Markus 14:24-27

14:24 He said to them, “This is my blood, the blood ¹  of the covenant, ²  that is poured out for many. 14:25 I tell you the truth, ³  I will no longer drink of the fruit ⁴  of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” 14:26 After singing a hymn, ⁵  they went out to the Mount of Olives.

The Prediction of Peter’s Denial

14:27 Then ⁶  Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written,

‘I will strike the shepherd,

and the sheep will be scattered.’ ⁷ 

[14:24]  ¹ tn Grk “this is my blood of the covenant that is poured out for many.” In order to avoid confusion about which is poured out, the translation supplies “blood” twice so that the following phrase clearly modifies “blood,” not “covenant.”

[14:24]  ² tc Most mss (A Ë^1,13 Ï lat sy) have καινῆς (kainh", “new”) before διαθήκης (diaqhkh", “covenant”), a reading that is almost surely influenced by the parallel passage in Luke 22:20. Further, the construction τὸ τῆς καινῆς διαθήκης (to th" kainh" diaqhkh"), in which the resumptive article τό (referring back to τὸ αἷμα [to |aima, “the blood”]) is immediately followed by the genitive article, is nowhere else used in Mark except for constructions involving a genitive of relationship (cf. Mark 2:14; 3:17, 18; 16:1). Thus, on both transcriptional and intrinsic grounds, this reading looks to be a later addition (which may have derived from τὸ τῆς διαθήκης of D* W 2427). The most reliable mss, along with several others (א B C D^c L Θ Ψ 565), lack καινῆς. This reading is strongly preferred.

[14:24]  sn Jesus’ death established the forgiveness promised in the new covenant of Jer 31:31. Jesus is reinterpreting the symbolism of the Passover meal, indicating the presence of a new era.

[14:25]  ³ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[14:25]  ⁴ tn Grk “the produce” (“the produce of the vine” is a figurative expression for wine).

[14:26]  ⁵ sn After singing a hymn. The Hallel Psalms (Pss 113-118) were sung during the meal. Psalms 113 and 114 were sung just before the second cup and 115-118 were sung at the end of the meal, after the fourth, or hallel cup.

[14:27]  ⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[14:27]  ⁷ sn A quotation from Zech 13:7.