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Monday, April 13th, 2026
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Read the Bible

International Standard Version

Mark 14:2

For they kept saying, "This must not happen during the festival, lest there 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."
Berean Standard Bible
"But not during the feast," they said, "or there may be a riot among 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."
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

1 Now it was two days before the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. So the high priests and the scribes were looking for a way to arrest Jesus secretly and to have him put to death.Matthew 26:2; Luke 22:1; John 11:55; 13:1;">[xr] 2 For they kept saying, "This must not happen during the festival, lest there be a riot among the people." 3 While Jesushe">[fn] was in Bethany at the home of Simon the leper and sitting at the table, a woman arrived with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume made from pure nard. She broke open the jar and poured the perfume on his head.Matthew 26:6; Luke 7:37; John 12:1,3;">[xr] 4 Some who were there said to one another in irritation, "Why was the perfume wasted like this? 5 This perfume could have been sold for more than 300 denarii[fn] and the moneythe money">[fn] given to the destitute." So they got extremely angry with her. 6 But Jesus said, "Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing for me. 7 For you will always have the destitute with you and can help them whenever you want, but you will not always have me.Deuteronomy 15:11;">[xr] 8 She has done what she could. She poured perfume on my body in preparation for my burial. 9 Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told as a memorial to her." 10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the high priests to betray Jesushim">[fn] to them.Matthew 26:14; Luke 22:3-4;">[xr]

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

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.


 
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