Mark 14:51

 Mark 14:51

And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him: 

a. NLT: One young man following behind was clothed only in a long linen shirt. When the mob tried to grab him, [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

b. ASV: And a certain young man was following him, having put a linen cloth about his naked body, and the young men lay hold on him, [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. YLT: And a certain young man was following him, having put a linen cloth about his naked body, and the young men lay hold on him, [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

d. Classic Amplified: And a young man was following Him, with nothing but a linen cloth ([i]sheet) thrown about [his] naked [body]; and they laid hold of him,  [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

1. And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body

a. And [Strong: 2532. kai kahee apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:--and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

b. [there] followed [Strong: 190. akoloutheo ak-ol-oo-theh'-o from 1 (as a particle of union) and keleuthos (a road); properly, to be in the same way with, i.e. to accompany (specially, as a disciple):--follow, reach.]

c. him [Strong: 846. autos ow-tos' from the particle au (perhaps akin to the base of 109 through the idea of a baffling wind) (backward); the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative 1438) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons:--her, it(-self), one, the other, (mine) own, said, (self-), the) same, ((him-, my-, thy- )self, (your-)selves, she, that, their(-s), them(-selves), there(-at, - by, -in, -into, -of, -on, -with), they, (these) things, this (man), those, together, very, which.]

d. a [Strong: 1520. heis hice (including the neuter (etc.) hen); a primary numeral; one:--a(-n, -ny, certain), + abundantly, man, one (another), only, other, some.]

e. certain [Strong: 5100. tis tis an enclitic indefinite pronoun; some or any person or object:--a (kind of), any (man, thing, thing at all), certain (thing), divers, he (every) man, one (X thing), ought, + partly, some (man, -body, - thing, -what), (+ that no-)thing, what(-soever), X wherewith, whom(-soever), whose(-soever).]

f. young man [Strong: 3495. neaniskos neh-an-is'-kos from the same as 3494; a youth (under forty):--young man.]

g. [having a] linen cloth [Strong: 4616. sindon sin-done' of uncertain (perhaps foreign) origin; byssos, i.e. bleached linen (the cloth or a garment of it):--(fine) linen (cloth).] [Zodhiates: a sheet or wrapping of linen, probably square or oblong in form worn by the Orientals at night. Used also for wrapping dead bodies.] [Vines: was "a fine linen cloth, an article of domestic manufacture" (Pro 31:24) used (a) as a garment or wrap, the "linen cloth" of Mar 14:51, 52; (b) as shrouds or winding sheets, Mat 27:59; Mar 15:46, RV, "linen cloth," for AV, "linen;" Luk 23:53 (ditto). In the Sept., Jdg 14:12, "(thirty) sheets;" Pro 31:24 (see above). The Mishna (the Great Collection of legal decisions by the ancient Rabbis) records that the material was sometimes used for curtains.]

h. cast [Strong: 4016. periballo per-ee-bal'-lo from 4012 and 906; to throw all around, i.e. invest (with a palisade or with clothing):--array, cast about, clothe(-d me), put on.]

i. about [Strong: 1909. epi ep-ee' a primary preposition; properly, meaning superimposition (of time, place, order, etc.), as a relation of distribution (with the genitive case), i.e. over, upon, etc.; of rest (with the dative case) at, on, etc.; of direction (with the accusative case) towards, upon, etc.:--about (the times), above, after, against, among, as long as (touching), at, beside, X have charge of, (be-, (where-))fore, in (a place, as much as, the time of, -to), (because) of, (up-)on (behalf of), over, (by, for) the space of, through(-out), (un-)to(-ward), with. In compounds it retains essentially the same import, at, upon, etc. (literally or figuratively).]

j. [his] naked [body] [Strong:  1131. gumnos goom-nos' of uncertain affinity; nude (absolute or relative, literal or figurative):--naked.]

2. “...and the young men laid hold on him:” 

a. and [Strong: 2532. kai kahee apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:--and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

b. the [Strong: 3588. [hoi] ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [hoi] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.]

c. young men [Strong: 3495. neaniskos neh-an-is'-kos from the same as 3494; a youth (under forty):--young man.]

d. laid hold [Strong: 2902. krateo krat-eh'-o from 2904; to use strength, i.e. seize or retain (literally or figuratively):--hold (by, fast), keep, lay hand (hold) on, obtain, retain, take (by).]

e. [on] him [Strong: 846. autos ow-tos' from the particle au (perhaps akin to the base of 109 through the idea of a baffling wind) (backward); the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative 1438) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons:--her, it(-self), one, the other, (mine) own, said, (self-), the) same, ((him-, my-, thy- )self, (your-)selves, she, that, their(-s), them(-selves), there(-at, - by, -in, -into, -of, -on, -with), they, (these) things, this (man), those, together, very, which.]

1). Who was this young man?  There are a few guesses, but in the end they are only speculation.

a). Sparkling Gems, Rick renner, 4/12/16: “...The key to identifying this young man lies in the “linen cloth” he had lightly draped about his body. The particular Greek word that is used for this “linen cloth” is used in only one other event in the New Testament — to depict the “linen cloth” in which the body of Jesus was wrapped for burial (see Matthew 27:59, Mark 15:46, and Luke 23:53). Thus, the only reference we have for this kind of cloth in the New Testament is that of a burial shroud used for covering a dead body in the grave...As I said, the answer to this naked young man’s identity lies in the cloth he had wrapped around his body. You see, when a body was prepared for burial, it was washed, ceremonially cleaned, and buried naked in a linen cloth exactly like the one described here in the Gospel of Mark. Furthermore, the Garden of Gethsemane was situated on the side of the Mount of Olives. Toward the base of that mount is a heavily populated cemetery, with many of its graves going back to the time of Jesus. When Jesus said, “I AM,” the power that was released was so tremendous that it knocked the soldiers backward (see April 8). But evidently it also caused a rumbling in the local cemetery! When that blast of power was released, a young boy, draped in a linen burial cloth in accordance with the tradition of that time, crawled out from his tomb — raised from the dead! The reason he “followed” Jesus was to get a glimpse of the One who had resurrected him. The word “followed” here means to continuously follow. This tells us that this resurrected young man trailed the soldiers as they took Jesus through the Garden on the way to His trial. When the soldiers discovered the young man who was following Jesus, they tried to apprehend him. But when they reached out to grab him, he broke free from their grip and fled, leaving the linen cloth in their possession.

b). Institute Of Creation Research Daily Devotional 2/3/14 This “certain young man” is mentioned only in Mark’s gospel and was almost certainly John Mark himself. A rather obscure character in the New Testament, yet the Lord chose him to write what is probably the earliest of the gospel records of the life of Christ. If so, his account of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ is the first record we have of the most important events in all history. Mark’s family (Acts 12:12) apparently was prosperous enough to own a home in Jerusalem with a large upper room where the disciples (even 120 of them, Acts 1:14-15) could meet for prayer after the resurrection. This was possibly the same “large upper room furnished and prepared” (Mark 14:15) where the Lord’s last supper took place. Note that Mark’s account says: “And in the evening he cometh [not ‘goeth’] with the twelve” (v. 17). Thus Mark—probably as a teenager—was very likely an intensely interested observer of all the moving events that took place in the upper room, both before and after the crucifixion and resurrection. He may well have overheard the conversation with and about Judas, and then watched as the disciples went out to Gethsemane. Perhaps Judas returned with the soldiers, and Mark, already in bed, grabbed a “linen cloth” and rushed out to warn Jesus. The soldiers found Jesus first, however, and Mark had to watch the disciples flee, and then finally had to flee himself. In any case, this close proximity to these great events made such a profound impression on him that he was later led to write about them, very probably working closely with Peter (1 Peter 5:13), and Mark’s gospel was the result. HMM