Mark 13:31
What does Mark 13:31 mean?
A plain-English look at Mark 13:31 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Mark 13:31 means
Jesus affirmed the absolute authority and permanence of His words. He declared, "Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away." This dramatic statement highlights the eternal nature of Jesus' teachings and prophecies, contrasting them with the eventual dissolution of even the most fundamental elements of the physical creation. It underscores the divine origin of His words, assuring His disciples that His predictions and instructions are utterly reliable and will assuredly come to pass, even when everything else changes.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.
KJV
King James Version · 1611Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949Heaven and earth will come to an end, but my words will not come to an end.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862the heaven and the earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my word shall not pass away.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890The heaven and the earth shall pass away, but my words shall in no wise pass away.
Context
This verse powerfully contrasts the fleeting nature of the physical world with the eternal authority of Jesus' words, following directly from His statement about the fulfillment of prophecy within "this generation" (v. 30). This declaration firmly establishes the ultimate certainty and divine reliability of everything Jesus has taught. It then sets the stage for the next crucial point: the unknowable specific timing of the final day and hour, which no human can predict.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Numbers 23:19
God is not a man, that he should lie, Neither the son of man, that he should repent: Hath he said, and will he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and will he not make it good?
- Isaiah 51:6
Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath; for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment; and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.
- Titus 1:2
in hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before times eternal;
- Psalms 102:25
Of old didst thou lay the foundation of the earth; And the heavens are the work of thy hands.
- Matthew 5:18
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law, till all things be accomplished.
- Psalms 19:7
The law of Jehovah is perfect, restoring the soul: The testimony of Jehovah is sure, making wise the simple.
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