And as he sat on the mount of Olivet over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him apart:

And as he is sitting at the mount of the Olives, over-against the temple, Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, were questioning him by himself,

He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite to the Temple, when Peter, James, John, and Andrew, apart from the others asked Him,

And while he was seated on the Mountain of Olives opposite the Temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew said to him privately,

And as he sat at the Mount of Olives, opposite the temple, Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew questioned him privately.

When Jesus had sat down on the Mount of Olives, facing the Temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew questioned him privately,

On the mount of Olives, over against the temple - The Mount of Olives was directly east of Jerusalem, and from it there was a fine view of the temple.

And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives,.... On the east of Jerusalem:
over against the temple: where he could have a full view of it; the eastern wall of the temple being lower than the rest; See Gill on Matthew 24:3.
Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, asked him privately; apart from the rest of the disciples, they being, especially the first three, his favourites, and very familiar with him.

And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, over against the temple--On their way from Jerusalem to Bethany they would cross Mount Olivet; on its summit He seats Himself, over against the temple, having the city all spread out under His eye. How graphically is this set before us by our Evangelist!
Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately--The other Evangelists tell us merely that "the disciples" did so. But Mark not only says that it was four of them, but names them; and they were the first quarternion of the Twelve.

Peter and James . . . asked him privately. Matthew says "the disciples came to him privately," but does not name them. "Privately" probably means apart from the multitude. The destruction of the temple had been publicly foretold (Matthew 23:38; Matthew 24:2).