Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Mark: Chapter 13].
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13:1 {Master, behold, what manner of stones and what manner of
buildings} (\didaskale, ide potapoi lithoi kai potapai
oikodomai\). Mt 24:1 and Lu 21:5 tell of the fact of the
comment, but Mark alone gives the precise words. Perhaps Peter
himself (Swete) was the one who sought thus by a pleasant
platitude to divert the Teacher's attention from the serious
topics of recent hours in the temple. It was not a new
observation, but the merest commonplace might serve at this
crisis. Josephus (_Ant_. xv. II, 3) speaks of the great size of
these stones and the beauty of the buildings. Some of these
stones at the southeastern and southwestern angles survive today
and measure from twenty to forty feet long and weigh a hundred
tons. Jesus had, of course, often observed them.
13:2 {These great buildings} (\tautas tas oikodomas\). Jesus
fully recognizes their greatness and beauty. The more remarkable
will be their complete demolition (\kataluth•i\), {loosened
down}. Only the foundation stones remain.
13:3 {Over against the temple} (\katenanti tou hierou\). In full
view of the temple about which they had been speaking.
{Privately} (\kat' idian\). Peter and James and John and Andrew
(named only in Mark) had evidently been discussing the strange
comment of Jesus as they were coming out of the temple. In their
bewilderment they ask Jesus a bit to one side, though probably
all the rest drew up as Jesus began to speak this great
eschatological discourse.
13:4 {Tell us, when shall these things be?} (\Eipon h•min pote
tauta estai;\). The Revised Version punctuates it as a direct
question, but Westcott and Hort as an indirect inquiry. They
asked about the {when} (\pote\) and the {what sign} (\ti
s•meion\). Mt 24:3 includes "the sign of thy coming and the end
of the world," showing that these tragic events are brought
before Jesus by the disciples. See discussion of the
interpretation of this discourse on ¯Mt 24:3. This chapter in
Mark is often called "The Little Apocalypse" with the notion that
a Jewish apocalypse has been here adapted by Mark and attributed
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Word Pictures in the New Testament
(Mark: Chapter 13)