And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests, to betray him unto them.

MARK 14:10KJV
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Mark 14:10 (KJV)

What does Mark 14:10 mean?

Mark 14:10 describes how Judas Iscariot, who was one of Jesus’ twelve closest followers, went to the chief priests with the intention of betraying Jesus to them. This verse marks the moment when Judas actively seeks out Jesus’ enemies to arrange his betrayal.

In the setting of Mark 14:10, Jesus and his disciples are in Jerusalem during the days leading up to Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion. The verse highlights Judas’s personal decision to approach the religious leaders, who were already looking for a way to arrest Jesus quietly. This action sets in motion the events that will lead to Jesus’ arrest later in the chapter.

The Greek behind Mark 14:10

  • Ἰσκαριώτης (Iskariōtēs): This is the Greek form of "Iscariot," identifying Judas specifically among the twelve. The name distinguishes him from other men named Judas and signals his unique role in the narrative.
  • παραδιδόναι (paradidonai): This word is often translated as "to betray," but it literally means "to hand over" or "to deliver up." The Greek here carries the sense of turning someone over to authorities, which gives a concrete picture of Judas’s action.

Why Mark 14:10 matters

  • Mark 14:10 clarifies that Judas’s betrayal was a deliberate choice; he was not tricked or forced but went on his own initiative to the chief priests.
  • The verse connects Judas’s actions directly to the religious leaders’ plans, showing that the betrayal was coordinated with those already seeking Jesus’ death.
  • This moment is a turning point in the Gospel narrative, shifting from growing opposition to Jesus toward the final events of his arrest and crucifixion.

Where else these words appear

“Iscariot” Greek G2469 · used in 11 verses

  • Matthew 10:4 Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
  • Luke 6:16 And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.
  • John 12:4 Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him,

“Judas” Greek G2455 · used in 41 verses

  • Matthew 1:2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;
  • Luke 3:33 Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda,
  • John 18:5 They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them.

“twelve” Greek G1427 · used in 59 verses

  • Matthew 9:20 And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:
  • Mark 9:35 And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.
  • John 6:13 Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.

“went” Greek G565 · used in 118 verses

  • Matthew 2:22 But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:
  • Mark 5:17 And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts.
  • Luke 24:12 Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.