Mark 13:15

And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein, to take any thing out of his house:

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

13:14-23 The Jews in rebelling against the Romans, and in persecuting the Christians, hastened their own ruin apace. Here we have a prediction of that ruin which came upon them within less than forty years after this. Such destruction and desolation, that the like cannot be found in any history. Promises of power to persevere, and cautions against falling away, well agree with each other. But the more we consider these things, the more we shall see abundant cause to flee without delay for refuge to Christ, and to renounce every earthly object, for the salvation of our souls.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

On the house-top - See the notes at Matthew 9:1-8.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

15. And let him that is on the housetop not get down into the house, neither enter therein, to take any thing out of his house—that is, let him take the outside flight of steps from the roof to the ground; a graphic way of denoting the extreme urgency of the case, and the danger of being tempted, by the desire to save his property, to delay till escape should become impossible.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

See Poole on "Mark 13:14"

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And let him that is on the house top,.... On the battlements of the house, either for diversion or devotion:

not go down into the house; in the inner way by the stairs, or ladder within doors:

neither enter therein; being come down from the top of the house, by stairs, or a ladder without, which was usual:

to take any thing out of his house; to take care of his goods, or take any thing along with him, that might be useful in his flight, and journey, and stay abroad; See Gill on Matthew 24:17.

Geneva Study Bible

And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein, to take any thing out of his house:

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Mark 13:15. δώματος, he who is on the roof. vide at Matthew 10:27. The main point to be noted in Mk.’s version of the directions for the crisis as compared with Mt.’s (q.v.) is the omission of the words μηδὲ σαββάτῳ, probably out of regard to Gentile readers.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

15. neither enter therein] The houses of Palestine, as we have seen in the case of the “paralytic borne of four,” ch. Mark 2:3-12, were furnished with a flight of steps outside, by which the housetop could be reached without actually entering the house. The Christians were thus warned by our Lord to flee along the flat roofs to the city wall, and so make their escape.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 15. - Let him that is on the house-top (ἐπὶ τοῦ δώματος) not go down, nor enter in, to take anything out of his house. The roofs of the houses were flat, with frequently a little "dome" (δῶμα) in the center. The people lived very much upon them; and the stairs were outside, so that a person wishing to enter the house must first descend by these outer stairs. The words, therefore, mean that he must flee suddenly, if he would save his life, even though he might lose his goods, he must escape, perhaps by crossing over the parapet of his own housetop, and so from house-top to house-top, until he could find a convenient point for flight into the hill country. Mark 13:15

Vincent's Word Studies

Housetop

See on Matthew 24:17.