Mark 13:32 · Bible study
Mark 13:32 Commentary: Why Jesus Didn't Know the Day or Hour
Greek · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Examine why Jesus, though divine, said even He didn't know the day of His return. Explore key interpretations on Christ's humanity and Trinitarian knowledge.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Jesus declares that only the Father knows the precise time of the end; the Son and angels do not share this knowledge.
- Key words: “knows” (Gk. oiden, perfect active indicative), personal awareness; “Son” (huios), Christ’s self-identification; “Father” (patēr), the first person of the Trinity.
- Main debate: Whether “nor the Son” describes a limitation of Christ’s human knowledge (literal ignorance) or a functional restraint in His revelatory role (no commission to reveal).
- Theological theme: The incarnation and the economic Trinity, the Son willingly submits to the Father’s timing, without loss of deity.
- Best use: To foster humility about eschatological speculation and to encourage watchfulness and trust in God’s sovereign timing.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
WEB World English Bible 2000
“But of that day or that hour no one knows—not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
KJV King James Version 1769
But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
But of that day or that hour knoweth no one, not even the angels in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
`And concerning that day and the hour no one hath known--not even the messengers who are in the heaven, not even the Son--except the Father.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
But of that day or of that hour no one knows, neither the angels who are in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
But of that day or hour no man knoweth, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Empero de aquel día y de la hora, nadie sabe; ni aun los ángeles que están en el cielo, ni el Hijo, sino|strong="G1487, G3361" el Padre.
Porém daquele dia e hora ninguém sabe, nem os anjos que estão no céu, nem o Filho, a não ser somente o Pai.
Pour ce qui est du jour ou de l’ heure, personne ne le sait, ni les anges dans le ciel, ni le Fils, mais le Père seul.
Von dem Tage aber und der Stunde weiß niemand, auch die Engel im Himmel nicht, auch der Sohn nicht, sondern allein der Vater.
Maar van dien dag en die ure weet niemand, noch de engelen, die in de hemel zijn, noch de Zoon, dan de Vader.
Ma quant’è a quel giorno ed al quell’ora, nessuno li sa, neppur gli angeli nel cielo, né il Figliuolo, ma solo il Padre.
Lecz o onym dniu i godzinie nikt nie wie, ani Aniołowie, którzy są w niebie, ani Syn, tylko Ojciec.
О дне же том, или часе, никто не знает, ни Ангелы небесные, ни Сын, но только Отец.
「但 那 日子， 那時辰，沒有人 知道，連 天 上 的使者 也不知道，子 也不知道，惟有 父知道。
But of that day or that hour no one has knowledge, not even the angels in heaven, or the Son, but the Father.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Mark 13:32
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
All commentators agree that this verse establishes the Father's exclusive knowledge of the end times. The sharper disagreement concerns the phrase 'nor the Son.' Barnes, Wesley and Calvin read the statement literally: as the Son of Man, Jesus possessed finite human knowledge. The Cambridge Bible and many early fathers instead argue that Jesus did not 'know' in the sense of being commissioned to reveal, the truth was not His to communicate. Gill distinguishes Christ's natures: as God He knew, but as man He did not. The consensus across traditions is that the verse does not undermine Christ's deity but highlights His voluntary self-limitation and the proper posture of watchfulness for believers.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Literal ignorance as man: Christ grew in wisdom (Luke 2:52) and as man had finite knowledge (Barnes, Wesley, Calvin).
- Functional restraint: Christ did not know so as to reveal; it was not part of His mediatorial office (Chrysostom, Luther, Augustine).
What is clear: The Father alone knows the timing, and believers are called to watch and pray rather than speculate.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Scope of 'that day or hour' | All traditions agree that it refers to the final time of judgment and consummation, unknown to any creature. | Some historic interpreters (e.g., Gill) apply it primarily to the destruction of Jerusalem (AD 70), while others see it as the final day of Christ's return. |
| Meaning of 'knows' (oiden) | The verb denotes personal knowledge or awareness. | Some commentators argue it can mean 'make known' (a causative sense), so the Son did not reveal the time. Others insist on literal awareness. |
| Extent of the Son's knowledge | Jesus' self-statement does not contradict His full deity. | Wesley and Calvin hold He did not know as man; the Cambridge Bible and Luther hold He did not know so as to reveal. Both affirm Christ's divine omniscience but differ on how it relates to His humanity. |
| Role of angels | Angels, despite their closeness to God, do not know the day or hour. | No significant debate; used to emphasize that even the highest creatures lack this knowledge. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Jesus spoke these words on the Mount of Olives, directly overlooking the temple. The disciples had asked about the temple's destruction and the sign of His coming (Mark 13:3-4). In response, Jesus described wars, persecutions, and cosmic disturbances. Then he told the parable of the fig tree: when these things start, the end is near. But then comes this stunning limit. 'That day or hour' likely refers to the final day of the Lord, the consummation of history. The disciples, like many Jews, expected the Messiah to usher in the kingdom immediately. Jesus corrects this by saying the precise time is known only to the Father. Early Christians lived with the expectation that Christ could return at any moment. This verse protected them from date-setting and encouraged constant vigilance. The historian Poole captures the spiritual logic: 'God hath concealed from us the knowledge of the last day that we might watch all our days.' The cross-reference in Acts 1:7 underscores the same point: the Father has set times within His own authority.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note that the phrase 'nor the Son' is present in all extant Greek manuscripts of Mark 13:32. However, the parallel in Matthew 24:36 shows some variation: Ambrose reportedly knew Greek copies lacking 'nor the Son,' though it appears in the vast majority of witnesses. No significant variants are discussed for Mark 13:32 itself in the supplied commentaries.
Reception History
Early church fathers including Augustine and Ambrose wrestled with this verse. Augustine suggested that the Son knows in the Father but does not reveal from the Father (cited in the Cambridge Bible). During the Reformation, Luther and Melanchthon favored a functional interpretation, Christ had not received commission to reveal. Calvin argued for a literal limitation in His human awareness, consistent with his emphasis on Christ's genuine humanity. The verse has since been central to discussions of Christ's two natures, especially in Lutheran and Reformed circles. It also appeared in debates about the extent of Christ's knowledge during His earthly ministry.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- The Father’s exclusive knowledge. Verse 32a declares that no one knows the day or hour, only the Father. This is not a failure of revelation but a deliberate divine boundary.
- The Son’s voluntary limitation. Verse 32b includes “nor the Son.” As Barnes notes, Christ’s human nature was finite; He grew in wisdom. Others see this as a functional restraint, the Son did not receive commission to reveal.
- The call to watch and pray. The immediate context (vv. 33-37) urges believers to stay alert. Because the timing is hidden, the response is not speculation but readiness.
Five-Point Outline
- The timing of the end is hidden from all creatures.
- Even the angels in heaven do not know.
- Not even the Son, whether because of His humanity or His revelatory office, knows to make known.
- Only the Father holds this knowledge within His authority.
- Therefore, believers must watch, pray, and be found faithful.
Illustration Hooks
- The fig tree (v. 28): You know summer is near when leaves appear, but you don’t know the exact day summer begins. The signs of Christ’s coming are like that, they warn, but do not reveal the precise moment.
- The master traveling (v. 34): A homeowner leaves his house in charge of servants, each with a task, and commands the doorkeeper to watch. The return time is unknown; the focus is on faithful work.
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- If Jesus didn’t know the time, does that mean He isn’t really God?
- How should we live if we can’t know when Christ will return?
- Does this verse mean we shouldn’t study biblical prophecy?
Leading a Discussion
This verse is one of the most challenging in the Gospels because it seems to limit Jesus’ knowledge. But rather than diminishing our faith, it invites us to trust the Father’s timing and to live in readiness.
Discussion Questions
- What does Jesus say about who knows the day and hour? (Observation)
- Why do you think Jesus includes “nor the Son” in this statement? (Interpretation)
- How does this verse fit with Jesus’ claim to be one with the Father (John 10:30)? (Interpretation)
- What are some ways Christians have explained this verse? (Refer to the views of Barnes, Calvin, and Augustine.) (Interpretation)
- How should this verse shape our attitude toward predicting the end times? (Application)
- What does it mean practically to “watch and pray” in light of this verse? (Application)
- How does the Father’s exclusive knowledge bring comfort rather than fear? (Application)
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Matthew 24:36 | “But no one knows of that day and hour, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only. |
| Matthew 24:42 | Watch therefore, for you don’t know in what hour your Lord comes. |
| Matthew 25:6 | But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Behold! The bridegroom is coming! Come out to meet him!’ |
| Matthew 25:13 | Watch therefore, for you don’t know the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. |
| Matthew 25:19 | “Now after a long time the lord of those servants came, and settled accounts with them. |
| Mark 13:26 | Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. |
| Mark 13:27 | Then he will send out his angels, and will gather together his chosen ones from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the sky. |
| Acts 1:7 | He said to them, “It isn’t for you to know times or seasons which the Father has set within his own authority. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke struggles with how Jesus, in whom the fullness of God dwelt, could be ignorant of the day and hour Daniel fixed centuries earlier. He suggests the deity sometimes communicated less knowledge to the human Jesus, but more strongly suspects the clause was not originally in Mark, since it is absent from Matthew and Luke. He notes others cut the knot by taking "know" as "make known," but finds that unsatisfactory.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes argues that Jesus' statement about not knowing the day or hour poses no real difficulty when we take his full humanity seriously. As a man, Jesus had finite knowledge and grew in understanding, just as he ate, walked, and experienced human limitations. The eternal Son's voluntary human nature explains why certain knowledge was not his to access.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Bible marginal note stresses that knowledge of the final day belongs exclusively to the Father. Not only are angels ignorant of it, but even the Son himself does not know it. Only the Father possesses this secret.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill identifies the day and hour as the destruction of Jerusalem, not the final judgment. He carefully distinguishes Christ's knowledge: as the Son of God he knew it, but as the Son of Man he had no human knowledge of that specific time nor any commission to reveal it.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB highlights that Mark alone includes the startling statement that the Son does not know the day or hour
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry reads the fig tree parable as a straightforward lesson about reading the signs of Jerusalem's coming destruction. Just as budding leaves promise summer, these events promised that the city's fall was near. The exact day remained hidden, so the only wise response was constant watchfulness and prayer.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley distinguishes between Christ's two natures: as man, Jesus does not know the day of judgment and is neither omniscient nor omnipresent. But as God, He knows all its circumstances fully. The limitation applies only to His humanity, not His divinity.