity. And the words of St. Jerome may well be remembered here: "If any would persuade you that Christ is to be found in the wilderness of unbelief or sceptical philosophy, or in the secret chambers of heresy, believe them not."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
At that time
τότε (tote)
Adverb
Strong's 5119: Then, at that time. From ho and hote; the when, i.e. At the time that.

if
ἐάν (ean)
Conjunction
Strong's 1437: If. From ei and an; a conditional particle; in case that, provided, etc.

anyone
τις (tis)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5100: Any one, some one, a certain one or thing. An enclitic indefinite pronoun; some or any person or object.

says
εἴπῃ (eipē)
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.

to you,
ὑμῖν (hymin)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

‘Look,
Ἴδε (Ide)
Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 2400: See! Lo! Behold! Look! Second person singular imperative middle voice of eido; used as imperative lo!

here [is]
ὧδε (hōde)
Adverb
Strong's 5602: From an adverb form of hode; in this same spot, i.e. Here or hither.

the
(ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Christ!’
Χριστός (Christos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5547: Anointed One; the Messiah, the Christ. From chrio; Anointed One, i.e. The Messiah, an epithet of Jesus.

[or] ‘There
ἐκεῖ (ekei)
Adverb
Strong's 1563: (a) there, yonder, in that place, (b) thither, there. Of uncertain affinity; there; by extension, thither.

[He is]!’
Ἴδε (Ide)
Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 2400: See! Lo! Behold! Look! Second person singular imperative middle voice of eido; used as imperative lo!

do not believe [it].
πιστεύετε (pisteuete)
Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4100: From pistis; to have faith, i.e. Credit; by implication, to entrust.


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