And let no one in the field return for his cloak.
Parallel translations
- WEB Let him who is in the field not return back to take his cloak.
- KJV And let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment.
- NKJV And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.
- NASB And whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak.
- NLT A person out in the field must not return even to get a coat.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The worker in the field must not even return home for his cloak. The danger requires leaving everything behind.
Overview
A cloak was a basic and valued possession, yet Jesus says not to turn back for it. The repeated note of urgency underscores how sudden and severe the crisis would be. The principle echoes the warning of Lot's wife (Luke 17:31-32): when God says flee, clinging to possessions can be fatal, and readiness to let go is part of faithful obedience.
Cross-references & the web
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Christ at the center
Mark drives urgently to the cross, showing Jesus the Son of God as the suffering Servant who 'came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'
How Mark 13:16 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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