Mark 13:34

ὡς ἄνθρωπος. Again a characteristic asyndeton (Mt. inserts γάρ), and a characteristically unskilful constr. There is no apodosis to ὡς (Blass § 78. 1), and forgetting that he has used no finite verb Mk inserts καί before τῷ θυρ. ἐνετείλατο. It is possible that we here have a Hebraism; “It is as when a man”; but to make ὡς look back to ἀγρυπνεῖτε is a forced constr., unlike Mk.

ἀπόδημος. “Gone abroad”; nowhere else in Bibl. Grk. Cf. ἀποδημέω (Mark 12:1; Matthew 21:33; Matthew 25:14; etc.).

ἀφεὶς τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ. Superfluous after ἀπόδημος and omitted by Mt. See on Mark 1:32; Mark 6:25. For the combination of participles see on Mark 1:15.

τοῖς δούλοις … τὴν ἐξουσίαν. To the whole body of his slaves he gave the necessary authority to act during his absence.

ἑκάστῳ τὸ ἔργον. To each individual slave he assigned his proper work.

καὶ τῷ θυρωρῷ. R.V. saves the constr. by rendering καί “also”; but confused constructions are so common in Mk that this refinement is less probable. Cf. Mark 3:16-18; Mark 4:15; Mark 4:26; Mark 4:31; Mark 6:8-9; Mark 7:2-5; Mark 7:11-12, etc. See on John 10:3. Neither there nor here is it necessary to give any definite meaning to the door-keeper (John 18:16). Euthymius makes him to be τὸν ἑκάστου νοῦν, τὸν ἐπιστατοῦντα ταῖς θυρίσι τῆς ψυχῆς. The general lesson of the parable is that all are to watch. Pastors and rulers of the Church may be meant; but the οἰκονόμος (Luke 12:42; Luke 16:1-8) would seem to represent them (1 Corinthians 4:1; Titus 1:7). Does θυρωρός look back to ἐπὶ θυραῖς (Mark 13:29)?

γρηγορῇ. A late verb, formed from ἐγρήγορα.