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OF PRlflG^ 
 
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 "Logical st^ 
 
 Division BS^6 8b" 
 
Zfft Camljriticje Mhlt for ^t!)00ls 
 
 THE GOSPEL 
 
 ACCORDING TO 
 
 ST MARK, 
 
Camtritige: 
 
 PRINTED BY C. J. CLAY, M.A. 
 AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS. 
 
Caiiibridjjc Univprsitv Pr<-ss 
 
i:i)e Camirinse 3BiMe for ^tfjools. 
 
 General Editor :— J. J. S. PEROWNE, D.D., 
 Dean of Peterborough. 
 
 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO 
 
 ST MARK, 
 
 WITH NOTES AND INTRODUCTION 
 
 BY y 
 
 THE REV. G. F. MACLEAR, D.D., 
 
 HEAD MASTER OF KING'S COLLEGE SCHOOL, LONDON. 
 
 EDITED FOR THE SYNDICS OF THE UNIVERSITY PRESS. 
 
 (2i:ambr(i:ige : 
 
 AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS. 
 
 3Lont(on: CAMBRIDGE WAREHOUSE, 17, Paternoster Row. 
 
 eramfariUfie: DEIGHTON, BELL, AND CO. 
 1879 
 
 \All Rights reserved.'] 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 I Introduction. pages 
 
 Chapter I. LifeofStMark 7— ii 
 
 Chapter II. Circumstances of the Composition 
 
 of the Gospel - 11 — 16 
 
 Chapter III. Characteristics of the Gospel 1 6 — 2 o 
 
 Chapter IV. Analysis of the Gospel 20 — 26 
 
 II. Text and Notes 27 — 194 
 
 III, General Index 195 — ^99 
 
 IV Index of Words and Phrases explained 199,200 
 
^Companion of the Saints! ^twas th'uu 
 To taste that drop of peace divine. 
 
 When the great soldier of thy Lord 
 CaWd thee to take his last farewell. 
 Teaching the Church with joy to tell 
 
 The story of your love restored" 
 
 "The Christian Year." St Mark's Day. 
 
.^^ 
 
 INTRODUCTION, j-j^ q ^ »pQ 
 -G. 'AUG IBSl 
 
 CHAPTER I.UI'iOliOQl'C^ 
 
 LIFE OF ST MAR^- ' 
 
 1. When the Saviour was about to leave the earth, His 
 last command to His Apostles was that they should go into all 
 the world and preach the Gospel to every creature (Mark xvi. 15). 
 
 2. Thus the first work, and that out of which all their other 
 functions grew, was to proclaim as heralds the Glad Tidings of 
 the Great Hope which had arisen for mankind, and to deliver 
 a personal testimony to the chief facts of the Gospel History, 
 the life, death, and resurrection of their Lord (Acts i. 21, 22, 
 iv. 2>% xi. 20, XX. 20, 21). 
 
 3. Of the way in which they did this, the narrative con- 
 tained in the Acts of the Apostles gives us many instances. 
 Two instances may be taken as examples of all ; (i) the preach- 
 ing of St Peter before Cornelius (Acts x. 37 — 43), and (ii) of 
 St Paul in the synagogue of Antioch (Acts xiii. 23 — 39). It will 
 be noticed that both these discourses contain a sketch of the 
 outlines of the Saviour's ministry, from the Baptism of John to 
 the world's first Easter-day, and both dwell on the historical 
 events of His Passion and Resurrection \ 
 
 4. Thus the teaching of the Apostles was in the first 
 instance oral and not written, and out of the multitude of 
 things which Jesus did (John xxi. 25), a cycle of representative 
 facts was gradually selected^, which formed the common ground- 
 work of their message. 
 
 ^ See Professor Westcott's Intj'oduction to the New Testament, 
 p. 165, and his Bible in the Church, p. 57. 
 
 ^ '* How few have been preserved, perhaps we can hardly realize, 
 without reckoning up what a small number of days contribute all the 
 incidents of the Gospels, and how little remains even in the record of 
 those to bear witness to the labours which left no leisure so i?iuch as to 
 eat (Mark vi. 31)." Westcott's Bible in the Church, p. 58. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 5. But in the course of time another step was taken. 
 Many, as St Luke expressly tells us (i. i — 4), endeavoured to 
 cominit to writing this oral GospeP, and to form in a comiected 
 shape written collections of the words and actions of our Lord. 
 
 6. What they designed or endeavoured to do, was actually 
 done under Apostolic sanction. As long, indeed, as the Twelve 
 were still living and proclaiming the Word at Jerusalem, they 
 were themselves "abiding witnesses to the facts which they 
 preached," but when the time came for them to be scattered 
 throughout the world, an anxiety arose that the Church should 
 possess authoritative records to supply the place of the oral 
 Gospel previously in use. 
 
 7. Hence originated the Four "Memoirs" or "Biographies" 
 of the Saviour, which have come down to us in the Four 
 Gospels. Of these, two, those of St Matthew and St John, were 
 written by Apostles, close friends and contemporaries of the 
 Saviour ; two, those of St Mark and St Luke, were written by 
 "Apostolic men," who, if they had no personal knowledge 
 of Him, were at least the constant companions of those, who 
 had the most intimate acquaintance with His Person and 
 His Work. 
 
 8. The writer of the second and briefest of the Gospels 
 was St Mark. 
 
 9. Marcus was his Latin surname. His Jewish name was 
 John, which is the same as Johanan {the grace of God). We can 
 almost trace the steps, whereby the former became his prevalent 
 name in the Church. ^^John, whose surname was Mark" in 
 Acts xii. 12, 25, XV. 37, becomes ^^John" alone in Acts xiii. 5, 13, 
 ^^Mark"*^ in Acts xv. 39, and thenceforward there is no change, 
 Col. iv. 10; Philemon 24; 2 Tim. iv. 11. 
 
 10. The Evangelist was the son of a certain Mary, a Jewish 
 matron of some position, who dwelt at Jerusalem (Acts xii. 12), 
 
 ^ The history of the original word translated Gospel deserves atten- 
 tion. In Classical Greek it denotes (i) the rrivard given to the messenger 
 0/ glad tidings {a.s in Homer, Od. XIV. 152, 166); ^\) the sacrifice offered 
 up as a thank-offering for glad tidings (Ar. Eq. 656) ; (iii) the glad 
 tidings themselves. Tlius the word passed into the Greek of the New 
 Testament, where it denotes the Glad Tidings of Jesus Christ, i.e. the 
 Gospel, A. S. Godc-spell. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 and was probably born of a Hellenistic family in that city. Of 
 his father we know nothing, but we do know that the future 
 Evangelist was cousin^ of Barnabas of Cyprus, the great friend 
 of St Paul. 
 
 11. His mother would seem to have been intimately ac- 
 quainted with St Peter, and it was to her house, as to a familiar 
 home, that the Apostle repaired (a. d. 44) after his deliverance 
 from prison (Acts xii. 12). This fact accounts for St Mark's^ 
 intimate acquaintance with that Apostle, to whom also he probably 
 owed his conversion, for St Peter calls him ^^his son''' (i Pet. v. 13). 
 
 12. We hear of him for the first time in Acts xii. 25, where 
 we find him accompanying Paul and Barnabas on their return 
 from Jerusalem to Antioch A.D. 45. He next comes before us 
 on the occasion of the earliest missionary journey of the same 
 Apostles, A.D. 48, when he joined them as their "minister" 
 (Acts xiii. 5). With them he now visited Cyprus, with which 
 island he may have been previously acquainted, as being the 
 native country of Barnabas. But at Perga in Pamphylia (Acts 
 xiii. 13), when they were about to enter upon the more arduous 
 part of their mission, he left them, and for some unexplained 
 reason^ returned to Jerusalem, to his mother and his home. 
 
 13. This occurred about A.D. 48. Three years afterwards, 
 A.D. 51, the same Apostles resolved to set out on a second 
 missionary tour. But on this occasion, in spite of the earnest 
 desire of his kinsman to take him with them, St Paul resolutely 
 
 ^ The Greek word, used in Col. iv. 10, is applied to cousins german, 
 the children, whether of two brothers, or of two sisters, or of a brother 
 and a sister. In very late writers the word comes to be used for a 
 "nephew." See Professor Lightfoot on Col. iv. 10. 
 
 2 There is no solid ground for the conjecture that [a) the Evangelist was 
 one of the Seventy disciples, or that {b) he was one of those who were 
 offended at the saying of Christ in the synagogue of Capernaum (Johnvi. 
 53, 60) but was afterwards won back by St Peter. The theory, how- 
 ever, is not to be wholly rejected which would identify him with the 
 young man, who on the night of our Lord's apprehension, followed in 
 his light linen robe, which he left in the hands of the officers when he 
 fled from them (Mark xiv. 51, 52, where see note). 
 
 ^ (i) Some think he simply wished to rejoin St Peter and the other 
 Apostles, and share their labours at Jerusalem ; (ii) others hold that he 
 shrank from the perils of rivers and perils of robbers (2 Cor. xi. 26) in 
 the interior of Asia Minor. 
 
lo INTRODUCTION. 
 
 declined to associate himself again with one, who ^''departed 
 from the77t froin Pamphylla^ and went not with them to the 
 work^'' (Acts XV. 38). The issue was a ^* sharp conteiitio7i^^ which 
 resulted in the separation of St Paul from his old friend, who 
 taking Mark with him once more repaired to Cyprus, while 
 the great Apostle of the Gentiles, accompanied by Silas, pro- 
 ceeded through Syria and Cilicia (Acts xv. 39 — 41). 
 
 14. At this point St Luke's narrative takes leave of the 
 Evangelist. But whatever was the cause of his vacillation, it 
 did not lead to a final separation between him and St Paul. We 
 find him by that Apostle's side during his first imprisonment at 
 Rome, A.D. 61 — 63, and he is acknowledged by him as one of 
 his few '■'' fellow-labourers ttnto the kingdom of God^'' who had 
 been a '■'■ comfof-f to him during the weary hours of his imprison- 
 ment (Col. iv. 10, II; Philemon 24); while from the former of 
 these passages it would also seem that St Mark contemplated a 
 journey to Asia Minor, and that St Paul had prepared the 
 Christians of Colossse to give him a friendly reception (Col. iv. 10). 
 
 15. We have next traces of him in another passage of the 
 New Testament. In i Pet. v. 13 occur the words, "The church 
 that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you ; a7id 
 so doth Ma7'cus 77iy so7iJ' From this we infer that he joined his 
 spiritual father, the great friend of his mother, at Babylon, then 
 and for some hundred years afterwards one of the chief seats of 
 Jewish culture, and assisted him in his labours amongst his own 
 countrymen. 
 
 16. From Babylon he would seem to have returned to Asia 
 Minor, for during his second imprisonment, A.D. 68, St Paul 
 writing to Timothy, charges him to bring Mark with him to 
 Rome, on the ground that he was "profitable imto hi7n for the 
 mi7iistry'" (2 Tim. iv. 11). From this point we gain no further 
 information from the New Testament respecting the Evange- 
 list. It is most probable, however, that he did join the Apostle 
 at Rome, whither also St Peter would seem to have proceeded, 
 and suffered martyrdom along with St Paul. After the death 
 of these two great Pillars of the Church, Ecclesiastical tradition^ 
 
 1 Eusebius, //. E. ill. 16; Ilieron. Vir. Illust. ii. 8. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 affirms that St Mark visited Egypt, founded the church of 
 Alexandria, and died by martyrdom^. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE COMPOSITION OF THE GOSPEL. 
 
 1. When we pass from the Evangelist himself to the Gospel, 
 which he wrote, it is natural to ask four questions, (i) When 
 was it written ? (2) Where was it writtett f (3) For whom 
 was it written ? (4) In what language was it written ? 
 
 2. Whefi f Upon this point nothing absolutely certain can be 
 affirmed, and the Gospel itself affords us no information. The 
 Evangelist is mentioned as a relative of Barnabas, as a "coT?tforf' 
 to St Paul, and "profitable for the ministry. ^^ But nothing is said 
 of any greater distinction. We may conclude, therefore, that his 
 Gospel was not written before A.D. 63 \ Again we may as 
 certainly conclude that it was not written after the destruction 
 of Jerusalem, for it is not likely that he would have omitted to 
 record so remarkable a fulfilment of our Lord's predictions. 
 Hence a.d. 63 — 70 become our limits, but nearer than this we 
 cannot go. 
 
 3. Where ? As to the place, the weight of testimony is uni- 
 formly in favour of the belief that the Gospel was written and 
 published at Rome. In this Clement, Eusebius, Jerome, Epi- 
 phanius all agree. Chrysostom indeed asserts that it was 
 published at Alexandria, but his statement receives no confirma- 
 tion, as otherwise it could not fail to have done, from any 
 Alexandrine writer ^ 
 
 4. For whom ? The traditional statement is that it was in- 
 
 1 According to later legends his body was removed from Alexandria 
 to Venice a.d. 827, which was formally placed under his protection. 
 Hence " the Lion," the symbol of St Mark, became the standard of the 
 Venetian Republic. 
 
 ^ The most direct testimony on this point is that of Irenaeus, who 
 says that it was after the deaths of the Apostles Peter and Paul. 
 
 ^ In modem times Storr has conjectured that St Mark wrote at 
 Antioch. But his ground for this, a comparison of Mark xv. 2 1 with 
 Acts xi. 20, is not a sufficient basis for the theory. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 tended primarily for Gentiles, and especially for those of Rome. 
 A review of the Gospel itself confirms this view. For 
 
 (i) All reference to the Jewish Law is omitted, and on his 
 
 OAvn authority the Evangelist makes no quotations from the 
 
 Old Testament, with the exception of those in the opening 
 
 verses from Mai. iii. i, and Isaiah xl. 3^ 
 
 (ii) Words arc explained which would not be understood by 
 
 Gentile readers; ^'' Boanerges''^ (iii. 17); ^^Talitha cumi" 
 
 (v. 41); "Corban'' (vii. 11); '' Bartimceus" (x. 46) ; ''Abba" 
 
 (xiv. 36) ; ''Elotj Eloi', latna sabachthajii""^ (xv. 34). 
 
 (iii) Jewish usages and other points, with which Jews only 
 
 could be expected to be familiar, are elucidated. Thus we 
 
 are told that ''the Jews eat not unless they wash their 
 
 hands oft" (vii. 3) ; that the Mount of Olives " is over 
 
 against the Temple" (xiii. 3) ; that "the Passover was killed 
 
 on the first day of unleavened bread" (xiv. 12); that "the 
 
 preparation was the day before the Sabbath" (xv. 42). 
 
 (iv) Again, St Mark uses several Latin forms ^ which do not 
 
 occur in the other Gospels, as Speculator =" a soldier of the 
 
 guard" (vi. 27); xestes=sextarius (vii. 4, 8); quadrantes = a 
 
 farthing (xii. 42) ; satisfacere=to content (xv. 15, comp. Acts 
 
 xxiv. 27); Centurion (xv. 39, 44, 45). 
 
 5. In what language f As to the language in which it was 
 
 written, there never has been any reasonable doubt that it was 
 
 written in Greek^. The hypothesis of a Latin original rests on 
 
 no foundation. A portion of a supposed original autograph of 
 
 the Evangelist is shewn in the library of St Mark's at Venice, 
 
 ^ That in Mark xv. aS is by many considered as interpolated. 
 
 ^ Again, two mites are said to make a farthing (xii. 42), and Gehenna 
 is explained as itnqnenchable fire (ix. 43). 
 
 2 ' ' For some considerable part of the first three centuries, the Church 
 of Rome, and most, if not all the Churches of the West, were, if we 
 may so speak, Greek religious colonies. Their language was Greek, 
 their writers Greek, their Scriptures Greek ; and many vestiges and 
 traditions shew that their ritual, their Liturgy was Greek... All the 
 Christian extant writings which appeared in Rome and in the West 
 are Greek, or were originally Greek; the Epistles of Clement, the 
 Shepherd of Hermas, the Clementine Recognitions and Homilies ; the 
 works of Justin Martyr, down to Caius and Hippolytus the author of the 
 Refutation of All Heresies " Milman's Latin Christianity^ I. p. 34. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 13 
 
 but it is merely part of an ancient MS. of the Four Gospels, 
 another fragment of which exists at Prague, and was formerly 
 preserved at Aquileia. If the Evangelist had written in Latin, 
 it is unaccountable that no ancient writer should have made 
 mention of the fact. 
 
 6. On another point the testimony of the early Church is 
 also unanimous, viz. that the Evangelist composed his Gospel 
 under the eye and direction of St Peter. As to this fact the 
 words of John the Presbyter as quoted by Papias^ are expHcit. 
 "Mark," we read, "having become the interpreter of Peter, wrote 
 accurately all that he remembered 2; but he did not [record] 
 in order that which was either said or done by Christ. For he 
 neither heard the Lord nor followed Him; but afterwards, as I 
 said, [attached himself to] Peter, who used to frame his teaching 
 to meet the wants of his hearers, but not as making a connected 
 narrative of the Lord's discourses." Here it is distinctly as- 
 serted that St Peter's teaching was the basis of the second 
 Gospel. 
 
 7. Equally definite is the testimony of later writers. Thus 
 Justin Martyr (A.D. 100 — 120) quotes from the present Gospel 
 under the title of "the Memoirs of Peter^" Irena^us (a.d. 177— 
 202) asserts that "after the decease of these (Peter and Paul), 
 Mark, the disciple and interpreter of Peter, himself also handed 
 down to us in writing the things which were preached by 
 Peter^." Origen (a.d. 185 — 254) says still more expressly that 
 "Mark made his Gospel as Peter guided him^" Clement of 
 Alexandria (a.D. 191 — 202) mentions as a "tradition of the elders 
 of former time" that when Peter had publicly preached the 
 Word in Rome, and declared the Gospel by Inspiration, "those 
 who were present, being many, urged Mark, as one who had 
 followed him from a distant time and remembered what he said, 
 
 1 Eusebius, H. E. ill. 39; Routh, Rell. Sacr. I. 13 ff. 
 
 '^ Or "that he (Peter) mentioned." The word is ambiguous and may 
 have either of these meanings. See Westcott's Introd. to the Gospels^ 
 p. 180, n. 
 
 ' Dial. c. 106. See Westcott's Hist, of N. T. Canon, p. 103. 
 
 * Iren. C. Hcer. iii. 1. i ; comp. Eusebius H. E. v. 8. Elsewhere 
 (III. 10. 6) IrenseuS'Calls Maik interpres et sectator Petri. 
 
 ° See Eusebius, H, E. vi. 25. 
 
14 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 to record what he stated; and that he having made his Gospel, 
 gave it to those who made the request of him\" TertuUian 
 again (a.d. 190 — 220) affirms that "the Gospel of Mark is 
 maintained to be Peter's -;" while Jerome (A.D. 346—420) tells 
 us that the "Gospel of Mark was composed, Peter relating, and 
 he writing^" 
 
 8. With this testimony of the early Church before us we may 
 conclude, not indeed that the narrative, as we have it in the 
 second Gospel, was the Apostle's, but 
 
 {a) That when the Evangelist, after separation from his 
 master, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, composed 
 his Gospel, he reproduced many of the oral communications 
 of St Peter*; 
 
 (J?) That to the keen memory of the Apostle, recalling scenes 
 in which he had often borne a prominent part, and of which 
 he was an eye-witness, we owe the graphic colouring, the 
 picturesque touches, the minuteness of detail, which his 
 "interpreter" reverently preserved, and faithfully enshrined 
 in the pages of his Gospel. 
 
 9. In conformity with this view we find passages in St Mark 
 where the Apostle is specially mentioned, while he is omitted 
 by the other Evangelists. Thus we are told 
 
 (i) It was St Peter who followed after our Lord in the morn- 
 ing after the miracles at Capernaum (Mark i. 36) ; 
 
 (2) It was he, who drew attention to the rapid withering of 
 the fig-tree (Mark xi. 21) ; 
 
 (3) It was he, who with three others of the Apostles, asked 
 our Lord as He sat on the Mount of Olives respecting the 
 destruction of Jerusalem (Mark xiii. 3) ; 
 
 (4) It was to him specially amongst the Apostles, to whom 
 the angel directed that the announcement of the Resurrec- 
 tion should be made (Mark xvi. 7). 
 
 10. And, on the other hand, it has been thought that the 
 
 ^ Clem. Alex. Fragm. Hypotyp. p. 1016, P.; Eusebius .^. E. vi. 14. 
 ^ Adv. Marc. iv. 5. 
 
 '^ "Cujus (Marci) Evangelium Petro narrante et illo scribente com- 
 positum est." Hieron. de Vir. III. cviii. ; ad Hcdib. c. II. 
 * Papias as quoted by Eusebius, H. E, III. 39. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 15 
 
 modesty of the Apostle, anxious to pass over what might 
 
 specially redound to his own honour, has caused the omission of 
 
 {a) His name as the prompter of the question respecting 
 
 "meats not defiling a man" (comp. Mark vii. 17 with 
 
 Matt. XV. 15) ; 
 {b) His walking on the sea (comp. Mark vi. 50, 51 with 
 
 Matt. xiv. 28 — 31) ; 
 (c) The miracle of the coin in the fish's mouth (comp. 
 
 Mark ix. 33 with Matt. xvii. 24 — 27) ; 
 {d) His designation as the Rock, on which the Church 
 
 should be built (comp. Mark viii. 29, 30 with Matt. xvi. 
 
 17—19) ; 
 
 {e) His being sent with another Apostle to make ready the 
 Passover (comp. Mark xiv. 13 with Luke xxii. 8) ; 
 
 (/) The fact that it was for him especially that our Lord 
 prayed that his faith might not " utterly fail " (Luke xxii. 
 
 31, 32). 
 
 1 1, As to the genuineness of the Gospel there is the strongest 
 historical evidence in its favour. All ancient testimony makes 
 St Mark the author of a certain Gospel, and that the Gospel, 
 which has come down to us, is his, there is not the least real 
 ground for doubting. 
 
 12. One section, however, has given rise to critical diffi- 
 culties, viz. the concluding portion from xvi. 9 — 20. In this 
 section, which is wanting in the Vatican and Sinaitic MSS.^ 
 it has been urged that there is a change of style : — 
 
 {a) That everything pictorial, all minute details, all formulas 
 of rapid transition, everything, in fact, which is so charac- 
 teristic of the Evangelist, suddenly cease ; 
 
 {b) That brief notices of occurrences more fully described in 
 other Gospels take the place of the graphic narrative which 
 is so striking a feature of the rest of the Book ; 
 
 {c) That no less than twenty-one words and expressions occur, 
 which are never elsewhere used by St Mark. 
 
 ^ But it is found in all other Codices of weight, including A, C, D, 
 in the Vet. Lat., Vulg., Syrr., Memph., Theb., Gothic Versions, is 
 quoted by Irenaus, and supported by Hippolytus, Chiysostom, Augus- 
 tine, and Leo the Great. 
 
i6 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 13. Various reasons have been suggested for the change of 
 style. It has been attributed by some to the death of St Peter, 
 by others to the outbreak of the terrible persecution under Nero, 
 A, D. 64, and the necessity of seeking safety by flight. But at 
 this distance of time it is useless to speculate on the causes 
 of the change, and the two most probable solutions are 
 
 Either (i) That the Evangelist, bemg prevented at the time 
 from closing his narrative as fully as he had intended, him- 
 self added " in another land, and under more peaceful cir- 
 cumstances V' the conclusion which we now possess; 
 Or (ii) That it was added by some other hand, shortly if 
 not immediately afterwards, but at any rate before the 
 publication of the Gospel itself. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE GOSPEL. 
 
 1. From the time and place of its composition we now pass 
 on to the gene7'al characteristics of the Gospel. 
 
 2. One peculiarity strikes us the moment we open it, — 
 the absence of any genealogy of our Lord. This is the key 
 to much that follows. It is not the design of the Evangelist to 
 present our Lord to us, like St Matthew, as the Messiah, "//^<? 
 Son of David and Ab?'aham" (i. i), or, like St Luke, as the uni- 
 versal Redeemer, ^^ the Son of Ada?n, which was the son of 
 God'' (iii. 38). 
 
 3. His design is to present Him to us as the incarnate attd 
 wonder-working Son of God, living and acting amongst men, to 
 portray Him in the fulness of His hving energy^. 
 
 4. The limits indeed and general character of the Work are 
 nowhere more strikingly described than in the words of the 
 Evangelist's own great teacher in Acts x. 36 — 42, when he ad- 
 dressed himself to Cornelius. Commencing with the Baptism 
 of John and his announcement of the coming of One Mightier 
 
 1 See Bp Ellicott's Lectures on the Gospel History, p. 26, n. ; 383, n. 
 * Westcott's IiUroduciion, p. 361. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 than himself (Acts x. yj ; Mark i. 7), he tells us how, at His 
 Baptism, " God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost 
 and with power'' (Acts x. 38), and how after His temptation He 
 " went about doing good ^^ proving Himself Lord over man and 
 nature, and " healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for 
 God was with Him " (Acts x. 38). 
 
 5. While doing this, the Evangelist does not merely chronicle 
 each incident, but " surrounds them with all the circumstances 
 that made them impressive to the bystanders^," and constrains 
 us to feel how deep that impression was. Thus we notice 
 
 ici) In i. 22, 27, ii. 12, vi. 2, how words and actions of our 
 Lord called forth awe and wonder from the crowds that 
 beheld them ; 
 
 {b) In iv. 41, vi. 51, x. 24, 26, 32, how the same feelings 
 were evoked in the disciples; 
 
 {c) In iii. 10, v. 21,31, vi. 33, viii., how the multitudes thronged 
 and pressed upon Him so that there was scarce room to 
 stand or sit (ii. 2, iii. 32, iv. i), or leisure even to eat (iii. 20, 
 vi. 31); 
 
 {d) In vi. 56, how the diseased were brought to Him in 
 numbers, and whithersoever He entered, into villages, or 
 cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and be- 
 sought Him that they might touch, if it were but the border 
 of His garmetit; and as matiy as touched Hi?n were made 
 perfectly whole; comp. i. 33, 34, iii. 10. 
 
 (^) In i. 23 — 26, iii. II, how the unclean spirits no sooner 
 saw Him than they fell down before Him crying with a 
 loud voice, Thou art the Son of God. 
 
 6. But while the Evangelist thus brings out the divine power 
 of Him, Who was the " Lion of the tribe of Judah," he also 
 invites our attention in an especial manner to His human per- 
 sonality. Thus he tells us how our Lord 
 
 {a) Could grieve (vii. 34, viii. 12), could love (x. 21), could 
 feel pity (vi. 34), could wonder (vi. 6), could be moved with 
 righteous anger and indignation (iii. 5, viii. 12, 33, x. 14) ; 
 {b) Could be sensible of human infirmities, could hunger 
 (xi. 12), could desire rest (vi. 31), could sleep (iv. 38). 
 1 Kitto's Biblical Cyclopcedia, III. p. 71, 3rd Edition. 
 
 ST MARK 2 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 7. Again, it is St Mark, who alone describes, on several 
 occasions, the very position, the very gesture, the very words of 
 his Divine Master : — 
 
 (i) Thus we are bidden to notice 
 
 {a) How He looked 7'otmd with comprehensive gaze upon 
 His hearers (iii. 5, 34), upon the woman with the issue of 
 blood (v. 32), upon His disciples (x. 23), upon the scene of 
 noisy buying and selling in the Temple (xi. 11) ; 
 
 {b) How He took little children into His arjns, laid His hands 
 upon the?Ji and blessed them (ix. 36, x. 16) ; how He turned 
 round in holy anger to rebuke St Peter (viii. 33) ; how He 
 went before His Apostles on the way towards Jerusalem 
 (x. 32) ; how He sat down and called the Twelve to Him to 
 instruct them in a lesson of humility (ix. 35) ; 
 
 (ii) Again we seem to hear {a) the very Aramaic words that 
 fell from His lips, '■''Boanerges''^ (iii. 17); ''''Talitha cumi'" (v. 
 41); ''Corban" (vii. 11); ''Ephphatha" (vii. 34) ; ''Abba'' {x^y. 
 36); and {b) the sighs which the sight of human misery drew 
 forth from His compassionate breast (vii. 34, viii. 12). 
 
 8. In keeping with this trait, St Mark is careful to record 
 minute particulars of person, number, time, and place, which 
 are unnoticed by the other Evangelists ^: 
 
 {a) Person : i. 29, " They entered into the house of Simon 
 and Andrew with James and John;'" i. 36, ""Simon and 
 they that were with Hi?n followed after Him ;" iii. 6, " the 
 Pharisees took counsel with the Herodians f iii. 22, " the 
 Scribes which came down from Jerusalem said;" xi. 11, 
 "He went out unto Bethany with the Twelve J" xi. 21, 
 " Peter calling to remembrance^ saith unto him ;" xiii. 3, 
 ''Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him 
 privately;" xiv. 65, "the servants did strike him with the 
 palms of their hands;" xv. 21, "Simon, a Cyreniafi.,.the 
 father of Alexander and Ritfiis ;"" xvi. 7, " Go your way, tell 
 his disciples and Peter P 
 
 ib) Ntmiber: v. 13, "they were about two thousand/' vi. 7, 
 "He began to send them forth, two and two/' vi. 40, "they 
 
 ^ For St Mark's use of diminutives, see noie v. 23. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 19 
 
 sat down in ranks, by hutidreds and by fifties f xiv. 30, 
 " before the cock crow twice^ thou shalt deny me thricer 
 
 {c) Thtie : i. 35, " in the morning...^ great while before dayf 
 ii. I, '•'' 2Sx.tx some days f iv. 35, "the same day, when the 
 even was come;" vi. 2, "when the sabbath day was come f 
 xi. 1 1, "and now the eventide was come f xi. 19, "when even 
 was coinef^ xv. 25, "and it was the third hourf xvi. 2, 
 '^very early in the mornings the first day of the week.'" 
 
 (d) Place: ii. 13, "He went forth again by the sea side/ 
 iii. 7, "Jesus withdrew Himself/^ the sea/ iv. i, " He began 
 again to teach by the sea side/ v. 20, "He began to pubhsh 
 iti Decapolis / vii. 31, "through the midst of the coasts of 
 Decapolis/ xii. 41, "and Jesus sat over agaijist the 
 treasury/ xiii. 3, " He sat upon the Mount of OUves, over 
 against the temple/ xiv. 68, " and he went ont into the 
 porch/ XV. 39, " and when the centurion, which stood over 
 against him/ xvi. 5, "they saw a young man sitting on 
 the right side." 
 
 9. This minuteness and particularity of observation are re- 
 flected in the language and style of the Evangelist :— 
 
 (i) His phrases of transition are terse and lively : e. g. ^'And 
 straightway'''' occurs about 27 times in his Gospel. 
 
 (2) He frequently prefers the preshit to the historic tense : 
 i. 40, "there co7neth a leper to him ;" i. 44, "and saith unto 
 him ;" ii. 3, " they come unto him, bringing one sick of the 
 palsy ;" ii. 10, " He saith to the sick of the palsy ;" ii. 17, 
 "When Jesus heard it. He saith unto them;" xi. i, "And 
 when they came nigh to Jerusalem.... He sendeth forth two 
 of His disciples;" xiv. 43, "immediately, while He yet 
 spake, Cometh Judas ;" xiv. 66, " there cometh one of the 
 maids of the high priest." 
 
 (3) He often uses a direct instead of an indirect fonii of ex- 
 pression; iv. 39, " He said unto the sea, Peace, be still/ 
 V. 8, "He said. Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit ;" 
 v. 9, "He asked him. What is thy name?" v. 12, "the 
 devils besought Him saying, Seiid us into the swine ;" 
 vi. 23, "he sware unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of 
 me, I will give it thee / vi. 31, "He said unto them. Come 
 
 2 — 2 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 ye yourselves apart f ix. 25, " He rebuked the foul spirit, 
 
 saying unto him, Thozi dtunb and deaf spirit^ I charge theef 
 
 xii. 6, " He sent him, saying, They will revet'ence my sonP 
 
 (4) For the sake of emphasis he repeats what he has said, 
 
 and couples together words or phrases of similar import 
 
 to heighten and define his meaning ; i. 13, " He was there, 
 
 in the wilderness f i. 45, " but he went out and began to 
 
 publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter ;" iii. 26, 
 
 *'he cannot stand, but hath an endf iv. 8, " that sprang up 
 
 and increased; and brought forth f iv. 33, 34, " and with 
 
 many such parables spake He unto them... but without 
 
 a parable spake He not unto them ;" v. 23, " that she 
 
 may be healed, and she shall live f yi. 25, " and she came 
 
 in straightway with haste f vii. 21, ''frotn within, out of 
 
 the heart of men ;" viii. 15, " M^ leaven of the Pharisees, 
 
 a7td the leaven of Herod ;" xiv. 68, " / know not, neithei 
 
 understand I what thou sayest." 
 
 / 10. To sum up. " In substance and style and treatment," it 
 
 ^ has been well said, "the Gospel of St Mark is essentially a 
 
 transcript from hfe. The course and issue of facts are imaged 
 
 in it with the clearest outline. If all other arguments against 
 
 the mythic origin of the Evangelic narratives were wanting, this 
 
 vivid and simple record, stamped with the most distinct impress 
 
 of independence and originality, totally unconnected with the 
 
 symbolism of the Old Dispensation, totally independent of the 
 
 deeper reasonings of the New, would be sufficient to refute a 
 
 theory subversive of all faith in history. The details which were 
 
 originally addressed to the vigorous intelligence of Roman 
 
 hearers are still pregnant with instruction for us. The teaching, 
 
 which ' met their wants ' in the first age, finds a corresponding 
 
 field for its action now^" 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 ANALYSIS OF THE GOSPEL. 
 
 The following Analysis will give a general idea of the con- 
 struction of St Mark's Gospel : — 
 
 ^ Westcott's Introduction, p. 367. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Part I. 
 
 I. The Preparation:— 1. 1 — 13. 
 
 (a) The Baptism and Preaching of John i. i — 7. 
 
 (/3) The Baptism of Jesus i. 8—10. 
 
 (7) The Temptation i. ri — 13. 
 
 Observe in this Section (i) the conciseness of the Introduction ; 
 (ii) the absence of any genealogy of our Lord; (iii) the first use 
 of St Mark's favourite formula of transition^ ^''And straight- 
 way;'''' (iv) the graphic touch that our Lord was '"'■with the wild 
 beasts.^'' 
 
 Part II. 
 
 II. The Works of Christ in Eastern Galilee:—!. 14— vii. 23. 
 (A) Section (i) 
 
 (a) Announcement of the Kingdom i. 14, 15. 
 
 O) Call of the first Disciples i. 16— 20. 
 
 (7) Cure of the demoniac at Capernaum i. 21 — 28. 
 
 (5) Cure of Peter's wife's mother and others ...i. 29 — 34. 
 
 Retirement to a solitary place i. 35. 
 
 (e) Tour in Galilee i. 35 — 39. 
 
 (f) Cleansing of a leper i. 40 — 45. 
 
 Retirement to desert places i. 45. 
 
 (7?) Commencement of the conflict with the ruling powers : — 
 (i) The cure of the Paralytic ii. i — 12. 
 
 (2) Call of St Matthew ii. 13 — 22. 
 
 (3) The disciples pluck the ears of com ...ii. 23 — 28. 
 
 (4) Cureof the man with the withered hand iii. i — 12. 
 
 Retirement to the Lake iii. 7 — 13. 
 
 Observe in this Section (i) how each victory of the Redeemer 
 is followed by a withdrawal which serves as a preparation for 
 fresh progress; (ii) the causes of the opposition of the Pharisaic 
 party ^ (a) asszunption by our Lord of power to forgive sins (ii. 6, 7), 
 (b) eating with publicans and sitiners atui neglect of law of 
 fasting (ii. 16—22); (c) alleged infraction of Sabbatical rules 
 (ii. 23 — 28). 
 
 (B) Section (ii) 
 
 (a) Call of the Apostles iii. 13 — rp. 
 
 (/y) Opposition of the Scribes from Jerusalem ...iii. 20 — 30. 
 
 (7) The true kindred iii. 3^— 35* 
 
 (5) Parables of the Kingdom : 
 
 (i) The Sower iv. i— 9. 
 
 (2) Explanation of the Parable '..iv. 10 — 25. 
 
 (3) The Seed growing secretly iv. 26 — 29..^ 
 
 (4) The Mustard Seed iv. 30— 34. 
 
22 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 (e) Signs of the Kingdom : 
 
 !i) The stilling of the storm iv. 35 — 41. 
 2) The Gadarene demoniac v. i — 20. 
 3) The woman with the issue v. 25 — 34. 
 
 (4) The daughter of Jairus v. 21 — 43. 
 
 (f) Rejection at Nazareth vi. 1 — 6. 
 
 Retirement into the villages vi. 6. 
 
 Observe in this Section (i) ^/te /oi^ndafion of the Church by the 
 election of the Apostles; (ii) the deepenmg of the conflict with 
 the Pharisees J (iii) the issue of the opposition in tmbelief 
 (C) Section (iii) 
 
 (a) Mission of the Apostles vi. 7 — 13. 
 
 {,3) The murder of the Baptist vi. 14 — 29. 
 
 Retirement to a desert place vi. 31, 32. 
 
 (7) The feeding of the Five Thousand vi. 33 — 44. 
 
 (0) Tlie walking on the sea vi. 45 — 52^ 
 
 (e) Victories over disease in all its forms vi. 53 — 56. 
 
 (^) Renewed opposition of the Pharisaic party... vii. i — 23. 
 Retirement to the borders of Tyre 
 
 and Sidon vii. 24. 
 
 Observe in this Section (i) the definite step taken in the 
 mission of the Twelve; (ii) the effects of the murder of the 
 Baptist; (iii) the significance of the feeding of the Five Thousand 
 at the Season of the Passover. 
 
 Part III. 
 III. The Works of Christ in Northern Galilee :— vii, 24 -ix. 37. 
 (A) Section (i) 
 
 (a) Healing of the daughter of the Syrophce- 
 
 nician vii. 24 — 30. 
 
 f/?) Gradual healing of the deaf and dumb vii. 31 — 37. 
 
 (7) Feeding of the Four Thousand viii. r — lo. 
 
 (<5) The Pharisees ask for a sign viii. 11 — 13. 
 
 (e) Warnings against the leaven of the Pharisees 
 
 and oVHerod viii. 14 — 21. 
 
 (^ Gradual cure of the blind man viii. 22 — 26. 
 
 Retirement to the nelg-hhourhood of 
 ' CsBsarea Philippi viii. 27. 
 
 Observe in this Section (i) the renewed opposition of tite 
 Pharisaic party; (ii) the request for a sign; (iii) the hope opened 
 up for the Gentiles in the cure of the daughter of the Syrophoeni- 
 cian ; (iv) the use of external 7neans and the gradual nature of 
 the ?niracles of this period. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 23 
 
 (1^) Seciion (ii) 
 
 (a) The solemn question, and confession of St 
 
 Peter viii. 27 — 33. 
 
 (j8) The First Clear Prediction of the Passion ...viii. 34 — ix. i. 
 Retirement to tlie moiintain range 
 
 of Hermon ix. 2. 
 
 (7) The Transfiguration ix. 2 — 13. 
 
 ^5^ The lunatic child ix. 14 — 27. 
 
 (e) The secret source of strength ix. 28, 29. 
 
 (f I Second Prediction of the Passion ix. 31, 32. 
 
 (tj) The Apostles taught (a) humility, and 
 
 {b) self-denial ix. 33 — 50. 
 
 Observe in this Section (i) the importance of the crisis in the 
 Saviour's ministry; (ii) the solemnity of the qtiestio7i addressed 
 to the Apostles J (iii) the significance of the Transfiguration ; 
 (iv) the fulness of the matefial imagery employed by St Mark in 
 describing it; (v) the commencement of the opejt atmouncements 
 of the Passion, 
 
 Part IV. 
 
 rv. The Works of Clirist in Persea : — x. 1—31. 
 
 (a) The question of marriage and divorce x. r — 12. 
 
 (iS) The blessing of little children x. 1 3 — r 6. 
 
 (7) The rich young ruler x. 17 — 22. 
 
 (5) The danger of riches x. 23 — 27. 
 
 (€) The reward of self-sacrifice x. 28 — 3 1 . 
 
 Observe in this Section (i) the conflict with the hierarchy even 
 in PercEa; (ii) the fewjiess of the recorded miracles after the 
 Transfiguration. 
 
 Part V. 
 V. "me Last Journey to Jerusalem and the Passion: — x. 32 — xv. 47. 
 
 (A) Section (i) 
 
 (a) Third Prediction of the Passion x. 32 — 34. 
 
 (,a) The ambitious Apostles x- 35 — 45' 
 
 (7) Blind Bartimseus x. 46 — 52. 
 
 (5) The anointing at Bethany \iv. jf — 10. 
 
 Observe in this Section (i) how utterly unable the Apostles 
 were to coinprehend the idea of a suffering Messiah; (ii) how 
 St Mark, like St Matthew, places the anointing at Bethany out 
 of its true order. 
 
24 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 (B) Section (ii) 
 
 The Events of Holy Week: 
 (a) Palm Stmday 
 
 [ci) The Triumphal Entry xi. i — ii. 
 
 \b) Retirement to Bethany xi. ii. 
 
 (/j) Mmday 
 
 {a) The withering of the barren fig-tree ...xi. 12 — 14. 
 \b) The second cleansing of the Tesmple ...xi. 15 — iS. 
 
 [c) Retirement to Bethany xi. 19. 
 
 (7) Tuesday 
 
 (rt) The lesson of the withered fig-tree xi. 20 — 26. 
 
 \S) The question of the deputation of the 
 
 Sanhedrim and the counter question... xi. 27 — 33. 
 
 {c) The Parable of the Wicked Husband- 
 men xii. I — 12. 
 
 [d) The subtle questions 
 
 (i) Of the Pharisees ; the tribute- 
 money xii. 13 — 17. 
 
 (2) Of the Sadducees ; the resurrectiomdu 18 — 27, 
 
 (3) Of the Lawyer ; the importance of 
 
 the Commandments xii. 28 — 34. 
 
 {e) The Lord's counter-question xii. 35 — 44. 
 
 (/) Prediction of the destruction of Jeru- 
 salem and the end of the world xiii. I — 37. 
 
 Observe in this Section (i) the profojind ijupression at first 
 produced by the Triumphal Entry ; (ii) the difference between 
 the first and the second clea7isi7ig of the Temple; (iii) the deepen- 
 ing of the bitter hostility of the hierarchy towards our Lord; 
 (iv) His sublime composure amidst the cottflict; (v) His uncoft- 
 quered and u?iconguerable coftviction of His final triumph. 
 
 (C) Section (iii) 
 
 The Events of Holy Week continued: 
 (a) Wednesday 
 
 Seclusion at Bethany. 
 
 Compact of the Traitor xiv. i, 2, 
 
 (/3) Thursday 
 
 {a) Directions respecting the Passover xiv. 12 — if>. 
 
 {b) Institution of the Holy Eucharist xiv. 17 — 26. 
 
 {c) Protestations of St Peter xiv. 27 — 31. 
 
 [(i) The Agony in Gethsemane xiv. 32 — 42. 
 
 [e) The Apprehension xiv. 43 — f,o. 
 
 (/) The Incident of the Young Man xiv. 51, 52. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 25 
 
 (7) Friday 
 
 {n) The Jewish trial xiv. 53— 65. 
 
 {b) The denials by St Peter xiv. 66—72. 
 
 \c) The trial before PUate xv. i — 15. 
 
 (d) The Crucifixion xv. 16—32. 
 
 {e) The Death xv. 33—41. 
 
 (/) The Burial xv. 42—47. 
 
 Observe in this Section (i) the extreTne minuteness of the in- 
 structiom respecting the Last Supper; (ii) the expansion of the 
 narrative into the fulness of a diary as we approach the Passion; 
 (iii) the incident of the youfig 7nan in the Gardeti recorded only 
 by St Mark. 
 
 Part VI. 
 
 VI. Christ's Victory over the Grave, and Ascension Into Heaven : 
 — xvi. 1—20. 
 
 (a) Easter Eve 
 
 The rest of Christ in the Tomb xvi. i. 
 
 (/3) Easter Day 
 
 (r) The visit of the Holy Women xvi. r — 3. 
 
 (2) The Resurrection xvi. 4 — 8. 
 
 (7) The appearances after the Resurrection to 
 
 (i) Mary Magdalene xvi. 9 — 11. 
 
 (2) Two disciples xvi. 12, 13. 
 
 (3) The Eleven xvi. 14. 
 
 (S) The last charge and the Ascension xvi. 15 — 19. 
 
 (e) The Session at the right Hand of God xvi. 19, 20. 
 
 Observe in this Section (i) How long the disciples hesitated 
 before they would accept (he fact of the Resurrectio7i ; (ii) how 
 minute and distinct are the promises in the last charge of 
 miraculous power; (iii) how the Ascension seems to form with 
 St Mark the last of the many withdrawals of the Lord, which 
 had alternated with so many victories; (iv) how the growth of 
 the Church is traced to the continued operation of her Ascended 
 Lord. 
 
26 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Note I. 
 The Miracles of our Lord recorded by St Mark may be 
 arranged as displaying His victorious power over 
 (i) Nature. 
 
 (a) The Stilling of the Storm (iv, 35—41). 
 
 (j3) The Feeding of the Five Thousand (vi. 30 — 44). 
 
 (7) The Walking on the Lake (vi. 4.5 — 5^). 
 
 (5) The Feeding of the Four Thousand (viii. i — 9). 
 
 (e) The Withering of the Fig-Tree (xi. 12 — 14). 
 
 (ii) The Spirit-world. 
 
 (a) The demon cast out in the Synagogue...(i. 23 — •zS). 
 
 (iS) The Legion (v. i — -20). 
 
 (7) The daughter of the Syrophoenician 
 
 woman { vii. 2 4 — 30). 
 
 (5) **Tlie deaf and dumb man (vii. 31 — 37). 
 
 (iii) Disease. 
 
 (a) Simon's wife's mother (i. 30, 31). 
 
 (j8) The Leper (i. 40— 45). 
 
 (7) The Paralytic (ii. 3—12). 
 
 (5) The woman with the issue of blood (v. 25 — 34). 
 
 (e) ** The blind man at Bethsaida (viii. 22 — 26). 
 
 (f) The lunatic boy (ix. 17 — 29), 
 
 (77) Bartimceus (x. 46 — 52}. 
 
 (iv) Death. 
 
 The daughter of Jairus (v. 21 — 43). 
 
 ** Miracles recorded only by St Mark. 
 
 Note II. 
 The Parables recorded by St Mark. 
 
 (i) Parables of the Early G?'oup, from the commencement of i/:^ 
 Ministry to the Mission of the Seve7ity: — 
 
 (a) The Sower (iv. 3 — 8). 
 
 (/3) **Tlie Seed growing secretly ( iv. 26 — 29). 
 
 (7) The Mustard-Seed (iv. 30 — 32). 
 
 (ii) Parables of the Intermediate Groups from the Mission of the 
 Seventy to the last jou?'ney towards Jerusalem: — 
 None. 
 
 (iii) Parables of the Final Group, immediately before and after the 
 Entry into yertisaletn: — 
 
 The Wicked Husbandmen (xii. i — 11). 
 
 ** Parable recorded only by St Mark. 
 
 For this arrangement of the Paral^les of our Lord see Smith's Dictionary 
 of the Bible, ll. pp. 702, 703. 
 
ST MARK. 
 
 I — 8. The Preaching and Baptis?n of John. 
 
 THE beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of 1 
 God; as it is written jn the prophets, Behold, I send 2 
 my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way 
 before thee. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, 3 
 Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 
 John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism 4 
 
 Ch. I. 1—8. The Preaching and Baptism of John. 
 The object of St Mark is to relate the official life and ministry of our 
 Lord. He therefore begins with His baptism, and first relates, as intro- 
 ductory to it, \}i\Q. preaching of John the Baptist. 
 
 1. The beginningi St Mark commences his Gospel suddenly and 
 concisely. He does not begin with a genealogy of our Lord, like St 
 Matthew, or with the history of the Infancy, as St Luke, or with the 
 doctrine of the Eternal Word, as St John. He desires to pourtray Christ 
 in the fulness oi His living energy. See Introduction, pp. 16, 17. 
 
 of Jesus Christ] The Gospel of Jesus Christ denotes the Glad 
 Tidings concerning Jesus Christ = the Messiah, the anointed Prophet, 
 Priest, and King. For the meaning of the name Jesus see Matt. i. i\. 
 
 the Son of God] Contrast this with St Matt. i. i, "M^ Son of David, 
 the Son of Abraham." The first Evangelist writes for Jews, the second 
 for Gentiles. 
 
 2. in the prophets'] The citation is from two prophets, (r) Mai. iii. r, 
 (2) Isai. xl. 3. Some would read here in Isaiah the Prophet according 
 to certain MSS. Observe that St Mark in his own narrative quotes the 
 Old Testament only twice, here and xv. 28. See Introduction, p. 12. 
 
 4. the wilderness] i. e. the dry and unpeopled region extending from 
 the gates of Hebron to the shores of the Dead Sea. *' It is a dreary 
 waste of rocky valleys ; in some parts stern and terrible, the rocks cleft 
 and shattered by earthquakes and convulsions into rifts and gorges, 
 sometimes a thousand feet in depth, though only thirty or forty in 
 width... The whole district is, in fact, the slope of the midland chalk 
 and limestone hills, from their highest point of nearly 3000 feet near 
 Hebron, to 1000 or 1500 feet at the valley of the Dead Sea. The 
 
28 ST MARK, I. [vv. 1—^. 
 
 5 of repentance for the remission of sins. And there went out 
 unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and 
 were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing 
 
 6 their sins. And John was clothed with camel's hair, and 
 with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat 
 
 7 locusts and wild honey; and preached, saying, There cometh 
 one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I 
 
 Hebrews fitly call it Jeshimon (i Sam. xxiii. 19, 24), 'the appalling 
 desolation,' or 'horror.'" 
 
 for the re77iissio)i\ or unto the remission. See margin and comp. 
 Matt. xxvi. 28; Luke i. 77. This remission was to be received of the 
 Messiah. John required of all who came to him a change of mind and 
 life with a view to pardon from Christ. Thus his baptism was prepara- 
 tory to that of Christ. 
 
 5. all the land^ This strong expression is peculiar to St Mark. 
 But it is illustrated by the other Gospels, The crowds that flocked to 
 his baptism included representatives of every class, Pharisees and Sad- 
 ducees (Matt. iii. 7), tax-gatherers (Luke iii. 12), soldiers (Luke iii. 14), 
 rich and poor (Luke iii. 10). 
 
 of yordati] Of here is redundant and appositional. We use it 
 after "town," "city," "valley." For its use after river, comp, ** the 
 river of Cydnus," Shak. A. and C. II. 2. 192. The word " river " does 
 not occur in the best MSS. of Matt. iii. 6. It is used by St Mark, who 
 writes for those who were unacquainted with the geography of Palestine. 
 
 6. was clothed'] The Evangelist draws our attention to three points 
 in reference to the Baptist : 
 
 (a) His appearance. He recalled the asceticism of the Essene. His 
 raiment was of the coarsest texture, such as was worn by Elijah 
 (2 Kings i. 8) and the prophets generally (Zech. xiii. 4). His 
 girdle, an ornament often of the greatest richness in Oriental 
 costume and of the finest linen (Jer. xiii. i ; Ez. xvi. 10) or cotton 
 or embroidered with silver and gold (Dan. x. 5 ; Rev. i. 13, xv. 6), 
 was of untanned leather (2 Kings i. 8), like that worn by the 
 Bedouin of the present day. 
 
 {b) His diet was the plainest and simplest. Locusts were permitted 
 as an article of food (Lev. xi. 21, 22). Sometimes they were 
 ground and pounded, and then mixed with flour and water and 
 made into cakes ; sometimes they were salted and then eaten. For 
 wild honey comp, the story of Jonathan, i Sam. xiv. 25 — 27. 
 
 (r) His message, (i) That the members of the Elect Nation were all 
 morally unclean, and all needed moral and spiritual regeneration ; 
 (2) that One mightier than he was coming; (3) that He would 
 baptize with the Holy Ghost. 
 
 7. cometh] present tense. With prophetic foresight the Baptist 
 sees Him already come and in the midst. 
 
 latchet] diminutive of latch, like the Fr. lacet dim, of lace^ comes 
 from the Latin lagueus = 2i "noose," and means anything that catches. 
 We now only apply latch to the catch of a door or gate. We speak of 
 
vv. 8 — lo.] ST MARK, I. 29 
 
 am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. I indeed have 8 
 baptized you with water : but he shall baptize you with the 
 Holy Ghost. 
 
 9 — II. The Baptism of Jesus. 
 And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came 9 
 from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in 
 Jordan. And straightway coming up out of the water, he 10 
 
 a *'shoe-/^f^," and "lace" is radically the same word. Here it denotes 
 the thong or fastening by which the sandal was fastened to the foot ; 
 comp. Gen. xiv. 23; Isai. v. 27. The office of bearing and unfastening 
 the sandals of great personages fell to the meanest slaves. 
 
 to stoop downl This expression is peculiar to St Mark. It is the first 
 of those minute details which we shall find in such abundance in his 
 Gospel. 
 
 9—11. The Baptism of Jesus. 
 
 9. in those days'] i.e. towards the close of the year A. U. C. 781, or 
 A. D. 28, when our Lord was thirty years of age (Lk. iii. 23), the time 
 appointed for the Levite's entrance on "the service of the ministry" 
 (Num. iv. 3). 
 
 came from Nazareth] where He had grown up in peaceful seclu- 
 sion, " increasing in wisdom and stature and in favour with God and 
 man" (Luke ii. 52), in a town unknown and unnamed in the Old Tes- 
 tament, situated among the hills which constitute the southern ridges 
 of Lebanon, just before they sink down into the Plain of Esdraelon. 
 
 baptized of ] i.e. by]dhn. Comp. Luke xiv. 8, "when thou art bid- 
 den <7/(=by) any man;" Phil. iii. 12, "I am apprehended of ( = by) 
 Christ;" Collect for 2r,th Sunday after Trinity, "may <?/"( = by) Thee be 
 plenteously rewarded." 
 
 in Jordan] Either (i) at the ancient ford near Succoth, which some 
 have identified with the Bethabara or rather Bethany of St John (John 
 i. 28); or (ii) at a more southern ford not far from Jericho, whither the 
 multitudes that flocked from Judaea and Jerusalem (Mark i. 5) would 
 have found a speedier and more convenient access. From St Matthew 
 we learn that (i) the purport of the Saviour's journey from Galilee was 
 that He might be thus baptized (Matt. iii. 13); that (ii) His Forerunner 
 instantly recognised His superhuman and stainless nature ; that (iii) he 
 tried earnestly to prevent Him ; that (iv) his objections were overruled 
 by the reply that thus it became Him to "fulfil all righteousness," i.e. 
 every requirement of the Law. St Luke tells us that the Baptism of 
 our Lord did not take place till "a// the people had been baptized'''' 
 (Luke iii. 21). 
 
 10. straightimy] This is St Mark's favourite connecting word, and 
 constantly recurs ; comp. i. 12, 28, iv. 5, 15, viii. 10, ix. 15, xi. 3, 
 and other places. 
 
 he sa%u\ i.e. Jesus, while engaged, as we learn from St Luke iii. 21, 
 in solemn prayer. We find solemn prayer preceding (i) our Lord's 
 Baptism, (ii) His choice of the Twelve (Luke vi. 12), (iii) His Trans- 
 figuration (Luke ix. 29), (iv) His Agony in the Garden (Matt. xxvi. 39). 
 
30 ST MARK, I. [w. ii— 13. 
 
 saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit Hke a dove descend- 
 II ing upon him : and there came a voice from heaven, sayijig, 
 
 Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 
 12, 13. The Temptation. 
 '2 And immediately the spirit driveth him into the wilderness. 
 '3 And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of 
 
 opened'\ Lit. rent, or rending asunder, one of St Mark's graphic 
 touches: see the Introduction. The same word in the original Greek 
 is applied to "the old garment rending the new piece" (Luke v. 36); 
 to the veil of the Temple rent in. twain at the Crucifixion (Luke xxiii. 
 45) ; to the rending of the rocks at the same time (Matt, xxvii. 51) ; and 
 of the net in the Lake after the Resurrection (John xxi. 11). 
 
 11. a voice from heaven\ The first of the three heavenly Voices to 
 be heard during our Lord's Ministry, viz., at (i) His Baptism; (ii) His 
 Transfiguration (Mark ix. 7) ; (iii) in the courts of the Temple during 
 Holy Week (John xii. 28). This Voice attested in the presence of His 
 Forerunner the Divine Nature of our Lord, and inaugurated His public 
 Ministry. The Baptism was a very important event in our Lord's 
 life:— 
 
 (i) Needing no purification Himself, He submitted to it as the 
 Head of His Body, the Church (Eph. i. 12) for all His members; 
 
 (2) He was thus by baptism, and the unction of the Holy Ghost 
 which followed (Matt. iii. 16; comp. Ex. xxix. 4 — 37; Lev. viii. 1 — 
 3o)> solemnly consecrated to His office as Redeemer ; 
 
 (3) He "sanctified water to the mystical washing away of sin." See 
 the Baptismal Office ; 
 
 (4) He gave to His Church for all time a striking revelation of the 
 Divine Nature, the Son submitting in all lowliness to every require- 
 ment of the Law, the Father approving by a voice from heaven, 
 the Spirit descending and abiding upon the Son. "/ ad Jordanem, 
 et videbis Trinitatem. " 
 
 12, 13. The Temptation. 
 
 12. immediately] See above, v. 10. The object of the Saviour's 
 first Advent was "to destroy the works of the devil" (i John iii. 8). 
 His very first work, therefore, was to enter on a conflict with the great 
 Enemy of mankind. 
 
 driveth him] This is a stronger word than that employed by St 
 Matthew, who says He was led up (Matt. iv. i), or by St Luke, who says 
 He was led hy the Spirit (Luke iv. i). 71ie same word is here used as 
 in Matt. ix. 38, "Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that He will 
 send forth labourers into His harvest;" in John x. 4, "when He pntteth 
 forth His own sheep, He goeth before them." The word denotes the 
 Divine impulse of the Holy Ghost, which constrained Him to go forth 
 ^■o the encounter, and hints at a rapid translation, such as that by which 
 Prophets and Evangelists were caught up and carried to a distance 
 (i Kings xviii. 12; 2 Kings ii. 16; Acts viii. 39). 
 
vv. T4, 15.] ST MARK, I. 31 
 
 Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels minis- 
 tered unto him. 
 
 14, 15. Beginning of our Lord's Ministry. 
 
 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came ^^ 
 into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 
 and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God 15 
 is at hand : repent ye, and beUeve the gospel. 
 
 13. tempted of Satan\ In Matt. iv. i and Luke iv. 1, He is said to 
 have been tempted by the Devil, i. e. the " Slanderer," who slanders God 
 to man (Gen. iii. i — 5) and man to God (Job i. 9— 11 ; Rev. xii. 10). St 
 Mark, who never uses this word, says He was tempted by Satan, i. e. "the 
 Enemy" of God and man alike. He seems to have been permitted to 
 tempt our Lord during the whole of the forty days, but at the end of 
 that period to have assailed Him with increased intensity through every 
 avenue that could allure, as afterwards in Gethsemane through every 
 channel that could terrify and appal (Luke iv. 13). 
 
 the 7mld beasts] St Mark relates the Temptation very briefly, but he 
 alone adds the graphic touch to the picture that the Saviour was "with 
 the wild beasts," unhurt by them, as Adam was in Paradise. Comp. 
 Daniel in the den of lions. 
 
 the angels'] St Matthew records the ministry of Angels at the close 
 as to a Heavenly Prince (RIatt. iv. 11). St Mark records a ministry of the 
 same. celestial Visitants apparently throiighotct the trial. 
 
 14, 15. Beginning of our Lord's Ministry. 
 Between the events just described and those on which the Evangelist 
 now enters, must be placed several recorded chiefly by St John; viz., 
 (i) The testimony of the Baptist to Christ as the Lamb of God (John i. 
 19—34); (2) the early joining of Andrew, John, Simon, Philip and 
 Nathanael (John i. 35 — 51); (3) the marriage at Cana (John ii. 1 — it); 
 (4) the first visit to Jerusalem, first cleansing of the Temple and confer- 
 ence with Nicodemus (John ii. 13 — 21, iii. I — 21); (5) the ministry with 
 the Baptist (John iii. 22 — 36); (6) the imprisonment of the Baptist (Luke 
 iii. 19, 20); (7) the return of Jesus to Galilee through Samaria, and 
 the discourse with the woman at Jacob's well (John iv. 3 — 42); (8) cure 
 of the nobleman's son at Cana (John iv. 43 — 54). 
 
 14. piU in prison] The causes of the imprisonment of the Baptist 
 are more fully related by the Evangelist ch. vi. 17—20. 
 
 came into Galilee] and commenced the great Galilean ministry. 
 Galilee was the most northern and the most populous of the three pro- 
 vinces, into which the Romans had divided Palestine. It was to 
 Roman Palestine what the manufacturing districts are to England, covered 
 v/ith busy towns and teeming villages, Roman custom-houses and 
 thriving fisheries. See Stanley's Sinai and Palestine, pp. 375 — 377. 
 
 the gospel of the kingdom of God] or according to some MSS. the 
 Gospel of God. 
 
 15. The time, i. e. the great fore-ordained and predicted time of the 
 Messiah. 
 
ST MARK, I. [vv. 16-19. 
 
 16 — 20. Call of the first Four Disciples. 
 
 16 Now as he walked by the sea of GaUlee, he saw Simon and 
 Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea : for they were 
 
 17 fishers. And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and 
 18 1 will make you to become fishers of men. And straightway 
 19 they forsook their nets, and followed him. And when he had 
 
 gone a little farther thence, he saw James the so7i of Zebedee, 
 
 the kingdom of God'\ or as it is called in St Matthew the Kittgdom of 
 the Heavens (comp. Dan. ii. 44, vii. 13, 14, 2 7), denotes here the 
 Kittgdom of grace, the visible Church, of which our Lord described {a) 
 in the parable of "the Mustard Seed" (Matt. xiii. ^i, 2,2), lis slight and 
 despised beginning; {b) in that of "the Hidden Leaven" and the "Seed 
 glowing secretly," its hidden and mystei'ious working (Matt. xiii. 33; 
 Mark iv. 26 — 29); [c) and again in the first two Parables its final and 
 assured triumph in spite of the obstacles set forth in the Parable of "the 
 Tares" (Matt. xiii. 24 — 30). 
 
 believe\ Rather believe in, repose your faith on, the Gospel. 
 
 16—20. Call of the first Four Disciples. 
 
 16. as he walked'] The Saviour had come down (Luke iv. 31 ; John 
 iv. 47, 51) from the high country of Galilee, and now made His per- 
 manent abode in the deep retreat of the Sea of Galilee at Capernaum 
 "His own city" (Matt. iv. 13; Luke iv. 31), whence He could easily 
 communicate, as well by land as by the Lake, with many important 
 towns, and in the event of any threatened persecution retire into a more 
 secure region. 
 
 the sea of Galilee] called (i) in the Old Testament "the Sea of 
 Chinnereth" or "Cinneroth" (Num. xxxiv. 11; Josh. xii. 3) from a 
 town of that name which stood on or near its shore (Josh. xix. 35), in 
 the New (ii) "the Sea of Galilee" from the province which bordered 
 on its western side (Matt. iv. 18; Mark vii. 31), (iii) "the Lake of 
 Gennesaret" (Luke v. i), (iv) "the Sea of Tiberias" (John xxi. j), and 
 sometimes (v) simply "the Sea" (Matt. iv. 15). 
 
 he saw Sitiion] whom He had already invited to His acquaintance 
 (John i. 40 — 42); He now calls him to the Apostleship. The recent 
 cure of the son of the officer in Herod's court had roused much interest 
 at Capernaum, and many pressed upon the Saviour to "■hear the Word of 
 God" (Luke v. i). It became clear, therefore, that an opportunity was 
 offered for an active and systematic ministry in Galilee, and four of the 
 number afterwards known as "the Twelve" were now permanently 
 attached to the Saviour's Person, and invested with power to become 
 "fishers of men." 
 
 a net] The net here spoken of and in Matt. iv. 18 was a casting-net, 
 circular in shape, "like the top of a tent," in Latin y/ma'a ox ja^tdum. 
 The net spoken of in Matt. xiii. 47, 48 is the drag-net or hatding-net, 
 the English seine or scan, sometimes half a mile in length ; that alluded 
 to in Luke v. 4 — 9 is the bag-net or basket-net, so constructed and worked 
 as to enclose the fish out in deep water. 
 
vv. 20—22.] ST MARK, I. 33 
 
 and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending 
 their nets. And straightway he called them : and they left so 
 their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and 
 went after him. 
 
 21 — 28. The Cure of the Demoniac at Capernaum. 
 And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on 21 
 the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught. 
 And they were astonished at his doctrine : for he taught 22 
 them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes. 
 
 19. James the son of Zebedee'] Two brothers had already been called 
 and two more were now to join them. 
 
 20. straightway^ Notice the frequency of this formula of transition. 
 It has occurred just before, v. 18. 
 
 the hired serz'ants] The mention of these, of the two vessels em- 
 ployed (Luke V. 7), and the subsequent allusion to St John's acquaint- 
 ance with a person in so high a position as the high priest (John xviii. 
 15), seem to indicate that Zebedee, if not a wealthy man, was at any 
 rate of some position at Capernaum. 
 
 ■went after him] For the miraculous draught of fishes which accom- 
 panied or followed this incident see Luke v. 2 — 11. Observe how 
 gradually the Four had been called to their new work ; ( i ) first they 
 were disciples of the Baptist (John i. 35) ; (2) then they were directed by 
 him to the Latnb of God (John i. 36) ; (3) afterwards they were invited 
 by our Lord to see where He dwelt (John i. 39) ; (4) then they became 
 witnesses of His first miracle (John ii. 2); (5) now after a further 
 exhibition of His power over nature they are enrolled amongst His 
 attached followers. The still more formal call was yet to come. 
 
 21—28. The Cure of the Demoniac at Capernaum. 
 
 21. Capernauni] is not mentioned in the Old Testament or the 
 Apocrypha. It was situated on the western shore of the Lake, in "the 
 land of Gennesaret" (Matt. xiv. 34; John vi. 17, 24), and was of 
 sufficient size to be always called "a city" (Matt. ix. 1). It was 
 a customs station (Matt. ix. 9; Luke v. 27), and the quarters of a 
 detachmenjt of Roman soldiers (Matt. viii. 8; L,uke vii. i, i). It was 
 the scene of many striking incidents in the Gospel History besides that 
 here recorded. It was at Capernaum that the Lord healed Simon's 
 wife's mother (Matt, viii. 14) ; wrought the miracle on the centurion's 
 servant (Matt. viii. 5) ; cured the paralytic (Matt. ix. i) ; called Levi from 
 the toll-house (Matt. ix. 9) ; taught His Apostles the lesson of humihty 
 from the child set in their midst (Mark ix. 35 — 37), and delivered 
 the wonderful discourse respecting the "Bread of Life" (John vi. 59). 
 
 the synagogue] built for the Jews by the good centurion (Luke vii, 5), 
 
 22. not as the scribes] The Scribes, Sopherim, first came into 
 prominence in the time of Ezra. Their duty was to copy, read, study, 
 explain, and "fence round" the Law with "the tradition of the 
 
 ST mark 3 
 
34 ST MARK, I. [vv. 23—26. 
 
 23 And there was in their synagogue a man with an un- 
 
 24 clean spirit; and he cried out, saying, Let us alone; what 
 have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art 
 thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the 
 
 25 Holy One of God. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold 
 
 26 thy peace, and come out of him. And when the unclean 
 spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came 
 
 Elders" (Matt. xv. 2). The Scribes proper only lasted till the death 
 of Simon "the Just," B.C. 300. In the New Testament they are 
 sometimes called "lawyers" (Matt. xxii. 35), or "Doctors of the 
 Law" (Luke v. 17). Their teaching was preeminently second-hand. 
 They simply repeated the decisions of previous Rabbis. But our 
 Lord's teaching was absolute and independent. His formula was not 
 "It hath been said," but "■ I say jcnto yoic." 
 
 23. with an unclean sprit] lit. in an unclean spirit, i. e. in his power, 
 under his influence. St Luke describes him as having a "spirit of an 
 unclean demon" (Luke iv. 33). He seems to have entered unobserved 
 amongst the throng, but could not resist the spell of that Pure Presence. 
 
 24. Lei ns a/one] Many MSS. omit the Greek word thus trans- 
 lated. Even if genuine, it appears to be rather an exclamation of 
 horror = the Latin va/i ! hen ! It is not the man who cries out so much 
 as the Evil Spirit which had usurped dominion over him. 
 
 jfesns of Nazareth] As the angels had in songs of rapture recognised 
 their King (Luke ii. 13, 14), so the evil spirits instantly recognise 
 Him, but with cries of despair. They evince no hope and no sub- 
 mission, only inveterate hostility. They believe and tremble (James 
 ii. 19). Man alone recognises not the "King in His beauty" (Is. 
 xxxiii. 17). " He was in the world and the world was made by Him," 
 and yet " the world knew Him not " (John i. 10). 
 
 25. rebuked him] Though he had borne testimony to Christ, yet 
 his testimony is not accepted, for it was probably intended only to do 
 harm, "to anticipate and mar His great purpose and plan." Compare 
 the conduct of St Paul in reference to the girl possessed with the spirit 
 of Apollo (Acts xvi. 16 — 18). 
 
 Hold thy peace] lit. Be muzzled. The same word is used by our 
 Lord in rebuking the storm on the Lake, "Peace, be still" (Mark iv. 
 39). Wyclif translates it " wexe doumbe. " The word means (i) " /<? 
 close the month 7aith a muzzle, comp. i Cor. ix. 9, "Thou shalt not 
 muzzle the month of the ox that treadeth out the corn," cited here and 
 in I Tim. v. 18 from Deut. xxv. 4 ; (2) to reduce to silence^ as in Matt. 
 xxii. 34, " But when the Pharisees had heard that He had put the 
 Sadducees to silence,'' and i Pet. ii. 15, "so is the will of God, that 
 with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men." 
 It is also used in reference to the man who had not on the wedding 
 garment, '■^ he was speechless'" (Matt. xxii. 12). 
 
 26. had torn him] i. e. thrown him into strong convulsions, and 
 according to St Luke's account, into the midst (Luke iv. 35), comp. 
 
vv. 27—34] ST MARK, I. 35 
 
 out of him. And they were all amazed, insomuch that they 27 
 questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? 
 what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth 
 he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him. And 2s 
 immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the re- 
 gion round about Galilee. 
 
 29 — 34. The Cure of Peter's Wife's Mother and Others. 
 
 And forthwith, when they were come out of the syna- 29 
 gogue, they entered into the house of Simon and Andrew, 
 with James and John. But Simon's wife's mother lay sick 30 
 of a fever, and anon they tell him of her. And he came 31 
 and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and im- 
 mediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them. 
 And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto 32 
 him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed 
 with devils. And all the city was gathered together at the 33 
 door. And he healed many that were sick of divers dis- 34 
 
 Mark ix. 26. The first miracle recorded by St Matt, is the healing 
 of a leper by a touch (Matt. viii. i — 4); the first miracle which St 
 John records is the changing water into wine (John ii. 1 — 11) ; the first 
 miracle recorded by St Mark and St Luke (iv. 33 — 37) is this casting out 
 of a demon in the synagogue of Capernaum. 
 
 29 — 34. The Cure of Peter's Wife's Mother and Others, 
 
 29. they] i. e. the Lord and the four disciples, whom He had 
 already called. It was a Sabbath day, and He probably went to the 
 Apostle's house to eat bread. Comp. Luke xiv. i. 
 
 30. Swion^s wife's tnoiher\ For St Paul's allusion to him as a viarried 
 man see i Cor. ix. 5. 
 
 ': sick of a fever] a "great" or "violent fever" according to the 
 physician St Luke. Intermittent fever and dysentery, the latter often 
 fatal, are ordinary Arabian diseases. 
 
 31. he came] Observe all the graphic touches in this verse; the 
 Lord (i) went to the sufferer, (ii) took her by the hand, (iii) lifted her 
 7(p, and (iv) the fever, rebuked by the Lord of life (Luke iv. 39), left 
 her, and (v) she began to minister tmto thefu. 
 
 32. when the sun did set] All three Evangelists carefully record, 
 that it was not till the sun was setting or had actually set, that these 
 sick were brought to Jesus. The reason of this probably was (i) 
 either that they waited till the mid-day heat was past and the cool 
 of the evening was come, or (2) the day being the Sabbath (Mark 
 i. 29 — 32), they were unwilling to violate the sacred rest of the day, 
 and so waited till it was ended. 
 
 33. at the door] i. e. the door of St Peter's house, " the door so well 
 
36 ST MARK, I. [vv. 35—39. 
 
 eases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the 
 devils to speak, because they knew him. 
 
 35 — 39. Solitary Prayer, Tour in Galilee. 
 33 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, 
 he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there 
 
 36 prayed. And Simon and they that were with him followed 
 
 37 after him. And when they had found him, they said unto 
 
 38 him. All me?i seek for thee. And he said unto them. Let 
 us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also : 
 
 39 for therefore came I forth. And he preached in their syna- 
 gogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils. 
 
 known to him who supphed St Mark with materials for his Gospel." 
 St Matthew connects the cures now wrought with the prophecy of 
 Isaiah liii. 4, Hi?nself took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses. 
 
 35—39. Solitary Prayer. Tour in Galilee. 
 
 35. in the mornings ...a great while before day\ Another graphic touch 
 of the Evangehst. He brings the scene before our eyes. The previous 
 day had been a long day of conflict with and victory over the kingdom 
 of sin and death. He now retires to refresh Himself in the heaven of 
 prayer, in communion with His Father. He prepares Himself in the 
 desert for a second great mission of Love, this time accompanied by 
 His first four disciples. 
 
 a solitary place\ "A remarkable feature of the Lake of Gennesaret 
 was that it was closely surrounded with desert solitudes. These 
 'desert places 'thus close at hand on the table-lands or in the ravines 
 of the eastern and western ranges, gave opportunities of retirement for 
 rest or prayer. * Rising up early in the morning while it was yet 
 dark' or 'passing over to the other side in a boat,' He sought these 
 solitudes, sometimes alone, sometimes with His disciples. The Lake 
 in this double aspect is thus a reflex of that union of energy and rest, 
 of active labour and deep devotion, which is the essence of Christianity, 
 as it was of the Life of Him, in whom that union was first taught and 
 shewn." Stanley's ^maz cw^ /'a/<fj/m<?, pp. 378, 379. 
 
 36. Simon\ already with his earnest impiilsiveness beginning to take 
 the lead. Comp. Luke viii. 45, ix. 32. 
 
 followed after Hin{\ The word in the original is very expressive 
 and only occurs here. It denotes (i) to follow hai-d upon, (ii) to pursue 
 closely, to track out. " Simon and his friends almost hunted for Him." 
 It generally implies a hostile intent. It occurs in a good sense in the 
 LXX. rendering of Ps. xxiii. 6, "Thy mercy ^zSS. follow me." 
 
 38. towns\ rather village-towns or country-towns. The word only 
 occurs here. His gracious Presence was not to be confined to Caper- 
 naum. Dalmanutha, Magdala, Bethsaida, Chorazin were all near at 
 hand. For the crowded population of Galilee, see Josephus B. J. III. 3, 2. 
 
vv. 40—44.] ST MARK, I. 37 
 
 40 — 45 . Cleansi7ig of a Lepe?-. 
 And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneel- 40 
 ing down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou 
 canst make me clean. And Jesus, moved with compassion, 41 
 put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, 
 I will; be thou clean. And as soon as he had spoken, 42 
 immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was 
 cleansed. And he straitly charged him, and forthwith sent 43 
 him away; and saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any 44 
 
 40—45. Cleansing of a Leper. 
 
 40. there came] Better, there cometli, in the present tense. See 
 Incroduction, p. 19. 
 
 a leper] One afflicted with the most terrible of all maladies, 
 "a living death, a poisoning of the springs, a corrupting of all the 
 humours, of life ; a dissolution little by little of the whole body, so that 
 one limb after another actually decayed and fell away." The Jews 
 called it "the Finger of God," and emphatically "the Stroke;" they 
 never expected to cure it (see 2 Kings v. 7). With lip covered (Ezelc. 
 xxiv. 17), and bare head (Lev. xiv. 8, 9), and rent garments, the leper bore 
 about with him the emblems of mortality, " himself a dreadful parable of 
 death." Compare the cases of Moses (Ex. iv. 6), Miriam (Num. xii. 
 10), Naaman (2 Kings v. i), Gehazi (2 Kings v. 27). 
 
 kneeling down to him] St Mark alone describes this attitude of the 
 leper, as also the look of compassion which beamed forth from the face 
 of the Lord, spoken of in the next verse. 
 
 41. and touched him] though this act was strictly forbidden by the 
 Mosaic Law as causing ceremonial defilement. But "He, Himself 
 remaining undefiled, cleansed him whom He touched ; for in Him 
 life overcame death, and health sickness, and purity defilement." 
 
 43. And he straitly charged him] The word thus rendered occurs in 
 four other places ; (i) Matt. ix. 30, "Jesus straitly charged them, saying, 
 See that no man know it ;" (2) Mark xiv. 5, "And they murmured against 
 her," said of the Apostles in their indignation against Mary ; (3) John xi. 
 33, 38, "And He groaned in spirit," said of our Lord at the grave of 
 Lazarus. It denotes {\) to be very angry or indignant^ (2) to charge or 
 command with sternness. 
 
 straitly = strictly. Comp. Gen. xliii. 7, "The man asked ms straitly 
 of our state;" Josh. vi. i, " Now Jericho was straitly shut up." Comp. 
 also Shakespeare, Richard III. I. I. 85, 86, 
 
 " His majesty hath straitly given in charge 
 That no man shall have private conference." 
 
 sent him a^vay] or put Mm forth. " He would allow no lingering, 
 but required him to hasten on his errand, lest the report of what had 
 been done should outrun him." It is the same word in the original as 
 in Mark i. 12. 
 
3S ST MARK, I. II. [w. 45 ; 1—4. 
 
 man : but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer 
 for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a 
 
 45 testimony unto them. But he went out, and began to publish 
 // much, and to blaze abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus 
 could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in 
 desert places : and they came to him from every quarter. 
 I — 12. The Paralytic and the Power to forgive Sins. 
 
 2 And again he entered into Capernaum, after some days ; 
 
 2 and it was noised that he was in the house. And straight- 
 way many were gathered together^ insomuch that there was 
 no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the 
 
 3 door: and he preached the word unto them. And they 
 come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was 
 
 4 borne of four. And when they could not come nigh unto 
 him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was; 
 
 44. s^ew thyself to the priest'\ that he may attest the reality of thy 
 cure (Lev. xiv. 3). 
 
 those things which Moses commandedl viz. (i) two birds, "alive 
 and clean," Lev. xiv. 4, {2) cedar wood, (3) scarlet, and (4) hyssop; 
 this was for the preliminary ceremony (Lev. xiv. 4 — 7). On the eighth 
 day further offerings were to be made, (1) two he lambs without ble- 
 mish, (2) one ewe lamb, (3) three tenth deals of fine flour, (4) one log 
 of oil. If the leper was poor, he was permitted to offer one lamb and 
 two turtledoves or two young pigeons, with one tenth deal of fine flour. 
 
 for a testimony unto them'] Rather, for a testimony against them, 
 i. e. against their unbelief in refusing to acknowledge our Lord to be all 
 He claimed to be in spite of His mighty works. Comp. Mark vi. 1 1 
 with Luke ix. 5. 
 
 45. liegaji to publish it miicK\ even as others in similar circumstances 
 found it impossible to keep silence ; comp. (i) the blind man, Matt. ix. 
 30, 31 ; (2) the man with an impediment of speech, Mark vii. 36. 
 
 could no more openly enter into the city] In these words we have per- 
 haps one of the reasons why the Lord enjoined silence on the leper. A 
 certain degree of secrecy and reserve was plainly necessary in respect to 
 the Lord's miracles, or it would have been impossible for Him to have 
 moved from place to place. 
 Ch. II. 1—12. The Paralytic and the Power to forgive Sins; 
 
 1. he entered] after the subsidence of the late excitement. 
 
 the house] Either His own house, which He occupied with His mother 
 and His brethren (Mark iii. 21), or possibly that of St Peter. 
 
 2. about the door] All the avenues of approach to the house were 
 I locked up, and the courtyard or vestibule was filled. 
 
 3. bo7-ne of four] Notice the pictorial definiteness of the Evangelist. 
 
 4. they uncovered the roof] They appear ( i ) to have ascended to the 
 fiat roof probably by a flight of steps outside (Luke v. 19); (2) to have 
 
vv. 5—9.] ST MARK, II. 39 
 
 and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed 
 wherein the sick of the paisy lay. When Jesus saw their 5 
 faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy. Son, thy sins be for- 
 given thee. But there were certain of the scribes sitting 6 
 there, and reasoning in their hearts, Why doth this man thus 7 
 speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only? And s 
 immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they 
 so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them. Why rea- 
 son ye these things in your hearts? Whether is it easier to 9 
 say to the sick of the palsy. Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to 
 
 broken up the tiling or thin stone slabs, sometimes used at this day ; 
 (3) to have lowered the paralytic upon his bed through the opening into 
 tiie presence of the Great Healer. The room was probably an upper- 
 chamber, which often extended over the whole area of the house. For 
 other notices of such upper-rooms compare Acts i. 13, ix. 37, xx. 8. 
 
 5. their fait/t] The faith of all, of the paralytic himself and those 
 that bore him. The Holy One did not reject this "charitable work" 
 of theirs in bringing him before Him, any more than He does that of 
 those who bring infants to Him in Holy Baptism. 
 
 Sonl St Luke, v. 20, gives the words thus, ^^ Man, thy sins are 
 forgiven thee." St Mark has preserved to us the tenderer word, even as 
 St Matthev/ has done in his account (Matt. ix. 22). 
 
 thy si7is\ His sins may have been due to sinful excesses. Comp. 
 the words of the Saviour to the man, who had an infirmity thirty and 
 eight years, " Behold thou art made whole ; sin no more, lest a worse 
 thing come unto thee," John v. 14. At any rate his consciousness of 
 sin was such that it was necessary to speak to his soul before healing 
 was extended to his body. See Luke vii. 48. 
 
 be forgiveni The mood here is not optative but indicative. Tliy 
 sins are, or rather, have been forgiven thee. 
 
 6. certain of the scribes'] During our Lord's absence from Caper- 
 naum it would seem there had arrived not only from Galilee, but even 
 from Judaea and Jerusalem (Luke v. 17), Pharisees and lawyers, who 
 were insidiously watching all that He did. Emissaries from the hostile 
 party at Jerusalem, where the Lord's death had already been decreed 
 (John v. 18), they proceeded to carry out a settled plan of collecting 
 charges against Him and thwarting His work of mercy. 
 
 7. blasphemies'] for the claim to forgive sins implied a distinct 
 equality with God in respect to one of His most incommunicable attri- 
 butes. 
 
 8. in his spirit] His soul was human, but His " Spirit " was divine, 
 and by this divine faculty He penetrated and then revealed to them the 
 " thoughts and counsels of their hearts," comp. Heb. iv. 12. On this 
 peculiarly Divine faculty see i Sam. xvi. 7 ; i Chron. xxviii. 9; 2 Chron. 
 vi. 30. 
 
 9. Whether is it easier] Observe what is here contrasted. Not, 
 "Which is easier, to forgive sin or to raise a paralytic?" but "Which is 
 
40 ST MARK, IT. [vv. 10—14. 
 
 10 say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? But that ye 
 may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to for- 
 
 11 give sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, 
 Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. 
 
 12 And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth 
 before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and 
 glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion. 
 
 1 3 — 22. T/ie Call of St Matthew; the Discourse at his House. 
 
 13 And he went forth again by the sea side; and all the mul- 
 
 14 titude resorted unto him, and he taught them. And as he 
 passed by, he saw Levi the soti of Alphaeus sitting at tlie 
 
 easier, to dairn this power or claim that ; to say, Thy sins be forgiven 
 thee, ox to say, Arise and walk"? as He had already said to the im- 
 potent man at the pool of Cethesda (John v. 8). 
 
 10. that ye jnay knotu'] "By doing that which is capable of being put 
 to the proof, I will vindicate My right and power to do that which, in its 
 very nature, is incapable of being proved." 
 
 the Son of man"] This is the first time this title occurs in St Mark, 
 where we find it 14 times. This title is never applied by the writers of 
 the Gospels themselves to the Eternal Son of God. Whenever it occurs, 
 it is so applied by our Lord, and no other. There are only three excep- 
 tions to this rule, (i) where the title is used by Stephen (Acts vii. 56), 
 and (2) by St John (Rev. i. 13, xiv. 14). During, however, the period 
 of His sojourn here on earth, there was no title our Lord was pleased so 
 often and so constantly to apply to Himself. Son of a man He was 
 not. Son of Man he M'as. The word used in the original for "man" 
 implies himian being, and the expression denotes that He who was the 
 Son of God from all Eternity became the "Son of Man" in time, the 
 second Adam, the second Head of our race, the crown of our humanity. 
 For the expression in the O.T. see Dan. vii. 13. 
 
 on earth'] This power is not exercised, as ye think, only in heaven by 
 God, but also by the Son of Man on earth. 
 
 11. thy bed] The original word thus rendered means a portable 
 pallet, little more than a mat, used for mid-day sleep, and the service 
 of the sick. It was of the commonest description and used by the 
 poorest. 
 
 12. imfnediaiely] Observe the suddenness and completeness of the 
 cure, and contrast it with the miracles of an Elijah (i Kings xvii. 17 — 24), 
 or an Elisha (2 Kings iv. 32 — 36). 
 
 before them all] Now yielding before Him and no longer blocking up 
 his path. 
 
 13—22. Call of St Matthew j the Discourse at his House. 
 
 13. he went forth] i. e. from the town of Capernaum to the shore of 
 the Lake, probably through a suburb of fishers' huts and custom-houses. 
 
vv. 15, 16.] ST MARK, II. 41 
 
 receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he 
 arose and followed him. And it came to pass, that, as Jesus 15 
 sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat also 
 together with Jesus and his disciples : for there were many, 
 and they followed him. And when the scribes and Phari- 16 
 sees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto 
 
 14. Levi] This was probably the name by which he was known to 
 his Jewish brethren. He may have changed his name after and in 
 memory of his call, so that he who had before been known by the name 
 of Levi, was now known as Matthew, or Mattathias, a favourite name 
 amongst the Jews after the Captivity, and= Theodore, the "Gift of God." 
 
 son of Alphcejis] Some have identified this Alphseus with Alphaeus 
 the father of St James the Less. But in the lists of the Apostles 
 the two are never named together, like other pairs of brothers in the 
 Apostolic body. 
 
 receipt ofaistoni] Situated as Capernaum was at the nucleus of roads 
 which diverged to Tyre, Damascus, Jerusalem, and Sepphoris, it was a 
 busy centre of merchandise, and a natural place for the collection of 
 tribute and taxes. 
 
 FolloT.v me] Though he belonged to a class above all others hated 
 and despised by the Jews, trebly hated where, as in the present instance, 
 the tax-gatherer was himself a Jew, yet the Lord did not hesitate to 
 invite him to become one of the Twelve. 
 
 and followed hivi] We cannot doubt that the new disciple had 
 already listened to some of the discourses and beheld some of the 
 wondrous miracles of Christ, so that he was now in the eyes of Him, Who 
 read the heart, prepared for his call. 
 
 15. sat at fneat] It is St Luke who tells us that St Matthew made 
 "a great feast" in honour of his new Master (Luke v. 29), and to it, per- 
 haps by way of farewell, he invited many of his old associates. This 
 shews that he had made large sacrifices in order to follow Christ ; 
 see Neander's Life of Christ, p. 230. 
 
 publicans and sinners] The "publicans" properly so called were 
 persons who farmed the Roman taxes and in later times were usually 
 Roman knights and men of wealth and position. Those here alluded to 
 were the inferior officers, natives of the province where the taxes were 
 collected, called properly portitores. So notorious were they for rapacity 
 and dishonesty that Suetonius {Vit. Vesp. I.) tells us how several cities 
 erected statues to Sabinus, "the honest publican;" and Theocritus in 
 answer to the question, which were the worst kind of wild beasts, 
 said, "On the mountains bears and lions; in cities, publicans and 
 pettifoggers." The Jews included them in the same category with 
 harlots and sinners; see Matt. xxi. 31, 32, xviii. 17. Observe that in 
 his Gospel St Matthew alone styles himself va. the list of the Apostles "the 
 publican. " 
 
 16. they said unto his disciples] Overawed by the miracles He had 
 wrought and the overthrow they had lately experienced at the healing of 
 
42 ST MARK, II. [vv. 17—21. 
 
 his disciples, How is it that he eateth and driiiketh with 
 
 , pubhcans and sinners? When Jesus heard it, he saith unto 
 
 them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, 
 
 but they that are sick : I came not to call the righteous, but 
 
 j8 sinners to repentance. And the disciples of John and of the 
 
 Pharisees used to fast : and they come and say unto him, 
 
 Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but 
 
 15, thy disciples fast not? And Jesus said unto them. Can the 
 
 children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is 
 
 with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, 
 
 20 they cannot fast. But the days will come, when the bride- 
 groom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they 
 
 21 fast in those days. No man also seweth a piece of new 
 
 the paralytic, and not as yet venturing on any open rupture with Him, 
 they vent their displeasure on His disciples. It is not likely that the 
 Pharisees were present at the feast, or they would have involved 
 themselves in the same blame. Probably they looked in while it 
 was in progress, and afterwards came forward to the disciples coming 
 out. 
 
 18. the disciples of Jolml The contrast between their Master in 
 prison and Jesus at the feast could not fail to be felt. Perhaps the 
 Pharisees had solicited them to make common cause with themselves 
 in this matter. Their rigorous asceticism offered various points of con- 
 tact between them and the disciples of the Baptist. 
 
 used to fast] The Jews were wont to fast on Thursday because on that 
 day Moses was said to have re-ascended Mount Sinai; on Monday 
 because on that day he returned. Comp. the words of the Pharisee, 
 Luke xviii. 12, ^'1 fast twice in the week." Perhaps this feast took 
 place on one of their weekly fasts. 
 
 19. the children of the bridechamber] i. e. the friends and companions 
 of the bridegroom, who accompanied him to the house of the bride for 
 the marriage. Comp. Judges xiv. 11. 
 
 the bridegroom] He reminds the disciples of John of the image 
 under which their own great Master had spoken of Him as the Bride- 
 groom (John iii. 29), at the sound of Whose voice he rejoiced. 
 
 20. the days will come] The thought of death accompanies our 
 Lord even to the social meal, and in the now undisguised hatred of His 
 opponents He sees a token of what must hereafter come to pass. A dim 
 hint of the same kind He had already given in His saying to the Jewish 
 rulers, "Destroy this Temple and in three days I will raise it up' (John 
 ii. 19), and in His conversation with Nicodemus (John iii. 14). 
 
 taken away] The same word is used by each of the Synoptists, and 
 implies a violent termination of His life. The words occur nowhere 
 else in the New Testament. This is the first open allusion recorded by 
 St Mark, though probably little understood at the time, to the death, 
 which was so soon to separate Him from His disciples. 
 
vv. 22— 25.] ST MARK, II. 43 
 
 cloth on an old garment : else the new piece that filled it up 
 taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse. And 32 
 no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new 
 wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the 
 bottles will be marred : but new wine must be put into new 
 bottles. 
 
 23 — 28. The Disciples pluck the Ears of Corn. 
 And it came to pass, that he went through the corn 23 
 fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they 
 went, to pluck the ears of corn. And the Pharisees said 24 
 unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that 
 which is not lawful? And he said unto them, Have ye 25 
 
 21. new clothl Literally uncorded or unteazled cloth. 
 
 else] i.e. if lie do, the new piece taketh from the old garment, and 
 makes worse its original rents. 
 
 22. new] Men do not pour new, or unfermented, wine into old and 
 worn wine-skins. "My disciples," our Lord seems to say, "are not 
 yet strong. They have not yet been baptized into the Spirit. They 
 need tenderness and consideration. They could no more endure severe 
 new doctrine than an old robe could the insertion of a piece of new 
 cloth which had never passed through the hands of the fuller." In 
 training His disciples our Lord never took the old wine from them till 
 they were capable of relishing the new. In Rom. xiv. we have the best 
 practical commentary on His words. 
 
 23—28. The Disciples pluck the Ears of Corn. 
 
 23. on the sabbath day] St Luke tells us that this was a "second 
 first Sabbath'' i. e. either (i) the first Sabbath after the second day of 
 unleavened bread ; or (2) the first Sabbath in the second year of a 
 Sabbatical cycle ; or (3) the first Sabbath of the second month (Luke 
 vi. i). See Wieseler's Chronol. Synop. p. 353 sq. 
 
 to f luck the ears of corn] From St Matthew we learn that they were 
 an hungred {yizit. xii. i). The act described marks the season of the 
 year. The wheat was ripe, for they would not have rubbed barley 
 in their hands (Luke vi. i). We may conclude therefore, the time 
 was a week or two after the Passover, when the first ripe sheaf was 
 offered as the firstfruits of the harvest. For the exact date of this 
 Sabbath see "Wieseler's Chronol. Synop. p. 225 sq. 
 
 24. that which is not lawful] They did not accuse them of theft, 
 for the Law allowed what they were doing (Deut, xxiii. 25). They 
 accused them of profaning the Sabbath. The Law of course forbade 
 reaping and threshing on that day, but the Rabbis had decided that 
 even to pluck corn was to be construed as reaping, and to rub it as 
 threshing. They even forbad walking on grass as a species of threshing, 
 and would not allow so much as a fruit to be plucked from a tree on 
 that day. See Lightfoot, Hoi-. Heb. in Matt. xii. 2. 
 
44 ST MARK, II. III. [vv. 26-28; 1,2. 
 
 never read what David did, when he had need, and was an 
 
 26 hungred, he, and they that were with him? how he went 
 into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high 
 priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat 
 but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with 
 
 27 him? And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for 
 
 28 man, and not man for the sabbath : therefore the Son of man 
 is Lord also of the sabbath. 
 
 I — 6. The Man with the Withered Hand. 
 3 And he entered again into the synagogue; and there 
 2 was a man there which had a withered hand. And they 
 watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath 
 
 25. Have ye never read] Rather, Did ye never read? With a gentle 
 irony He adopts one of the favourite formulas of their own Rabbis, 
 and inquires if they had never read what David their favourite hero 
 had done when flying from Saul. He came to the high priest at Nob, 
 and entered the Tabernacle, and ate of the hallowed bread (i Sam. 
 xxi. I — 9), of the "twelve cakes of fine flour" which no stranger might 
 eat (Ex. xxix. 33). 
 
 26. Abiathar] In 2 Sam. viii. 17, and the parallel passage i Chron. 
 xviii. 16, we find Ahinielech substituted for Abiathar; while in 2 Sam. 
 XX. 25, and every other passage of the O. T., we are told it was 
 Abiathar who was priest with ZadoTc in David's reign, and that he was 
 the son of Ahimelech. Some therefore suppose that there is a clerical 
 error here in the MSS. Others think that the loaves of shewbread 
 belonged to Abiathar, at this time a priest (Lev. xxiv. 9), that he 
 persuaded his father to let David have them, and gave them to him 
 with his own hand. 
 
 * Ch. III. 1—6. The Man with the Withered Hand. 
 
 1. And he entered] The narrative of St Mark here is peculiarly 
 vivid and pictorial. He places the scene actually before us and relates 
 it very much in the present tense. The incident occurred at Ca- 
 pernaum, and probably on the next Sabbath. See Luke vi, 6. 
 
 a withered hand] It is characteristic of the physician St Luke that 
 he tells us it was his '^'^ right hand." It was probably not merely 
 paralysed in the sinews, but dried up and withered, the result of a 
 partial atrophy. Comp. i Kings xiii. 4, for the parallel case of Jeroboam. 
 Such a malady, when once established, is incurable by any human art. 
 
 2. they watched him] The same company of Scribes and Pharisees 
 had gathered together from Judaea, Jerusalem, and Galilee itself (Luke 
 V. 17), to find matter of accusation against Him. They watched Him 
 with no friendly purpose. The word itself signifies stratagem and 
 hostility : comp. Luke xx. 20, "And they watched l^va\. and sent forth 
 spies :" Acts ix. 24, "And they watched the gates day and night to 
 kill him." 
 
vv. 3—6.] ST MARK, III. 45 
 
 day; that they might accuse him. And he saith unto the 3 
 man which had the withered hand, Stand forth. And he 4 
 'saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath 
 days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held 
 their peace. And when he had looked round about on them 5 
 with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, 
 he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he 
 stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the 
 other. And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took 6 
 
 3. he sait/i] It would seem that the Pharisees first asked Him, 
 "Is it lawfiil to heal on the Sabbath day?'' (Matt. xii. 10). This 
 question He answered, as was His wont (Matt. xxi. 24), by a counter- 
 question, " / will ask you one thijtg. Is it lawful on the Sabbath 
 days to do good or to do evil? to save life or to destroy it ?" 
 
 4. But they held their peace\ St Mark alone mentions this striking 
 circumstance, as also what we read in the next verse, that " He looked 
 round about on them with anger.'''' 
 
 5. with angerl Not merely did He look upon them, He *' looked 
 round''' upon them, surveyed each face with "an all-embracing gaze 
 of grief and anger." Feelings of "grief" and "anger" are here 
 ascribed to Him, who was " very God and very Man," just as in 
 another place we read that *'He wept" before the raising of Lazarus 
 (John xi. 35), and "slept" before He stilled the storm (Mark iv. 38), 
 and was an hungred (Matt. iv. 2), and was "exceeding sorrowful even 
 unto death " (Matt. xxvi. 38).. 
 
 being grieved'] The word here used occurs nowhere else in the New 
 Testament, and implies "a feeling of compassion for," even in the midst 
 of anger at, their conduct. 
 
 hardjtessl The word thus rendered denotes literally (i) the process 
 by which the extremities of fractured bones are re-united by a callus ; 
 then (2) callousness, hardness. St Paul uses the word in Rom. xi. 25, 
 saying, "I would not have you ignorant, \)XQ.'C^xtVi, ...that hardness 
 (see margin) in part is happened to Israel ;" and again in Eph. iv. 18, 
 "Having the understanding darkened ... because of the hardness of 
 their heart" (see margin again). The verb, which = " to petrify," "to 
 harden into stone," occurs in Mark vi. 52, viii. 1,7; John xii. 40; 
 2 Cor. iii. 14. 
 
 whole as the other] This is one of the instances where our Lord 
 may be said to have wrought a miracle without a zvord, or the employ- 
 ment of any external means. It also forms one of seven miracles ^ 
 wrought on the Sabbath-day. The other six were, (i) The demoniac 
 at Capernaum (Mark i. 21) ; (2) Simon's wife's mother (Mark i. 29) ; 
 (3) the impotent man at the pool of Bethesda (John v. 9) ; (4) the 
 woman with a spirit of infirmity (Luke xiii. 14) ; (5) the man who had 
 the dropsy (Luke xiv. i) ; (6) the man bom blind (John ix. 14). 
 
 6. And the Pharisees went forth] The effect of this miracle was 
 very great. The Scribes and Pharisees were *' filled with madness" 
 
46 ST MARK, III. [w. 7— 9. 
 
 counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might 
 destroy him. 
 
 7 — 12. Withdrawal of Jesus to the Lake of Gennesaret. 
 
 7 But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the 
 sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, 
 
 8 and from Judaea, and from Jerusalem, and from Idumsea, 
 send fro7n beyond Jordan; and they about Tyre and Sidon, 
 a great multitude, when they had heard what great things he 
 
 9 did, came unto him. And he spake to his disciples, that a 
 small ship should wait on him because of the multitude, lest 
 
 the Saviour had not merely broken their traditions, but He had 
 put them to silence before all the people. In their blind hate they 
 did not shrink even from joining the Herodians, the court party, and 
 their political opponents, and taking counsel with them how they might 
 put Him to death. As before at Jerusalem so now in Galilee this 
 design is deliberately formed. 
 
 t/ie Herodians\ This is the first occasion on which the Herodians 
 are mentioned. We shall meet with them again in Mark xii. 13, on 
 the "Day of Questions" in Holy Week. Just as the partisans of 
 Marius were called " Mariani," of Pompeius "Pompeiani," of Otho 
 " Othoniani," so the partisans of Herod the Great and his successors 
 were called " Herodiani." The sect was rather a political than a reli- 
 gious body. Adopting Sadducean opinions, they held that the hopes 
 of the Jewish nation rested on the Herods as a bulwark against Roman 
 ambition, and almost looked to them for a fulfilment of the prophecies 
 respecting the advent of the Messiah. They favoured the compro- 
 mise between the ancient faith and later civilisation, which Herod 
 inaugurated, and his successors endeavoured to realise. On one occa- 
 sion our Lord warns his disciples against " the leaven of Herod " in 
 close connection with "the leaven of the Pharisees" (Mark viii. 15; 
 Luke xii. i). Galilee being the chief centre of Christ's activity, the 
 Pharisees from Judaea were glad on the present occasion to avail them- 
 selves of any aid from the tetrarch of this part of Palestine and his fol- 
 lowers. 
 7—12. Withdrawal of Jesus to the Lake of Gennesaret. 
 
 7. a great mtiltihide] Observe the wide area from which the multi- 
 tude were now gathered together; the region (r) of Tyre and Sidon 
 and Galilee in the North of Palestine ; (2) of Judsea and Jerusalem in 
 the centre, (3) of Perasa "beyond the Jordan" on the East, (4) of 
 Idumsea in the extreme South. This is the only place where Idumoea, 
 the country occupied by the descendants of Esau, is mentioned in the 
 N. T. In the O. T. the name is found in Isai. xxxiv. 5, 6; Ezek. 
 XXXV. 15, xxxvi. 5. 
 
 9. a small ship] The life on the sea, in the ship which was now 
 His chief place of instruction in opposition to the synagogue, henceforth 
 had its commencement. 
 
vv. 10—14.] ST MARK, III. 47 
 
 they should throng him. For he had healed many ; inso- 10 
 much that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many 
 as had plagues. And unclean spirits, when they saw him, n 
 fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of 
 God. And he straitly charged them that they should not 12 
 make him known. 
 
 13 — 19. The Calling of the Twelve Apostles, 
 And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth iinto 13 
 him whom he would: and they came unto him. And he 14 
 ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that 
 
 10. plagiml The word thus rendered denotes (i) a ivhip or scourge, 
 and is used in this sense in Acts xxii. 24 ; Heb. xi. 36; (2) z. plague 
 ox disease of the body. Comp. Mark v. 29, 34; Luke vii. 21. 
 
 11. Thoic art the Son of God'\ In the Synagogue of Capernaum 
 they had called Him the "Holy One of God" (Mark i. 24), they now 
 acknowledge Him as the "Son of God" (comp. Luke iv. 41). The 
 force of the imperfect tense in the original here is very striking, " "when- 
 ever the demons saw Him, they kept falling down before Him and 
 
 saying " and as often as they did so, " He straitly charged them that 
 
 they should not make Him known," i.e. as the Messiah "the Son of God." 
 
 13 — 19. The Calling of the Twelve Apostles. 
 
 13. And he goeth'] We have now reached an important turning- 
 point in the Gospel History, (i) The fame of the Saviour had spread 
 abroad in every direction throughout the land, and the current of 
 popular feeling had set strongly in His favour. But (ii) the animosity of 
 the ruling powers had deepened in intensity alike in Judsea and Galilee, and 
 an active correspondence was going on between the Scribes and Pharisees 
 in both districts respecting Him. Meanwhile (iii) He Himself had seemed 
 to stand almost alone. A few indeed had gathered round Him as His 
 disciples, but as yet they did not present the appearance of a regular 
 and organized body, nor had they received a distinct commission to 
 disseminate His doctrines. Such a body was now to be formed. Such 
 a commission was now to be given. Accordingly He retired to the 
 mountain-range west of the Lake, and spent the whole night in prayer 
 to God (Luke \\. 12). The scene of His retirement and lonely vigil 
 was in all probability the singular elevation now known as the Kardn 
 Hattin, or " Horns of Hattin," the only conspicuous hill on the western 
 side of the Lake, and "singularly adapted by its conformation both to 
 form a place for short retirement, and a rendezvous for gathering multi- 
 tudes." Then at dawn of the following day (Luke vi. 13), He 
 
 calleth unto him whom he would] of the disciples, who had gradually 
 gathered around Him, and when they had come to Him He selected 
 for Himself (Luke vi. 13), and 
 
 14. ordained twelve] Hitherto they had been His friends and 
 disciples in a wider sense, now He formally called them, and joined 
 
ST MARK, III. [vv. 15—17. 
 
 15 he might send them forth to preach, and to have power 
 
 16 to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils: and Simon he sur- 
 
 17 named Peter; and James the son of Zebedee, and John the 
 
 them in a united band, that (i) they "might be with Him" (comp. Acts 
 i. li), (ii) that He might "send them forth" as heralds to preach, and 
 (iii) that they "might have power to cast out demons," for the words 
 " to heal sickttesses" are omitted in some of the best MSS. 
 
 (i) The number of the Apostles, The number selected, answering to 
 the twelve sons of Jacob, was small indeed as compared with the 
 hundreds who enrolled themselves as disciples of a Hillel or a Gamaliel, 
 and their position in life was humble and obscure, but '■Uhe weak things 
 of the world were to confound the things which are ?nighty" (i Cor. i. 27), 
 and these Twelve were to be the Twelve Pillars of the Church. 
 
 (ii) Their calling and trainhig. Observe that the calling and training 
 of the Twelve was a most important part of our Lord's ministerial work, 
 (a) Immediately after His Baptism and Temptation He began to pre- 
 pare some of them for their future vocation (John i. 35 — 51); {b) to their 
 training He devoted the greater part of His time and strength ; (r) after 
 His resurrection He continued for forty days His personal efforts for 
 their improvement, and {d) at last He bestowed upon them His pro- 
 mised gift of the Holy Ghost. 
 
 (iii) Their title. The name also which He gave to them deserves 
 attention. He named them Apostles (Luke vi. 13). The word thus 
 rendered means (i) as an adjective, despatched or sent forth, (ii) as a sub- 
 stantive, the actual delegate of the person who sends him. 
 
 (a) In Classical Greek the word was almost entirely restricted to 
 the meaning of a "naval expedition," a "fleet despatched on foreign 
 service," and this meaning entirely superseded any other. 
 
 {p) In the Septuagint the word occurs only once, namely, in i Kings 
 xiv. 6, in the sense of "a messenger," "one who has a commission from 
 God," where Abijah says to the wife of Jeroboam, "I am a messenger 
 unto thee of heavy tidings." 
 
 (f) With the later Jews the word was in common use, and was the 
 title of those, who were sent from the mother city on any foreign 
 mission, especially the collection of the tribute for the Temple service. 
 
 (d) Thus when He employed it to designate His immediate and most 
 favoured disciples, "our Lord was not introducing a new term, but 
 adopting one which from its current usage would suggest to His hearers 
 the idea of a highly responsible mission." In Heb. iii. i He Him- 
 self is styled " The Apostle and high priest of our profession," with which 
 compare John xvii. 18. Canon Lightfoot on the Epistle to the Galatians, 
 p. 94. 
 
 16. and Simon"] We have in the New Testament four lists of the 
 Apostles : {a) Matt. x. 2; {b) Mark iii. 16; {c) Luke vi. 14; {d) Acts i. 
 13. The position of some of the names varies in the lists, but in all 
 four the leaders of the three groups are the same, Peter, Philip, and 
 James, the son of Alphaeus, while in all four Judas Iscariot is placed last. 
 According to St Mark's catalogue they may be arranged in three groups : 
 
V. 1 8.] ST MARK, III. 49 
 
 brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which 
 is, The sons of thunder: and Andrew, and PhiUp, and Bar- 1 
 
 (i) I Peter. (ii) 5 Philip. (iii) 9 James the Less. 
 
 2 James. 6 Bartholomew. 10 Thaddreus. 
 
 3 John. 7 Matthew. 1 1 Simon the Cananite. 
 
 4 Andrew. 8 Thomas. 12 Judas Iscariot. 
 
 {a) Group i. 
 i. Simon. The name of Simeon (Acts xv. 14) or Simon, a 
 "hearer," the son of Jonas (John i. 42, xxi. 16), whom our Lord sur- 
 named Peter or Cephas, the Rock-vian, stands first in all the four lists. 
 He was brought up in his father's occupation, as a fisherman on the 
 Galilean lake, and lived originally at Bethsaida, and afterwards in 
 a house at Capernaum (Mark i. 21, 29). His earliest call came to him 
 through his brother Andrew, who told him the Messias, the " Anointed 
 One," had been found in the Person of the Lord (John i. 43). His second 
 call took place on the lake near Capernaum, where he and the other three 
 in this group were fishing. He is specially prominent on various occa- 
 sions before the rest of the Apostles. Sometimes he speaks in their 
 name (Matt. xix. 27 ; Luke xii. 41); sometimes answers when all are 
 addressed {M3itt xvi. 16; Mark viii. 29); sometimes he is addressed as 
 principal, even among the favoured Three by our Lord Himself (Matt. 
 xxvi. 40; Luke xxii. 31); sometimes he is appealed toby others as repre- 
 senting the rest (Matt. xvii. 24; Acts ii. 37). After the Ascension he 
 assumes a position of special prominence (Acts i. 15, ii. 14, iv. 8, v. 29). 
 
 17. ii. yames the son of Zebedee sxi^ Salome (Matt, xxvii. 56; Mark 
 xv. 40), a native of Bethsaida, commonly known as James "the Great," 
 the first of the Apostolic body to suffer martyrdom, and the only one of 
 the Twelve whose death is actually recorded in the New Testament. 
 
 iii. Johi] the brother of James, who never in his Gospel calls him- 
 self by this name, but sometimes ^''the disciple whom yesns loved" (John 
 xiii. 23, xix. 26), sometimes '•'■the other discipW'' (John xviii. 15, xx. 
 2, 3). To him our Lord committed the care of His earthly mother. 
 These brothers were surnamed by our Lord, according to St Mark, 
 Boatierges, i.e. "sois of thimder" in allusion we may believe to the 
 fiery intrepid zeal which marked their character. Of this feature we 
 have traces in Luke ix. 54; Mark ix. 38, x. 37. 
 
 18. iv. Andrew'] a brother of St Peter (Matt. iv. 18), and like him 
 a native of Bethsaida, and a former disciple of the Baptist (John i. 40). 
 By his means his brother Simon was brought to Jesus (John i. 41). In 
 the lists of the Apostles given by St Matthew and St Luke he appears 
 second; but in St Mark and Acts i. 13, fourth. We have three notices 
 of him in the Gospels, (i) On the occasion of the feeding of the Five 
 Thousand it is he who points out the little lad with the five barley loaves 
 and the two fishes; (ii) when certain Greeks desired to see Jesus, it was 
 he in conjunction with Philip who introduced them to the Lord (John 
 xii. 22); (iii) together with Peter, James, and John he inquired privately 
 of our Lord respecting His future coming (Mark xiii. 3). 
 
 ST MARK 4 
 
50 ST MARK, III. [v. 19. 
 
 tholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of 
 19 Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite, and 
 
 {b) Group ii. 
 
 V. Philip] He also was a native of Bethsaida and one of the earliest 
 disciples (John i. 43). To him first of the whole circle of the Apostles 
 were spoken the solemn words "Follow Me." It was to him the ques- 
 tion was put "to prove him," " Whence shall we buy bi-ead, that these 
 may eat?'''' (John vi. 5 — 9); together with his friend and fellow towns- 
 man, St Andrew, he brought the inquiring Greeks to the Saviour 
 (John xii. 20 — 22) ; it was he who asked ^^Lord, shew tis the Father, and 
 it sufficeth tis" (John xiv. 8). 
 
 vi. Partholomeiv\ i.e. Bar-Tolmai, the ^''Son of Tolniai" ^ndi ^pro- 
 bably identical with Nathanael = ^^gi/t of God.'''' For (i) St John twice 
 mentions Nathanael, never Bartholomew (John i. 45, xxi. 2); (ii) the 
 other Evangelists all speak of Bartholomew, never of Nathanael; (iii) 
 Philip first brought Nathanael to Jesus, and Bartholomew is mentioned 
 by each of the Synoptic Evangelists immediately after Philip ; (iv) St 
 John couples Philip with Nathanael precisely in the same way that 
 Simon is coupled with his brother Andrew. Respecting him, at least 
 under the name Nathanael, we learn from the Gospels little more than 
 (a) his birth-place, Cana of Galilee (John xxi. 2); [b) his simple, guileless 
 character (John i. 47); and (<r) that he was one of the seven, to whom 
 our Lord shewed Himself by the lake of Gennesaret after His resurrec- 
 tion (John xxi. 2). 
 
 vii. Matthew] or Lrji, whose call has just been described. See 
 above, on ii. 14. 
 
 viii. Thomas] or Didymus = fl; tzvin (John xi. t6, xxi. 2), whose 
 character was marked by a deep attachment to his Master and a readi- 
 ness even to die with Him (John xi. 16), but at the same time by 
 a tendency to misgiving and despondency, which made him ever ready . 
 to take the darker view of things, and to distrust other evidence than'X' 
 that of sight (John xiv. 5, xx. 25). 1 V" ^'^ ' 
 
 {c) Group m. Hi 
 
 ix. yaiftes] or "James the Less" (see note below, xv. 40), the son of 
 Alphaeus, so called to distinguish him from James, the son of Zebedee, 
 mentioned above. He is probably a distinct person from James the 
 Lord's brother (Gal. i. 19), and author of the Epistle, which bears his 
 name. 
 
 x. ThaddcEus] i. e. Judas, a brother, or possibly a son of James, bishop 
 of Jerusalem (Acts i. 13). He was surnamed Thadda:us and Lebbceus (Matt. 
 X. 3), which some interpret ^% = ^'cordaius or a7ti7nosus^^=^^a. man of 
 energy and courage." He is the author of the Epistle which bears 
 his name. Once only in the Gospels do we find any act or saying of 
 his recorded, viz., in John xiv. 22, ^^Lord, how is it that thou wilt 
 manifest thyself tmto us, and not unto the world ?^'' 
 
 xi. Simon] the Cananite, or Canana:an (Matt. x. 4), in Greek 
 Zelotes (Luke vi. 15; Acts i. 13). The spelling of the English Version 
 here is misleading. The word does not signify a native of Canaan, or 
 
vv. 20— 23.] ST MARK, III. 51 
 
 Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him : and they went into 
 an house. 
 
 20 — 30. How can Satan cast out Sata?i ? 
 And the multitude cometh together again, so that they 20 
 could not so much as eat bread. And when his friends 21 
 heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him : for they 
 said, He is beside himself And the scribes which came 22 
 down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by 
 the prince of the devils casteth he out devils. And he 23 
 
 of Cana, but comes from a Chaldee or Syriac word Kanean or ICaneniah, 
 by which the Jewish sect or faction of "the Zealots" was designated. 
 To this sect Simon had probably belonged before his call. 
 
 19. xii. yudas Iscartot] sometimes called the son of Simon (John 
 vi. 71, xiii. 2, 26), more generally Iscariot, i.e. probably "a; native 
 of KeriotJif a little village in the tribe of Judah (Jos. xv. 25; Jer. 
 xlviii. 24). For the probable motives that led him to become the 
 traitor, see note on xiv. 10. 
 
 and they went into an hoiise\ The incident here related took place 
 after the delivery of the Sermon on the Mount, and the Saviour's 
 second ministerial journey, an interval of a few months (?). 
 20 — 30. How CAN Satan cast out Satan? 
 
 20. the vmltitude cometh together againi i. e. at Capernaum, which 
 had now become our Lord's temporary home. 
 
 21. whe7i his fiends] not the Apostles, but His relatives, including 
 "His brethren and His mother," who are noticed here as going forth, 
 and a few verses later on as having arrived at the house where our Lord 
 was (Mark iii. 31), or the place where the crowds were thronging Him. 
 
 He is beside himself] They deemed the zeal and daily devotion to 
 His labour of love a sort of ecstasy or religious enthusiasm, which made 
 Him no longer master of Himself. St Paul uses the word in this sense 
 in 2 Cor. V. 13, ^^Yor \\\iQ\\\exviQ be beside onrselves,\\.\s ioGod.^^ Comp. 
 the words of Festus to St Paul (Acts xxvi, 24). 
 
 22. And the saibes] The hostile party from Jerusalem, noticed 
 above, consisting of Scribes and Pharisees, still lingered at Capernaum. 
 
 I/e hath Beelzebub] St Matthew tells us of the miracle, which was 
 the occasion of this blasphemy, the cure of a man not only possessed with 
 a demon, but also blind and dumb (Matt. xii. 22). Beelzebub or rather 
 Beelzebu-/ was the title of a heathen deity, to whom the Jews ascribed the 
 sovereignty of the "evil spirits." {a) Some would connect the name 
 with st'(^z2/= habitation, so making \\. = the Lord of the divelling (Matt. x. 
 25), in his character of "prince of the power of the air" (Eph. ii. 2), or 
 of the lower world, or as occupying a mansion in the seventh heavens. 
 {b) Others would connect it with zebel=dnng, and so make \\. = the lord 
 of dung or the dung-hill, a term of derision amongst the Jews for the lord 
 of idols, the prince of false gods. This fearful blasphemy was repeated 
 more than once. See Luke xi. 17 sq. 
 
 4—2 
 
ST MARK, III. [vv. 24—32. 
 
 called them wito him, and said unto them in pambles, How 
 
 24 can Satan cast out Satan? And if a kingdom be divided 
 
 25 against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house 
 
 26 be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if 
 Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot 
 
 27 stand, but hath an end. No man can enter into a strong 
 man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind 
 
 23 the strong man; and then he will spoil his house. Verily 
 I say unto you. All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons 
 of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blas- 
 
 sg pheme : but he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost 
 hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damna- 
 
 30 tion : because they said. He hath an unclean spirit. 
 
 31 — 35. His Mother afid His Brethren come to Hi?Ji. 
 
 31 There came then his brethren and his mother, and, stand- 
 52 ing without, sent unto him, calling him. And the multitude 
 
 sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother 
 
 23. Hoiu can Satan cast out Satan /*] Using an irresistible argumen- 
 tum ad ho/fiinem He shews them the absurdity of supposing that 
 Satan could be his own enemy. If neither kingdom, nor city (Matt, 
 xii. 25), nor house could stand, when divided against itself, much less 
 could the empire of the Evil One. 
 
 27. a strong man^ s honsc\ The "strong man" is Satan; his House 
 or Palace is this Lower world; the Stronger than the Strong is Christ, 
 who first bound the Evil One, when He triumphed over his temptations. 
 Comp. Luke xi. 21, 22. 
 
 28. Verily I say unto yott] a favourite formula of our Lord's, which 
 we often find in St John, when He would draw special attention to any 
 of His Divine utterances. 
 
 29. but he that shall blasphe77ie'\ The sin, against which these words 
 are a terrible but merciful warning, is not so niuch an act, as a state of 
 sin, on the part of one, who in defiance of light and knowledge, of 
 set purpose rejects, and not only rejects but persrueres in rejecting, the 
 warnings of conscience, and the Grace of the Holy Spirit, who blinded 
 by religious bigotry rather than ascribe a good work to the Spirit 
 of Good prefer to ascribe it to the Spirit of Evil, and thus wilfully put 
 "bitter for sweet" and "sweet for bitter," "darkness for light" and 
 "light for darkness." Such a state if persevered in and not repented of 
 excludes from pardon, for it is the sin unto death spoken of in i John v. 16. 
 
 31 — 35. His Mother and His Brethren come to Him. 
 31. his brethrenl Their names, James, Joses, Simon, Judas, are 
 given in Matt. xiii. 55 and AL'irk vi. 3. Some understand them to have 
 been His literal "brethren, "others think they were the sons of Cleophas 
 
 rgin. 
 
^'v. 33-35; i, 2.] ST MARK, III. IV. 53 
 
 and thy brethren without seek for thee. And he answered 33 
 them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren? And he 34 
 looked round about on them which sat about him, and said. 
 Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall 35 
 do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, 
 and mother. 
 
 I — 9. The Parable of the Sower. 
 And he began again to teach by the sea side : and 4 
 there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he 
 entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole mul- 
 titude was by the sea on the land. And he taught them 2 
 
 32. seek for thee'\ They had already left the place where they 
 abode, and gone forth in quest of Him; see above, v. ^\. 
 
 33. Who is\ It is thought that the "brethren" wished to share in 
 His fame, and to prove to the people their connection with Him and 
 their influence over Him. But the tenderness of His love for His 
 earthly mother, which He displayed so clearly upon the Cross, only 
 brings out in stronger relief the devotion, with which He gave Himself 
 up to the performance of the Will of His Father in heaven and the 
 furtherance of His glory. "He despises not His Mother, He places 
 before her His Father." Bengel. 
 
 34. looked round] Another graphic touch peculiar to the second 
 Evangelist. See Introduction, p. 18. Our Lord repeated the saying 
 here recorded on another occasion, Luke viii. 21. 
 
 Ch. IV. 1—9. The Parable of the Sower. 
 1. by the sea side] The scenery round the Lake doubtless suggested 
 many of the details of the Parables now delivered, (i) On the shore 
 was the vast multitude gathered ** out of every city" (Luke viii. 4) ; 
 (2) from the fishing-boat the eye of the Divine Speaker would rest on 
 [a) patches of undulating corn-fields with ihe t-roddeft pathway xwnmng 
 through them, the' 7-ocky grotind of the hill-side protruding here and 
 there, the large bushes of thorn gi'owing in the very midst of the waving 
 wheat, the deep loam of the good rich soil which distinguishes the 
 whole of the Plain of Gennesaret descending close to the water's edge ; 
 {b) the mustard-tree, which grows especially on the shores of the 
 Lake ; [c) the fishermen connected with the great fisheries, which once 
 made the fame of Gennesaret, plying amidst its marvellous shoals of 
 fish, the drag-net or haivling-net (Matt. xiii. 47, 48), the casting-net 
 (Matt. iv. 18 ; Mark i. 16), the bag-net and basket-net (Luke v. 4 — 9) ; 
 {d) the women and children employed in picking out from the wheat 
 the tall green stalks, called by the Arabs, Zunvdn = the Greek Zizania 
 = the Lollia of the Vulgate, the tares of our Version ; [e) the countless 
 flocks of birds, aquatic fowls by the lake-side, partridges and pigeons 
 hovering over the rich plain. See Stanley's Sinai and Palestine, pp. 
 425 — 427 ; Thomson's Land and the Book, p, 402; Tristram's Lajid 
 of Israel, p. 431. 
 
54 ST MARK, IV. [vv. 3—7. 
 
 3 many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine, 
 
 ^ Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow: and it 
 
 came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and 
 
 5 the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. And some 
 fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and im- 
 mediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth : 
 
 6 but when the sun was up, it was scorched ; and because it 
 
 7 had no root, it withered aAvay. And some fell among thorns, 
 and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no 
 
 2. by pa^'abks] (i) The Greek word thus rendered denotes {a) a 
 placing beside, {b) a comparing, a compaj'ison. In Hellenistic Greek it 
 became coextensive with the Hebrew wajA^/= similitude, (ii) In this 
 sense it is applied 
 
 (j) In the Old Testament, to — 
 
 {a) The shortest proverbs: as i Sam. x. 12, "Therefore it became 
 
 a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets?" xxiv. 13, "As saith 
 
 the proTo'crb of the ancients;" 1 Chron. vii. •20, "I will make it 
 
 to be a proverb and a byword among all nations. " 
 {b) Dark prophetic utterances: as Num. xxiii. 7, "And he took up 
 
 his parable and said;" Ezek. xx. 49, '-'AhLord God! they say of 
 
 me, Doth he not speak parables ?^^ 
 (c) Enigtnatic maxims: as Ps. Ixxviii. 2, "I will open my mouth 
 
 in z. pai'able ;" Prov. i. 6, "the words of the wise and their da7'k 
 
 sayings.^'' 
 {2) Jti the Gospels, to — 
 
 [a] Short sayings: as Luke iv. 23, "Ye will surely say unto me 
 
 \\\i% proverb. Physician, heal thyself." 
 (p) A comparison without a yiarrative: as Mark xiii. 28, "Now learn 
 
 its parable of the fig tree" (see note in loc). 
 (c) Comparisons with narratives of earthly things with heavenly, as 
 
 the Parables of our Lord. 
 
 3. Hcarke7t\ This summons to attention is peculiar to St Mark. 
 went out] The expression implies that the sower did not sow near 
 
 his own house, or in a garden fenced or walled, but went forth into 
 the open country. Thomson's Land and the Book, p. 82. 
 
 4. by the way side] i. e. on the hard footpath, or road, passing 
 through the cultivated land. 
 
 5. stony gron7id] This must be compared with "the rock" men- 
 tioned by St Luke (viii. 6). What is meant is not a soil mingled 
 with stones, for then there would be no hindrance to the roots striking 
 deeply ; but a thin coating of mould covering the surface of a rock, 
 which stretched below and presented an impassable barrier to the 
 growth of the roots. 
 
 6. whcji the sun zuas up] For the reference of the word thus 
 translated to the rising of the sun or stars comp. Num. xxiv. 17 ; 
 Is. Ix. r ; Mai. iv. 2. 
 
 7. thorns] The "Nabk" of the Arabs, which gi'ows abundantly 
 
vv. 8— 12.] ST MARK, IV. 55 
 
 fruit. And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit 8 
 that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some 
 thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred. And he said 9 
 unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. 
 10 — 25. The Expla7iation of the Parable. 
 And when he was alone, they that were about him with the 10 
 twelve asked of him the parable. And he said unto them, n 
 Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of 
 God: but unto them that are without, all these \k(mg's. are done 
 in parables: that seeing they may see, and not perceive; 12 
 
 in Syria and Palestine, and of which the Crown of Thorns was pro- 
 bably woven. 
 
 and choked it\ or as Wyclif translates it *')?omes stieded up, and 
 strangliden it. " The seed and the thorns grew together, but the thorns 
 gradually out-topped it, drew the moisture from the roots, and shut out 
 the air and light, so that it pined and dwindled, and "yielded no fruit." 
 
 8. some thirty] St Luke says simply ^^and bare fruit an hundred' 
 fold.''^ St Matthew says ^^ some an hundred-fold, so??ie sixty-fold, some 
 
 thirty-fold.^^ St Mark begins from the lowest return, and ascends to 
 the highest. It is said of Isaac that he sowed and "received in the 
 same year an hundred-fold" (Gen. xxvi. 12). Herodotus tells us that 
 two hundred-fold was a common return in the plain of Babylon, while 
 a kind of white maize often in Palestine returns several hundred-fold. 
 Observe the four kinds of seed. The first did not spring up at all ; 
 the second sprang up, but soon withered away; the third sprang up and 
 grew, but yielded no fruit ; the fourth sprang up, grew, and brought 
 forth fruit ; and as there are three causes of unfruitfulness, so there 
 are three degrees of fruitfulness, but only one cause of fruitfulness. 
 
 9. He that hath ears to hear] These solemn words are found in 
 the three Gospels. Our Lord is recorded to have used them on six 
 occasions; (i) Matt. xi. 15 ; (2) xiii. 43 ; {3) Mark iv. 9 ; (4) iv. 23 ; 
 (5) vii. 16 ; (6) Luke xiv. 35. They are not found in St John's Gospel, 
 but occur eight times in the Book of Revelation, ii. 7, 11, 17, 29, iii. 
 6, 13, 22, xiii. 9. 
 
 10 — 25. The Explanation of the Parable. 
 
 10. And when he was alone] St Mark here anticipates what took 
 place after the Saviour had '•'' sent the multitudes away^' and ^^ gone 
 into the house " (Matt. xiii. 36). 
 
 11. tJie mystery] The word Mystery denotes (i) a religious mystery 
 like those of Eleusis, into which men were initiated ; (ii) a secret (as 
 in I Cor. xv. 51) ; and is applied (a) to the Gospel itself (as here and 
 in I Cor. ii. 7 ; Rom. xvi. 25 ; Eph. i. 9) ; (/3) to the various parts and 
 truths of the Gospel (Matt. xiii. 11; Luke viii. 10; i Cor. iv. i) ; 
 (iii) to a symbolic representation or emblem (Rev. xvii. 5, 7). 
 
 thetn that are without] Comp. 1 Cor. v. 12, 13; Col.iv.5; 1Thess.iv.12. 
 
 12. that seeing they may see, and not perceive] At the beginning of 
 
56 ST MARK, IV. [vv. 13—19- 
 
 and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at 
 
 any time they should be converted, and their sins should 
 13 be forgiven them. And he said unto them, Know ye not 
 
 this parable? and how then will ye know all parables? 
 H The sower soweth the word. And these are they by 
 '^ the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have 
 
 heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word 
 
 16 that was sown in their hearts. And these are they likewise 
 which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard 
 
 17 the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and have no 
 root in themselves, and so endure but for a time : afterward, 
 when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, 
 
 1 3 immediately they are offended. And these are they which 
 
 19 are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, and the 
 
 cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the 
 
 His ministry our Lord did not teach by Parables. " The Sermon on 
 the Mount may be taken as the type of the ' words of grace ' which He 
 spake 'not as tlie Scribes.' Beatitudes, laws, promises were uttered 
 distinctly, not indeed without similitudes, but with similitudes that 
 explained themselves." And so He continued for some time. But His 
 direct teaching was met with scorn, unbelief, and hardness. From this 
 time forward "parables" entered largely into His recorded teaching, 
 and were at once attractive and penal, (a) Attractive, as " instruments 
 of education for those who were children in age or character," and 
 offering in a scriking form much for the memory to retain, and for the 
 docile and truth-loving to learn ; (/;) Penal, as testing the disposition of 
 those who listened to them ; withdrawing the light from such as 
 loved darkness and were wilfully blind, and protecting the truth from 
 the mockery of the scoffer ; finding out the fit hearers, and leading them, 
 but them only, on to deeper knowledge. See Article on Parables in 
 Smith's Bible Diet. 
 
 13. Knaio ye not this parable .?] For it afforded the simplest type 
 or pattern of a Parable. 
 
 all parables ^^Yi My Parables. 
 
 14. The scnuerl This is applicable to (i) Christ, who -'■^caine forth from 
 the Father and was come into the world" (John xvi. 28) ; (ii) His 
 Apostles ; (iii) all who go forth in His Name, and with His authority. 
 For other comparisons of the relations of the teacher and the taught to 
 those between the sower and the soil, comp. i Pet. i. 23 ; i John iii. 9. 
 
 15. Satan^ See note above, iii. 23. 
 
 17. affliction^ The word thus translated denotes (i) pressure, that 
 which presses upon or burdens the spirit ; then (2) the distress arising 
 therefrom. The word tribulation rests upon this image, coming as 
 it does from tribiilum^the threshing-roller. 
 
w. 20—27.] ST MARK, IV. 57 
 
 lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it be- 
 cometh unfruitful. And these are they which are sown on 20 
 good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it^ and 
 bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an 
 hundred. And he said unto them. Is a candle brought to be 21 
 put under a bushel, or under a bed.^ and not to be set on a 
 candlestick? For there is nothing hid, which shall not be 22 
 manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it 
 should come abroad. If any man have ears to hear, let him 23 
 hear. And he said unto them. Take heed what ye hear: 24 
 with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: 
 and unto you that hear shall more be given. For he that 25 
 hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him 
 shall be taken even that which he hath. 
 
 26 — 29. The Seed gfonnjig secretly. 
 And he said. So is the kingdom of God, as if a man 26 
 should cast seed into the ground; and should sleep, and rise 27 
 night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he 
 
 19. the cares of this wo'ld} The word rendered "cares" denotes 
 in the original "distracting anxieties," which, as it were, "cut a man 
 in sunder." St Luke expands the one word here employed into "cares," 
 "riches," and "pleasures" (Luke viii. 14). 
 
 21. Js a candle bronght'X Rather, The lamp is not "brought, is it? The 
 article here points to the simple and indispensable furniture in every 
 Jewish household. The original word means not a candle but a lamp. 
 Wyclif renders it, "Wher a lanterne come, ^2X it be put vndir a bushel?" 
 
 to be put under a bnshel] The original word Moditis denotes a dry 
 measure containing 16 sextarii, or about a peck. The English equiva- 
 lent is greatly in excess of the Latin, as is noted in the margin. 
 
 a candlestick'] Rather, the lamp-stand. "Do not suppose that what I 
 now commit to you in secret, I would have concealed for ever ; the 
 light is kindled by Me in you, that by your ministry it may disperse the 
 darkness of the whole world." Erasmus. 
 
 24. with what measure ye mete'] According to the measure of your 
 ability and diligence as hearers, ye shall receive instruction, and be 
 enabled to preach to others. 
 
 25. he that hath'] Comp. Matt. xiii. 12, xxv. 29; Luke viii. 18, xix. 26. 
 
 26 — 29. The Seed growing secretly. 
 
 26. as if a inan.shotdd cast seed into the ground] This is the only 
 pa7-able zvhich is peculiar to St Mark, and seems to take the place of 
 "the Leaven" recorded by St Matthew (Matt. xiii. 33). 
 
 27. spring and grow tip] We need not inquire too minutely who 
 the Sower is, though primarily it refers to the Lord Himself. It is the 
 
58 ST MARK, IV. [w. 28-32. 
 
 28 knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of her- 
 self; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in 
 
 29 the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately 
 he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come. 
 
 30 — 34. The Parable of the Mustard Seed. 
 
 30 And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom 
 
 31 of God.? or with what comparison shall we compare it? It 
 is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the 
 
 32 earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth : but 
 when it is sown, it growetli up, and becometh greater than 
 all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls 
 
 property of the seed which is intended to engage our attention, the 
 secret energy of its own, the principle of life and growth within itself, 
 whereby it springs up and grows. 
 
 28. of herself } = of its own accord, spontaneously. It is used of the 
 gate of St Peter's prison opening of its own accord in Acts xii. 10. 
 
 first the blade} There is a law of orderly development in natural 
 growth, so alsa is it in reference to spiritual growth; comp. i John ii. 
 12 — 14. 
 
 after that the full corn] or rather, then (there is) full corn in the ear. 
 
 29. when the fruit is brought forth] Literally, when the fruit sdelds 
 itself, or offers itself, i.e. is ripe. The original word only occurs 
 here in this sense. Comp. Virgil Geo. i. -287, 
 
 ' ' Multa adeo gelida melius se nocte dedere. " 
 
 the sickle] The sickle is only mentioned here and in Rev. xiv. 14, 15, 
 
 "And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat, 
 
 like unto the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in 
 
 'iii\?,hd.ndd>.sharj) sickle." For the entire Parable comp. i Pet. i. 23 — 25. 
 
 30 — 34. The Parable of the Mustard Seed. 
 
 30. Whereunto shall we liken] This method of asking a question 
 before beginning a discourse was not unknown to the Rabbis. See the 
 parallel in Luke xiii. 18. 
 
 31. a grain of mustard seed] The growth of a worldly kingdom had 
 been already set forth under the image of a tree, and that of the king- 
 dom of God also had been similarly compared. (See Dan. iv. 10 — 12 ; 
 Ezek. xvii. 22, 24, xxxi. 5 — 9.) 
 
 in the earth] In St Matt. xiii. 31 a man is represented as taking and 
 sowing it "w his field, ^'' while St Luke, xiii. 19, says "m his garden.''^ 
 
 less than all the seeds] "Small as a grain of mustard seed" was a 
 proverbial expression among the Jews for something exceedingly minute. 
 The mustard-seed is not the least of all seeds in the worlds but of all 
 which the husbandman was accustomed to sow, and the "tree," when 
 full grown, was larger than the other herbs in his garden. 
 
 32. great branches] In hot countries, as in Judcea, the mustard-tree 
 
vv. 33—38.] ST MARK, IV. 59 
 
 of the air may lodge under the shadow of it. And with 33 
 many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they 
 were able to hear it. But without a parable spake he not 34 
 unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all 
 things to his disciples. 
 
 35 — 4 1 . The Stilling of the Storm. 
 And the same day, when the even was come, he sarth 35 
 unto them. Let us pass over unto the other side. And 36 
 when they had sent away the multitude, they took him 
 even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him 
 other little ships. And there arose a great storm of wind, 37 
 and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. 
 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a 38 
 pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him. Master, 
 
 attains a great size. Thomson, Land and the Book, p. 414, tells us he 
 has seen it on the rich plain of Akkar as tall as the horse and his rider. 
 A variety of it may have been cultivated in the time of our Lord, which 
 grew to an enormous size. 
 
 the fowls] The seed of the mustard-tree is a favourite food with 
 birds. For the language comp. Ezek. xvii. 23. 
 
 35 — 41. The Stilling of the Storm. 
 
 35. he saith unto theni] The three Synoptic Evangelists all agree 
 in placing the Stilling of the Storm before the healing of the possessed 
 in the country of the Gadarenes. 
 
 the other side] After a long and exhausting day he needed retirement, 
 and repose could nowhere be more readily obtained than in the solitude 
 of the eastern shore. 
 
 36. as he was] i. e. without any preparation for the voyage. Just 
 before the boat put off three of the listeners to His words desired to 
 attach themselves to Him as His disciples, (i) a scribe, (2) an already 
 partial disciple, (3) another who wished first to bid farewell to his 
 friends at home (Matt. viii. 19 — 22 ; Luke ix. 57 — 62). 
 
 37. a great storm] The word here used is found in Luke viii. 23. 
 The word employed in Matt. viii. 24 generally means an ^«r//^quake. 
 It was one of those sudden and violent squalls to which the Lake of 
 Gennesaret was notoriously exposed, lying as it does 600 feet lower than 
 the sea and surrounded by mountain gorges, which act "like gigantic 
 funnels to draw down the cold winds from the mountains." These 
 winds are not only violent, but they come down suddenly, and often 
 when the sky is perfectly clear. See Thomson's Lajid atid the Book, 
 p. 374; Tnstra.m''s Land 0/ Isf'o^l, p. 430. 
 
 l^eat] Rather, kept beating". Comp. Matt. viii. 24. 
 
 was nowfidl] Rather, was already filling, or beginning to fill. 
 
 38. a pillow] The word only occurs here. It was probably the leather 
 cushion of the steersman. These details we learn only from St Mark. 
 
6o ST MARK, IV. V. [vv. 39-41 ; i, 2. 
 
 39 carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked 
 the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. xAnd 
 
 40 the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he 
 said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye 
 
 41 have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one 
 to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind 
 and the sea obey him? 
 
 I — 20. The Healing of the Gadarene De7noniac. 
 5 And they came over unto the other side of the sea, 
 2 into the country of the Gadarenes. And when he was come 
 out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs 
 
 Masterl The double ''Master,'' ''Master"" of St Luke (viii. 24) gives 
 vividness to their haste and terror. The>«;clamation recorded by St Mark 
 sounds more like rebuke, as though He Ais unmindful of their safety. 
 
 39. rebuked the %vmd'\ All tliree^/fevangelists record that He 
 7'elmked the wind (comp. Ps. cvi. 9)/"^ Mark alone adds His distinct 
 address to the furious elements. On be still see above, i. 25. Comp. 
 Matt. viii. 26; Luke viii. 24, and note. The perfect imperative of the 
 original implies tUb command that the result should be instantaneous. 
 
 the wind ceased^ Lit. grew tired. We have the same word in 
 Matt. xiv. 32, and atain in Mark vi. 51. As a rule, after a storm the 
 waves continue to helve and swell for hours, but here at the word of the 
 Lord of Nature thereVvas a "great calm." 
 
 Ch. V. 1 — 20. The Healing of the Gadarene Demoniac. 
 
 1. they came] to the eastern shore, bait not even there was the Lord 
 destined to find peacolor rest. ..-^'^ 
 
 the Gada7-e7ies'\ i^J three Gospels ivhich record this miracle vary in 
 their readings between (r) Gadare?iesj {2) Gergesenes, and (3) Gerasenes. 
 (a) Gadara, the capital of Peroea, lay S. E. of the southern extremity of 
 Gennesaret, at a distance of about 60 stadia from Tiberias, its country 
 being called Gadaritis, (/3) Gerasa lay on the extreme eastern limit of 
 Peraea, and was too far from the Lake to give its name to any district on 
 its borders, (7) Gergesa was a little town nearly opposite Capernaum, 
 the ruined site of which is still called Kerza or Gersa. Origen tells us 
 that the exact site of the miracle was here pointed out in his day. St 
 Mark and St Luke using the word Gadareties indicate generally the scene 
 of the miracle, Gadara being a place of importance and acknowledged 
 as the capital of the district. See Thomson's Land and the Book, pp. 
 
 .375 — 378. 
 
 2. out of the tombs\ These tombs were either natural caves or re- 
 cesses hewn by art out of the rock, often so large as to be supported with 
 columns, and with cells upon their sides for the reception of the dead. 
 Such places were regarded as unclean because of the dead men's bones 
 which were there (Num. xix. ir, 16; Matt, xxiii. 27). Such tombs 
 can still be traced in more than one of the ravines on the eastern side of 
 the Lake. Thomson's Land and the Book, p. 376. 
 
vv. 3-IO.] ST MARK, V. 6i 
 
 a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among 3 
 the tombs ; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains : 
 because that he had been often bound with fetters and 4 
 chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, 
 and the fetters broken in pieces : neither could any vian 
 tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the moun- 5 
 tains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with 
 stones. But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and wor- 6 
 shipped him, and cried with a loud voice, and said. What 7 
 have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high 
 God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. For 8 
 he said unto him. Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. 
 And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, 9 
 saying, My name is Legion : for we are many. And he lo 
 
 a ma7t\ St Matthew (viii. 28) mentions two demoniacs, St Luke 
 (viiL 27), like St Mark, only speaks of one. Probably one was better 
 known in the country round than the other, or one was so much fiercer 
 that the other was hardly taken any account of. "Amid all the boasted 
 civilisation of antiquity, there existed no hospitals, no penitentiaries, 
 no asylums; and unfortunates of this class, being too dangerous and 
 desperate for human intercourse, could only be driven forth from among 
 their fellow-men, and restrained from mischief p:)y measures at once 
 inadequate and cruel." Farrar's Lz/e of Christ, i|p. 334. 
 
 no, not with chains\ This is a general expression for any bonds con- 
 fining the hands or feet. Comp. Acts xxi. 33; Eph. vi. 20; Rev. xx. 
 I ; fetters were restricted to the feet. i 
 
 4. he had been often'] Each Evangelist adds slmething to complete 
 the picture of the terrible visitation, under which tTO possessed laboured. 
 St Matthew that he made the way impassable for travellers (viii. 28) ; 
 St Luke that he was without clothing (viii. 27) ; St Mark that he cried 
 night and day and cut himself with stones (v. 5). 
 
 broken in pieces'] For another instance of the extraordinary muscular 
 strength which maniacs put forth see Acts xix. 1 6. 
 
 6. afar off] St Mark alone tells us this. While, as a man, he is 
 attracted towards the Holy One ; as possessed by the Legion, he desires 
 to withdraw from Him. 
 
 7. What have I to do with thee?] Literally, What is there between 
 Thee and me? What have we in common? Why interferest Thou 
 with us? 
 
 / adjure thee] Notice the intermixture of praying and adjuring, so 
 characteristic of demoniac possession when brought into the presence of 
 Christ. 
 
 9. My name is Legion] "He had seen the thick and serried ranks 
 of a Roman legion, that fearful instrument of oppression, that sign of 
 terror and fear to the conquered nations." Even such, terrible in their 
 strength, inexorable in their hostility, were the "lords many," which 
 
62 ST MARK, V. [vv. ii— 17. 
 
 besought him much that he would not send them away out 
 
 11 of the country. Now there was there nigh unto the moun- 
 
 12 tains a great herd of swine feeding. And all the devils 
 besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may 
 
 13 enter into them. And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. 
 And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the 
 swine : and the herd ran violently down a steep place into 
 the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked 
 
 14 in the sea. And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in 
 the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what 
 
 15 it was that was done. And they come to Jesus, and see him 
 that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, 
 and clothed, and in his right mind : and they were afraid. 
 
 16 And they that saw // told them how it befel to him that 
 was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine. 
 
 17 And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts. 
 
 had dominion over him. Compare (i) the "seven demons," by M'hom 
 Mary Magdalene was possessed (Luke viii. 1), (ii) the "seven other 
 spirits" "worse than the first," which our Lord describes as taking up 
 their abode in a man (Matt. xii. 45). 
 
 10. out of the comitry] i.e. as it is expressed in St Luke, into "the 
 abyss of hell" (viii. 31). 
 
 11. a great herd of swine'] The lawless nature of the country, where 
 Jews lived mingled with Gentiles, the Evangelist denotes by the circum- 
 stance of the two thousand swine, emphasizing the greatness of the herd. 
 If their owners were only in part Jews, who merely trafficked in these 
 animals, still they were not justified before the Law. The territory was 
 not altogether Jewish. 
 
 13. do7un a steep place] At Kerza or Gersa, "where there is no 
 precipice running sheer to the sea, but a narrow belt of beach, the 
 bluff behind is so steep, and the shore so narrow, that a herd of swine 
 rushing frantically down, must certainly have been overwhelmed in the 
 sea before they could recover themselves." Tristram's Land of Israel 
 p. 462. 
 
 the sea] This, as we have seen above (iiL 7), was one of the names, 
 by which the Lake of Gennesaret was called. 
 
 15. clothed] because, as St Luke informs us (viii. 27), before the 
 wretched man tuore no clothes. "On descending from the heights of Le- 
 banon, I found myself, " writes Warburton, '■'■ m 2. cemetery ... The silence 
 of the night was now broken by fierce yells and ho^vlings, which I dis- 
 covered proceeded from a naked maniac, who was fighting with some 
 wild dogs for a bone." The Crescent and the Cross, II. 352. 
 
 17. to depart out of their coasts] Many were doubtless annoyed at 
 the losses they had already sustained, and feared greater losses might 
 follow. "And their prayer was heard: He did depart; He took them 
 
vv. 18—22.] ST MARK, V. 63 
 
 And when he was come into the ship, he that' had been pos- 18 
 sessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him. 
 Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go 19 
 home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord 
 hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. And 20 
 he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great 
 things Jesus had done for him: and all 7tien did marvel. 
 21 — 24. The Petition of Jairus. 
 And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the 21 
 other side, much people gathered unto him: and he was 
 nigh unto the sea. And, behold, there cometh one of the 22 
 rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw 
 
 at their word; and let them alone" (cf. Exod. x. 28, 29). Trench (?« 
 the Miracles^ p. 177. 
 
 18. Aitd7uhen he was come...] Rather, when He was in the act of 
 stepping into the ship. 
 
 that he might he with hivi] Either (i) in a spirit of deepest gratitude 
 longing to be with his Benefactor, or (ii) fearing lest the many enemies, 
 from whom he had been delivered, should return. Comp. Matt. xii. 
 
 445 45' 
 
 19. and tell them] On others (comp. Matt. viii. 4 ; Luke viii. 56) 
 after shewing forth towards them His miraculous power. He enjoined 
 silence ; on this man He enjoined publicity. He appoints him to be a 
 hving memorial of His own saving Power, and so to become the first 
 great preacher in the half-heathen district. 
 
 20. Decapolis] When the Romans conquered Syria, B.C. 65, they 
 rebuilt, partially colonized, and endowed with peculiar privileges "ten 
 cities," the country which was called Decapolis. All of them lay, with 
 the exception of Scythopolis, East of the Jordan, and to the East and 
 South-East of the Sea of Galilee. They were (but there is some varia- 
 tion in the lists), i Scythopolis, 1 Hippos, 3 Gadara, 4 Pella, 5 Phila- 
 delphia, 6Gerasa, 7 Dion, 8 Canatha, 9 Abila, 10 Capitolias. The name 
 only occurs three times in the Scriptures, (a) here; {b) Matt. iv. 25, 
 and {c) Mark vii. 31; but it seems to have been also employed to 
 denote a large district extending along both sides of the Jordan. 
 
 21—24. The Petition of Jairus. 
 
 21. unto the other side] i.e. the western side of the Lake, near 
 Capernaum. 
 
 22. the rulers of the synagogue] Each synagogue had a kind of 
 Chapter or College of Elders, presided over by a ruler, who superin- 
 tended the services, and possessed the power of elccommunication. 
 From this place, e.g., compared with Acts xiii. 15, it would appear 
 that some synagogues had several rulers. 
 
 Jairus by name] It is but rarely we know the names of those who 
 were the objects of the Saviour's mercy. Hg afterwards probably was 
 
64 ST MARK, V. [vv. 23— 29. 
 
 23 him, he fell at his feet, and besought him greatly, saying, 
 My little daughter lieth at the point of death : I pray thee, 
 come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; 
 
 24 and she shall live. And Jesus went with him; and much 
 people followed him, and thronged him. 
 
 25 — 34. The Healing of the Womafi with an Issue of Blood. 
 
 25 And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve 
 
 26 years, and had suffered many things of many physicians, and 
 had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather 
 
 27 grew worse, when she had heard of Jesus, came in the press 
 
 28 behind, and touched his garment. For she said. If I may 
 
 29 touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. And straightway 
 the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her 
 
 one of those who came to the Lord pleading for the centurion at 
 Capernaum (Luke vii. 3). The aid he then asked for another, he now 
 craves for himself, but under the pressure of a still greater calamity. 
 
 23. Afy little daughter'] His ^^only daughte?;^' 'LmV^q \m. ^2. The 
 use of diminutives is characteristic of St Mark. Here we have "little 
 daughter;" in v. 41 "damsel," or *^little ?naid;" in vii. 27, **dogs = 
 *^ little dogs,''^ ^^whelpsj" in viii. 7, a fezv *■*■ small fishes ;'''' in xiv. 47, his 
 ear, literally "« little ear^ She was about 12 years of age, Lk. viii. 42. 
 
 at the point of death] The original word here used is one of the 
 frequent Latinisms of St Mark. See Introduction. She lay a dying 
 (Luke viii. 42), and all but gone when he left her, the sands of life 
 ebbing out so fast, that he could even say of her that she was "dead" 
 (Matt. ix. 18), at one moment expressing himself in one language, at 
 the next in another. 
 
 24. thronged him] The word thus rendered only occurs here and at 
 V, 31. 
 
 25 — 34. The Healing of the Woman with an Issue of Blood. 
 
 25. a certain woina^i] "Such overflowing grace is in _ Him, the 
 Prince of Life, that as He is hastening to the accomplishing of one 
 work of His power, He accomplishes another, as by the way." Trench, 
 p. 188. 
 
 an issue of blood] Her malady was especially afflicting (Lev. xv. 
 19 — 27), for not only did it unfit her for all the relationships of life, but 
 was popularly regarded as the direct consequence of sinful habits. 
 
 28. his garmejit] The law of Moses commanded every Jew to wear 
 at each corner of his tallith a fringe or tassel of blue, to remind them 
 that they were God's people (Num. xv. 37 — 40; Dcut. xxii. 12). "Two 
 of these fringes usually hung down at the bottom of the robe, while one 
 hung over the shoulder whei'e the robe was fastened round the person." 
 Those who wished to be esteemed eminently religious were wont to 
 make broad, or "enlarge the borders of their garments" (Matt.xxiii. 5). 
 
 29. of that plague] On this word see above, note on iii. 10. 
 
vv. 30—36.] ST MARK, V. 65 
 
 body that she was healed of that plague. And Jesus, im- 30 
 mediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of 
 him, turned him about in the press, and said. Who touched 
 my clothes? And his disciples said unto him. Thou seest 31 
 the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou. Who touched 
 me? And he looked round about to see her that had done 32 
 this thing. But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing 33 
 what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and 
 told him all the truth. And he said unto her, Daughter, thy 34 
 faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of 
 thy plague. 
 
 35 — 43. The Raising of the Daughter of fair us. 
 While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the 35 
 synagogue's house certain which said. Thy daughter is 
 dead : why troublest thou the Master any further? As 36 
 
 30. Who totuhed my clothes 7\ He who with the eye of His Spirit 
 saw Nathanael under the fig tree (John i. 47, 48), recognised at once 
 (Mark v. 30) the magnetic touch of faith however weak and trembling 
 (Luke viii. 46). "Many throng Him, but only one touches Him. 
 "Caro premit, fides tangit," says St Augustine. 
 
 32. he looked round'] Another proof of St Mark's graphic power. 
 The tense in the original is still more expressive. It denotes that He 
 kept on looking all round, that His eyes wandered over one after the 
 other of the many faces before Him, till they fell on her who had done 
 this thing. 
 
 33. feai'ing and trembling\ She may have dreaded His anger, for 
 according to the Law (Lev. xv. 19) the touch of one, afflicted as 
 she was, caused ceremonial defilement until the evening. 
 
 told hini] i. e. probably all the particulars we find in verses 25, 26, 
 and this before all the people (Luke viii. 47). 
 
 34. Daughter] Our Lord is recorded to have addressed no other 
 woman by this title. It calmed all her doubts and fears. 
 
 go in peace] This is not merely "go with a blessing," but abi in 
 pacem, enter into peace, "as the future element in which thy life shall 
 move," and be whole of thy plague. Be = esto perpetuo. "Post longam 
 miseriam, heneiicium. dztrabile." Bengel. 
 
 35—43. The Raising of the Daughter of Jairus. 
 
 35. zvhy troublest thou the Master ?] Or as, literally rendered, it is 
 in St Luke's Gospel (viii. 49), "■tro^ible not the Master ajiy further.'' 
 The word, here translated ^''trouble,''' one which is used here and here 
 alone by St Mark and St Luke (except Luke vii. 6), denotes properly 
 (i) to fiay: then (2) to fatigue or to worry, often with a more particular 
 allusion to fatiguing with the length of a journey. 
 
66 ST MARK, V. [vv. 37—42. 
 
 soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto 
 
 37 the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe. And 
 he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and 
 
 38 John the brother of James. And he cometh to the house of 
 the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them 
 
 39 that wept and wailed greatly. And when he was come in, he 
 saith unto them. Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel 
 
 40 is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn. 
 But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and 
 the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and 
 
 4t entereth in where the damsel was lying. And he took the 
 damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which 
 
 42 is, being interpreted. Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. And 
 straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the 
 
 36. heard'\ Perhaps according to a better reading, ^^ overheard.''^ 
 The very instant the Lord heard the message, He hastens to reassure 
 the ruler with a word of confidence and encouragement. 
 
 37. save Peter, ajid James, and JoAn] This is the first time we 
 hear of an election within the election. "That which He was about to 
 do was so great and holy that those three only, the flower and crown of 
 the Apostolic band, were its fitting witnesses." The other occasions 
 when we read of such an election were equally solemn and significant, 
 (i) the Transfiguration (Matt. xvii. 2); and (2) the Agony in the 
 Garden of Gethsemane (Matt. xxvi. 37). 
 
 38. ^kem that wept'] These were the hired mourners, chiefly 
 women; whose business it was to beat their breasts (Luke viii. 52), and 
 to make loud lamentations at funerals; comp. 2 Chron. xxxv. 25 ; Jer. ix. 
 17, 18; Amos V. 16. The Rabbinic rule provided for the poorest 
 Israelite at least two flute-players, and one mourning woman. "A 
 Ruler of the Synagogue, bereaved of his only child, may well have been 
 prodigal in the expression of his grief." 
 
 39. but sleepeth] Comp. His words in reference to Lazarus (John xi. 
 11). The Lord of life takes away that word of fear, ^'' She is dead" 
 and puts in its room that milder word which gives promise of an 
 awakening, '^ She sleepeth.'" 
 
 41. Talitha f«;;/2]= "Little Maid, arise." Doubtless St Peter, who 
 was now present, often recalled the actual words used on this memorable 
 occasion by our Lord, and told them to his friend and kinsman St 
 Mark. So it is the same Evangelist, who preserves the very word, 
 which our Lord used, when He opened the eyes of the blind man, 
 Ephphatha (vii. 34). The mention of these words goes to prove that in 
 ordinary life our Lord availed Himself of the popular Aramaic dialect, 
 
 42. And immediately her spirit cai?ie again and she arose straightway 
 (Luke viii. 55), and began to walk. There is no stmggle, no effort on 
 His part, Who is ^Uhe Restirrection ajid the Life" {]oh.n x\. 25); we 
 read of no "crying unto the Lord," or "stretching himself upon the 
 
w. 43 ; I, 2.] ST MARK, V. VI. 67 
 
 age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great 
 astonishment. And he charged them straitly that no man 43 
 should know it; and commanded that something should be 
 given her to eat. 
 
 I — 6. Christ is despised at Nazareth. 
 And he went out from thence, and came into his own 6 
 country; and his disciples follow him. And when the sab- 2 
 bath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: 
 and many hearing hiifi were astonished, saying. From whence 
 hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this 
 which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are 
 
 child three times" as in the case of Elijah at Sarepta (i Kings xvii. ^i) ; 
 He "lieth not upon the child, or putteth his mouth upon her mouth, 
 and his eyes upon her eyes, and his hands upon her hands" as in the 
 case of Elisha (2 Kings iv. 34), He speaks but a word and instantly He 
 is obeyed. 
 
 a great astonishment\ The word thus rendered denotes some- 
 times {\) a trance, as in Acts x. 10, "but while they made ready, he 
 (St Peter) fell into a trance f' and Acts xxii. 17, "while I prayed in the 
 temple, I was in a ti-ajice,''^ with which comp. 2 Cor. xii. 2 ; (ii) amaze- 
 ment, awe, as in Luke v. 26, "and amazemettt squq^ all;" Mark xvi. 8, 
 *^ trei7ibling a?id amazement seized \h.Q.Tt\'," Acts iii. 10, "and they were 
 filled with wonder and amazement.''^ Here it points to a very extremity 
 of astonishment. 
 
 43. sotnething shozdd be given her to eat] At once to strengthen the 
 life thus wonderfully restored, and to prove that she was no spirit, but 
 had really returned to the realities of a mortal existence. 
 
 Ch. VI. 1 — 6. Christ is despised at Nazareth. 
 
 1. hzs own countryi] that is, Nazareth. From this time forward He 
 ceased to have His abiding residence at Capernaum, although He still 
 assembled His disciples on passing occasions. This visit to Nazareth is 
 recorded only by St Matthew and St Mark. 
 
 2. he began to teach in the synagogue] For his former visit here see 
 Luke iv. 16 sq. The conduct of His hearers on this occasion did not 
 betray the frantic violence exhibited at His first visit. 
 
 viighty works] Rather, powers. This is one of the four names given 
 by the Evangelists to the miracles which the Lord was pleased to work 
 while incarnate here on earth. They are called : 
 
 (a) " Wonders,'''' a term never used alone, but always in conjunction 
 with other names. They are continually styled "signs and wonders," 
 or "signs" or "powers" alone, but never "wonders" alone. By 
 this word the eflfect of astonishment, which the work produces on 
 the beholder, is transferred to the work itself. The word only 
 occurs once in St Mark, in xiii. 22, and there it is in conjunction 
 with "signs." 
 
 (/3) ^^ Signs," as being tokens and indications of something beyond 
 
 5-2 
 
68 ST MARK, VI. [v. 3. 
 
 3 wrought by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of 
 Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and 
 
 themselves, of the near presence and working of God, the seals 
 and credentials of a higher power. The word is an especial 
 favourite with St John, though in our Version "sign" too often 
 gives place to the vaguer "miracle," to the great detriment of the 
 true meaning and force of the word. It occurs three times in St 
 John, twice in St Mark, xvi. 17, xvi. 20 alone, and once in conjunc- 
 tion with "wonders," xiii. 2 ■2, 
 (7) ^^ Powers " that is of God, coming into and working in this 
 world of ours. As in the "wonder" the effect is transferred and 
 gives a name to the cause, so here the cause gives its name to the 
 effect. The word occurs four times in St Mark : v. 30 (A. V. virtue), 
 vi. 2, vi. 14, ix. 39. In our Version it is rendered sometimes ^^won- 
 derful works''^ (Matt. vii. 22), sometimes ^^ mighty works" (Matt, 
 xi. 20; Mark vi. 14; Luke x. 13), and still more frequently *^?nira- 
 cles" (Acts ii. 22, xix. 11; Gal. iii. 5), thus doing away with a 
 portion of its force. 
 (5) " Works." This is a significant term very frequently used by St 
 John. With him miracles are the natural form of working for Him, 
 whose Name is Wonderful (Isaiah ix. 6), and Who therefore doeth 
 "works of wonder." Comp. John vi. 28, vii. 21, x. 25, 32, 38, 
 xiv. 1 1, &c. See Abp. Trench on the Parables, Introd. 
 3. Is not this the carpetiter .?] Save in this one place, our Lord is 
 nowhere Himself called "the Carpenter." According to the custom of 
 the Jews, even the Rabbis learnt some handicraft. One of their pro- 
 verbs was that "he who taught not his son a trade, taught him to be a 
 thief." Hence St Paul learnt to "labour with his own hands" at the 
 trade of a tent-maker (Acts xviii. 3; i Thess. ii. 9; i Cor. iv. 12). "In 
 the cities the carpenters would be Greeks, and skilled workmen ; the 
 carpenter of a provincial village could only have held a very humble 
 position, and secured a very moderate competence." Farrar's Life of 
 Christ, I. 81. 
 
 the brother of James, and Joses. . .] The four " brothers " here mentioned , 
 and "the sisters," whose names are nowhere recorded, were in all pro- 
 bability the children of Clopas and Man^the sister and namesake of the 
 blessed Virgin, and so the "cousins ''of our Lord. (Compare Matt, 
 xxvii. 56 with Mark xv. 40 and John xix. 25.) Joseph would seem 
 to have died at some time between A.D. 8 and A.D. 26, and there is no 
 reason for believing that Clopas was alive during our Lord's ministry. 
 It has been suggested, therefore, that the two widowed sisters may have 
 lived together, the more so as one of them had but one son, and He was 
 often taken from her by His ministerial duties. Three other hypotheses 
 have been formed respecting them : ( i ) that they were the children of 
 Joseph by a former marriage; (2) that they were the children of Joseph 
 and Mary; (3) that Joseph and Clopas being brothers, and Clopas 
 having died, Joseph raised up seed to his dead brother, according to the 
 Levirate law. 
 
w. 4— 8.] ST MARK, VI. 69 
 
 Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were 
 offended at him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is 4 
 not without honour, but in his own country, and among his 
 own kin, and in his own house. And he could there do no 5 
 mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick 
 folk, and healed the7ii. And he marvelled because of their 6 
 unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching. 
 7 — 13. Mission of the Twelve. 
 And he called tmto him the twelve, and began to send 7 
 them forth by two and two; and gave them power over 
 unclean spirits ; and commanded them that they should take 8 
 nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no 
 
 4. A prophet is not without honotir] He repeats to them once more 
 almost the same proverb which He before uttered in their hearing and 
 from the same place (Luke iv. 74). 
 
 6. no mighty work] Literally, no power. He performed some 
 miracles, but not all He would have done, because of their deep- 
 seated unbelief. His miraculous power was not magical. It was an 
 influence which required and presupposed /a/M. 
 
 6. he marvelled] Our Lord does not marvel at other human things 
 generally, but He does marvel on the one hand, at faith, when, as in 
 the case of the centurion, it overcomes in its grandeur all human hin- 
 drances, and, on the other, at unbelief, when it can, in the face of 
 numerous Divine manifestations, harden itself into a wilful rejection of 
 Himself. He now seems to have left Nazareth never to return to it, 
 or preach in its synagogue, or revisit the home, where He had so long 
 toiled as the village Carpenter. 
 
 he went round ahoitt] On the evening of the day of His rejection 
 at Nazareth, or more probably on the morrow, our Lord appears to have 
 commenced a short circuit in Galilee, in the direction of Capernaum. 
 7 — 13. Mission of the Twelve. 
 
 7. he called] Rather, He calleth unto Him. 
 
 two and two] St Mark along^jecords this. They were sent forth 
 probably in different directions on a tentative mission, to make trial 
 of their powers, and fit them for a more extended mission afterwards. 
 Their election had taken place in the solitude of a mountain range, their 
 first mission occurred amidst the busy towns and villages of Galilee. 
 
 8. and commanded them] Now follows a brief summary of the charge, 
 which the Lord proceeded to give them on this occasion, and which 
 is recorded at far greater length by St Matthew, x. 5 — 42. 
 
 save a staff] They were to go forth with their staff as they had 
 it at the time, but they were not (Matt. x. 10) to '^seek,'^ or '■'■procure 
 one carefully" for the purposes of this journey. The "staff" in 
 Matt. X. 10, depends on "acquire not" or "provide not for yourselves" 
 in verse 9. 
 
70 ST MARK, VI. [w. 9— ii. 
 
 9 bread, no money in their purse : but be shod with sandals ; 
 
 10 and not put on two coats. And he said unto them, In what 
 place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart 
 
 11 from that place. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor 
 hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under 
 
 110 saip] Scrip, from Sw. skrappa, denotes a "wallet" or "small 
 bag." Comp. i Sam. xvii. 40, "And (David) took his staff in his 
 hand and chose him five smooth stones, and put them in a shepherd's 
 bag which he had, even in a scrip." It was so called, perhaps, because 
 it was designed to hold scraps, trifling articles, scraped off as it were 
 from something larger. It was part of the pilgrim's or traveller's 
 equipage : comp. Piers Ploughman'' s Vis. 3573; 
 "I seigh nevere palmere 
 With pyk ne with Scrippe,^ 
 and Shakespeare, As yoii like it. III. 2. 171, 
 
 "Though not with bag and baggage, yet with scrip and scrippage." 
 The scrip of the Galilean peasants was of leather, "the skins of kids 
 stripped off whole, and tanned by a very simple process," used es- 
 pecially to carry their food on a journey, and slung over their shoulders 
 (Thomson's Land and the Book, p. 355). 
 
 710 money\ "There was no departure from the simple manners of 
 the country in this. At this day the farmer sets out on excursions, 
 quite as extensive, without a para in his purse, and a modern Moslem 
 prophet of Tarshisha thus sends forth his apostles over this identical 
 region. No traveller in the East would hesitate to throw himself 
 on the hospitality of any villager." Thomson's Land and Book, p. 346. 
 
 9. be shod with sandals'] That is, they were to take no other shoes 
 with them for travelling "than their ordinary sandals of palm-bark." 
 So now "the Galilean peasants wear a coarse shoe, answering to the 
 sandal of the ancients, but never take two pair with them." 
 
 two coats'] That is, they were not to take with them a change of 
 raiment. 
 
 10. the7'e abide] "When a stranger arrives in a village or an 
 encampment, the neighbours, one after another, must invite him to eat 
 with them. There is a strict etiquette about it, involving much 
 ostentation and hypocrisy : and a failure in the due observance of 
 this system of hospitality is violently resented, and often leads to 
 alienation and feuds among neighbours. It also consumes much time, 
 causes unusual distraction of mind, leads to levity, and everyway 
 counteracts the success of a spiritual mission. The Evangelists... were 
 sent, not to be honoured and feasted, but to call men to repentance, 
 prepare the way of the Lord, and proclaim that the kingdom of heaven 
 was at hand. They were, therefore, first to seek a becoming habitation 
 to lodge in, and there abide until their work in that city was accom- 
 plished." The Land and the Book, ^. 347. 
 
 11. the dust under your feet] For instances of the carrying out of 
 this command, compare the conduct of St Paul at Antioch in Pisidia, 
 
w. 12—15.] ST MARK, VI. 71 
 
 your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto 
 you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in 
 the day of judgment, than for that city. And they went out, 12 
 and preached that men should repent. And they cast out 13 
 many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and 
 healed them. 
 
 14 — 29. The Murder of John the Baptist. 
 And king Herod heard of him; (for his name was spread m 
 abroad:) and he said, That John the Baptist was risen 
 from the dead, and therefore mighty works do shew forth 
 themselves in him. Others said, That it is Elias. And 15 
 others said, That it is a prophet, or as one of the prophets. 
 
 Acts xiii. 51, and at Corinth, Acts xviii. 6. The action must be 
 regarded as synabolical of a complete cessation of all fellowship, and 
 a renunciation of all further responsibility. It was customary with 
 Pharisees when they entered Judaea from a Gentile land, to do this 
 in token of renunciation of all communion with heathenism ; those 
 who rejected the Apostolic message were to be looked upon as those 
 who placed themselves beyond the pale of fellowship and communion. 
 
 13. anointed with oil] St Mark alone mentions this anointing as the 
 method, whereby the healing of the sick was effected. Though not 
 expressly ordered, it was doubtless implied in the injunction to " heal 
 the sick" (Matt. x. 8). The prophet Isaiah (i. 6) alludes to the use of 
 oil for medicinal purposes, and we find this form of cure prescribed 
 thirty years later than this Gospel, by St James in his general Epistle 
 (v. 14). It was much used by the Jews for curative purposes, and 
 thus supplied at once a fitting symbol and an efficient means in these 
 miraculous cures wrought by the Apostles. For the use of the sym- 
 bolical media by our Lord Himself comp. Mark viii. 1^ ; John ix. 6. 
 
 14—29. The Murder of John the Baptist. 
 
 14. And king Hei'od heard of him] This first missionary journey 
 of the Apostles was but short, and they would seem to " have returned 
 to Capernaum as early as the evening of the second day," Bp. Ellicott's 
 Gospel History, p. 196. This Herod was Herod Antipas, to whom, 
 on the death of Herod the Great, had fallen the tetrarchy of Ituraea 
 and Persea. He is here called "king," or "prince," in the ancient 
 and wide sense of the word. St Matt. (xiv. i), and St Luke (ix. 7), 
 style him more exactly "the tetrarch." 
 
 his name] It is peculiar to St Mark that he connects the watching 
 observation of Herod Antipas with the work of Christ as extended 
 by the preaching and miracles of His Apostles. 
 
 was risen from the dead] Herod's guilty conscience triumphed over 
 his Sadducean profession of belief that there is no resurrection. Comp. 
 Matt. xvi. 6; Mark viii. 15. 
 
ST MARK, VI. [w. 16—19. 
 
 16 But when Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John, whom I 
 
 17 beheaded : he is risen from the dead. For Herod himself 
 had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in 
 prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife : for he 
 
 18 had married her. For John had said unto Herod, It is not 
 
 19 lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife. Therefore Hero- 
 dias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him ; 
 
 16. // is yoAn] The words in the original, according to the best 
 MSS., are very striking. John •whom I ( = / myself; the pronoun 
 "has the emphasis of a guilty conscience") beheaded— this is he— he 
 is risen. Josephus confirms the account of these forebodings when 
 he tells us that after the utter defeat of Herod Antipas by Aretas, 
 the people regarded it as a righteous retribution for the murder of 
 John (Jos. Ant. xviii. 5. i, 2). 
 
 17. For Herod] St Mark now proceeds more fully than the first 
 Evangelist to relate the circumstances of the murder of the Baptist. 
 
 for Herodias'' sake] During one of his journeys to Rome, Herod 
 Antipas had fallen in with Herodias the wife of his brother Herod 
 Philip, a son of Herod the Great and Mariamne, who was living there 
 as a private person. Herodias was not only the sister-in-law, but 
 the niece of Antipas, and already had a daughter who was grown up. 
 Herod himself had long been married to the daughter of Aretas, Emir 
 of Arabia Petrsea, but this did not prevent him from courting an adul- 
 terous alliance with Herodias, and she consented to become his wife, on 
 condition that the daughter of the Arabian prince was divorced. But the 
 latter, suspecting her husband's guilty passion, did not wait to be divorced, 
 and indignantly fled to the castle of Machserus, and thence to her father's 
 rocky fortress at Petra, who forthwith assembled an army to avenge 
 her wrongs, and defeated Herod in a decisive battle (Jos. Ant. v. 1 ). 
 
 18. For John had said] Herod was probably on his way to meet his 
 father-in-law, when he first encountered the Baptist, who, in the 
 presence of the Galilean king, proved himself no "reed shaken by 
 the wind" (Luke vii. 24), but boldly denounced the royal crimes (Luke 
 iii. 19), and declared the marriage unlawful. For this outspoken 
 faithfulness he was flung into prison, probably in the castle of Machoerus 
 or "the Black Fortress," which Herod's father had built in one of the 
 most abrupt wadys to the east of the Dead Sea, to overawe the wild 
 Arab tribes of the neighbourhood. Though originally in the possession 
 of Aretas, Herod had probably seized the fortress after the departure of 
 his first wife to her father's stronghold at Petra (Jos. Ant. xviii. 5. 2). 
 
 19. /lad a quarrel] or as it is rendered in the margin, '•'■ had an 
 inward gr2idge" against him. The word here translated "had a 
 quarrel" occurs in Luke xi. 53, where we have rendered it, "and the 
 Pharisees began to ttrge Hitn vehemently," and in Gen. xlix. 23, 
 where the dying Jacob says of Joseph, "The archers sorely grieved 
 him, and shot at him, and hated him." It denotes literally (i) to 
 "hold" or "keep fast within one ;" then (2) to "lay up" or "cherish 
 
vv. 20—22.] ST MARK, VI. 73 
 
 but she could not : for Herod feared John, knowing that he 20 
 was a just man and an holy, and observed him ; and when 
 he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly. 
 And when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his 21 
 birthday made a supper to his lords, high captains, and chief 
 estates of Galilee; and when the daughter of the said Hero- 22 
 dias came in, and danced, and pleased Herod and them 
 
 wrath" against another. Comp. Herod. I. 118, vi. 119. In Tyndale 
 and Cranmer's Versions it is rendered "laid waite for him," in the 
 Rhemish, " sought all occasion against him." 
 
 would have killed} The word in the original is much stronger, .and 
 denotes that she had a settled wish to kill him. Some Versions read 
 *^ she sought" or '■'kept seeking" means to kill him. 
 
 20. observed him} Rather, as in the margin, kept him, i. e. kept 
 him safe from her machinations. The original word occurs in Matt, 
 ix. 17, and Luke v. 38, "they put new wine into new bottles, and both 
 are preserved." 
 
 what he heard him] The Greek here is still more emphatic ; "and 
 when he heard him, he used to do many things, and used to 
 listen to htm gladly." Not once or tv/ice but many times Herod 
 sent for his lonely prisoner, even as Felix sent for St Paul (Acts xxiv. 
 26), and listened to him as he reasoned with him of righteousness, 
 temperance, and judgment to come, and not only listened, but listened 
 gladly ; nay more, he "did many things;" many things, but not ''''the 
 thing. " He would not put away his unlawful wife. 
 
 21. a convenient day] i. e. a suitable day for her fell designs. 
 
 on his birthday] In imitation of the Roman emperors, the Herodian 
 princes kept their birthdays with feasting and revelry and magnificent 
 banquets. Wieseler, however, considers the word denotes a feast cele- 
 brating Herod's accession, but this is more than doubtful. Birthday 
 festivals were one sample of foreign habits introduced into Palestine 
 and spread there by the Herodians. 
 
 made a supper] probably at Machserus or some neighbouring palace. 
 
 lords^ high captains] or '^ chiliarchs." The words here used denote 
 servants of the state, civil and military. 
 
 chief estates] This term denotes men of high rank, and includes the 
 Galilsean nobles generally. Comp. Fuller Ch. Hist. v. iii, 28, "God 
 never gave grace nor knowledge of Holy Scripture to any great estate 
 or rich man." State is also employed in the same way. Thus Adams 
 says (Nichol's Puritan Divines), "Sin deals with her guests as that 
 bloody prince that, having invited many great states to a solemn feast." 
 
 22. the daughter of... Herod ias] Her name was Salome, and she 
 afterwards married (r) Philip the tetrarch of Trachonitis, her paternal 
 uncle, and (2) Aristobulus, the king of Chalcis. "A luxurious feast of 
 the period was not regarded as complete unless it closed with some 
 gross pantomimic representation ; and doubtless Herod had adopted 
 the evil fashion of his day. But he had not anticipated for his guests 
 the rare luxury of .seeing a princess— his own niece, a granddaughter ol 
 
74 ST MARK, VI. [vv. 23—26. 
 
 that sat with him, the king said unto the damsel, Ask of me 
 
 23 whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee. And he sware 
 unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it 
 
 24 thee, unto the half of my kingdom. And she went forth, 
 and said unto her mother. What shall I ask? And she said, 
 
 25 The head of John the Baptist. And she came in straightway 
 with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, I will that thou 
 give me by and by in a charger the head of John the Bap- 
 
 26 tist. And the king was exceeding sorry; yet for his oath's 
 
 Herod the Great and of Mariamne, a descendant, therefore, of Simon 
 the High Priest, and the great line of Maccabsean princes — a princess, 
 who afterwards became the wife of a tetrarch, and the mother of a 
 king — honouring them by degrading herself into a scenic dancer." 
 Foxrax's Life of Christ, i. 391. 
 
 23. unto the half of my kingdom\ Compare the words of Ahasuerus 
 (i.e. Xerxes) to Esther: "What is thy petition, queen Esther? and it 
 shall be granted thee : and what is thy request ? and it shall be per- 
 formed, even to the half of the kingdom''^ (Esther v. 3, vii. -2). 
 
 24. The head of Johjt the Baptist^ Herodias saw that her hour was 
 come. No jewelled trinket, no royal palace, no splendid robe, should be 
 the reward of her daughter's feat — "Ask," said she, **for the head of 
 John the Baptizer." 
 
 25. straightway with haste'] Observe the ready alacrity, with which 
 she proved herself a tme daughter of her mother. 
 
 by and by] i.e. ^^imtnediately.^' Comp. Matt. xiii. 21, "when tribu- 
 lation or ])ersecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is 
 offended;" Luke xvii. 7, "which of you, having a servant plowing or 
 feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by V xxi. 9, "but the end is 
 not by and byP In all these instances the expression has its old mean- 
 ing of "at once," "immediately." Thus Edward IV. is reported to 
 have said on his death-bed, "I wote not whether any prechers' woordes 
 ought more to moue you than^that is goyng by and by to the place 
 that they all preche of," Hall, ffi. v. fol. 1 16 ; " Men dare not give the 
 name of emperor to any other, for he punisheth his offender and traitor 
 by and by ; but they dare give the name of God to others, because He for 
 repentance suffereth the offenders ;" Homily Against Idolatry, pt. iii. 
 
 a charger] ="a large dish,^' or '•'■ platter.''^ This word only occurs 
 here and in the parallel, Matt. xiv. 8. It comes from the Fr. charger and 
 O. E. charge ='''' to load;" hence it means " that on which anything is 
 laid, a dish," as the Hebrew word thus rendered (Num. vii. 13, &c.) is 
 elsewhere given (Exod. xxv. ■29). Thus Fuller says of Oswald, king of 
 Northumberland, when he was told that a number of poor people were 
 at his gate, that he commanded ' ' not onefy that the meat set before him 
 should be given them, but also that the large Silver- Char ger'SxcAd^ng the 
 same should be broken in pieces and (in want, perchance, of present 
 coin) parted betwixt them :" Ch. Hist. II. ii. 76. 
 
 26. exceeding sorry] The Greek word thus translated is very 
 
vv. 37-32.1 ST MARK, VI. 75 
 
 sake, and for their sakes which sat with him, he would not 
 reject her. And immediately the king sent an executioner, 27 
 and commanded his head to be brought: and he went and 
 beheaded him in the prison, and brought his head in a 28 
 charger, and gave it to the damsel : and the damsel gave it 
 to her mother. And when his disciples heard of it^ they 29 
 came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb. 
 
 30 — 44. Return of the Twelve. Feedifig of the Five Thousand. 
 
 And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, 30 
 and told him all things, both what they had done, and what 
 they had taught. And he said unto them. Come ye your- 31 
 selves apart into a desert place, and rest a while : for there 
 were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so 
 much as to eat. And they departed into a desert place by 32 
 
 strong, and denotes very great grief and sorrow. It is used of (i) the 
 rich young ruler, "when he heard this, he was very sorrowful" Luke 
 xviii. 23 ; (2) of our Lord Himself in the Garden of Gethsemane, " My 
 soul is exceeding sorrowfid, even unto death," Matt. xxvi. 38; Markxiv.34. 
 27. an executioner^ Literally, a soldier of the guard. The word 
 Speculator denotes (i) « looker -out, spy, scout ; {2) a special adjutant, 
 soldier of the guard. These scouts formed a special division in each, 
 legion ; but under the emperors a body bearing this name was specially 
 appointed to guard -the emperor and execute his commands (Tac. Hist. I. 
 24, 25; II. II ; Suet. Claud, xxxv.). Hence they were often employed 
 as special messengers in seeking out those who were proscribed or sen- 
 tenced to death (Seneca, de Ira I. 16). In the earlier English Versions 
 the word is rendered " hangman," but this term describes a mere 
 accident of his office. The use of a military term, compared with 
 Luke iii. 14, is in accordance with the fact that Herod was at this 
 time making war on Aretas (Jos, Antiq. xviil. 5. i). 
 
 29. laid it in a tomb] and then ' ' went and told Jesus ' ' (Matt. xiv. 1 2) of 
 the death of His great Forerunner, over whom He had pronounced so 
 remarkable a eulog)'^ (Luke vii. 27, 28). 
 
 30 — 44. Return of the Twelve. Feeding of the Five 
 Thousand. 
 
 30. gathered themselves together'] Their brief tentative mission was 
 now over, and they returned to Capernaum. 
 
 31. t/iere were matiy coming and going] The Passover was now 
 nigh at hand (John vi. 4) and the pilgrim companies would be on the 
 move towards the Holy City. 
 
 32. they departed into a desert place] They crossed the Lake of 
 Gennesaret (John vi. i) and proceeded in the direction of Bethsaida- 
 Julias, at its north-eastern comer (Luke ix. 10), just above the entrance 
 
76 ST MARK, VI. [vv. 33—37. 
 
 33 ship privately. And the people saw them departing, and many 
 knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent 
 
 34 them, and came together unto him. And Jesus, when he 
 came out, saw much people, and was moved with compas- 
 sion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a 
 
 35 shepherd, and he began to teach them many things. And 
 when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto 
 him, and said. This is a desert place, and now the time 
 
 36 is far passed: send them away, that they may go into the 
 country round about, and into the villages, and buy them- 
 
 37 selves bread : for they have nothing to eat. He answered 
 and said unto them. Give ye them to eat. And they say 
 unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of 
 
 of the Jordan into it. Bethsaida-Julias was originally only a village, 
 but was rebuilt and enlarged by Herod Philip not long after the birth 
 of Christ. He raised it tt) the dignity of a town, and called it Julias 
 after Julia the daughter of Augustus. Philip occasionally resided there, 
 and there died and was buried in a costly tomb (Jos. Antiq. xviii. 4. 6). 
 To the south of it was the green and narrow plain of El-Batihah, 
 "with abundant grass, and abundant space for the multitudes to have 
 sat down" (Tristram's Land of Israel, p. 439). 
 
 33. ra7i afoot] The multitudes saw the vessel start from Capernaum, 
 and quickly ran along the coast and round the northern extremity of the 
 Lake, where they met the little company disembarking on the shore. 
 The motive of their coming in such large numbers is stated by St John, 
 vi. 1. 
 
 34. he came oiit\ Comparing the account in the Fourth Gospel, we 
 may conjecture that on landing the Lord and His disciples ascended 
 the hill-side (John vi. 3) and there waited awhile till the whole multitude 
 was assembled. Then descending, He saw them all, and moved with 
 compassion began to ''''teach them many things concerning the king- 
 dom of God" (Luke ix. 11), and healed them that had need of healing. 
 
 35. a desert place] The locality was probably part of the rich but 
 uninhabited plain at the mouth of the Jordan. 
 
 36. send them away] Already earlier in the day the Lord had 
 asked the Apostle Philip, Whence shall zve buy bread that these may eat ? 
 and he, thinking of no other supplies save such as natural means could 
 procure, had replied that two hinidred pence would not suffice to provide 
 susfenance for such a number (John vi. 5—7). Then He left this con- 
 fession of inability to work in their minds, and it Avas now in the 
 eventide that the Apostles came to Him with the proposition contained 
 in this verse. 
 
 37. Shall we go and buy] With one mouth they seem to have 
 reiterated what St Philip had said earlier in the day. 
 
 two hundred pennyworth] The specifying of this sum is peculiar to 
 St Mark and St John. The word translated penny is the denarius, a 
 
w. 38--4I-J ST MARK, VI. 77 
 
 bread, and give them to eat? He saith unto them, How 38 
 many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, 
 they say. Five, and two fishes. And he commanded them 39 
 to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass. 
 And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties. 40 
 And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, 41 
 he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, 
 
 silver coin of the value originally of 10 and afterwards of 16 ases. The 
 denarius was first coined in B.C. 269, or 4 years before the first Punic 
 war, and originally was of the value of 8^d. of our money, later it 
 = 7i</. It was the day-wages of a labourer in Palestine (Matt. xx. 
 2, 9, 13). "It so happens that in almost every case where the word 
 denarius occurs in the N. T. it is connected with the idea of a liberal 
 or large amount ; and yet in these passages the English rendering 
 names a sum which is absurdly small." Prof Lightfoot on the Revision 
 of the N. T. p. 166. 
 
 38. go and see] In the interval between their going and return 
 they learnt that a lad in their company had Jive bai-ley loaves, and txvo 
 small fishes, which they could secure for purchase. They were only 
 barley loaves (John vi. 9), the food even then, for the most part, of 
 beasts, or of the poor and the unfortunate. Comp. 2 Kings vii. i. The 
 fact has an important bearing on Judges vii. 13. 
 
 39. by companies] Literally, drinking parties. The word alludes to an 
 orderly social grouping, catervatim. The words are repeated by a 
 Hebraism in the original, like the "two and two" of ver. 7. 
 
 upon the green grass] St Mark alone mentions the green grass, " still 
 fresh in the spring of the year, before it had faded away in the summer 
 sun." It was the season of the Passover, corresponding to our ^larch 
 or April, hence there was ^^miich grass in the place f comp. John vi. 10. 
 
 40. in ranks] Literally, they reclined in parterres {areolatim). 
 "As they sat in these orderly groups upon the grass, the gay red and 
 blue and yellow colours of the clothing, which the poorest Orientals 
 wear, called up in the imagination of St Peter a multitude of flower- 
 beds in some well-cultivated garden." Ydccxzx'-, Life of Christ, y^. ^02. 
 "Our English 'm ranks' does not reproduce the picture to the eye, 
 giving rather the notion of continuous lines. Wyclif was better,^ ' by 
 parties ;' perhaps in groups would be as near as we could get to it in 
 English." Trench, Miracles, p. 265. St Mark here, as elsewhere, 
 doubtless reproduces the description of the scene by St Peter. 
 
 by hundreds, and by fifties] " Two long rows of 100, a shorter one of 
 50 persons. The fourth side remained, after the manner of the tables 
 of the ancients, empty and open." Gerlach. 
 
 41. and blessed] The words, though not given, were probably those of 
 the ordinary grace before meat in use in Israel. " He gives thanks to 
 God, as the father surrounded by his household was on the occasion of 
 the Passover wont to do, for His natural gifts and covenant blessings. 
 This action is made almost equally prominent in each of the four Narra- 
 
78 ST MARK, VI. [vv. 42— 47. 
 
 and gave them to his disciples to set before them ; and the 
 
 42 two fishes divided he among them all. And they did all eat, 
 
 43 and were filled. And they took up twelve baskets full of the 
 
 44 fragments, and of the fishes. And they that did eat of the 
 loaves were about five thousand men. 
 
 45 — 52. The Walking on the Lake. 
 
 45 And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the 
 ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while 
 
 46 he sent away the people. And when he had sent them away, 
 
 47 he departed into a mountain to pray. And when even was 
 come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on 
 
 lives, and after the thanksgiving. He distributed the food, as the father 
 was accustomed to do at the Paschal meal." See note on xiv. 16. 
 
 and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples'] The first of 
 these words denotes an instantaneous, the second a continuous act. 
 The multiplication of the loaves and fishes had a beginning and went 
 on in the hands of Christ between the acts of breaking and distributing 
 the bread. Comp. 2 Kings iv. 42 — 44. 
 
 43. they took tip] in obedience to our Lord's command (Johnvi. 12), 
 Who would teach them that wastefulness even of miraculous power was 
 wholly alien to the Divine economy. 
 
 baskets] "tuelue coffyns full," Wyclif. All the Evangelists alike 
 here use cophinoi for the small common wicker -baskets, in which these 
 fragments were collected, at the feeding of the Five Thousand, and 
 the word spurides, or large rope-baskets, when they describe the feeding 
 of the Four Thousand. These wicker baskets were the common pos- 
 session of the Jews, in which to carry their food in order to avoid 
 pollution with heathens; "Judaeis, <\\xor\xn\ cophimis foenumque supel- 
 lex," Juv. Sat. iii. 14. The same distinction is made by our Lord when 
 He alludes to both miracles' (Mark viii. 19, 20; Matt, xvi, 9, 10). 
 
 44. five thojisand men] besides wotnen and children (Matt. xiv. ii), 
 who would not sit down with the men, but sit or stand apart. 
 
 45 — 52. The Walking on the Lake. 
 
 45. And straightway] The impression made upon the people by 
 the miracle just narrated was profound. It was the popular expectation 
 that the Messiah would repeat the miracles of Moses, and this "bread 
 of wonder," of which they had just partaken, recalled to the minds of 
 the multitudes the manna, which the Great Lawgiver had given to their 
 forefathers. They were convinced, therefore, that the Saviour was 
 none other than "the Prophet," of whom Moses had spoken, and in this 
 conviction they would have taken Him by force and tnade Him a king 
 (John vi. 14, 15). To defeat this intention the Saviour bade His Apos- 
 tles take ship and cross over to the other side of the Lake. 
 
 unto Bethsaida] i. e. the western Bethsaida, the town of Philip, An- 
 drew, and Peter, in the neighbourhood of Capernaum (John vi. 17). 
 
w. 48— 5I-] ST MARK, VI. 79 
 
 the land. And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind 48 
 was contrary unto them : and about the fourth watch of the 
 night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would 
 have passed by them. But when they saw him walking upon 49 
 the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out: 
 for they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately 50 
 he talked with them, and saith unto them. Be of good cheer : 
 it is I; be not afraid. And he went up unto them into the 51 
 ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in 
 
 47. in the midst of the sea\ With all their efforts and the toil of 
 the entire night they had not in consequence of contrary winds (John vi. 
 18) accomplished more than yf^r ajid twenty or thirty furlongs^ i. e. 
 scarcely more than half of their way, the Lake being forty or forty-five 
 furlongs in breadth, when one of the sudden storms, to which the Lake 
 is subject, rushed down from the western mountains. See above, iv. 37. 
 
 48. he saw them toiling in rozvijig] The word translated "toiling," 
 which also occurs in Matt. xiv. 24, is a very striking expression. It 
 denotes (i) to test metals with the totichstone, {2) to rack, torture, (3) to 
 tormeiit as in Matt. viii. 29, "art Thou come to torment us before the 
 time?", and Matt, viii, 6, "Lord, my servant heth at home sick of 
 the palsy, grievously tortjiented." Here it seems to imply that they 
 were tortured, baffled, by the waves, which were boisterous by reason 
 of the strong wind that blew (John vi. 18). Wyclif translates it 
 *^ travailing i?t rotting ;^^ Tyndale and Cranmer, " trotibled in rowing." 
 
 the fourth watch'\ The proper Jewish reckoning recognised only three 
 watches or periods, for which sentinels or pickets remained on duty. 
 They were entitled (i) the first, or beginning of the watches, from sunset 
 to 10 p.m. (Lam. ii. 19), (2) the middle watch, from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. 
 (Judg. vii. 19), and (3) the morning watch, from 2 a.m. to sunrise 
 (Ex, xiv. 24 ; I Sam. xi. ri). After the Roman supremacy the number 
 of watches was increased to four, sometimes described by their nume- 
 rical order, as here and in Matt. xiv. 25; sometimes by the tenns (i) 
 even, closing at 9 p.m.; midnight; cock-crowing, at 3 a.m.; viorning, at 
 6 a.m. 
 
 would have passed by them"] He came quite near their vessel on the 
 storm-tost waves, and seemed to wish to lead the way before them to the 
 western shore. Comp. Luke xxiv. 28, 29. 
 
 49. a spirit] An unsubstantial appearance. So they thought on the 
 evening of the world's first Easter Day, when they saw Him after 
 His resurrection. See Luke xxiv. 36, 37. Wyclif translates it "they 
 gessiden him for to be a fantum;" Tyndale and Cranmer "a sprete;" 
 the Rhemish "a ghost." 
 
 60. be not afraid] St Mark does not record St Peter's attempt to 
 go to his Lord upon the Lake, which is narrated only by St Matthew, 
 xiv. 28 — 30. 
 
 61. they were sore amazed] Observe the strong expressions here • 
 employed. Not only were they "sore amazed," but "beyond measure." 
 
8o ST MARK, VI. [vv. 52—56. 
 
 52 themselves beyond measure, and wondered. For they con- 
 sidered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was 
 hardened. 
 
 53 — 56. Mh'ades of Healing in the Lajid of Gennesaret. 
 
 33 And when they had passed over, they came into the 
 
 54 land of Gennesaret, and drew to the shore. And when 
 they were come out of the ship, straightway they knew him, 
 
 s5 and ran through that whole region round about, and began 
 to carry about in beds those that were sick, where they heard 
 
 56 he was. And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or 
 cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and be- 
 sought him that they might touch if it were but the border 
 of his garment: and as many as touched him were made 
 whole. 
 
 Never had the disciples been so impressed by the majesty of Christ as 
 they were now in consequence of this miracle. St Matthew, xiv. 33, tells 
 us that the impression made extended also to those who were with them 
 in the ship, i.e. probably the crew. Not only did they approach Him 
 with an outward unforbidden gesture of worship, "but they avowed 
 for the first time collectively, what one of them had long since separately 
 declared Him to be, the Son of God'' (Matt. xiv. 33; comp. John i. 49), 
 Bp. Ellicott's Lectures, p. 21 1. 
 
 52. hardened^ See note above, iii. 5. 
 
 63—56. IMiRACLES OF Healing in the Land of Gennesaret. 
 
 53. the lattd of Gennesaret is only mentioned here and in Matt. xiv. 
 34. It is the same as the modern el-Ghinveir, a fertile crescent-shaped 
 plain, on the north-western shore of the Lake of Gennesaret, about 3 
 miles in length and i in width. From its sheltered situation, and 
 especially from its depression of more than 500 feet below the level of 
 the ocean, its climate is of an almost tropical character. Josephus 
 speaks of it as if it were an earthly paradise, in which every kind 
 of useful plant grew and flourished. Jos. B. J. HI. 10. 8. 
 
 drew to the shore'\ or, as Tyndale and Cranmer translate it, "drew up 
 into the haven." 
 
 54. they knew htm] The dawn had now broken, and the people on 
 shore at once recognised the Great Healer, and craved His help in be- 
 half of their sick and afflicted. 
 
 56. hit the border of his garment'] The numbers that pressed upon 
 Him seemed almost too large for Him to be able to heal them singly by 
 laying His hands upon them, therefore many begged that they might 
 be allowed to touch if it were but the border of His garment. Comp. 
 above, v. 27. Soon after followed the ever memorable discourse so 
 strikingly in accordance with the present Passover-season in the syna- 
 gogue of Capernaum respecting '' the Bread of Life"" (John vi. 22 — 65). 
 
vv. 1—4.] ST MARK, VII. 81 
 
 I — 23. Contest with the Pharisees of Jerusalem concerning 
 Traditions of Eating. 
 
 Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain 7 
 of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem. And when they 2 
 saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is 
 to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault. For the 3 
 Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, 
 eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. . And when they 4 
 
 Ch. VII. 1 — 23. Contest with the Pharisees of Jerusalem 
 
 CONCERNING TRADITIONS OF EaTING. 
 
 1. Then came together\ A few days only were assigned to the per- 
 formance of those deeds of mercy described at the close of the last 
 chapter. But the Saviour's labours of love were soon rudely interrupted. 
 Having kept the Feast at Jerusalem the Scribes and Pharisees returned 
 to seek out matter for accusation agamst Him. The combination of the 
 Pharisees of Galilee and the Pharisees of Judaea had already been 
 concerted and entered upon, and they now watched His eveiy step. 
 
 2. "with defiled^ that is to say, with unwashen, hafids^ Thus St Mark 
 explains for his Roman readers, and then proceeds more fully to set 
 forth certain Jewish usages. The Pharisees had probably crept in 
 secretly into some of the social gatherings of the disciples. 
 
 3. except they wash their hands oft] Oft, literally, witli the fist. 
 "Wlien they washed their hands, they washed the fist unto the jointing 
 of the arm. The hands are polluted, and made clean zoito the jointing 
 of the arm.'''' Lightfoot Hor. Heh. upon St Mark. When water v/as 
 poured on the hands, they had to be lifted, yet so that the water should 
 neither run up above the wrist, nor back again upon the hand ; best, there- 
 fore, by doubling the fingers into a fist. The Israelites, who, like other 
 Oriental nations, fed with their fingers, washed their hands before meals, 
 for the sake of cleanliness. But these customary washings were distinct 
 from the ceremonial ablutions ; in the former water was poured upon the 
 hands; in the latter the hands -wtrQ pltinged in water. When, therefore, 
 some of the Pharisees remarked that our Lord's disciples ate with 
 "unwashen hajids,'''' it is not to be understood literally that they did not 
 at all wash their hands, but that they did not %vash thein ceremonially 
 according to their own practice. And this was expected of them only 
 as the disciples of a religious teacher ; for these refinements were not 
 practised by the class of people from which the disciples were chiefly 
 drawn. 
 
 eat not] "The Jews of later times related with intense admiration 
 how the Rabbi Akiba, when imprisoned and furnished with only suffi- 
 cient water to maintain life, preferred to die of starvation rather than 
 eat without the proper washings." Buxtorf, Syn. Jud.; quoted in 
 Yoxrzix^s Life of Christ, I. p. 443; Geikie, ii. 203 — 205. 
 
 the tradition of the elders] The Rabbinical rules about ablutions 
 occupy a large portion of one section of the Talmud. 
 
 ST MARK 5 
 
82 ST MARK, VII. [w. 5— ir. 
 
 come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And 
 many other things there be, which they have received to 
 hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and 
 s of tables. Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him. Why 
 walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, 
 
 6 but eat bread with unwashen hands? He answered and said 
 unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, 
 as it is written. This people honoureth me with their lips, 
 
 7 but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they 
 worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of 
 
 8 men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold 
 the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups : and 
 
 9 many other such like things ye do. And he said unto them. 
 Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may 
 
 10 keep your own tradition. For Moses said. Honour thy 
 father and thy mother; and. Whoso curseth father or mo- 
 
 11 ther, let him die the death: but ye say. If a man shall say 
 to his father or mother, // is Corban, that is to say, a gift, 
 
 4. except they wasJi] "Wash" here implies complete immersion as 
 contrasted with the mere washing of the hands in verse 3. 
 
 potsl The original word thus translated is one of St Mark's Latinisms. 
 It is a corruption of the Latin sextarius, a Roman measure both 
 for liquids and dry things. In Tyndale and Cranmer's Versions it is 
 translated '■'■criisesj''' Earthen vessels were broken; those of metal and 
 wood scoured and rinsed with water. See Levit. xv. 12. 
 
 tables\ Rather, banqueting- couches, triclinia, the benches or couches 
 on which the Jews reclined at meals. 
 
 6. Well hath Esaias] Rather, Well, or full well did Esaias propliesy 
 of you. " Well" is said in irony. This expression recurs in v. 9, **full 
 well ye reject" = '•'■finely do ye set at naught and obliterate." 
 
 This people honoureth me] The words are found in Isaiah xxix. 13. 
 
 10. Honour thy fathe?-] The words are quoted partly from Ex. xx. 
 12, and partly from Ex. xxi. 17. 
 
 11. // a man shall say] Literally it runs, If a man shall say to 
 Ms father or his mother, That, from which thou mightest have 
 been benefited by me, is Corban, that is to say, a gift, or offering 
 consecrated to God, he shall be free, and ye suffer him no longer 
 to do aught for his father or his mother. A person had merely to 
 pronounce the word Corban over any possession or property, and it was 
 irrevocably dedicated to the Temple. Our Lord is quoting a regular 
 formula, which often occurs in the Talmudic tracts Nedariin and Nazir. 
 Others would give to the words an imperative force, Be it Corban from 
 which thou mightest have been benefited by me, i. e. "If I give thee 
 anything or do anything for thee, may it be as though I gave thee that 
 which is devoted to God, and may I be accounted perjured and 
 
w. 12—19.] ST MARK, VII. 83 
 
 by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be 
 free. And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father la 
 or his mother; making the word of God of none effect 13 
 through your tradition, which ye have deUvered : and many 
 such like things do ye. And when he had called all the 14 
 people unto him, he said unto them. Hearken unto me every 
 one of you, and understand : there is nothing from without a 15 
 man, that entering into him can defile him : but the things 
 which come out of him, those are they that defile the man. 
 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. And when he ^^ 
 was entered into the house from the people, his disciples 
 asked him concerning the parable. And he saith unto them, is 
 Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, 
 that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, 
 // cannot defile him; because it entereth not into his heart, 19 
 but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging 
 
 sacrilegious." This view certainly gives greater force to the charge 
 made by our Lord, that the command "Whoso curseth father or 
 mother, let him die the death" was nullified by the tradition. 
 
 13. through yotir tradition'] The Jews distinguished between the 
 ** Written Law" and the traditional or "Unwritten Law." The Un- 
 written Law was said to have been orally delivered by God to Moses, 
 and by him orally transmitted to the Elders. On it was founded the 
 Talmud or "doctrine," which consists of (i) the Mishna or "repeti- 
 tion" of the Law, {2) the Gemara or "supplement" to it. So extra- 
 vagant did the veneration for the Traditional Law become, that there 
 was amongst many other sayings this assertion, " The Law is like salt, 
 the Mishna like pepper, the Gemara like balmy spice." Buxtorf, Synag. 
 Jud. ch. iii. 
 
 14. all the people] Rather, when He had called the people again 
 unto Him. As Wyclif has it in his Version, "and he eftsone clepinge 
 to \ft cumpanye of peplc." 
 
 17. his disciples] From St Matthew we learn that the questioner 
 was St Peter (Matt. xv. 15). As in the walking on the water, so here, 
 he modestly suppresses himself in the Gospel which was written under 
 his eye. 
 
 the parable] They regarded the words uttered in the hearing of the 
 mixed multitude, and which deeply offended the Pharisees (Matt. xv. 12), 
 as a parable, or "dark saying." See note above, iv. 2. 
 
 19. into the draught] Comp. 2 Kings x. 27, "And they brake 
 
 down the house of Baal, and made it a draughthouse unto this day." 
 Draught = /a/'rzwff, cloaca, from Icel. draf, dregs, dirt, connected with 
 A.S. drabbe, drefe. Comp. Shakespeare, Tim. of Ath. V. i. 105, "Hang 
 them, or stab them, drown them in a draught ^ "There was a godde of 
 idlenesse, a goddesse of the draught or jakes." Burton, Anat. of Mel. 
 
 6—2 
 
84 ST MARK, VII. [W. 20—23. 
 
 20 all meats? And he said, That which cometh out of the 
 
 21 man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the 
 heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, 
 
 22 murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lascivious- 
 
 23 ness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness : all these evil 
 things come from within, and defile the man. 
 
 21. evil thonghts] Thirteen forms of evil are here noticed as proceed- 
 ing from the heart. The first seven in the phiral number, 7\xt predominant 
 actio7is ; the latter six in the singular, dispositions. Comp. the blending 
 of the singular and plural in St Paul's enumeration of the works of the 
 flesh, Gal. v. 19 — 21. 
 
 adtdte7'ies'\ The preferable order appears to be for?iications, thefts, 
 murders, adulteries, covetousnesses, wickednesses. 
 
 22. covetousness'\ "avarises," Wyclif. The original word denotes more 
 than the mere love of money, it is "the drawing and snatching to him- 
 self, on the sinner's part, of the creature in every form and kind, as it 
 lies out of and beyond himself." Hence we find it joined not only with 
 "thefts" here and with "extortion" in i Cor. v. 10, but also with sins 
 of the flesh as in i Cor. v. 11; Eph. v. 3, 5; Col. iii. 5. "Impurity 
 and covetousness may be said to divide between them nearly the whole 
 domain of human selfishness and vice." "Homo extra Deum quaerit 
 pabulum in creatura materiali vel per voluptatem vel per avaritiam." 
 See Canon Lightfoot on Col. iii. 5. 
 
 wickedness'X or wickednesses. The word thus translated occurs in 
 the singular in Matt. xxii. 18, "but Jesus perceived their wickedness,'''' 
 and again in Luke xi. 39; Rom. i. 29; i Cor. v. 8; Eph. vi. 12. In 
 the plural it only occurs twice, here and in Acts iii. 26, where we have 
 translated it "iniquities." It denotes the active working of evil, "the 
 cupiditas nocendi," or as Jeremy Taylor explains it, an "aptness to do 
 shrewd turns, to delight in mischief and trajedies; a love to trouble our 
 neighbour and to do him ill offices; crossness, perverseness, and peevish- 
 ness of action in our intercourse." Trench's N. T. Synonyms, p. 36. 
 
 lascivi(n^ness'\ The word thus rendered is of uncertain etymology, 
 and in our Version is translated generally ^Uasciviousjiess,'" as here and 
 •2 Cor. xii. 21; Gal. v. 19; Eph. iv. 19; i Pet. iv. 3; sometimes (2) 
 '■^wantonness,'" as in Rom. xiii. 13; 2 Pet. ii. 18. The Vulgate renders 
 it now "impudicitia," now "lascivia." "Wantonness" is the better 
 rendering. In Classical Greek it signifies "lawless- insolence" or 
 "boisterous violence" towards another; in later Greek "sensuality." 
 
 an evil eye, blasphemy'] Of these the first denotes concealed, the 
 second open enmity. The evil eye is notorious in the East ; here it is 
 the description of an envious look; "invidia et de malis alienis 
 gaudium." Bengel. 
 
 pj'ide] The substantive thus translated only occurs here in the 
 N. T., its adjective occurs in Luke i. 51, "He hath scattered the protid 
 in the imagination of their hearts;" Rom. i. 30, '"'■ pi-07id, boasters;" 
 2 Tim, iii. 2, ^^ protid, blasphemers;" James iv. 6, i Pet. v. 5, "God 
 
V. 24.1 ST MARK, VII. 85 
 
 24 — 30. The SyrophoeJiician Woman. 
 And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of 24 
 Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have 
 
 resisteth the proud.'''' The true seat of this sin, the German *' Hoch' 
 muth^'^ is within, and consists in comparing oneself secretly zc/M others, 
 and lifting oneself above others, in being proud in thought. 
 
 foolishness\ only occurs here in the Gospels, and three times in 
 the Epistles of St Paul, 2 Cor. xi. i, 17, i\. "Causa cur insipientia 
 extremo loco ponatur : quae etiam reliqua omnia facit incurabiliora. 
 Non in sola voluntate est corruptio humana." Bengel. 
 
 24 — 30. The Syrophcenician Woman. 
 
 24. from thence he arose] The malevolence of our Lord's enemies 
 was now assuming hourly a more implacable form. The Pharisaic party 
 in Eastern Galilee were deeply offended (Matt. xv. 12) ; even those who 
 once would fain have prevented Him from leaving them (Luke iv. 42) 
 were filled with doubts and suspicions ; Herod Antipas was inquiring 
 concerning Him (Luke ix. 9), and his inquiries boded nothing but ill. 
 He therefore now leaves for awhile eastern Galilee and makes His way 
 north-west through the mountains of upper Galilee into the border-land 
 of Phoenicia. See the Analysis of the Gospel, p. 22. 
 
 the dorc/ers of Tyre and Sidon'\ His travelling towards these regions 
 was the prophetic and sjTiibolical represe tation of the future progress 
 of Christianity from the Jews to the Gentiles. So in ancient times 
 Elijah travelled out of his own land into Phoenicia (r Kings xvii. 10 — 
 24). Our Lord, however, does not actually go into Phoenicia, but into 
 the adjoining borders of Galilee, the district of the tribe of Asher. 
 
 7)/;y] a celebrated commercial city of antiquity, situated in 
 Phoenicia. The Hebrew name "Tzor" signifies "a rock," and well 
 agrees with the site of Sil, the modern town on a rocky peninsula, 
 which was formerly an island, and less than 20 miles distant from Sidon. 
 We first get glimpses of its condition in 2 Sam. v. 1 1 in connection 
 with Hiram, King of Tyre, who sent cedar- wood and workmen to 
 David and afterwards to Solomon (r Kings ix. 11 — 14, x. 22). Ahab 
 married a daughter of Ithobal, King of Tyre (i Kings xvi. 31), and 
 was instrumental in introducing the idolatrous worship of Baalim and 
 Ashtaroth. The prosperity of Tyre in the time of our Lord was very 
 great. Strabo gives an account of it at this period, and speaks of the 
 great wealth which it derived from the dyes of the celebrated Tyrian 
 purple. It was perhaps more populous even than Jerusalem. 
 
 Sidon'\ The Greek form of the Phoenician name Zidon, an ancient 
 and wealthy city of Phoenicia, situated on the narrow plain between the 
 Lebanon and the Sea. Its Hebrew name Tsidon signifies "Fishing" 
 or "Fishery." Its modern name is Saida. It is mentioned in the 
 Old Testament as early as Gen. x. 19; Josh. xi. 8; Judg. i. 31, and in 
 ancient times was more influential even than Tyre, though from the 
 time of Solomon it appears to have been subordinate to it. 
 
86 ST MARK, VII. [vv. 25— 28. 
 
 25 no man know //; but he could not be hid. For a certain 
 woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard 
 
 26 of him, and came and fell at his feet : the woman was a 
 Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him 
 
 27 that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter. But 
 Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled : for it is 
 not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the 
 
 28 dogs. And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord : 
 yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs. 
 
 would have no man know ii\ desiring seclusion and rest after His 
 late labours. 
 
 25. heai-d of him'\ The fame of His miracles had already pene- 
 trated even to these old Phoenician cities, and we have seen (Mark 
 iii. 8) "a great multitude" from Tyre and Sidon coming to Him (comp. 
 also Matt. iv. 24). 
 
 26. a Gree}i\ St Matthew describes her as a ^^ woman of Canaan''^ 
 (Matt. XV. 22), St Mark calls her a Greek, a Syrophceniciajt. The first 
 term describes her religion, that she was a Gentile; the second the 
 stock of which she came, "which was even that accursed stock once 
 doomed of God to total excision, but of which some branches had been 
 spared by those first generations of Israel that should have extirpated 
 them root and branch. Everything, therefore, was against this woman, 
 yet she was not hindered by that everything from drawing nigh, and 
 craving the boon that her soul longed after." Trench on the Parables, 
 p. 339. She is called a ^yrophanidan, as distinguished from the Liby- 
 phcenicians, the Phoenicians of Africa, that is, Carthage. Phoenicia 
 belonged at this time to the province of Syria. 
 
 27. Btd yesus said unto her'\ St Mark passes more briefly over ihe 
 interview than St Matthew. The latter Evangelist points out three 
 stages of this woman's trial; (i) Silence; ^^ He answered her not a word" 
 (Matt. XV. 23); (ii) Refusal; ^^ I am not sent but zinio the lost sheep of the 
 hoiise of IsraeV (Matt. xv. 24) ; (iii) Reproach; "// is not meet to take the 
 children's bread and cast it to the dogs'" (Matt. xv. 26). But in spite of 
 all she persevered and finally conquered. 
 
 the dogs'] In the original the diminutive is used= 'V////*? dogs." 
 "Little whelps" Wyclif; "the whelps" Tyndale, Cranmer. The Jews, 
 ^Hhe children of the kingdom" (Matt. viii. 12), were wont to designate 
 the heathen as ^'■dogs," the noble characteristics of which animal are 
 seldom brought out in Scripture (comp. Deut. xxiii. 18; Job xxx. i; 
 2 Kings viii. 13; Phil. iii. 2; Rev. xxii. 15). Here however the term 
 is somewhat softened. The heathen are compared not to the great 
 wild dogs infesting Eastern towns (i Kings xiv. 11, xvi. 4; 2 Kings 
 ix. 10), but to the small dogs attached to households. In the East now 
 the Mahometans apply this name to the Christians. 
 
 28. yet the dogs] Rather, Yea Lord, for even the little dogs under 
 tbe table eat of tlie cMldren's cnmilis. So it is rightly translated in 
 
w. 29—31.] ST MARK, VII. 87 
 
 And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil 29 
 is gone out of thy daughter. And when she was come to her 30 
 house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid 
 upon the bed. 
 
 3 1 — 3 7. The Healing of one Deaf and Diimh. 
 
 And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he 3^ 
 
 Wyclifsand Cranmer's Versions, following the Vulgate "Etiam, Domine, 
 nam et catelli edunt. " " Ti'zith it is Maister, for indeed the whelpes eat vnder 
 the table, of the childerns cronwies" Geneva, 1557. Her "yea" is the 
 "yea" of admission not of contradiction. She accepts the declaration 
 of Christ, and in that very declaration she affirms is involved the grant- 
 ing of her petition. "Saidst Thou dogs? It is well; I accept the 
 title and the place ; for the dogs have a portion of the meat — not the 
 first, not the children's portion, but a portion still — the crumbs which 
 fall from the table." Her words speak to us even now across the cen- 
 turies, and our Church adopts her words of faith in the "Prayer of 
 Humble Access" at the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. 
 
 cru77ibs\ These were probably something more than what would 
 accidentally fall from the table. It was the custom during the meal 
 for the guests after thrusting their hands into the common dish to wipe 
 them on the soft white part of the bread, which, having thus used, they 
 threw to the dogs. 
 
 30. she fotmd the devil gone out'\ Thus the daughter was healed in 
 consequence of the mother's faith and in answer to her prayers. This 
 is an instance of a cure effected at a distance: other instances are, (i) the 
 nobleman's son at Capernaum, whom our Lord healed while Himself 
 at Cana (John iv. 46), (2) the centurion's servant (Luke vii. 6). The case 
 also of this lonely woman not suffering the Lord "to go" until He had 
 blessed her (comp. Gen. xxxii. 24 — 32) is the greatest of the three 
 ascending degrees of faith, "as it manifests itself in the breaking 
 through of hindrances which would keep from Christ. The paralytic 
 broke through the otitzvard hindrances, the obstacles of things merely 
 external (Mark ii. 4) ; blind Bartimaeus through the hindrances opposed 
 by his fellow-vien (Mark x. 48) ; but this woman, more heroically than 
 all, through apparent hindrances, even from Christ Himself. ^^ Trench 
 on the Miracles, p. 347. 
 
 31 — 37. The Healing of one Deaf and Dumb. 
 
 31. the coasts\ A misleading archaism is this word for "border" or 
 "region." No allusion is made in the original word to the sea-board. 
 Thus we are told that Herod "slew all the children that were in Beth- 
 lehem, and in all the coasts thereof," though Bethlehem was not near the 
 sea; and again we read of ^^ the coasts'"'' ( = borders) of Judaea in Matt. 
 xix. i; comp. Mark x. i, where there is no sea-coast at all; of the 
 coasts ( = borders) of Gadara in Mark v. 17 ; "the coasts of Decapolis" 
 in this verse; of "the coasts" ( = regions) of Antioch in Pisidia (Acts 
 xiii. 50). Comp. i Sam. v. 6. The word comes from the Latin costa, 
 *'arib" ^'side" through Fr. "coste,'^ Hence it = "a border" generally, 
 
S8 ST MARK, VII. [vv. 32—34. 
 
 came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts 
 
 32 of DecapoUs. And they bring unto him one that was deaf, 
 and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him 
 
 33 to put his hand upon him. And he took him aside from the 
 multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and 
 
 34 touched his tongue; and looking up to heaven, he sighed, 
 
 though now applied to the sea-coast only. Wyclif translates it here 
 "bitwix ]pe Endis {or coostis) of Tire, j^e myddil endis of Decapoleos." 
 
 and Si'don] The preferable reading here, supported by several 
 MSS. and found in several ancient versions, is, And again, departing 
 from the coasts of Tyre, He came through Sidon unto the Sea of 
 Galilee. This visit of the Redeemer of mankind to the city of Baal and 
 Astarte is full of significance. ^ 
 
 /le came unto the sea of Galilee\ The direction of the journey appears 
 to have been (i) northward towards Lebanon, then (2) from the foot of 
 Lebanon through the deep gorge of the Leontes to the sources of the 
 Jordan, and thence {3) along its eastern bank into the regions of 
 Decapolis, which extended as far north as Damascus, and as far south as 
 the river Jabbok. 
 
 32. one that zvas deaf\ The healing of this man, on the east side of 
 the Jordan, is related only by St Mark. 
 
 and had an impediment'\ The word thus rendered does not imply that 
 he was a mute, as some have thought, but that with his deafness was 
 connected a disturbance of the organs of speech, so that he could make 
 no intelligible sounds. Tyndale renders it "one that was deffe and 
 stambred in hys speche." 
 
 they beseech hii)i\ This is one of the few instances where the friends 
 of the sufferer brought the sick man to Christ. We have already met 
 with another instance in the case of the paralytic borne of four (Mark 
 ii. 3 — 5), and shall meet with another in the case of the blind man of 
 Bethsaida in Mark viii. 22 — 26. 
 
 33. aside from the multitnde'\ Comp. Mark viii. 23. Why? (i) Some 
 think it was to avoid all show and ostentation; (2) others, to prevent a 
 publicity which might bring together the Gentiles in crowds; (3) others, 
 far more probably, that apart from the interruptions of the crowd the 
 man might be more recipient of deep and lasting impressions. 
 
 and put Jiis f7igers into his eaj's] In this man's case there were 
 evidently circumstances which rendered it necessary that his cure should 
 be (i) gradual, and {2) effected by visible signs. And so our Lord (a) took 
 him aside from the multitude ; (b) put His fingers into his ears, (c) 
 touched his tongue with the moisture of His mouth (comp. ch. viii. 
 23; John ix. 6; 2 Kings ii. 21); (d) looked up to heaven (comp. Matt, 
 xiv. 19; Mark vi. 41; John xi. 41), and sighed (comp. Mark viii. 12; 
 John xi. 33, 38), and {e) spake the one word Ephphatha (comp. Mark 
 V. 41). 
 
 34. looking up to heaven'\ This upturned look expressive of an act of 
 prayer and an acknowledgment of His oneness with the Father, occurs 
 also (i) in the blessing of the five loaves and two fishes (Matt. xiv. 19; 
 
VV.35— 37; I— 4-] ST MARK, VII. VIII. 89 
 
 and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is. Be opened. And 3s 
 straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue 
 was loosed, and he spake plain. And he charged them that 36 
 they should tell no man : but the more he charged them, so 
 much the more a great deal they published //; and were 37 
 beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things 
 well : he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to 
 speak. 
 
 I — 9. The Feeding of the Four Thousand. 
 In those days the multitude being very great, and having 8 
 nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and saith 
 unto them, I have compassion on the multitude, because 2 
 they have now been with me three days, and have nothing 
 to eat : and if I send them away fasting to their own houses, 3 
 they will faint by the way : for divers of them came from 
 far. And his disciples answered him. From whence can a 4 
 
 Mark vi. 41), {2) at the raising of Lazarus (John xi. 41), and (3) before 
 the great high-priestly prayer for the Apostles (John xvii. i). 
 
 he sighed^ or "groaned" as in the Rhemish Version. The sigh of 
 the "First-born among many brethren" (Rom. viii. -29), attesting that 
 the Human sympathies of the Saviour were co-extensive with human 
 suffering and sorrow. Comp. John xi. 33. 
 
 Ephphatha\ The actual Aramaic word used by our Lord, like tTie 
 "Talitha cumi" of Mark v. 41, treasured up by actual eye and ear 
 witnesses, on whom the actions used and the word spoken made an 
 indelible impression. 
 
 36. he charged the7n\ i. e. the friends of the afflicted man, who 
 had accompanied or followed him into the presence of his Healer. 
 
 so much the more'l Observe the accumulation of comparatives, ** The 
 more He charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it, 
 and were beyond measure astonished." The original word for "beyond 
 measure " occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. 
 
 Ch. VIIL 1 — 9. The Feeding of the Four Thousand. 
 
 1. the multitude being very great] The effect of these miraculous 
 cures on the inhabitants of the half-pagan district of Decapolis was very 
 great. So widely was the fame of them spread abroad, that great multi- 
 tudes brought their sick unto the Lord (Matt. xv. 30), and upwards of foui 
 thousand, without counting women and children (Matt. xv. 38), gathered 
 round Him and His Apostles, and continued with Him upwards of three 
 days (Mark viii. 2). 
 
 4. Aftd his disciples ans-zcered him] Though the Apostles are the 
 writers, they do not conceal from us their own shortcomings, or the fact 
 that they had so soon forgotten so great a miracle. 
 
90 ST MARK, VIII. [w. 5—9. 
 
 man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness? 
 
 5 And he asked them, How many loaves have ye ? And they 
 
 6 said, Seven. And he commanded the people to sit down 
 on the ground : and he took the seven loaves, and gave 
 thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before 
 
 7 them ; and they did set them before the people. And they 
 had a few small fishes : and he blessed, and commanded to 
 
 s set them also before them. So they did eat, and were filled : 
 and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven 
 
 9 baskets. And they that had eaten were about four thou- 
 sand : and he sent them away. 
 
 Fro7n whence can a man satisfy'\ It has been suggested that "it is 
 evermore thus in times of difficulty and distress. All former deliver- 
 ances are in danger of being forgotten; the mighty interpositions of 
 God's hand in former passages of men's lives fall out of their memories. 
 Each new difficulty appears insurmountable ; as one from which there is 
 no extrication ; at each recurring necessity it seems as though the 
 wonders of God's grace are exhausted and had come to an end." Comp. 
 {a) Ex. xvii. i — 7, and [b] Ex. xvi. 13 with Num. xi. 21, 23. Trench <?» 
 the Miracles, p. 356. Still it has also been well observed that "many and 
 many a time had the Apostles been with multitudes before, and yet on 
 one occasion only had He fed them. Further, to suggest to Him a 
 repetition of the feeding of the Five Thousand would be a presumption 
 which their ever-deepening reverence forbade, and forbade more than 
 ever as they recalled how persistently He had refused to work a 
 sign, such as this was, at the bidding of others." Farrar's Ltfe of Christy 
 I. p. 480. 
 
 6. to sit dozvnl Where is not distinctly specified. All we can cer- 
 tainly gather is that it was on the eastern side of the Lake, and 
 in a desert spot (Matt. xv. 33), possibly about the middle or southern end 
 of the Lake. 
 
 8. seven baskets'] Not the small wicker cophinoi of the former 
 
 miracle, but large baskets of rope, such as that in which St Paul was 
 
 lowered from the wall of Damascus (Acts ix. 25). We notice at once 
 
 the diflference between this and the Miracle of the Five Thousand : 
 
 (a) The people had been with the Lord upwards of three days, a 
 
 point not noted on the other occasion ; 
 (3) Seven loaves are now distributed and a few fishes, then five 
 
 loaves and two fishes ; 
 (f ) Five thousand were fed then, four thousand are fed now ; 
 \d) On this occasion seven large rope-baskets are filled with frag- 
 ments, on the other twelve small wicker baskets. 
 ^e) The more excitable inhabitants of the coast-villages of the North 
 would have taken and made Him a king (John vi. 15) ; the men of 
 Decapolis and the Eastern shores permit Him to leave them with- 
 out any demonstration 
 
w. lo— 12.] ST MARK, VIII. 91 
 
 I o — 2 1 . The Leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod. 
 
 And straightway he entered into a ship with his disciples, 
 and came into the parts of Dalmanutha. And the Pharisees 
 came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him 
 a sign from heaven, tempting him. And he sighed deeply in 
 his spirit, and saith. Why doth this generation seek after a 
 
 10—21. The Leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod. 
 
 10. the parts of Dalmafiutha] or as St Matthew says, itito the coasts 
 of Magdala (xv. 39), or according to some MSS. Magadan. Nothing 
 is known of Dahiianutha. It must clearly have been near to Magdala, 
 which may have been the Greek name of one of the many Migdols (i. e. 
 watch-towers) to be found in the Holy Land, possibly the Migdal-el of 
 Josh. xix. 38, and its place may now be occupied by a miserable collec- 
 tion of hovels known as el-Mejdel, on the western side of the Lake, and 
 at the S. E. corner of the Plain of Gennesaret. "Just before reaching 
 Mejdel, we crossed a little open valley, the Ain-el-Barideh, with a few 
 rich cornfields and gardens straggling among the ruins of a village, and 
 some large and more ancient foundations by several copious fountains, 
 and probably identical with the Dalmanutha of the New Testament." 
 Tristram's La7id of Israel, p. 425. If the reading Magadan in Matt. 
 XV. 39 stands, we may conjecture either (a) that it and Dalmanutha 
 were different names for the same place, or (h) that they denoted 
 contiguous spots, either of which might give its name to the same 
 region. 
 
 11. And the Pharisees'] Our Lord seems purposely to have avoided 
 sailing to Bethsaida or Capernaum, which lay a little north of Magdala, 
 and which had become the head-quarters of the Pharisees ; but they had 
 apparently watched for His arrival, and now ^Ua7ne forth'''' to meet Him 
 accompanied for the first time by the Sadducees (Matt. xvi. i), their 
 rivals and enemies. 
 
 began] They had made their arrangements for a decisive contest, 
 which began with a demand for a sign. 
 
 a sign from heaven] The same request had already been twice 
 proffered, (i) After the first cleansing of the Temple (John ii. 18); 
 (2) after the feeding of the Five Thousand (John vi. 30) ; and (3) again 
 shortly after the walking through the cornfields (Matt. xii. 38). By such a 
 "sifn" was meant an outward and visible luminous appearance in the 
 sky or some visible manifestation of the Shechinah, the credentials of a 
 prophet. They asked in effect, "Give us bread from heaven, as Moses 
 did, or signs in the sun and moon like Joshua, or call down thunder 
 and hail like Samuel, or fire and rain like Elijah, or make the sun turn 
 back on the dial like Isaiah, or let us hear the Bath-Kol, the 'daughter 
 of the Voice,' that we may believe Thee." 
 
 12. he sighed deeply in his spirit] Not merely, we may conclude, 
 at their hardened disbelief, but also with the feeling that the decisive 
 crisis of the severance from the ruling powers had come. "For the 
 
92 ST MARK, VIII. [vv. 13—19. 
 
 sign ? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given 
 
 13 unto this generation. And he left them, and entering into 
 
 14 the ship again departed to the other side. Now the 
 disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in 
 
 15 the ship with them more than one loaf And he charged 
 them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the 
 
 16 Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod. And they rea- 
 soned among themselves, saying, // is because we have no 
 
 17 bread. And when Jesus knew //, he saith unto them, WTiy 
 reason ye, because ye have no bread ? perceive ye not yet, 
 
 t8 neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened? having 
 
 eyes, see ye not ? and having ears, hear ye not ? and do ye 
 
 19 not remember ? When I brake the five loaves among five 
 
 demand for a sign from heaven was a demand that He should, as 
 the Messiah of their expectation, accredit Himself by a great over- 
 mastering miracle; thus it was fundamentally similar to the tempta- 
 tion in the wilderness, which He had repelled and overcome." Lange. 
 There shall no sign be giveni Literally, If a sign shall toe given to 
 tMs generation, a Hebrew form of strong abjuration. Comp. Heb. iii. 
 II, where see the margin; iv. 3, 5; Gen. xiv. 23; Num. xiv. 30. St 
 Mark does not mention the sign of "Jonah the prophet" mentioned by 
 St Matthew (xvi. 4). 
 
 13. he left theni] "Justa severitas," Bengel. **It was His final 
 rejection on the very spot where He had laboured most, and He was 
 leaving it, to return, indeed, for a passing visit, but never to appear 
 again publicly, or to teach, or work miracles." 
 
 the other side'] i. e. the eastern side of the Lake. 
 
 14. had forgotte7i\ In the hurry of their unexpected re-embarkation 
 they had altogether omitted to make provision for their own personal 
 wants. 
 
 15. the leaveTt of the Pharisees'] Leaven in Scripture, with the single 
 exception of the Parable (Matt. xiii. 33; Luke xiii. 20, 21), is always a 
 symbol of evil (comp. i Cor. v. 6, 7, 8; Gal. v. 9), especially insidious 
 evil, as it is for the most part also in the Rabbinical writers. See Lightfoot 
 on Matt. xvi. 6. The strict command to the children of Israel that they 
 should carefully put away every particle of leaven out of their houses 
 during the Passover-week, rests on this view of it as evil. 
 
 the leaven of Herod] "and," as it is in St Matthew's Gospel, ^' of the 
 Saddticees." The leaven of the Pharisees was hypocrisy (Luke xii. i), 
 of the Sadducees, unbelief, of Herod, worldlincss ; all which working in 
 secrecy and silence, and spreading with terrible certainty, cause that in 
 the end "the whole man is leavened," and his whole nature trans- 
 formed. 
 
 17. yet hardened] as on the former occasion, the walking on the sea 
 (Mark vi. 52). 
 
vv. 20—26.] ST MARK, VIII. 93 
 
 thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up ? 
 They say unto him, Twelve. And when the seven among 20 
 four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye 
 up ? And they said, Seven. And he said unto them, How 21 
 is it that ye do not understand? 
 
 22 — 26. The Blind Afan in Eastern Bethsaida. 
 And he cometh to Bethsaida ; and they bring a blind 22 
 man unto him, and besought him to touch him. And he 23 
 took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the 
 town ; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands 
 upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. And he looked 24 
 up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. After that he put 25 
 his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up : and 
 he was restored, and saw every man clearly. And he sent 26 
 
 19. how many baskets] Observe how our Lord reproduces in this 
 allusion to the putting forth of His miraculous power not only the 
 precise number but the precise kind of baskets taken up on each occa- 
 sion. See above, on vi. 43. Wyclif brings out this in his translation : 
 " Whanne I brak fyue looues among fyve Jjousand, and hou many 
 coffyns ful of brokene mete ye token up?... whanne also seuene looues 
 among foure thousand, how many leepis of brokene mete je token up?" 
 
 21. ye do net understand] They seem to have thought that He was 
 warning them against buying leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. 
 
 22—26. The Blind Man in Eastern Bethsaida. 
 
 22. Bethsaida] i.e. Bethsaida Julias, which lay upon the north- 
 eastern coast of the Sea of Tiberias. 
 
 23. he took the blind man] Even as He did with the other 
 sufferer, whose case came before us in Mark vii. 33. As then, so now, 
 the Lord was pleased to work gradually and with external signs : (i) He 
 leads the man out of the town ; (ii) anoints his eyes with the moisture 
 of His mouth; (iii) lays His hands upon him twice (Mark viii. 23, 25); 
 (iv) inquires of the progress of his restoration. 
 
 24. as trees, •walking] He had not been born blind. He remem- 
 bered the appearance of natural objects, and in the haze of his 
 brightening vision he saw certain moving forms about him, "trees he 
 should have accounted them from their height, but men from their 
 motion." 
 
 ■ 25. saw every man clearly] or rather, began to see all things clearly. 
 "So Jjat he syj clerely alle }?ingis," Wyclif. The word translated 
 "clearly" hterally= "far-shining," "far-beaming." The man meant 
 that he could now see clearly ^r attd near. This is one of the few 
 mstonces o^ 2i sincily progressive cure recorded in the Gospels. "His 
 friends asked that He would touch him. To this demand for an instant 
 act- followed by an instant cure, the Lord opposed His own slow and 
 
9+ ST MARK, VIII. v. 27. 
 
 him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor 
 tell // to any in the town. 
 
 27 — IX. I. Ccesarea Philippi. The Co?ifessiofi of St Peter. 
 
 27 And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of 
 
 Caesarea Philippi : and by the way he asked his disciples, 
 
 circumstantial method of procedure." Lange. Comp. the cure of 
 Naaman, ^ Kings v. 10, 11, 14. 
 
 26. to his hotise] Bethsaida, therefore, was not the place of his resi- 
 dence: he was to go immediately from the place to his own home — not 
 even to the village to which he had already come, and he was not to 
 mention it to any one dwelling in that village, or whom he might meet 
 by the way. 
 
 27— IX. 1. C^sAREA Philippi. The Confession of St Peter. 
 
 27. Aftd yesus went otit] The Redeemer and His Apostles now set 
 out in a northerly direction, and travelled some 25 or 30 miles along 
 the eastern banks of the Jordan and beyond the waters of Merom, 
 seeking the deepest solitude among the mountains, for an important 
 crisis in His Life was at hand. The solitude of the beautiful district, 
 whither the Saviour now journeyed, is illustrated by the fact that it is 
 the only district of Palestine where a recent traveller found t/te pelican 
 of the wilderness (Ps. cii. 6). See Thomson's Land and the Book, 
 pp. 260, 261; Co.s^d.xVs Introdtictio7t, p. 163, n. 
 
 into the tozuns] The little company at length reached the "villages," 
 as it is literally, or the "pa7'ts" or "regions" (Matt. xvi. 13) of the 
 remote city of Caesarea Philippi, near which it is possible He may have 
 passed in His circuit from Sidon a very few w6eks before. See above, 
 vii. 24, n., Bishop Ellicott's Lectures, p. 225. 
 
 CcEsarea Philippi'] "Sezarie of Philip" (Wyclif) lay on the north-east 
 of the reedy and marshy plain of El Hiileh, close to Dan, the extreme 
 north of the boundaries of ancient Israel, (i) Its earliest name according 
 to some was Baal-Gad (Josh, xl 17, xii. 7, xiii. 5) or Baal-Hermon (Judg. 
 iii. 3; I Chron. v. 23), when it was a Phoenician or Canaanite sanctuary 
 of Baal under the aspect of " Gad," or the god of good fortune, (ii) In 
 later times it was known as Panium or Paneas, a name which it derived 
 from a cavern near the town, "abrupt, prodigiously deep, and full 
 of still water," adopted by the Greeks of the Macedonian kingdom 
 of Antioch, as the nearest likeness that Syria afforded of the beautiful 
 limestone grottoes, which in their own country were inseparably asso- 
 ciated with the worship of the sylvan Fan, and dedicated to that deity. 
 Hence its modern appellation Baneas. (iii) The town retained this 
 name under Herod the Great, who built here a splendid temple, of the 
 whitest marble, which he dedicated to Augustus Ccesar. (iv) It after- 
 wards became part of the territory of Herod Philip, tetrarch of Tracho- 
 nitis, who enlarged and embellished it, and called it Ccesarea Philippi, 
 partly after his own name, and partly after that of the Emperor 
 Tiberius. Jos. Ant. xv. 10. 3; Bel. Jud. i. 21. 3. It was called Caesarea 
 
w. 28—31.1 ST MARK, VIII. 95 
 
 saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am ? And they 28 
 answered, John the Baptist : but some say, EUas : and others, 
 One of the prophets. And he saith unto them, But whom 29 
 say ye that I am ? And Peter answereth and saith unto him. 
 Thou art the Christ. And he charged them that they should 30 
 tell no man of him. And he began to teach them, that the 31 
 
 PhilippiK.<:> distinguish it from Csesarea Palestince, or Coesarea *^on the 
 sea" Dean Stanley calls it a Syrian Tivoli, and' "certainly there is 
 much in the rocks, caverns, cascades, and the natural beauty of the 
 scenery to recall the Roman Tibur. Behind the village, in front of a 
 great natural cavern, a river bursts forth from the earth, the 'upper 
 source' of the Jordan. Inscriptions and niches in the face of the cliffs 
 tell of the old idol worship of Baal and of Pan." Tristram, Land of 
 Israel, p. 581. 
 
 he asked his disciples'] It was in this desert region that the Apostles 
 on one occasion found Him engaged in solitary prayer (Luke ix. 18), a 
 significant action which had preceded several important events in His life, 
 as (a) the Baptism, {b) the election of the Twelve, and {c) the discourse 
 in the synagogue of Capernaum. It was now the precursor of a solemn 
 and momentous question. Hitherto He is not recorded to have asked 
 the Twelve any question respecting Himself, and He would seem to 
 have forborne to press His Apostles for an explicit avowal of faith in 
 His full Divinity. But on this occasion He wished to ascertain from 
 them, the special witnesses as they had been of His life and daily words, 
 the results of those labours, which were now drawing in one sense to a 
 close, before He went on to communicate to them other and more 
 painful truths. 
 
 28. t/uy answered] In this answer we have the explanation, which 
 common rumour, in His own days, offered of His marvellous works. 
 (i) Some, like the guilty Herod, said He was John the Baptist risen 
 from the dead; (2) others that He was Elijah, who, like Enoch, had 
 never died, but was taken up bodily tc heaven and had now returned 
 as Malachi predicted (iv. 5) ; (3) others that He was Jeremiah (Matt, 
 xvi. 14), who was expected to inaugurate the reign of the Messiah; (4) 
 others again that He was one of the "old prophets" (Luke ix. 19). 
 But they did not add that any regarded Him as the Messiah. 
 
 29. Thou a?-l the Chi'ist] To the momentous question. But whom 
 say ye that I am? St Peter, as the ready spokesman of the rest of the 
 Apostles, made the ever-memorable reply. Thou art the Christ, the 
 Messiah (Matt. xvi. 16; Luke ix. 20), the Son of the living C^d^ (Matt. 
 xvi. 16), but in the Gospel written under his eye the great announce- 
 ment respecting his own memorable confession and the promise of 
 peculiar dignity in the Church the Lord was about to establish, find no 
 place. 
 
 31. And he began to teach them] The question and the answer it 
 called forth were alike preparatory to strange and mournful tidings, 
 which He now began to reveal distinctly to the Apostles respecting 
 Himself, for clear and full before His eyes was the whole history of 
 
ST MARK, VIII. [vv. 32, 33. 
 
 Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the 
 elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, 
 
 32 and after three days rise again. And he spake that saying 
 openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him. 
 
 33 But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, 
 he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan : for 
 thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things 
 
 His coming sufferings, the agents through whom they would be brought 
 about, the form they would take, the place where He would undergo 
 them, and their issue, a mysterious resurrection after three days. 
 
 32. openly\ i.e. not publicly, but *^ plainly'''' {^^plemli" WycliQ and 
 *' without disguise.''^ Comp. John xi. 14, "Then said Jesus unto them 
 plainly, Lazarus is dead." Before this there had been intimations of the 
 End, but then they had been dark and enigmatical, [a) The Baptist 
 had twice pointed Him out as the Lajfib of God destined to take away the 
 sift of the world (John i, 29). {b) At the first Passover of His public 
 ministry He Himself had spoken to the Jews of a Temple to be destroyed 
 and rebuilt in th7'ee days (John ii. 19), and to Nicodemus of a lifting up 
 of the Son of Alan, eve7i as Moses had lifted up the serpent in the wilder- 
 ness (John iii. 12 — 16); {c) He had intimated moreover to the Apostles 
 that a day would come when the BridegrooiJi should be taken from them 
 (Matt. ix. 15), and {d) in the synagogue at Capernaum He had declared 
 that He was about to give His flesh for the Life of the world (John vi. 
 47 — 51). Now for the first time He dwelt on His awful Future dis- 
 tinctly, and with complete freedom of speech. 
 
 And Peter'\ The selfsame Peter, who a moment before had witnessed 
 so noble and outspoken z^ confession to his Lord's Divinity. 
 
 took him'] i.e. took Him aside (and so Tyndale and Cranmer render 
 it), by the hand or by the robe, and began earnestly and lovingly to re- 
 monstrate with Him. The idea of a suffering Messiah was abhorrent to 
 him and to all the Twelve. 
 
 33. when he had turtied about and looked cm his disciples] Observe 
 the graphic touches of St Mark. The Apostle who had restrained the 
 Evangelist from preserving the record of that which redounded to his 
 highest honour, suppresses the record neither of his own mistaken zeal, 
 nor of the terrible rebuke it called forth. 
 
 Get thee behind me] The very words which He had used to the 
 Tempter in the wilderness (Matt. iv. 10), for in truth the Apostle was 
 adopting the very argument which the great Enemy had adopted there. 
 
 thou savourest not] Thou art thinking of, thy thoughts centre on. 
 This rendering of the Greek word for ^^ to ihitik" is suggested by the 
 Latin sapere, which is found in the Vulgate and retained from Wyclif's 
 Version. It is derived directly from the substantive savour, Fr. saveur, 
 Lat. sapor, from sapere. Thus Latimer quoting i Cor. xiii. 1 1 writes, 
 "When I was a child I savotired as a child." "In confusion of them 
 that so saveren earthely thinges." Chaucer, Parson^ s Tale. "Thy 
 words shew," our Lord would say to the Apostle, "that in these things 
 
vv. 34— 38;i.] ST MARK, VIII. IX. 97 
 
 that be of men. And when he had called the people unto 34 
 him with his disciples also, he said unto them. Whosoever 
 will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his 
 cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall 35 
 lose it ; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and 
 the gospel's, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit 36 
 a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own 
 soul ? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul ? 37 
 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my 38 
 words in this adulterous and sinful generation ; of him also 
 shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the 
 gloiy of his Father with the holy angels. And he said unto 9 
 them. Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them 
 that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have 
 seen the kingdom of God come with power. 
 
 thou enterest not into the thoughts and plans of God, but considerest all 
 things only from the ideas of men. This attempt of thine to dissuade 
 Me from My 'baptism of death' is a sin against the purposes of God." 
 
 34. he had called^ Even in these lonely regions considerable num- 
 bers would seem to have follovi'ed Him, apparently at some little dis- 
 tance. These He now called to Him, and addressed to them, as well as 
 to His Apostles, some of His deepest teaching, making them sharers in 
 this part of His instruction. 
 
 will} i.e. whosoever is resolved. "Will" here is not the will simply 
 of the future tense, but the will of real desiy-e and resolution. Comp. 
 John vii. i"], if any man will do His will (i.e. is resolved at all costs to 
 do it), he shall kn&iu of the doctrine, whether it be of God. 
 
 take tip his cross'] The first intimation of His own suffering upon tlie 
 cross. 
 
 36. shall lose it] This solemn saying our Lord is found to have 
 uttered on no less than four several occasions : {a) here, which corre- 
 sponds with Matt. xvi. 25, Luke ix. 24; {b) Matt. x. 39; [c] Luke xvii. 
 33 ; (^) John xii. 25. 
 
 37. in exchange] i.e. io^irchase back. By soul here is meant "life" 
 in the higher sense. The "price" which the earthly-minded man gives 
 for the world is his soul. But after having laid that down as the price, 
 what has he for a "ransom-price," to purchase it again? The LXX. 
 use the original word in Ruth iv. 7; Jer. xv. 13. 
 
 38. adidterotis] The generation is called " adulterous, " because its 
 heart was estranged from God. Comp. Jer. xxxi. 32; Isai. liv. 5. 
 
 IX. 1. And he said unto them] The opening verse of the Ninth 
 Chapter connects closely with what goes before. 
 
 Verily I say unto yoti] This well-knovm formula occurs 13 times in 
 St Mark, 31 times in St Matthew, 7 times in St Luke, 25 times in 
 St John. It always introduces solemn and important announcements. 
 
 the kingdom of God] On this expression see above, ch. i. 15. Of 
 ST MARK n 
 
ST MARK, IX. [^ 
 
 2 — 13. The Transfiguration. 
 And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and 
 James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high moun- 
 tain apart by themselves : and he was transfigured before 
 
 those then standing with the Lord, three six days afterwards beheld 
 Him transfigured ; all, save one, were witnesses of K'is resurrection ; 
 one at least, St John, survived the capture of Jerusalem and the destruc- 
 tion of the Temple, and on each of these occasions "the kingdom of 
 God" came "with power." 
 
 Ch. IX. 2—13. The Transfiguration. 
 
 2. after six days] St Luke's vrords '■'■ about an eight days after'''' 
 (ix. 28) may be considered an inclusive reckoning. 
 
 Peter, andjaines, andjohn] the flower and crown of the Apostolic band, 
 the privileged Three, who had already witnessed His power over death 
 in the chamber of Jairus : St Peter who loved Him so much (John xxi. 
 17), St John whom He loved so much (John xxi. -20), and St James 
 " who should first attest that death could as little as life separate from 
 His love (Acts xii. 2)." Trench's Studies m the Gospels, p. 191. 
 
 leadeth thef?i up] It is the same expression in the original, which is 
 used in reference to His own Ascension (Luke xxi v. 51). 
 
 into an high mountain] One of the numerous mountain-ranges in the 
 neighbourhood, probably one of the spurs of the magnificent snow-clad 
 Hermon, the most beautiful and conspicuous mountain in Palestine or 
 Syria. The Sidonians called it S'\non=^^ breastplate," tx name suggested 
 by its rounded glittering top, when the sun's rays are reflected by the 
 snow that covers it (Deut. iii. 9; Cant. iv. 8). It was also called Sion 
 — '■'■the elevated,''^ and is now known as yebel-esh Sheikh, '■'■the chief 
 mountain.''^ "In whatever part of Palestine the Israelite turned his 
 eye northward, Hermon was there terminating *the view. From the 
 plain along the coast, from the mountains of Samaria, from the Jordan 
 valley, from the heights of Moab and Gilead, from the plateau of 
 Bashan, that pale-blue, snow-capped cone forms the one feature on the 
 northern horizon." 
 
 apart by thejnselves] St Luke (ix. 28) tells us that one object of His 
 own withdrawal was that He might engage in solitary prayer. We may 
 infer, therefore (comparing Luke ix. 37), that ruening was the time of 
 this solitary retirement. The fact that it was night must have infinitely 
 enhanced the grandeur of the scene. 
 
 was transfigured] St Luke, writing primarily for Greek readers, 
 avoids the word, "transfigured," or "transformed," — "metamor- 
 phosed" would be a still closer rendering, — which St Matthew and 
 St Mark do not shrink from employing. He avoids it, probably, 
 because of the associations of the heathen mythology which would so 
 easily, and almost inevitably, attach themselves to it in the imagination 
 of a Greek. In naming this great event, the German theology, calling 
 it '*die Verklarung," or "the Glorification," has seized this point, not 
 
vv. 3—5.] ST MARK, IX. 99 
 
 them. And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as 3 
 snow ; so as no fuller on earth can white them. And there 4 
 appeared unto them Elias with Moses : and they were talk- 
 ing with Jesus. And Peter answered and said to Jesus, 5 
 Master, it is good for us to be here : and let us make three 
 
 exactly the same as our ** Transfiguration." From the records of the 
 three Evangelists we infer that while He was engaged in prayer (Luke 
 ix. 29), a marvellous change came over the Person of our Lord. 
 The Divinity within Him shone through the veiling flesh, till His 
 raiment became exceeding white as the light (Matt. xvii. 2), or as the 
 glittering snozv (Mark ix. 3) on the peaks above Him, so as no 
 ful'er on earth could ivhite them ; moreover the fashion of His cotm- 
 ienance was altered (Luke ix. 29), and His face glowed with a sunlike 
 majesty (Matt. xvii. 2, comp. Rev. i. 16). "St Mark borrows one 
 image from the world of nature, another from that of man's art and 
 device ; by these he struggles to set forth and reproduce for his readers 
 the transcendant brightness of that light which now arrayed, and from 
 head to foot, the Person of the Lord, breaking forth from within, and 
 overflowing the very garments which He wore ; until in their eyes who 
 beheld, He seemed to clothe Himself with light as with a garment, 
 light being indeed the proper and peculiar garment of Deity (Ps. civ. 2 ; 
 Hab. iii. 4)." Trench's Studies, pp. 194, 195. 
 
 4. there appeared unto them] The three Apostles had not witnessed 
 the beginning of this marvellous change. They had been weighed down 
 with sleep (Luke ix. 32), lying wrapped like all Orientals in \}Ci€\x abbas on 
 the ground, but awakened probably by the supernatural light, they 
 thoroughly roused themselves (Luke ix. 32), and saw His glory, and the 
 two men standing with Him. It was clearly no waking vision or 
 dream. 
 
 Elias with Moses] (i) Among all the prophets and saints of the 
 Old Testament these were the two, of whom one had not died (2 Kings 
 ii. 11), and the other had no sooner tasted of death than his body 
 was withdrawn from under the dominion of death and of him that 
 had the power of death (Deut. xxxiv. 6; Jude 9). Both, therefore, 
 came from the grave, but from the grave conquered, (ii) Again, 
 these two were the acknowledged heads and representatives, the one of 
 the Law, the other of the Prophets (comp. Matt. vii. 12). 
 
 they we7-e talking] St Luke tells us what was the subject of mysterious 
 converse which the Three were privileged to hear — ^Uhe decease, which 
 He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem''^ (Luke ix. 31). St Peter him- 
 self reproduces this remarkable word in his second Epistle i. 15. **Vo- 
 cabulum valde grave, quo continetur Passio, Crux, Mors, Resurrectio, 
 Ascensio." Bengel. 
 
 5. And Peter] Eager, ardent, impulsive as always. This proposal 
 he made as the mysterious visitants were being parted from Him (Luke 
 ix. 33). It was for him too brief a converse, too transient a glimpse and 
 foretaste of the heavenly glory. 
 
 it is good for m to be here] ''Better, as no doubt he felt, than to be 
 
 7—2 
 
ST MARK, IX. [w. 6— 8. 
 
 tabernacles ; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for 
 
 6 Elias. For he wist not what to say ; for they were sore 
 
 7 afraid. And there was a cloud that overshadowed them : 
 and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my be- 
 
 8 loved Son : hear him. And suddenly, when they had looked 
 
 rejected of the Jews, better than to suffer many things of the Elders and 
 Chief Priests and Scribes and be killed" (Matt. xvi. 21). Trench's 
 Studies^ p. 202. 
 
 three taberncules] Three booths of wattled boughs, like those of the 
 Feast of Tabernacles. It seemed to him that the hour for the long- 
 looked-for reign had come. From the slopes of Hermon he would have 
 had the Laws of the New Kingdom proclaimed, so that all men might 
 recognise the true Messiah attended by the representatives of the Old 
 Dispensation. 
 
 6. he wist noi\ *' Sojjli he w/j-/^ not what he schulde j«>." Wyclif. 
 This word also occurs Ex. xvi. 15, and = A^ k7irdij not. Wist is the 
 past tense of A. S. witan = to know. Compare \V\i = knowledge (Ps. 
 cvii. 27), and wit = /t7 htow (Gen. xxiv. 21), "And the man wondering 
 at her held his peace, to %vit whether the Lord had made his journey 
 prosperous or not ;" Ex. ii. 4, "And his sister stood afar off, to wit what 
 would be done to him;" 2 Cor. viii. i, "Moreover, brethren, we do 
 you to wit ( = cause you to know) of the grace of God." \Vitan = to 
 know, Du. weten^ G. wissen; the pr. s. in A. S. ic zmt, Moeso-Goth. ik 
 wait, E. I wot; the pt. t. in A. S. ic wiste^ Moeso-Goth. ik wissa, E. / 
 wist. 
 
 sore afraid] The original word only occurs here and in Heb. xii. 
 21, "Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake;" comp. Deut. ix. 
 19, Wyclif 's rendering is very striking, "forsoj^e Jjei weren agast by 
 drede." 
 
 7. a cloud] not dark and murky, but biighi (Matt. xvii. 5), over- 
 shadowed the lawgiver and the prophet, and perhaps also the Lord. 
 "Light in its utmost intensity performs the effects of darkness, hides as 
 effectually as the darkness would do." Comp. i Tim. vi. 16, and the 
 words of Milton, "dark with excess of light," and of Wordsworth, "a 
 glorious privacy of light." Trench's Sttidies, pp. 205, 206. 
 
 a voice came out of the cloud] The same Voice which had been heard 
 once before at the Baptism (Matt. iii. 17), and which was to be heard 
 again when He stood on the threshold of His Passion (John xii. 28), 
 attesting His Divinity and Sonship at the beginning, at the middle, and 
 at the close of His ministry. Looking back afterwards on the scene now 
 vouchsafed to him and to the "sons of thunder," St Peter speaks of him- 
 self and them as "eyewitnesses of His majesty" (2 Peter i. 16), i.e. literally, 
 as men who had been admitted and initiated into secret attd holy mysteries, 
 and says that the Voice "came from the excellent glory" (2 Peter i. 17), 
 from Him, that is. Who dwelt in the cloud, which was the symbol and 
 the vehicle of the Divine Presence. St John also clearly alludes to the 
 scene in John i. 14 and i John i. i. 
 
9—12.] ST MARK, IX. 
 
 round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only 
 with themselves. And as they came down from the moun- 9 
 tain, he charged them that they should tell no man what 
 things they had seen, till the Son of man were risen from the 
 dead. And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning ic 
 one with another what the rising from the dead should mean. 
 And they asked him, saying. Why say the scribes that u 
 Elias must first come? And he answered and told them, u 
 Elias verily cometh first, and restoreth all things ; and how 
 
 This is my beloved Sofi\ "In the words themselves of this majestic 
 installation there is a remarkable honouring of the Old Testament, and 
 of it in all its parts, which can scarcely be regarded as accidental ; for 
 the three several clauses of that salutation are drawn severally from the 
 Psalms (Ps. ii. 7), the Prophets (Isaiah xlii. 1), and the Law (Deut. 
 xviii. 15); and together they proclaim Him, concerning whom they are 
 spoken, to be the King, the Priest, and the Prophet of the New Cove- 
 nant." Trench, Studies, p. 207. 
 
 8. when they had looked round abont'\ At first (i) they fell prostrate 
 on their faces (Matt. xvii. 6; comp. Ex. iii. 6; i Kings xix. 13), then (2) 
 recovering from the shock of the Voice from heaven (Matt. xvii. 6 ; comp. 
 Ex. XX. 19; Hab. iii. 2, 16; Heb. xii. 19), they (3) suddenly gazed all 
 around them, and saw no man, save Jesus only. " Hinc constat, hunc 
 esse Filium, audiendum, non Mosen, non EHam." Bengel. "Quae ex 
 Verbo coeperunt, in Verbo desinunt." S. Ambrose. 
 
 9. they shoidd tell no man'\ This implies that they were forbidden to 
 reveal the wonders of the night, and what they had seen, even to their 
 fellow- Apostles. The seal set upon their lips was not to be removed till 
 after the Resurrection. 
 
 10. questioning one with another] St Mark alone mentions the per- 
 plexity which this language of their Lord occasioned to the Apostles. It 
 was not the question of the resurrection generally, but of His resurrec- 
 tion, and the death, so abhorrent to their prejudices, that rendered 
 it possible and necessary, which troubled them. 
 
 11. first come] that is before the Messiah (Mai. iv. 5). The Pharisees 
 and Scribes may have urged as a capital objection against the Messiah- 
 ship of their Master that no Elias went before Him. "It would be an 
 infinite task," says Lightfoot, "to produce all the passages out of the 
 Jewish writings which one might concerning the expected coming of 
 Elias." He was to restore to the Jews the pot of manna and the rod of 
 Aaron, to cry to the mountains, "Peace and blessing come into the 
 world, peace and blessing come into the world!" "Salvation cometh. 
 Salvation cometh, to gather all the scattered sons of Jacob, and restore 
 all things to Israel as in ancient times." 
 
 12. and how] Rather, but how is it written of the Son of Man 
 that He must suffer many things and be set at naught? See 
 Tischendorf, Synop. Evang. The words that He must, or in ordej that 
 He may, are very striking. They set before us the' design of the // is 
 
I02 ST MARK, IX. [v. 13. 
 
 it is written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many 
 [3 things, and be set at nought. But I say unto you. That 
 Elias is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatso- 
 ever they listed, as it is written of him. 
 
 written. " Elias cometh first. But how or to what purpose is it 
 written of the Son of Man that He cometh ? In order that He may 
 suffer, not conquer like a mighty prince." 
 
 13. That Elias is indeed co??ie'] that is in the person of John the 
 Baptist, to whom men acted even as it had been written of the persecu- 
 tion of the real Elijah. A few remarks here will not be out of place (i) 
 On the three accounts of the Transfiguration ; (ii) On the meaning and 
 significance of the event itself. 
 
 (i) The thi-ee accounts, {a) All three Evangelists relate the conver- 
 sation which preceded, and the Miracle which succeeded it. {b) 
 St Matthew alone records the prostration of the disciples through 
 excessive fear, and the Lord's strengthening touch and cheering 
 words uttered once before on the stormy lake (Matt. xvii. 6, 7, xiv. 
 27), recalling, as the Hebrew Evangelist, the scene in the Exodus 
 when the face of Moses shone, and the children of Israel were 
 afraid to come nigh him (Ex. xxxiv. 29, 30). {c) St Mark, in 
 describing the effect of the Transfiguration, uses the strongest 
 material imagery, "white as snow," "so as no fidler on earth 
 can whiten,'''' and he alone has the sudden vanishing of the 
 heavenly visitors, and the inquiring look around of the disciples, 
 and their questioning amongst themselves what '''• the rising from 
 the dead cotdd meajt." {d) St Luke alone tells us that our Lord 
 was engaged in prayer at the moment of His glorification (Luke 
 ix. 29), and mentions the slumbrous and wakeful condition of 
 the three witnesses, the subject of mysterious converse between 
 the Lord and His visitors from the other world (Luke ix. 31), 
 and the fact that the Heavenly Voice succeeded their departttre 
 (Luke ix. 35). {e) Both St Matthew and St Mark place in im- 
 mediate connection with the Event the remarkable conversation 
 about Elias, but St Matthew alone applies the Lord's words 
 concerning that great prophet to John the Baptist (Matt. xvii. 13). 
 (ii) The meaning and sigfiificance of the Event. This we may 
 believe had respect {a) to the Apostles, and {b) to our Lord Himself. 
 {a) As regards the Apostles. This one full manifestation of His Divine 
 glory, during the period of the Incarnation, was designed to confirm 
 their faith, to comfort them in prospect of their Master's approach- 
 ing sufferings, to prepare them to see in His Passion the fulfilment 
 alike of the Law and the Prophets, to give them a glimpse of the 
 celestial Majesty of Him, whom they had given up all to follow. 
 {b) As regards oicr Lord. As regards the Redeemer we may conclude 
 that the transaction marked His consecration as the Divine Victim, 
 Who was to accomplish the great " Decease " at Jerusalem, even 
 as the Baptism inaugurated the commencement of His public 
 ministry; it was the solemn attestation of His perfect oneness with 
 
w. 14—18.] ST MARK, IX. 103 
 
 1 4 — 2 9 . The Healing of the Lunatic Child. 
 And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multi- 14 
 tude about them, and the scribes questioning with them. 
 And straightway all the people, when they beheld him, were 15 
 greatly amazed, and running to hi7?i saluted him. And he 16 
 asked the scribes, What question ye with them? And one 17 
 of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have brought 
 unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit ; and whereso- is 
 ever he taketh him, he teareth him ; and he foameth, and 
 
 His Father in heaven at the very time when He was about to 
 descend into the valley of the shadow of death. It was, as it has 
 well been called, " the summit-level " of the Life Incarnate. From 
 this time forward there is a perceptible change, {a) Miracles, which 
 hitherto had abounded in prodigal profusion, well-nigh cease. 
 Only five mark the period between the Transfiguration and the 
 Passion. Those, for whom "signs" could avail, were already won. 
 For the rest, no more could be done. They were like those, 
 amongst whom in His earlier ministry, "He could do no mighty 
 work because of their unbelief." {b) As regards His teaching, 
 public addresses, before the rule, now become few and rare ; His 
 special revelations of the future to the chosen Twelve become more 
 frequent, and they uniformly circle, unenshrouded in type or figure 
 or dark saying, round the Cross. 
 
 14—29. The Healing of the Lunatic Child. 
 
 14. And -when he came to his disciples'] The great picture of 
 Raphael has enshrined for ever the contrast between the scene on the 
 Mount of Glorification and that which awaited the Saviour and the 
 three Apostles on the plain below, between the harmonies of heaven 
 and the harsh discords of earth. 
 
 scribesi Thus far north had they penetrated in their active hostility to 
 the Lord. Many of them would be found in the tetrarchy of Philip. 
 
 15. were greatly amazed] "was astonied and much afraid," Rhemish 
 Version. His face would seem, like that of Moses (Ex. xxxiv. 30), to 
 have retained traces of the celestial glory of the Holy Mount, which 
 had not faded into the light of common day, and filled the beholders 
 with awe and wonder. The word points to an extremity of terror. It 
 is used four times in the New Testament, and only by St Mark. What 
 is here said of the multitudes is said (Mark xiv. 34) of our Lord in 
 Gethsemane, and (Mark xvi. 5) of the holy women at the Sepulchre 
 on the first Easter-day at the sight of the Angel seated, "they w/<fr^ 
 affrighted." 
 
 17. my son] and his "only son" (Luke ix. 38). 
 
 a dumb spirit] dumb in respect to articulate sounds, to which he 
 could give no utterance, though he could stuidenly cry out (Luke ix. 39). 
 
 18. wheresoroer] According to St Matthew these crises had a con- 
 nection with changes of the moon (Matt. xvii. 15). 
 
I04. ST MARK, IX. [vv. 19—25. 
 
 gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away : and I spake to 
 thy disciples that they should cast him out ; and they could 
 
 19 not. He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, 
 how long shall I be with you ? how long shall I suffer you ? 
 
 20 bring him unto me. And they brought him unto him : and 
 when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him ; and he 
 
 21 fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming. And he asked 
 his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? 
 
 22 And he said, Of a child. And ofttimes it hath cast him into 
 the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him : but if thou 
 canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us. 
 
 23 Jesus said unto him. If thou canst believe, all things are 
 ■zi, possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father 
 
 of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe ; 
 25 help thou mine unbelief. When Jesus saw that the people 
 
 he teareth hhiiX Probably this manifested itself in violent convulsions, 
 St Vitus' dance, or the like. 
 
 pineth awayl "wexij? drye," Wyclif. The word may denote either 
 that he pined away like one, the very springs of whose life were dried 
 up, or that in the paroxysms of his disorder his limbs became un- 
 naturally stiff and stark. The fundamental form of his malady was 
 epilepsy in its worst form, accompanied by dumbness, atrophy, and 
 suicidal mania (Mark ix. ^i). 
 
 19. faithless generationi These words, though primarily addressed 
 to the father, apply also to the surrounding multitude, and indeed to the 
 whole Jewish people of which he was a representative, and in a sense 
 to the disciples. 
 
 20. straightway the spirit'] The mere introduction to our Lord 
 brings on one of the sudden and terrible paroxysms, to which he was 
 liable. 
 
 21. And he asked\ This conversation with the father is parallel to 
 another conversation with an actual sufferer (Mark v. 9]. 
 
 22. if thou canst] More literally, if at all Thou canst. This is a 
 strong expression of an infirm faith, which at the beginning had been 
 too weak, but had become more and more weak owing to the failure of 
 the disciples to aid him. 
 
 23. If thou canst] According to the best reading here the transla- 
 tion would be, Jesus said unto him, As for thy if thou canst, all 
 things are possible to him that helieveth. For the use of the article 
 compare Matt. xix. i8; Luke ix. 46. "Thou hast said," replies our 
 Lord, "7/ / can do anything. But as for thy if Thou caftst, the 
 question is ifthoti canst believe; that is the hinge upon which all must 
 turn." Then He pauses, and utters the further words, '■^ all things are 
 possible to hifn that believeth^ "Hoc, si potcs credere, res est; hoc 
 agitur." Bengel. 
 
w. 26—30.] ST MARK, IX. 105 
 
 came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying 
 unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come 
 out of him, and enter no more into him. And the spirit 26 
 cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him : and he was 
 as one dead ; insomuch that many said, He is dead. But 27 
 Jesus took him by the hand, and Ufted him up ; and he 
 arose. And when he was come into the house, his disciples 28 
 asked him privately. Why could not we cast him out ? And 29 
 he said unto them. This kind can come forth by nothing, but 
 by prayer and fasting. 
 
 30 — 2)^. Predictions of the Passion. 
 And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee ; 30 
 
 25. I cJiarge thee] Notice the words of majestic command, / charge 
 thee, I, whom thou darest not to disobey, and against whom it is vain 
 for thee to struggle. 
 
 26. and rent him sore] Observe here the minuteness and exactness 
 of the Evangelist in all the details of the incident. Who was more 
 likely to treasure up every detail of the scene than that Apostle, who 
 had been with His Master on the Mount of Glorification ? 
 
 28. Why could not ive cast h'wi mit?] He had given them "power 
 and authority over all demons" (Lukeix. i), and "against unclean spirits 
 to cast them out " (Matt. x. i) ; what was the reason of their failure now ? 
 
 29. This hind] In His reply to their question our Lord impresses 
 upon them a twofold lesson : (i) The omnipotence of a perfect faith (see 
 Matt. xvii. 20, 21); (ii) that, as there is order and gradation in the 
 hierarchy of blessed spirits, so is it with the spirits of evil (see Eph. vi. 
 12). There are degrees of spiritual and moral wickedness so intense 
 and malignant that they can be exorcised by nothing save by prayer and 
 fasting, and the austerest rules of rigour and self-denial. These last 
 w^ords and fasting are wanting in the Sinaitic MS. and some Versions. 
 
 30 — 32. Predictions of the Passion. 
 
 30. And they departed thence] From the northern regions, into 
 which our Lord had penetrated, He now turned His steps once more 
 towards Galilee, probably taking the route by Dan across the slopes of 
 Lebanon, thus escaping the publicity of the ordinary high roads, and 
 securing secrecy and seclusion. " It was the last time He was to visit 
 the scene of so great a part of His public life, and He felt, as He jour- 
 neyed on, that He would no more pass from village to village as openly 
 as in days gone by, for the eyes of His enemies were everywhere upon 
 Him." 
 
 and passed] The word thus translated occurs five times in the N. T. 
 It is applied to the disciples passing through the cornfields (Mark ii. 23) ; 
 to their passing by along the road from Bethany and noticing the 
 withered fig-tree (Mark xi. 20) ; to those \!ci2X passed by and reviled our 
 Lord upon the Cross (Matt, xxvii. 39; Mark xv. 29). Here it seems to 
 
io6 ST MARK, IX. [vv. 31—38. 
 
 31 and he would not that any man should know //. For he 
 taught his disciples, and said unto them. The Son of man is 
 delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him ; 
 
 32 and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day. But 
 they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him. 
 
 33—37. True Greatness in Chris fs Kingdom. 
 
 33 And he came to Capernaum : and being in the house 
 he asked them. What was it that ye disputed among your- 
 
 34 selves by the way ? But they held their peace : for by the 
 way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the 
 
 35 greatest. And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith 
 unto them. If any man desire to be first, the same shall be 
 
 36 last of all, and servant of all. And he took a child, and set 
 him in the midst of them : and when he had taken him in 
 
 37 his arms, he said unto them, Whosoever shall receive one of 
 such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever 
 shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me. 
 
 38 — 41. The Question of John. 
 33 And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one 
 
 denote that, avoiding populous places, He and His Apostles sought bye- 
 paths among the hills, where He would meet few and be little known. 
 
 31. For he taught] The tense in the original implies that the 
 constant subject of His teaching in private now was His approaching 
 sufferings, death, and resurrection. 
 
 32. were afraid] St Matthew adds that they were "exceeding 
 sorry," His words concerning His violent death contradicted all their 
 expectations. 
 
 33—37. True Greatness in Christ's Kingdom. 
 
 33. he came] or rather they came, to Capernaum. Here, the next 
 recorded event was the miraculous payment of the tribute-money (Matt, 
 xvii. 24 — 27), the half-shekel for the Temple-service. 
 
 34. who should be the greatest] They called to mind perhaps the 
 preference given on Hermon to Peter and the sons of Zebedee, and now 
 disputed who should be the greatest in the Messianic kingdom, which 
 they fondly believed was about to be speedily set up. 
 
 35. And he sat down] Observe the many graphic and pathetic 
 touches in this and the following verse, (i) He sits down; (2) He 
 calls the Twelve to Him ; (3) He takes a little child, and places it in the 
 midst of them ; (4) He takes it into His arms, and then He speaks to 
 them. 
 
 38—41. The Question of John. 
 38. And John answered him] The words in My tiame of v. 37 
 
vv. 39—43.] ST MARK, IX. 107 
 
 casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us : 
 and we forbad him, because he followeth not us. But Jesus 39 
 said, Forbid him not : for there is no man which shall do a 
 miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. For 40 
 he that is not against us is on our part. For whosoever shall 41 
 give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye 
 belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his 
 reward. And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones 42 
 that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were 
 hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea. And 43 
 if thy hand offend thee, cut it off : it is better for thee to 
 enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into 
 
 seem to have reminded the Apostle of an incident in their recent 
 journey. 
 
 because he followeth not tis] Observe what the Apostle affirms to have 
 been the ground of their rebuke, "because he followeth not us" not 
 "because he followeth not Thee." It is the utterance of excited party- 
 feeling. "We gather from this passage," observes Meyer, "how 
 mightily the words and influence of Christ had wrought outside the 
 sphere of His permanent dependants, exciting in individuals a degree of 
 spiritual energy that performed miracles on others." 
 
 39. Forbid him not] Compare the words of Joshua and the reply of 
 Moses in Num. xi. 28, 29; "and Joshua the son of Nun, the servant 
 of Moses... answered and said. My lord Moses, forbid them. And Moses 
 said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? Would God that all the 
 Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put His Spirit 
 upon them." 
 
 41. a aip of water] which all gave readily in those sultry lands. 
 
 42. a millstone'] Literally, an ass-mill- stone, a mill-stone turned by 
 an ass. These were much larger and heavier than the stones of hand- 
 mills. Comp. Ov. Fast. vi. 318, 
 
 "Et quae pumiceas versat asella molas." 
 
 It was not a Jewish punishment, but was in use among the Greeks, 
 Romans, Syrians, and Phoenicians. " Paedagogum ministrosque C. 
 iiX\...oneratos gravi ponders cervicibus prsecipitavit in flumen." Sueton. 
 Oct. Ixvii. 
 
 43. offend thee] or, as in margin, cause tliee to offend, lead thee 
 into sin. Our Lord makes special mention of the Hand, the Foot, the 
 Eye, those members, whereby we do amiss, or walk astray, or gaze on 
 what is sinful. 
 
 into hell] Literally, the Gehenna, or the Gehenna of fire {v. 47). 
 The "Ravine of Hinnom," also called " Topheth" (2 Kings xxiii. 10; 
 Isai. XXX. 33), is described in Josh, xviii. 16, as on the south of Mount 
 Zion. Its total length is a mile and a half. It is a deep retired glen, 
 shut in by rugged cliffs, with the bleak mountain sides rising over alJ. 
 
io8 ST MARK, IX. [vv. 44—50. 
 
 44 hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched : where their 
 
 43 worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy 
 
 foot offend thee, cut it off : it is better for thee to enter halt 
 
 into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the 
 
 46 fire that never shall be quenched : where their worm dieth not, 
 
 47 and the fire is not quenched. And if thine eye offend thee, 
 pluck it out : it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom 
 of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into 
 
 48 hell fire : where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not 
 
 49 quenched. For every one shall be salted with fire, and 
 
 50 every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. Salt is good : but if 
 the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it ? 
 Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another. 
 
 It became notorious in the times of Ahaz and ^anasseh as the scene of 
 the barbarous rites of Molech and Chemosh, when the idolatrous 
 inhabitants of Jerusalem cast their sons and daughters into the red-hot 
 arms of a monster idol of brass placed at the opening of the ravine 
 (2 Kings xvi. 3; 2 Chron. xxviii. 3; Jer. vii. 31). To pub an end to 
 these abominations the place was polluted by Josiah, who spread over 
 it human bones and other corruptions (2 Kings xxiii. 10, 13, 14), from 
 which time it seems to have become the common cesspool of the city. 
 These inhuman rites and subsequent ceremonial defilement caused the 
 later Jews to regard it with horror and detestation, and they applied the 
 name given to the valley to the place of torment. 
 
 44. where their worm] These words are cited from Isai. Ixvi. 24. 
 
 49. eve?y one shall be salted with fire\ Salt and iim^have properties 
 in common. Salt, like a subtle flame, penetrates all thjat is corruptible, 
 and separates that which is decaying and foul, w^!it»t< it fixes and 
 quickens that which is sound. Fire destroys that which'-'is perishable, 
 and thereby establishes the imperishable in its purest perfection, and 
 leads to new and more beautiful forms of being. Thus both eflfect a 
 kind of transformation. Now "every one," our Lord saith, "shall be 
 salted with fire;" either (i) by his voluntary entering upon a course of 
 self-denial and renunciation of his sins, and so submitting to the purifying 
 fire of self-transformation; or (2) by his being involuntarily salted with 
 the fire of condemning judgment (Heb. x. 27, xii. 29), as the victims on 
 the altar were salted with salt (Lev. ii. 13; Ezek. xliii. 24). See Lange. 
 
 60. Salt is good] in its kind and its effect, as preserving from corruption. 
 
 have lost] "It was the belief of the Jews that salt would by exposure 
 to the air lose its virtue (Matt. v. 13) and become saltless. The same 
 fact is implied in the expressions of Pliny sal inters, sal tabescere, and 
 Maundrell asserts that he found the surface of a salt rock in this con- 
 dition." 
 
 his saltness] Observe his here, where we should now use its. This 
 is frequently the case in the Bible, and indeed the word its does not 
 occur at all in the English Version of 161 1. 
 
 / 
 
V. 1.] ST MARK, X. 109 
 
 I — 12. Marriage Legislation of the Pharisees. 
 And he arose from thence, and cometh into the coasts 10 
 of Judaea by the farther side of Jordan : and the people 
 resort unto him again j and, as he was wont, he taught them 
 
 Have salt in yourselves] In the common life of Orientals, salt was a 
 sign of sacred covenant engagements and obligations (Lev. ii. 13; 2 
 Chron. xiii. 5 ). To eat salt together, meant to make peace, and enter 
 into covenant with each other. Hence the connection here between the 
 disciples having salt in themselves and being at peace one with another, 
 which our Lord further enforced during this "brief period of tran- 
 quiUity and seclusion " by speaking of the duty not only of avoiding all 
 grounds of offence, but also of cultivating a spirit of gentleness and 
 forgiveness (iSIatt. xviii. 15 — 20), which He illustrated by the Parable of 
 the Lost Sheep (Matt, xviii. 12 — 14), and the Debtor who owed Ten 
 Thousand Talents (Matt, xviii. 21 — 35). 
 
 Ch. X. 1—12. Marriage Legislation of the Pharisees. 
 1. And] Between the events just recorded and those of which the 
 Evangelist now proceeds to treat, many others had occurred, which he 
 has passed over. The most important of these were 
 
 (a) The visit of otir Lord to yerusalem at the Feast of Tabernacles 
 
 (John vii. 8 — 10), which was marked by 
 
 {a) The rebuke of the '■'• Sons of Thunder'''' at the churlish conduct 
 
 of the inhabita7its of a Sa7naritan village on their way to the 
 
 Holy City (Luke ix. 51 — 56) ; 
 
 (3) Sole m 71 discourses during the Feast, and an attempt of the 
 
 Sanhedrim to apprehend Him (John vii. 11 — 51, viii. 12 — 
 
 59); 
 
 (f) The opening of the eyes of one horn blind (John ix. i — 41), the 
 
 7-evelation of Himself as the Good Shepherd (John x. i — 18); 
 
 (j3) Ministrations in Judcea and Mission of the Seventy (Luke x. — 
 
 xiii. 17); 
 (7) "Visit to yerusalem at the Feast of Dedication (John x. 22 — 39); 
 (5) Tour in Percea (Luke xiii. 22 — xvii. 10) ; 
 
 (e) The raising of Lazarus (John xi. i — 46); 
 
 (f) Resolve of the Sanhedrini to put Him to death, and His retirem£nt 
 
 to Eph-aim (John xi. 47 — 54). 
 
 he arose] The place, whither He now retired, has been identified with 
 Ophrah, and was situated in the wide desert country north-east of Jeru- 
 salem, not far from Bethel, and on the confines of Samaria. Caspari 
 would identify it with a place now called El-Faria, or El-Farah, about 
 2 hours N. E. of Nablous. Chron. a?id Geog. Introd. p. 185. Here in 
 quiet and seclusion He remained till the approach of the last Passover, 
 and then commenced a farewelljourney along the border-line of Samaria 
 and Galilee (Luke xvii. 11) and so by the further side of Jordan towards 
 Judaea (Markx. i). 
 
 he taught them again] Portions of His teaching are recorded by St 
 Luke, and include the Parables of (a) the Unjust Judge, and {b) the 
 
no ST MARK, X. [w. 2—12. 
 
 2 again. And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him. Is it 
 
 3 lawful for a man to put away his wife ? tempting him. And 
 he answered and said unto them. What did Moses command 
 
 4 you? And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of 
 
 5 divorcement, and to put her away. And Jesus answered and 
 said unto them. For the hardness of your heart he wrote you 
 
 6 this precept. But from the beginning of the creation God 
 
 7 made them male and female. For this cause shall a man 
 
 8 leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife ; and 
 they twain shall be one flesh : so then they are no more 
 
 9 twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined to- 
 
 10 gether, let not man put asunder. And in the house his dis 
 
 11 ciples asked him again of the same matter. And he saith 
 unto them. Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry 
 
 12 another, committeth adultery against her. And if a woman 
 shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she 
 committeth adultery. 
 
 Pharisee and the Publican (Luke xviii. i — 14). On the frontier of 
 the region now traversed occurred in all probability the Healing of the 
 ten lepers (Luke xvii. 12 — 19). 
 
 2. Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife\ "for every cause?" 
 as St Matthew adds (Matt. xix. 3). On this point the rival schools of 
 Hillel and Shamnaai were divided, the former adopting the more lax, 
 the latter the stricter view : the one holding that any dislike^ which he 
 felt towards her, would justify a man in putting away his wife; the other, 
 that only notorious unchastity could be a sufficient reason. It has also 
 been suggested that the object of the question may have been to involve 
 Him with the adulterous tetrarch, in whose territory He was. 
 
 7. For this cause"] He thus shews that from the beginning God had 
 designed that the marriage tie should be the closest and most indis- 
 soluble of all ties, and in the words added by St Matthew (xix. 9) 
 rebukes the adultery of Herod Antipas, though without naming him, in 
 the severest terms. 
 
 9. What therefore God] In Gen. ii. 24 these are the words of Adam ; 
 in St Matthew xix. 4 the words of God; in St Mark the words of 
 Christ. They are words of Adam as uttering prophetically a Divine, 
 fundamental, ordinance ; they are words of God as being eternally 
 valid ; they are words of Christ, as rules for Christian life re-established 
 by Him, Who "adorned and beautified" the holy estate of matrimony 
 with His presence and first miracle at Cana of Galilee. 
 
 10. in the house] St Mark records several confidential household 
 words of our Lord to His disciples, e.g. concerning {a) the power of 
 casting out demons (ix. 28, 29); {d) the great in the kingdom of heaven 
 (ix. 33 — 37); and (c) here, the Christian law of marriage. 
 
vv. 13—17.] ST MARK, X. 
 
 13 — 16. Suffer little Children to co7ne unto Me. 
 
 And they brought young children to him, that he should 13 
 touch them : and his disciples rebuked those that brought 
 them. But when Jesus saw //, he was much displeased, and 14 
 said unto them. Suffer the little children to come unto me, 
 and forbid them not : for of such is the kingdom of God. 
 Verily I say unto you. Whosoever shall not receive the king- 15 
 dom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And 16 
 he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and 
 blessed them. 
 
 17 — 31. The Rich Young Ruler. 
 
 And when he was gone forth into the way, there came 17 
 
 13 — 16. Suffer little Children to come unto Me. 
 
 13. they brmighi\ These probably were certain parents, who 
 honoured Him and valued His benediction. The "children" in St 
 Mark and St Matthew are "infants" in St Luke xviii. 15. 
 
 that he shotdd totich them] or, as St Matthew adds, thai he should lay 
 his hands tipon them and pray for them (xix. 13). Hebrew mothers 
 were accustomed in this manner to seek a blessing for their children 
 from the presidents of the synagogues, who were wont to lay their 
 hands upon them. "After the father oif the child," says the Talmud, 
 "had laid his hands on his child's head, he led him to the elders one 
 by one, and they also blessed him, and prayed that he might grow 
 up famous in the Law, faithful in marriage, and abundant in good 
 works. " 
 
 14. he was miuh displeased] This feature is peculiar to St Mark. 
 Only lately the Lord had expressed His love towards little children in a 
 very remarkable manner (Mark ix. 36, 37). 
 
 of stich] Rather, to sucli belongj tlie Kingdom of God. He 
 says not of these, but of stich: shewing that it is not children only, but 
 the disposition of children which obtains the kingdom, and that to 
 such as have the like innocence and simplicity the reward is promised. 
 
 16. took thefii up in his arms] He ever giveth more than men ask 
 or think. He had been asked only to touch the children. He takes 
 them into His arms, lays His Hands upon them, and blesses them. 
 Twice we read of our Lord taking into His arms, and both times they 
 were children whom He embraced, and both times the scenes are re- 
 corded only by St Mark (ix. 36, x. 16). 
 
 blessed them] Rather, He blesses them, according to some MSS. 
 The present tense is in keeping with the graphic style of the Evangelist. 
 
 17 — 31. The Rich Young Ruler. 
 
 17. when he was gone forth] Literally, when He was going forth. 
 He was just starting, it would seem, on His last journey towards 
 Bethany. 
 
112 ST MARK, X. [vv. i8— 21. 
 
 one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good 
 
 i8 Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life ? And 
 
 Jesus said unto him. Why callest thou me good? there is 
 
 19 none good but one, that is, God. Thou knowest the com- 
 mandments. Do not commit adultery. Do not kill. Do not 
 steal. Do not bear false witness. Defraud not. Honour thy 
 
 20 father and mother. And he answered and said unto him, 
 
 21 Master, all these have I observed from my youth. Then 
 Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One 
 
 one] He was young (Matt. xix. 22), of great wealth, and a ruler of a 
 local synagogue (Luke xviii. 18). 
 
 rimning\ Running up to Him, apparently from behind, eager 
 and breathless. Then he knelt before Him, as was usual before a 
 venerated Rabbi. 
 
 what shall I do\ He had probably observed our Lord's gracious 
 reception of little children, and he desired to have part in the Kingdom 
 promised to them. But his question betrays his fundamental error. 
 Not by doing, but by being, was an entrance into it to be obtained. 
 
 18. Why callest thou i7ie good?\ The emphasis is on the "why." 
 **Dost thou know what thou meanest, when thou givest Me this appel- 
 lation?" If we combine the question and rejoinder as given by St 
 Matthew and St Luke it would seem to have run. Why askest thoii 
 Me about the good? and why callest thojt Me good? None is good save 
 One, God. Our Lord does not decline the appellation "good." He 
 repels it only in the superficial sense of the questioner, who regarded 
 Him merely as a "good Rabbi." 
 
 19. Thou hiowest the co??if?iandme7its'\ The young man is referred to 
 the Commandments of the Second Table only, and they are cited 
 generally from Ex. xx. 12 — 17. A striking instance of the free mode of 
 quotation from the Old Testament even in such a case as the Ten 
 Commandments. 
 
 Defraud not] The word thus rendered occurs in i Cor. vi. 7, 8, 
 vii. 5 ; I Tim. vi. 5 ; James v. 4. It means depi'ive none of what is 
 theirs, and has been thought to sum up the four Commandments which 
 precede. 
 
 Honour thy father and mother] Rendered by Wyclif ^^worschippe y\ 
 fadir and modir," which illustrates the meaning of the word as used 
 in the Marriage Service, "with my body I thee worship^'' = \iOXiO\xx. 
 St Mark places this commandment at the end. 
 
 20. all these have I observed] adding, according to St Matthew, what 
 lack I yet? We are told that when the Angel of Death came to fetch 
 the R. Chamina, he said, "Go and fetch me the Book of the Law, and 
 see whether there is anything in it which I have not kept." Farrar's Life 
 of Christ, II. 161, n. 
 
 21. beholding him] The same word, which occurs also in v. 27, in 
 the original is applied {a) to the Baptist, when he ^Hooked upon Jestis," 
 and said, "Behold the Lamb of God" (John i. 36), (b) to our Lords 
 
-25-1 ST MARK, X. 113 
 
 thing thou lackest : go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, 
 and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven : 
 and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was 22 
 sad at that saying, and went away grieved : for he had great 
 possessions. And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto 23 
 his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into 
 the kingdom of God ! And the disciples were astonished at 24 
 his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them. 
 Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter 
 into the kingdom of God ! It is easier for a camel to go 25 
 
 look at St Peter (i) when He named him Cephas (John i. 42), and (ii) 
 when He turned and looked upon him just before the cock crew for the 
 second time (Luke xxii. 61). 
 
 loved hi))i\ Literally, esteemed him, or was pleased with him, for 
 His Eye penetrated his inmost being, and saw within him an honest 
 striving after better things, and the noblest form of life. Lightfoot 
 remarks that the Jewish Rabbis were wont to kiss the head of such 
 pupils as answered well. Some gesture at least we may believe that 
 our Lord used to shew that the young man pleased Him, both by his 
 question and by his answer. 
 
 One thing thou lackest\ He thus proposed to him one short crucial 
 test of his real condition, and way to clearer self-knowledge. He had 
 fancied himself willing to do whatever could be required : he could now 
 see if he were really so. 
 
 take tip the cross, and follow me^ Seech, viii. 34. But some MSS. 
 omit the words. "Poor, friendless, outlawed, Jesus abated no jot of 
 His awful claims, loftier than human monarch had ever dreamed of 
 making, on all who sought citizenship in His Kingdom." 
 
 22. he was sad\ ^^ Sorrowful," says St Matthew (xix. 22); '■^very 
 sorrowful," says St Luke (xviii. 23); "sad," says St Mark, or rather 
 lowring, with a cloud upon his brow. The original word only occurs 
 in one other place. Matt. xvi. 3, "for the sky is red and lowring." 
 
 he had great possessiotis'] and these he preferred to possessions in 
 heaven, and made, as Dante calls it, " the great refusal !" "Yet within 
 a few months," to quote the words of Keble, "hundreds in Jerusalem 
 remembered and obeyed this saying of our Lord, and brought their 
 goods, and laid them at the Apostles' feet" (Acts iv. 34 — 37). 
 
 23. looked round about^ "Saepe describitur vultus Christi, affectui 
 conveniens, et afifectibus auditorum attemperatus. " Bengel. Comp. 
 Mark iii. 5, 34, viii. 34; Luke vi. 10, xxii. 61. 
 
 24. Children^ By this affectionate title He softens the sadness and 
 sternness of His words. 
 
 for thevi that trust in riches'] Some important MSS. omit these 
 words, and then the verse would run, "Children, how hard it is to 
 enter into the kingdom of God." 
 
 25. // is easier for a camel] This figure has been variously interpreted. 
 {a) Some have rendered it an "anchor-rope," as though the word was 
 
 ST MARK S 
 
1 14 ST MARK, X. [vv. 26-32. 
 
 through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter 
 
 26 into the kingdom of God. And they were astonished out 
 of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be 
 
 27 saved ? And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men // 
 is impossible, but not with God : for with God all things are 
 
 28 possible. Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left 
 
 29 all, and have followed thee. And Jesus answered and said, 
 Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, 
 or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or chil- 
 
 30 dren, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, but he shall 
 receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and bre- 
 thren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with 
 
 31 persecutions ; and in the world to come eternal Ufe. But 
 many that are first shall be last ; and the last first. 
 
 32 — 34. Predictions of the Passio7i. 
 
 32 And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem; and 
 Jesus went before them : and they were amazed ; and as 
 
 ^^kamilon" and not ** kamelon;" [b) others think it refers to the side 
 gate for foot passengers, close by the principal gate, called in the East 
 the ' ' eye of a needle ; " but (c) it is best to understand the words 
 literally. Similar proverbs are common in the Talmud. 
 
 28. and have followed thee] adding, as St Matthew relates, "what 
 shall we have therefore ?" In reply to which our Lord uttered glorious 
 words respecting the Twelve Thrones to be occupied by the Apostles 
 "in the Regeneration," or "restoration of all things" (Matt. xix. 28). 
 
 30. with persecutions] An important limitation. See 2 Cor. xii. 10 ; 
 . 2 Thess. i. 4; 2 Tim. iii. ir. 
 
 31. jnany tJiat are first] Very signally was the former part of this 
 verse fulfilled temporarily in the case of St Peter himself, finally^ in that 
 of Judas ; while the latter part was wonderfully realised in the instance 
 of St Paul, so that this passage is chosen for the Gospel of the Festival 
 of " the Conversion of St Paul." It was now that, to impress upon His 
 liearers the important lesson that entrance into the kingdom of heaven 
 is not a matter of mercenary calculation, our Lord delivered the memo- 
 rable Parable of the Labourers in the Vineyard (Matt. xx. i — 16). 
 
 32 — 34. Predictions of the Passion. 
 
 32. they were in the way] Our Lord would seem to have now de- 
 scended from Ephraim to the high road in order to join the caravans of 
 Galilsean pilgrims going up to Jerusalem. St Mark gives a special pro- 
 minence to this critical period in His human history : He describes («) the 
 prophetic elevation and solemnity of soul which He displayed ; {b) His 
 advancing before them as the destined Sufferer, {c) the awe of the dis- 
 ciples as they followed Him. 
 
 and Jesus went before thef?i] "After the manner of some leader who 
 
w. 33-37-] ST MARK, X. 115 
 
 they followed, they were afraid. And he took again the 
 twelve, and began to tell them what things should happen 
 unto him, saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem ; and the 33 
 Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and 
 unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and 
 shall deliver him to the Gentiles : and they shall mock him, 34 
 and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall 
 kill him : and the third day he shall rise again. 
 
 35 — 45. The Ambitious Apostles. 
 And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto 35 
 him, saying. Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us 
 whatsoever we shall desire. And he said unto them. What 36 
 would ye that I should do for you ? They said unto him, 37 
 Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and 
 
 heartens his soldiers by choosing the place of danger for himself." 
 Trench, Studies, p. 216. 
 
 and as they folloived^ Or, according to the better reading, and they 
 tliat followed, as though there were two bands of the Apostles, of whom 
 one went foremost, while the others had fallen behind. " There are few 
 pictures in the Gospel more striking than this of Jesus going forth to 
 His death, and walking alone along the path into the deep valley, while 
 behind Him, in awful reverence, and mingled anticipations of dread 
 and hope — their eyes fixed on Him, as with bowed head He preceded 
 them in all the majesty of sorrow — the disciples walked behind and 
 dared not disturb His meditations." Farrar, Life, ii. p. 179. 
 
 And he took again'] This was for the third time. The two previous 
 occasions are described in {a) Mark viii. 31, in the neighbourhood of 
 Csesarea Philippi, just after St Peter's confession, and {b) Mark ix. 
 30 — 32, shortly afterwards, during the return to Capernaum. The parti- 
 culars are now more full and more clear than ever before. St Matthew 
 (xx. 17) distinctly tells us that this mournful communication was made 
 privately to the Apostles. 
 
 34. and shall kill him] Or, as St Matthew adds, '■'■ crucify Hitn." 
 Now for the first time is revealed this last, this greatest horror (see 
 Matt. XX. 19). St Luke lays stress upon the fact that the disciples 
 would not and could not understand His words (Luke xviii. 34). This 
 absence of all sympathy was one of His greatest trials. 
 
 35 — 45. The Ambitious Apostles. 
 
 35. James and John] and with them their mother Salome, to ask 
 the same favour on their behalf. She was one of the constant attendants 
 of our Lord, and now falling on her knees preferred her request (Matt. 
 XX. 20). Nothing could have been more ill-timed than this selfish 
 petition when He was going forth to His death. 
 
 37. that we may sit\ The mention of Thrones (Matt. xix. 28), as in 
 
 8—2 
 
Ii6 ST MARK, X. [vv. 38— 42. 
 
 38 the other on thy left hand, in thy glory. But Jesus said 
 unto them^ Ye know not what ye ask : can ye drink of the 
 cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that 
 
 :9 I am baptized with? And they said unto him. We can. 
 And Jesus said unto them. Ye shall indeed drink of the cup 
 that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized 
 
 40 withal shall ye be baptized : but to sit on my right hand and 
 on my left hand is not mine to give ; but it shall be given 
 
 ■(I to them for whom it is prepared. And when the ten heard 
 it, they began to be much displeased with James and John. 
 
 42 But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them. Ye know 
 that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles 
 
 reversion for the Twelve at the coming of their Master in glory, may 
 have suggested the idea to the aspiring Three. This session on the 
 right hand and on the left was a Jewish form of expression for being 
 next to the king in honour. 
 
 39. And they said unto him, We ran] They knew not at the time 
 what they said, and their words were recorded in heaven. They had 
 yet to learn how serious their words were, and afterwards they were 
 enabled to drink of that Cup, and to be baptized with that Baptism. To 
 St James was given strength to be steadfast unto death, and be the first 
 martyr of the Apostolic band (Acts xii. 2) ; to St John (a) to bear be- 
 reavement, first, of his brother, then of the other Apostles; (<^) to bear a 
 length of years in loneliness and exile in sea-girt Patmos (Rev. i. 9) ; 
 and (c) then to die last of the Apostles, as St James first. 
 
 the a/p] Comp. John xviii. 11, ** The cup which my Father 
 hath given me, shall I not drink it?" and Mark xiv. 36, "Take away 
 this cup from me." Their thoughts were fastened on thrones and high 
 places ; His on a Cup of Suffering and a baptism of blood. For this 
 use of the word "baptism" here, compare Luke xii. 50, "I have a 
 baptism to be baptized with. " 
 
 40. but it shall be given] This is not a very happy interpolation. 
 The verse really runs thus : But to sit on My right hand and on My 
 left hand is not mine to give except to those for whom it is prepared. 
 To "give" here denotes to give, as of mere favour ; to lavish out of 
 caprice, as in kingdoms of the world. "The throne," says one of old, 
 "is the prize of toils, not a grace granted to ambition." 
 
 41. began to be mtuh displeased] "hadden endignacioun," Wyclif. 
 The sons of Zebedee had been in a better social position than most of 
 their brethren, and this attempt to secure a pre-eminence of honour 
 kindled a storm of jealousy. 
 
 42. -which] Commonly used at the time our translation was made 
 for the relative *^who," and applied to persons, from the A.-S. hwilc, 
 Mceso-Goth. hweleiks, literally, -who-like. Comp. Latimer's Sermons, 
 p. 331, "Whosoever loveth God, will love his neighbour, which is 
 made after the image of God." See Bible Word- Book, p. 528. 
 
w. 43— 46.] ST MARK, X. 117 
 
 exercise lordship over them ; and their great ones exercise 
 authority upon them. But so shall it not be among you : 43 
 but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minis- 
 ter : and whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be 44 
 servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be 45 
 ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom 
 for many. 
 
 46 — 5 2. Passifig through Jericho. — Blrnd JBarfimmis. 
 And they came to Jericho : and as he went out of Jericho 46 
 
 are accounfed'\=ihose. "who profess to exercise rule," those who have 
 the reputation of being governors. " Qui censentur imperare; i.e. quos 
 gentes habent et agnoscunt, quorum imperio pareant." Beza. 
 
 exercise lordship\ The word is used in an unfavourable sense. It is 
 applied in Acts xix. 16 to the man possessed with an evil spirit prevail- 
 ing agaitist and (wercoming the seven sons of Sceva. St Peter himself 
 uses it in his first Epistle (v. 3), recalling possibly this very incident, 
 where he warns the elders of the Church "not to be lords croer God's 
 heritage," or as it is in the margin, 'V^ overrule.''^ The preposition in 
 the original is emphatic, and gives the force of oppressive, tyrannical 
 rule, where the ruler uses his rights for the diminution of the ruled 
 and the exaltation of himself. The same unfavourable sense attaches to 
 the word rendered ^^ exercise authority,^'' which only occurs here and in 
 the parallel in Matt. xx. 25. 
 
 45. and to give his life] We have here one of the early intimations 
 of the mysterious purport of the Passion, that the Redeemer was about to 
 give His life as a rayisom for many (i Tim. ii. 6). The word translated 
 "ransom" only occurs here and in the parallel, Matt. xx. 28. Wyclif 
 renders it "and ^yue his soule, or lyf redempcioun, or a^en-biyng^ for 
 manye." The three great circles of images, which the Scriptures 
 employ when they represent to us the Durport of the death of Christ, are 
 [a] a sin-offering, or propitiation (i John ii. 2, iv. 10); (Jb) reconciliation 
 (=at-one-mettt) with an offended friend (Rom. v. 1 1, xi. 15 ; 2 Cor. v. 18, 
 19); [c], as here, redemption frotn slavery (Rom. iii. 24; Eph. i. 7; 
 Col. i. 14). 
 
 46 — 52. Passing through Jericho. — Blind Bartim^us. 
 
 46. And they came'] Leaving behind them the upland pastures of 
 Peraea, the little company travelled along the road which led down to 
 the sunken channel of the Jordan, and the luxuriant "district" of 
 Jericho. 
 
 to Jericho] This ancient stronghold of the Canaanites, — taken by 
 Joshua (ii., vi.), founded for the second time under Hiel the Bethelite 
 (i Kings xvi. 34), visited by Elisha and Elijah before the latter "went 
 up by a whirlwind into heaven" (2 Kings ii. 4 — 15) — was still in the 
 days of Christ surrounded by towers and castles. Two of them lay in 
 ruins since the time of Pompeius, but "Kypros, the last fortress built 
 
Ii8 ST MARK, X. [vv. 47— 49. 
 
 with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bar- 
 tim^eus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging. 
 
 47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began 
 to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on 
 
 48 me. And many charged him that he should hold his peace : 
 but he cried the more a great deal. Thou Son of David, have 
 
 49 mercy on me. And Jesus stood still, and commanded him 
 
 by Herod the Great, who had called it after his mother, rose white in 
 the sun on the south of the town. ... The great palace of Herod, in the 
 far-famed groves of palms, had been plundered and burnt down in the 
 tumults that followed his death, but in its place a still grander structure, 
 built by Archelaus, had arisen amidst still finer gardens, and more 
 copious and delightful streams. A grand theatre and spacious circus, 
 built by Herod, scandalized the Jews, while a great stone aqueduct of 
 eleven arches brought a copious supply of water to the city, and the 
 Roman military road ran through it." Geikie's Life and Words of 
 Christ, II. p. 385. 
 
 as he went] It is most probable that at the entrance of Jericho He 
 met one of the sufferers, who having learnt from the crowd that He was 
 passing, joined the other sufferer, whom the Saviour encountered as 
 He was going out of the city on the following morning. (Comp. Luke 
 xviii. 35; Matt. xx. 29, 30.) 
 
 a great number-] of pilgrims accompanied our Lord, who had come 
 from Pereea and Galilee, and met at this central point to go up to the 
 Passover, at Jerusalem. 
 
 BartimcEtis\ The patronymic is made into a proper name after the 
 analogy of Bartholomew and others. The true reading seems to be 
 the son of Timseus, Bartimseus, a blind man. "This account of 
 him hints that he was a personage well known to Christians in St Mark's 
 time as a monument of the Lord's miracle, as was probably also 
 Simon the Leper ; and the designation ' son of Timaeus ' would dis- 
 tinguish him, not merely from the father but also from other sons." 
 Lange. As in the case of the Gadarene demoniacs, he was probably 
 better known, and hence his case is more particularly recorded. "All 
 the roads leading to Jerusalem, like the Temple itself, were much fre- 
 quented at the time of the feasts, by beggars, who reaped a special 
 harvest from the charity of the pilgrims. " 
 
 47. Son of David] This was the popular designation of the Messiah. 
 He may have heard of the recent resurrection of Lazarus, which took 
 place in his own neighbourhood. 
 
 48. charged him] "fjretnyden hym, Jjat he schulde be stille." Wyclif. 
 They rebuked him and his companion, deeming their clamours ill- 
 mannered and unworthy of Him, who was passing onward to Jeru- 
 salem. 
 
 49. stood stilT] in the fulness of His compassionate heart. 
 commanded him to be called] Or, more graphically, according to some 
 
 MSS., said, Call liira. 
 
w. 50-52; I.] ST MARK, X. XI. 119 
 
 to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, 
 Be of good comfort, rise ; he calleth thee. And he, casting 50 
 away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. And Jesus 51 
 answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should 
 do unto thee? The blind man said unto him. Lord, that I 
 might receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Go thy 52 
 way ; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he 
 received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way. 
 
 I — II. The Triumphal Entry, 
 And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Beth- 11 
 
 60. casting away his gar?nent] i.e. his abba, or upper garment, 
 he rose, or, according to a better reading, leaped up. "Sturtinge cam 
 to him," Wyclif. 
 
 61. Lord] The original word is *'Ra.hhonV' = my Master. The blind 
 man gives Him the title of greatest reverence that he knew. The title 
 occurs only here and in John xx. 16, where it is used by Mary Magdalene 
 to her risen Lord. The gradations of honour were J^ab, Rabbi, 
 Rabban, Rabboni. 
 
 62. and followed yesus] or followed him along the road, glorifying 
 God, as St Luke adds (xviii. 43), and joining the festal company of his 
 Healer, who all likewise gave praise unto God for the miracle, which they 
 had witnessed. Comp. Acts iii. 8 — 10. In the account of this Miracle 
 the graphic power of St Mark is signally displayed. He describes [a) 
 the great crowds that accompanied the Saviour, records [b) the full 
 name of the blind man, {c) the words of the people to him, {d) how he 
 cast away his garment, {e) started up, and (f) came to his Healer, {g) 
 how he immediately recovered his sight, and {h) followed in the pilgrim 
 train. After this signal proof of His miraculous power the Lord 
 accepted the hospitality of Zaccheeus, a superintendent of customs or 
 tribute at Jericho (Lukexix. i — 10); uttered the Parable oi'^the Potinds^^ 
 in order to correct the idea that the kingdom of heaven was about 
 to appear immediately (Lukexix. ir — 27); and at length, six days before 
 the Passover, reached the safe seclusion of the mountain hamlet of 
 Bethany (John xii. i). 
 
 Ch. XI. 1—11. The Triumphal Entry. 
 
 1. And when] The order of events at this point needs explanation, 
 (i) The Saviour apparently reached Bethany on the evening of Friday, 
 Nisan 8. There (■zj in quiet retirement He spent His last earthly Sab- 
 bath; and (3) in the evening, sat down to a festal meal provided by 
 the sisters of Lazarus at the house of one Simon, who had been a 
 leper (Matt. xxvi. 6; John xii. i). (4) At this feast He was anointed 
 by Mary (John xii. 3); and (5) during the night a council of the Jews 
 was convened to consider the propriety of putting not Him only but 
 Lazarus also to death (John xii. loj. 
 
 ihey eame] Rather, when they draw near. The Evangelist, pass- 
 
ST MARK, XI. [vv. 2— 4. 
 
 phage and Bethany, at the mount of OUves, he sendeth forth 
 
 2 two of his disciples, and saith unto them. Go your way into 
 the village over against you : and as soon as ye be entered 
 into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat ; 
 
 3 loose him, and bring him. And if any man say unto you, 
 Why do ye this ? say ye that the Lord hath need of him ; 
 
 4 and straightway he will send him hither. And they went 
 their way, and found the colt tied by the door without in a 
 
 ing over for the present the peaceful scene at the festal meal (Mark xiv. 
 3 — 11), translates us at once to Palm Sunday, as to time; and, as to 
 place, to the region between Bethany and the mount of Olives. Observe 
 how he writes in the present tense. 
 
 unto Bethphage\ On the first day of the Holy Week the Saviour left 
 Bethany and proceeded towards Bethphage = ^'/^^ house of uniipe figs, a 
 little hamlet on the road between Jericho and Jerusalem. As in a 
 journey towards Jerusalem it is always mentioned before Bethany, it 
 seems to have been to the east of that village. 
 
 he sendeth^ Note again the present tense. 
 
 two of his disciples'] The minuteness of the description that follows 
 suggests that St Peter may have been one of these. If so, he was not 
 improbably accompanied by St John. 
 
 2. into the village over against you] Either Bethphage or an adjoin- 
 ing hamlet. 
 
 a colt tied] ** In the East the ass is in high esteem. Statelier, livelier, 
 swifter than with us, it vies with the horse in favour. Among the Jews 
 it was equally valued as a beast of burden, for work in the field or at 
 the mill, and for riding. In contrast to the horse, which had been in- 
 troduced by Solomon from Egypt, and was used especially for war, it 
 was the symbol of peace. To the Jew it was peculiarly national, for 
 had not Moses led his wife, seated on an ass, to Egypt ; had not the 
 Judges ridden on white asses ; and was not the ass of Abraham, the 
 friend of God, noted in Scripture? Every Jew, moreover, expected, 
 from the words of one of the prophets (Zech. ix. 9), that the Messiah would 
 enter Jerusalem riding on an ass. No act could be more perfectly in 
 keeping with the conception of a king of Israel, and no word could 
 express more plainly that the king proclaimed Himself the Messiah." 
 Geikie, ii. p. 395. 
 
 whereon never man sat] This agrees with St Matthew's account of 
 the she-ass (Matt. xxi. 1) and her colt with her. The colt would not 
 have been used, so long as it was running with the mother. Unused 
 animals were put to sacred purposes. See Num. xix. 3 ; Deut. xxi. 3 ; 
 I Sam. vi. 7. 
 
 3. the Lord hath need of him] The words suggest that the man may 
 have been a secret disciple. *' Secret disciples, such as the five hundred 
 who afterwards gathered to one spot in Galilee, and the hundred and 
 twenty who met after the resurrection (r Cor. xv. 6; Acts i. 15), were 
 scattered in many places." 
 
Cambr><lj;e V 
 
vv. 5—8.] ST MARK, XI. 121 
 
 place where two ways met ; and they loose him. And cer- 5 
 tain of them that stood there said unto them, What do ye, 
 loosing the colt ? And they said unto them even as Jesus » 
 had commanded : and they let them go. And they brought 7 
 the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him ; and he 
 sat upon him. And many spread their garments in the way : 8 
 and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them 
 
 4. in a place where hvo ways met] So Wyclif, "in f^e meeting of 
 tweye weyes," following the Vulgate bivmm. The word in the original 
 thus rendered denotes (i) any road that leads round a place, a street, or 
 a crooked lane ; (2) a block of houses surrounded by streets; (3) the 
 quarter of a town — Lat. vicus. Here it means the passage round the 
 house. They went and found the ass tied at the door, and the colt 
 with her, not in the highway, but in a back way or alley, which went 
 round the house. Observe the minuteness of the circumstances speci- 
 fied. The Apostles would find the colt tied ; it had never been ridden ; 
 it would be found not in the courtyard, but outside, at the door of the 
 house; not in the highway, but in a back lane or alley skirting the 
 house ; and persons would be near it, and the words which they would 
 speak are predicted, and the answer is suggested which the Apostles 
 were to make. The colt, untamed, and tied at the back gate, as if 
 ready for a rider, has been interpreted as a symbol of the Gentile world 
 to be brought to Christ from the lanes and alleys of Heathendom (Luke 
 xiv. •ai); the she-ass as symbolizing God's ancient people who were 
 familiar with the yoke of the Law, 
 
 7. and cast their garments on hif?i] over both indeed (Matt. xxi. 7), 
 to do Him regal honour, just as the captains ^^took every man his garment, 
 and put it under Jehu on the top of the stairs, and blew with trumpets, 
 saying, Jehu is king'''' (2 Kings ix. 13). 
 
 he sat upon] the unused colt, while probably some of the Apostles led 
 it by the bridle. 
 
 8. spread their gar77ients in the way] i.e. their "abbas "or "hykes," 
 the loose blanket or cloak worn over the tunic or shirt. So myrtle- 
 twigs and robes had been strewn by their ancestors before Mordecai, 
 when he came forth from the palace of Ahasuerus {Targ. Esther viii. 15), 
 so the Persian army had honoured Xerxes when about to cross the 
 Hellespont (Herod, vn. 54), and so Robinson tells us the inhabitants 
 of Bethlehem threw their garments under the feet of the horses of the 
 English consul at Damascus, whose aid they were imploring [Biblical 
 Researches, II. 162). 
 
 branches] "sof^eli o\)&x& men kittiden bowis, or branches, fro 
 trees," Wyclif. These were not the ^^ braftches''^ [kladoi) cut from the 
 trees as they went along, mentioned in Matt. xxi. 8, but ^^ mattings" 
 (stoibades) which they twisted out of the palm-branches as they passed. 
 The original word denotes [i) a bed of straw, rushes, or leaves, whether 
 strawed loose or stuffed into a mattress ; (2) a mattress^ especially of 
 soldiers : (3) the nest or lair of mice or fish. 
 
122 ST MARK, XI. [vv. 9— ir. 
 
 9 in the way. And they that went before, and they that fol- 
 lowed, cried, saying, Hosanna ; Blessed is he that cometh in 
 
 ,o the name of the Lord : blessed be the kingdom of our father 
 David, that cometh in the name of the Lord : Hosanna in 
 
 II the highest. And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into 
 the temple : and when he had looked round about upon 
 all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out 
 unio Bethany with the twelve. 
 
 off the trees] The reading of some MSS. here is from the 
 gardens, and the verse would run, And many strewed their gar- 
 ments in the way, and others twisted branches, cutting them from 
 the gardens. Eastern gardens are not flower gardens, nor private 
 gardens, but the orchards, vineyards and fig-enclosures round a town. 
 The road from Bethany to Jerusalem wound through rich plantations of 
 palm trees, and fruit- and olive-gardens. 
 
 9. they that went before] From St John xii. 12 we gather that a 
 second stream of people issuing from the Holy City came forth to meet 
 the Saviour, and these joining the others coming from Bethany, turned 
 round and swelled the long procession towards Jerusalem. See Stanley's 
 Sinai and Palestine, p. 191. 
 
 10. blessed be the kingdom] The feelings of the multitudes found 
 expression in the prophetic language of the Psalms, and they heralded 
 the coming of the "Son of David" to establish His Messianic kingdom. 
 See Ps. cxviii. 26. 
 
 11. And Jestis entered] At a particular turn in the road the whole of 
 the magnificent city, as if rising from an abyss, burst into view. Then 
 it was that the procession paused, and our Lord wept over the devoted 
 capital (Luke xix. 4 1 — 44), and afterwards resumed His route towards 
 Jerusalem, crossing the bridge over the Kedron, and passing through the 
 gate now St Stephen's into Bezetha, the new town, through narrow 
 streets, "hung with flags and banners for the feast, and crowded on the 
 raised sides, and on every roof, and at every window, with eager 
 faces." 
 
 the temple] Jerusalem was stirred to its very centre (Matt. xxi. 10). 
 Who is this? inquired many, and were told by His exultant northern 
 followers and disciples that it was "Mi? prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.^'' 
 They doubtless expected that He would, as He passed on towards the 
 Temple, display some unmistakable "sign," and claim the sceptre, and 
 ascend the throne. But they were doomed to disappointment. 
 
 when he had looked rotmd abotit upon all things] ' * The actual procession 
 would not proceed farther than the foot of Mount Moriah, beyond 
 which they might not advance in travelling array, or with dusty feet." 
 Before they reached the Shushan gate they dispersed, and Jesus entered 
 the courts of the Temple, surveyed the scene of disorder and dese- 
 cration which they presented, with prolonged and calm and searching 
 glance, and when 
 
 the eventide was come] or rather, it heing now late, returned with the 
 
w. 12— 15.1 ST MARK, XI. 123 
 
 12 — 19. The Second Cleansing of the Tonple. 
 And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, 
 he v/as hungry : and seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, 
 he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon : and 
 when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves ; for the 
 time of figs was notyef. And Jesus answered and said unto it. 
 No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples 
 heard if. And they come to Jerusalem : and Jesus went into 
 the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought 
 
 Twelve to the seclusion of Bethany, and the great Palm Sunday was 
 over. 
 
 12—19. The Second Cleansing of the Temple. 
 
 12. Ae was hungry\ Probably, after a night of fasting; "shewing His 
 Humanity, as usual, when about to give a proof of His Deity, that we 
 may believe Him to be both God and Man." Bp Wordsworth. 
 
 13. seeing a fig iree\ The very name Bethany means ^^ the place for 
 dates,'''' while Bethphage is ^^ the place for the greett or winter fig, ' a 
 variety which remains on the trees through the winter, having ripened 
 only after the leaves had fallen. 
 
 having leaves^ It stood alone, a single fig-tree, by the wayside (Matt, 
 xxi. 19), and presented an unusual show of leaves for the season. 
 
 if haply'] Rather, if therefore, if, as was reasonable to expect ujider stuh 
 circumstaiices, fruit was to be found. ^ 
 
 for the time of figs was not yet] that is, the ordinary fig-season had 
 not yet arrived. The rich verdure of this tree seemed to shew that it 
 was fruitful, and there was "every probability of finding upon it either 
 the late violet-coloured autumn figs, which often hung upon the trees 
 all through the winter, and even until the new spring leaves had come, 
 or the first-ripe figs (Isai. xxviii. 4; Jer. xxiv. i ; Hos. ix. 10; Nah. iii. 
 12), of which Orientals are particularly fond." Farrar, Zz/^, ii. 2 1 3. But 
 this tree had nothing but leaves. It was the very type of a fair profession 
 without performance ; a very parable of the nation, which, with all its 
 professions, brought forth no "fruit to perfection." Comp. Luke 
 xix. 42. 
 
 14. answered and said unto it] " arbori fructum neganti. " Bengel. 
 N'o man eat fruit] '■^ And presently,''^ i.e. immediately, writes St 
 
 Matthew (xxi. 19), "the fig tree withered away," though tlie disciples 
 did not notice it till the following morning. Thus our blessed Lord 
 exhibited at once a Parable and a Prophecy in action. 
 
 15. and Jesus went into the temple] The best MSS. omit the word 
 Jesus here. The nefarious scene, which He had sternly rebuked on the 
 occasion of His first Passover, and which is recorded only by St John 
 (ii. 13 — 17), was still being enacted. 
 
 them that sold and bought] For the convenience of Jews and proselytes 
 residing at a distance from the Holy City, a kind of market had been 
 established in the outer court, and here sacrificial victims, incense, oil, 
 
124 ST MARK, XL [vv. 16—19. 
 
 in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangei*s, 
 
 16 and the seats of them that sold doves ; and would not suffer 
 that any man should carry ajiy vessel through the temple. 
 
 17 And he taught, saying unto them. Is it not written, My 
 house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer ? but 
 
 18 ye have made it a den of thieves. And the scribes and 
 chief priests heard //, and sought how they might destroy 
 him : for they feared him, because all the people was asto- 
 
 19 nished at his doctrine. And when even was come, he went 
 out of the city. 
 
 wine, and other things necessary for the service and the sacrifices, were 
 to be obtained. 
 
 tJu tables of the mojieych anger s\ Money would be required (1) to 
 purchase materials for offerings, (-2) to present as free offerings to the 
 Temple treasury (Mark xii. 41; Luke xxi. i), (3) to pay the yearly 
 Temple-tax of half a shekel due from every Jew, however poor. All this 
 could not be received except in a native coin called the Temple Shekel, 
 which was not generally current. Strangers therefore had to change 
 their Roman, Greek, or Eastern money, at the stalls of the money- 
 changers, to obtain the coin required. This trade gave ready means 
 for fraud, which was only too common. 
 
 that sold doves'] Required for poor women coming for purification 
 (Lev. xii. 6, 8 ; Luke ii. 24) from all parts of the country, and for other 
 offerings. The sale of doves appears to have been in a great measure in 
 the hands of the priests themselves, and one of the high priests es- 
 pecially is said to have gained great profits from his dovecots on Mount 
 Olivet. 
 
 16. any vessel] i.e. a pail or basket. He would not allow laden 
 porters and others to desecrate the honour due to His Father's house by 
 crossing the Temple courts as though they were public streets, " quasi 
 per plateam." Bengel. This particular is peculiar to St Mark. 
 
 17. of all nations] Rather, for all nations. See margin. The words 
 are cited from Isaiah Ivi. 7. 
 
 a den of thieves] Literally, a cave of robbers or bandits. See 
 Jer. vii. 11. The distinction is to be borne in mind between "the 
 robber," brigand or violent spoiler (Matt. xxi. 13, xxvi. 55; Luke 
 xxii. 52; John xviii. 40; 2 Cor. xi. 26), and the "thief" or secret pur- 
 loiner (Matt. vi. 19; John xii. 6; i Thess. v. 2; Rev. iii. 3, xvi. 15). 
 Trench's Synonyms, § 44. What our Lord alludes to is one of "those 
 foul caves which He had so often seen, where brigands wrangled over 
 their ill-gotten gains." Farrar, Life, ii. 205. 
 
 18. chief priests] This title was applied to (i) the high-priest 
 properly so called; (ii) to all who had held the high-priesthood (the 
 office under Roman sway no longer lasting for life, and becoming little 
 more than annual); (iii) the heads of the twenty-four courses (i Chron. 
 xxiv., Luke i. 9). 
 
 was astonished at his doctrine] and hung upon His lips eager to 
 
vv. 20—23.] ST MARK, XI. 125 
 
 20 — 26. The Withered Fig- Tree. 
 And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig 20 
 tree dried up from the roots. And Peter calling to remem- 21 
 brance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which 
 thou cursedst is withered away. And Jesus answering saith 22 
 unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, 2j 
 That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou re- 
 moved, and be thou cast into the sea ; and shall not doubt 
 in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he 
 
 heai Him (Luke xix. 48), and while He was thus high in favour, no 
 one knew how far they might not be disposed to rise on His behalf, 
 if an open effort was made to seize Him. Caution was therefore 
 essential. 
 
 19. he went out] or rather, they went out, of the city, crossed the 
 ridges of Olivet, and sought once more the retirement of Bethany. 
 
 20—26. The Withered Fig-Tree. 
 
 20. And in the morning] The early morning of Tuesday in Holy 
 Week. 
 
 as they passed by] On their return to the Holy City. 
 
 dried up from the roots] From St Matthew (xxi. 19) it would 
 appear that "some beginnings of the threatened withering began to 
 shew themselves, almost as soon as the word of the Lord was spoken ; 
 a shuddering fear may have run through all the leaves of the tree, which 
 was thus stricken at its heart." Trench. 
 
 21. And Peter] who doubtless related the incident with all its 
 attendant circumstances to St Mark. 
 
 22. Have faith in God] as the personal source of miraculous power. 
 (Comp. Matt. xvii. 20; Luke xvii. 6.) 
 
 23. verily I say unto you] With great solemnity He seeks to im- 
 press upon them a truth which would be of the greatest import to 
 them, when they went forth, as His Apostles, to establish and spread 
 His kingdom — that an unfaltering faith in God would overcome all 
 difficulties, even the most insuperable to the eye of sense. 
 
 sha/i say unto this mountain] Language like this was familiar in 
 the schools of the Jews. They used to set out those teachers among 
 them, that were more eminent for the profoundness of their learning, 
 or the splendour of their virtues, by such expressions as these, "He 
 is a rooter tip or remover of vionntains.'''' "They called Rabbah Bar 
 Nachmani, A rooter up of motmtains, because he had a piercing judg- 
 ment." Lightfoot, Hor. Heb. 
 
 shall not doubt in his heaii] The word here translated "doubt" 
 (a) in the active voice means to discriininate, distingtnsh, discern, as 
 Matt. xvi. 3, "ye can discern the face of the heaven;" Acts xv. 9, 
 "He put no difference between us and them;" i Cor. xi. 29, "not 
 
126 ST MARK, XI. [vv. 24—28. 
 
 saith shall come to pass ; he shall have whatsoever he saith. 
 
 24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, 
 when ye pray, believe that ye receive thejn^ and ye shall have 
 
 25 them. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought 
 against any : that your Father also which is in heaven may 
 
 26 forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, nei- 
 ther will your Father which is in heaven forgive your tres- 
 passes. 
 
 27 — 2iZ- Question respecting John the Baptist. 
 
 27 And they come again to Jerusalem : and as he was walk- 
 ing in the temple, there come to him the chief priests, and 
 
 28 the scribes, and the elders, and say unto him, By what au- 
 
 discerning\hQ Lord's Body." {h) In the passive and middle voice, it 
 means (i) to get a decisio7t, to go to law, to dispute, as Acts xi. 2, " they of 
 the circumcision contended with him ;" Jas. ii. 4, "are ye not partial 
 (become litigants or partisans) in yourselves?" (ii) to dispute with 
 oneself, to doubt, waver, as Acts x. 20, "go with them, doubting nothing i^ 
 Rom. iv. 20, "//^ staggered not at (i.e. with regard to) the promise 
 through unbelief;" Jas. i. 6, "but let him ask in faith, nothing 
 wavering ; for he that zvavereth is like a wave of the sea. " 
 
 24. What things soever ye desire, when ye pray'] Because Prayer 
 is the very language of Faith, He passes on to speak concerning 
 Prayer. 
 
 25. when ye stand praying] The posture of prayer among the Jews 
 seems to have been most often standing; comp. the instance of 
 Hannah (i Sam. i. 26), and of the Pharisee (Luke xviii. ri). When 
 the prayer was offered with especial solemnity and humiliation, this 
 was naturally expressed by {a) kneeling; comp. the instance of Solomon 
 (i Kings viii. 54), and Daniel (vi. 10); or [b) prostration, as Joshua (vii. 6), 
 and Elijah ( [ Kings xviii. 42). 
 
 forgive] In this place, where our Lord connects the strong assurance 
 of the marvellous power of faith with the cursing of the fig-tree, He 
 passes on most naturally to declare how such a faith could not be 
 sundered from forgiving love, that it should never be used in the 
 service of hate or fanaticism. 
 
 26. yotir trespasses] The original word thus translated denotes (i) 
 a falling beside, a falling from the right zvay. It is rendered in our 
 Version (i) fatdt in Gaf. vi. i ; Jas. v. 16; (2) offence in Rom. iv. 25, 
 V. 15, 17, 18, 20; (3) /«// in Rom. xi. 11, 12; (4) trespass, here, and 
 in Matt. vi. 14, 15 ; 2 Cor. v. 19; Eph. ii. i; Col. ii. 13; (5) sins 
 in Eph. ii. 5 ; Col. ii. 13. 
 
 27 — 33. Question respecting John the Baptist. 
 
 27. as he was walking] This is in keeping with St Mark's vivid 
 style of delineation. 
 
vv. 29— 33-1 ST MARK, XI. 127 
 
 thority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this 
 authority to do these things ? And Jesus answered and said 29 
 unto them, I will also ask of you one question, and answer 
 me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 
 The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? an- 30 
 swer me. And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we 31 
 shall say. From heaven ; he will say, Why then did ye not 
 believe him ? But if we shall say. Of men ; they feared the 32 
 people : for all vien counted John, that he was a prophet 
 indeed. And they answered and said unto Jesus, We cannot 33 
 tell. And Jesus answering saith unto them. Neither do I 
 tell you by what authority I do these things. 
 
 elders] "eldere men," Wyclif. The ancient senators or representatives 
 of the people. With the chief priests and scribes they constituted 
 on this occasion a formal deputation from the Sanhedrim. We 
 find the earliest notice of the elders acting in concert as a political 
 body in the time of the Exodus (Ex. xix. 7 ; Deut. xxxi. 9). Their 
 authority, which extended to all matters of the common weal, they 
 exercised under {a) the Judges (Judg. ii. 7 ; i Sam. iv. 3) ; under 
 (h) the Kings (r Sam. xxx. -26; i Chron. xxi. 16; 2 Sam. xvii. 4); 
 during [c) the Captivity (Jer. xxix. i; Ezek. viii. i) ; after {d) the Return 
 (Ezra V. 5, vi. 7, 14, x. 8, 14); under [e) the Maccabees (r Mace, 
 xii. 6 ; 'i Mace. i. 10) ; in (/) the time of our Lord, when they de- 
 noted a distinct body in the Sanhedrim, amongst whom they obtained 
 their seat by election, or nomination from the executive authority. 
 
 28. By what authority doest thou these things .?] They evidently 
 wished to bring Him to account for His act of the day before, and 
 for His assumption to teach as a Rabbi, without any license from the 
 Schools, which was contrary to the established rule. The same 
 question had been put to Him three years before and by the same 
 persons (John ii. 18). 
 
 29. And yesus anstvered\ They doubtless hoped that He would 
 have claimed Di\dne authority, and then they would have had matter 
 for accusation against Him, but He answered their question by another. 
 
 30. The baptism ofJohn\ John was the most recent upholder of the 
 validity of the prophetic order in Israel, and he had distinctly testified 
 to the Messianic authority of our Lord (John i. 29 — 34, 36) ; from whom 
 did he receive his commission to baptize? Was it from heaven, or a 
 mere human assumption of his own ? 
 
 32. if we shall say. Of men] Observe the impressive abruptness here, 
 which is more significant than the full expression of St Matthew (xxi. 
 id) and St Luke (xx. 6). They dared not face the alternative, and were 
 driven to a feeble evasion. 
 
 33. Neither do I tell yote] The counter-question of Jesus wns the 
 consequence of the question of these men. *' Him that inquires," saith 
 
ST MARK, XI T. [v. i. 
 
 I — 12. Parable of the Wicked Husbafidtnen. 
 12 And he began to speak unto them by parables. A cer- 
 tam man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and 
 digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let 
 
 one of old, "we are bound to instruct; but him that tempts, we may 
 defeat with a stroke of reasoning." 
 
 Ch. XII. 1 — 12. Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen. 
 
 1. by parables] Another Parable spoken at this time was that of 
 ^^ the Tzuo SoHs" (Matt. xxi. 28 — 32), and ^'' the Marriage of the King s 
 Son''^ (Matt. xxii. i — 14). St Mark relates only the second of these three 
 Parables. 
 
 A certain man planted a vineyard] Our Lord seems to take up the 
 words of the prophet Isaiah (v. r — 7) and to build His teaching the 
 more willingly on the old foundations, as He was accused of destroying 
 the Law. Comp. Deut. xxxii. 32; Ps. Ixxx. 8 — 16; Ezek. xv. i — 6; 
 Hos. X. I. By the Vineyard we are to understand the Kingdom of 
 God, as successively realized in its idea (i) by the Jew, and (2) by the 
 Gentile. Trench's Parables, p. 193. 
 
 planted] The householder not merely possessed, he ^^ planted'''' the 
 vineyard. So God planted His spiritual vineyard [a) under Moses (Deut. 
 xxxii. 12 — 14; Ex. XV. 17), (b) under Joshua, when the Jews were 
 established in the land of Canaan. 
 
 an hedge about it] Not a hedge of thorns, but a stone wall to keep out 
 wild boars (Ps. Ixxx, 13), jackals, and foxes (Num. xxii. 24; Cant. ii. 15; 
 Neh. iv. 3). The word only occurs {a) here, {b) in the parallel Matt, 
 xxi. 33, (c) in Luke xiv. 23, "go ye into the highways and hedges,^'' 
 and (d) Eph. ii, 14, "the middle wall oi partitiojt.''^ "Enclosures of 
 loose stone, like the walls of fields in Derbyshire or Westmoreland, 
 everywhere catch the eye on the bare slopes of Hebron, of Bethlehem, 
 and of Olivet," Stanley, Sinai and Palestine, p, 421. 
 
 a place for the winefat] "dalf a lake," Wyclif ; "digged a pit to 
 receauve the lycour of the wynepresse," Geneva; "digged a trough," 
 Rhemish Version, The original word only occurs here in the N.T., 
 and = the Latin laciis. The winepress, =/^rr«/d:r (Matt, xxi. 33), con- 
 sisted of two parts; (i) the press {gath) or trough above, in which the 
 grapes were placed, and there trodden by the feet of several persons 
 amidst singing and other expressions of joy (Judg, ix, 27 ; Isaiah xvi, 10; 
 Jer, XXV. 30) ; (2) a smaller trough {yekeb), into which the expressed 
 juice flowed through a hole or spout (Neh, xiii, 15; Isaiah Ixiii. 2; 
 Lam. i. 15), Here the smaller trough, which was often hollowed 
 ("digged") out of the earth or native rock and then lined with masonry, 
 is put for the whole apparatus, and is called a 7aine-VAT. This word 
 occurs also in Isaiah Ixiii, 2; Hos, ix. 2, marg. ; compare press fat, ^ 
 Hag, ii, 16; and fat, Joel ii. 24, iii. 13. Pat from A. S. foet = a' 
 vessel, vat, according to the modern spelling. Comp. Shakespeare, Ant. 
 and Cleop. 1 1. 7. 120: — 
 
w. 2— 4-] ST MARK, XII. 129 
 
 it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country. And at 2 
 the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he 
 might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vine- 
 yard. And they caught Jmn, and beat him, and sent him 3 
 away empty. And again he sent unto them another servant ; 4 
 and at him they cast stones, and wounded hhn in the head, 
 
 "Come thou monarch of the vine, 
 Plumpie Bacchus, with pinke eyne: 
 in thy /aUes our cares be drown'd." 
 
 and built a tower] i. e. a "tower of the watchman," rendered *'cottage^^ 
 in Isaiah i. 8, xxiv. 20. Here the watcliers and vinedressers lived 
 (Isaiah v. 2), and frequently, with slings, scared away wild animals and 
 robbers. At the corner of each enclosure "rises its square grey towers, 
 at first sight hardly distinguishable from the ruins of ancient churches 
 or fortresses, which lie equally scattered over the hills of Judaea." 
 Stanley, p. 421. 
 
 to husbandmen] By these the spiritual leaders and teachers of the Jewish 
 nation (Mai. ii. 7 ; Ezek. xxxiv. 2) are intended. Their land, secluded 
 and yet central, was hedged round on the east by the river Jordan, on 
 the south by the desert of Idumaea, on the west by the sea, on the north 
 by Libanus and Anti-Libanus, while they themselves were separated by 
 the Law, '■^the tJiiddle wall of partition" (Eph. ii. 14), from the Gentiles 
 and idolatrous nations around. 
 
 went into a far country'] ^''for a long while,'''' adds St Luke, or 
 '■'■many times.'''' "At Sinai, when the theocratic constitution was founded, 
 and in the miracles which accompanied the deliverance from Egypt, the 
 Lord may be said to have openly manifested Himself to Israel ; but then 
 to have withdrawn Himself again for awhile, not speaking to the people 
 again face to face (Deut. xxxiv. 10—12), but waiting in patience to see 
 what the Law would effect, and what manner of works the people, 
 under the teaching of their spiritual guides, would bring forth." Trench, 
 Parables, p. 197. 
 
 2. at the season] i. e. when the fruit season drew near. 
 
 a servant] So Luke xx. 10; his servants, Matt. xxi. 34; the prophets 
 and other eminent messengers of God raised up at particular periods for 
 particular purposes. "Servi sunt ministri extraordinarii, majores; 
 agricolne, ordinarii." Bengel. 
 
 of the fruit] The householder's share. The rent not being paid in 
 money, but in a stipulated portion of the produce, according to the well- 
 known metayer system once prevalent over great part of Europe. The 
 prophets were sent to the people from time to time to require of them 
 "the repentance and the inward longing after true inward righteousness, 
 which the Law was unable to bring about." 
 
 3. they ca^ight him] The gradual growth of the outrage is clearly 
 traced: (i) The first servant they '■'■ caught, beat, and sent atuay empty ;" 
 (ii) at the second they '^cast stones, and wotinded him in the head, and 
 sent him away shatnefully handled ;" (iii) the third '■'they killed.'''' 
 
 4. wounded hi??i in the head] The original word, which generally 
 
 ST MARK Q 
 
I30 ST MARK, XII. [w. 5— 9. 
 
 5 and sent him away shamefully handled. And again he sent 
 another; and him they killed, and many others; beating 
 
 6 some, and killing some. Having yet therefore one son, his 
 well-beloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They 
 
 7 will reverence my son. But those husbandmen said among 
 themselves, This is the heir ; come, let us kill him, and the 
 
 8 inheritance shall be ours. And they took him, and killed 
 
 9 ///;«, and cast hi7n out of the vineyard. What shall therefore 
 the lord of the vineyard do ? he will come and destroy the 
 
 denotes to coi7ip)'ehend in one sum, or tmder one head, is nowhere else 
 used in this sense. Some MSS. omit the words they cast stones, and 
 instead of '^^ sent him away shafnefidly handled," read simply, ^^tised him 
 shamefully" (comp. 2 Sam. x. 4). Thus Jezebel ^^slew the prophets of the 
 Lord" (i Kings xviii. 13) ; Micaiah was thrown into a dungeon by AhD.b 
 (r Kings xxii. 24 — 27); Elijah was threatened with death by Jezebel 
 (i Kings xix. 2); Elisha by Jehoram (2 Kings vi. 31); Zechariah was 
 stoned at the commandment of Joash (2 Chron. xxiv. 2 1 ; comp. xxxvi. 
 16) ; Jeremiah was stoned by the exiles in Egypt ; Isaiah, according to 
 Jewish tradition, was sawn asunder (Heb. xi. 37, 38; 2 Chron. xxxvi. 
 15, 16). 
 
 6. Having yet therefore\ Note here the description of this last of 
 the ambassadors of the householder. Not only was he his son, but 
 his only one, his well-beloved, "a sone most derewor)?," Wyclif. This 
 marks as strongly as possible the difiference of rank between Christ and 
 the prophets, by whom "a/ sundry times and i)t divers manners God 
 spake in times past unto the fathers" (Heb. i. i), the distinction between 
 them and the dignity of Him, Who only was in the highest sense 
 His Son, and Whom He hath '^appointed heir of all things" (Heb. i. 1, 
 iii. 5, 6). 
 
 7. This is the heir] "he for whom the inheritance is meant, and to whom 
 it will in due course rightfully arrive — not as in earthly relations, by the 
 death, but by the free appointment, of the actual possessor." Christ 
 is " heir of all things," not as He is the Son of God, but as He is the 
 Son of Man. 
 
 come, let us kill him] Comp. Gen. xxxvii. 20; and especially John 
 xi. 47 — 53, where "the servants" conspiring against "the Heir of 
 all things" actually assign as their motive that "if they let Him alone," 
 they "will lose both their place and nation." 
 
 8. and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard] The order is re- 
 versed in the first and third Gospels, which remind us of Naboth, whom they 
 "carried forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones that he died ' 
 (i Kings xxi. 13), and of Him, Who suffered 7uithotit the gate (Heb. xiii. 
 12, 13; John xix. 17). The second Evangelist represents them as first 
 killing the son, and then flinging forth the body and denying it the 
 ordinary rites of sepulture. 
 
 9. he will come] According to St Matthew, this was the answer of 
 
vv. lo— 12.] ST MARK, XII. 131 
 
 husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others. And 10 
 have ye not read this scripture ; The stone which the build- 
 ers rejected is become the head of the corner : this was the n 
 Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes ? And they 12 
 sought to lay hold on him, but feared the people : for they 
 
 the Pharisees themselves, either, before they were aware, pronouncing 
 sentence against themselves, or pretending in the hardness of their 
 hearts not to see the drift of the Parable. The answer was followed by 
 "a deep God forbid" from several voices (Luke xx. 16). 
 
 10. And have ye\ Rather, And did ye never read this Scripture ? 
 referring them to Psalm cxviii. 22, 23, a Psalm which the Jews applied 
 to the Messiah, and which is actually twice applied to Him by St Peter, 
 in Acts iv. II ; i Pet. ii. 7. St Luke (xx. 17) tells us that our Lord 
 fastened His eyes upon His wondering hearers, while He directed their 
 attention to this ancient prophecy respecting Himself in the very 
 Psalm, whence had been taken the loud Hosannas of Palm Sunday 
 (Mark xi. 9). 
 
 the head of the corner] The image of the vineyard is for a moment 
 abandoned for that of a building. The "head of the corner" was a 
 large and massive stone so formed as when placed at a corner to bind 
 together the two outer walls of an edifice. Comp. for the application 
 of the expression to Christ, Eph. ii. 20, and consult Isaiah xxviii. 16; 
 Dan. ii. 44. The penalties of rejecting Him are more fully brought out 
 in Matt. xxi. 43, 44 ; Luke xx. 18. 
 
 12. thty sought] All three Evangelists take note of the exaspera- 
 tion of our Lord's hearers at words which they now clearly perceived 
 were directed against themselves. The chief priests and Pharisees 
 sought to arrest Him on the spot at once (Luke xx. 19), but they were 
 afraid of the multitudes, who regarded Him if not with the same deep 
 feelings as on Palm Sunday, yet still as a p7vphet (Matt. xxi. 46), so 
 they left Him and went their way (Mark xii. 12). One more Parable 
 followed, that of the ^^ Marriage of t/ie King's So?i" (Matt. xxii. i — 14), 
 and once more the rulers of the nation were solemnly warned of the 
 danger they were incurring. "Thus within a few hours of crucifixion, 
 and conscious of the fact ; in the intervals of mortal contest with the 
 whole force? of the past and present, the wandering Galilsean Teacher, 
 meek and lowly in spirit, so that the poorest and the youngest instinc- 
 tively sought Him ; full of Divine pity, so that the most sunken and 
 hopeless penitent felt He was their friend ; indifferent to the supports of 
 influence, wealth, or numbers ; alone and poor, the very embodiment of 
 weakness, as regarded all visible help, still bore Himself with a serene 
 dignity more than human. In the name of God He transfers the 
 spiritual glory of Israel to His own followers ; throws down the 
 barriers of caste and nationality ; extends the new dominion, of which 
 He is Head, to all races, and through all ages, here and hereafter ; pre- 
 dicts the Divine wrath on His enemies in this world, as the enemies of 
 God, and announces the decision of the final judgment as turning on 
 the attitude of men towards Hitnself and His message.''^ Geikie's Life 
 
 9—2 
 
132 ST MARK, XII. [vv. 13—15. 
 
 knew that he had spoken the parable against them: and 
 they left him, and went their way. 
 
 13 — 17. The Question of the Tribute Money. 
 
 13 And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of 
 
 14 the Herodians, to catch him in his words. And when they 
 were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou 
 art true, and carest for no man : for thou regardest not the 
 person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth : Is it 
 
 15 lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not ? Shall we give, or 
 shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said 
 unto them, Why tempt ye me? bring me a penny, that I 
 
 and Words of Christ, ii. pp. 414, 415; Liddon's Bampton Lechires, 
 pp. 113 — ir8, Sixth Edition. 
 
 13 — 17. The Question of the Tribute Money. 
 
 13. And they send] Having failed themselves, the Jewish authori- 
 ties resolved to send some of the Pharisees in company with the 
 Herodians, to try to force Him to commit Himself by the answers He 
 might give to their treacherous questions. A series of distinct attacks 
 was now made upon our Lord, [a) The Pharisees took the lead with 
 theirs, which was, indeed, the most cunningly devised ; {b) the Saddu- 
 cees followed ; and then [c) came the Scribes of the Pharisees' party. 
 
 the Herodians] See note on ch. iii. 6. As before, so now, the Jewish 
 royalists united themselves with the ultra-orthodox Pharisaic party. 
 The Herodians came in person. The Pharisees sent soine of their 
 Voun£-er scholars {Matt. xxii. 16) to approach Him with the pretended 
 simplicity of a guileless spirit, and a desire to solve a perplexing ques- 
 tion (Luke XX. 20). 
 
 14. Alaster, we know] This was said in a spirit of hypocritical flattery, 
 as though they were ready to pay Him honour as the Messiah. We find 
 Nicodemus saying the same thing in a spirit of sincerity (John iii. 2). 
 
 and carest for no man] This was a cunning temptation to lift Himself 
 above all respect for the Roman authorities. 
 
 Is it lawful to give tribute. . . ?] The snare was no longer laid in the 
 sphere of ecclesiastical questions, but in the more dangerous area of 
 political duty. The tribute-money alluded to was a capitation tax 
 levied by the Roman government, and keenly resented by Judas the 
 Gaulonite (Acts v. 37) and his followers. If our Lord held the payment 
 unlawful. He would compromise Himself with the Romans ; if He 
 sanctioned it. He would embroil Himself with the national party. 
 ' 15. knoxuing their hypocrisy] "verum se eis ostendit, ut dixerant." 
 Bengel. 
 
 bring me] "They would not be likely to carry with them the 
 hated Roman coinage with its heathen symbols, though they might have 
 been at once able to produce from their girdles the Temple shekel. 
 
vv. i6— 18.] ST MARK, XII. 133 
 
 may see //. And they brought //. And he saith unto them, 16 
 Whose is this image and superscription ? And they said 
 unto him, Caesar's. And Jesus answering said unto them, 17 
 Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the 
 things that are God's. And they marvelled at him. 
 
 18 — 27. The Question of the Sadducees respectifig the 
 Resurrection. 
 Then come unto him the Sadducees, which say there is ^s 
 
 But they would only have to step outside the Court of the Gentiles, and 
 boriow from the money-changers' tables a current Roman coin." 
 Farrar, Life, ii. p. 231. 
 a penny'] Literally, a denarius, for the value of which see vi. 37. 
 
 16. Whose is this image\ "The little silver coin, bearing on its 
 surface the head encircled with a wreath of laurel, and bound round 
 with the sacred fillet — the well-known features, the most beautiful and 
 the most wicked, even in outward expression, of all the Roman 
 Emperors, with the superscription running round, in the stately language 
 of imperial Rome, Tiberitis Ccssar, Divi Atigusti filius Attgustus, Iinpe- 
 rator.^^ The image of the Emperor would be regarded by the stricter 
 Jews as idolatrous, and to spare their feelings, the Romans had allowed 
 a special coinage to be struck for Judaea, without any likeness upon it, 
 and only the name of the Emperor, and such Jewish emblems as palms, 
 lilies, grapes, and censers. 
 
 17. Refider] Literally, Give back, pay as being due. ** Jjerefore ylde 
 y to Caasar," Wyclif. It was not a question of a voluntary gift, but 
 of a legal dice. The head of the Emperor on the coin, the legend 
 round it, and its circulation in the country, were undeniable proofs of 
 the right of the actually existing government to levy the tax. '* Ubi- 
 cunque numisma alicujus regis obtinet, illic incol^e regem istum pro 
 domino agnoscunt ;" Maimonides. Remembrance of this precept 
 ' ' would have spared the Jewish war, the destruction of Jerusalem, and 
 the downfall of their nation." Lange. 
 
 and to God] He would remind them that besides the claims of the 
 ruling powers, they had also the claim upon them of their Spiritual 
 King, and obedience to Csesar must ever be conditioned by obedience to 
 God. "Render unto Caesar all that he can lawfully demand, but 
 render also to God, what He requires of you as His spiritual subjects." 
 " Give to God that which has the image and superscription of God, the 
 soul." Erasmus. 
 
 they maf-z'elled at him] Neither the orthodox Pharisee nor the 
 aristocratic royalist had expected such an answer from the Galilsean 
 Teacher. 
 
 18 — 27. The Question of the Sadducees respecting the 
 Resurrection. 
 
 18. the Saddiuees] Hitherto the Sadducees, "few, rich, and 
 
134 ST MARK, XII. [vv. 19—26. 
 
 19 no resurrection ; and they asked him, saying. Master, Moses 
 wrote unto us, If a man's brother die, and leave his wife 
 beJwid hi?n, and leave no children, that his brother should 
 
 20 take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. Now 
 there were seven brethren : and the first took a wife, and 
 
 21 dying left no seed. And the second took her, and died, 
 
 22 neither left he any seed : and the third likewise. And the 
 seven had her, and left no seed : last of all the woman died 
 
 23 also. In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise, 
 whose wife shall she be of them ? for the seven had her 
 
 24 to wife. And Jesus answering said unto them. Do ye not 
 therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither 
 
 25 the power of God ? For when they shall rise from the dead, 
 they neither marry, nor are given in marriage ; but are as 
 
 26 the angels which are in heaven. And as touching the dead, 
 
 dignified," had stood aloof, and affected to ignore the disciples of the 
 despised "Prophet of Nazareth." 
 
 19. Moses wrote] The Law concerning the Levirate marriage is found 
 in Deuteronomy xxv. 5. It was ordained for the preservation of families, 
 that if a man died without male issue, his brother should marry his 
 widow, and that the firstborn son should be held in the registers to be 
 the son of the dead brother. 
 
 20. ihei-e 7uere sroen brethreti] It was probably a fictitious case, 
 for the Jews were averse to the fulfilling of the enactment at all. 
 
 23. In the resurrection therefore] Their difficulty originated 
 entirely in a carnal notion that the connections of this life must be 
 continued in another. 
 
 24. because ye hiow not] Our Lord traces their error to ignorance (i) 
 of the Scriptures, and (ii) of the power of God. He deals with the 
 latter phase of ignorance first. 
 
 25. when they shall rise] Had they known the power of God they 
 could not have imagined that it was limited by death, or that the life of 
 "the children of the resurrection" was a mere repetition of man's 
 present mortal existence. Compare the argument of St Paul in 
 I Cor. XV. 39 — 44, based on the endless variety of the creative power 
 of God. 
 
 as the angels] The Sadducees denied not only the Resurrection, 
 but the existence also of angels and spirits (Acts xxiii. 8). In His reply, 
 therefore, our Lord embraces the whole area of their unbehef: He 
 refers to the angels in heaven as persons, whose personal existence was 
 a fact. Moreover in these words we have one of the few revelations 
 which He was pleased to make as to the state after death. They imply 
 that, as St Paul teaches, at the Resurrection "■we shall be chatiged'' 
 (i Cor. XV, 44), and the ''spiritual body" will not be liable to the 
 passions of the '^ natural body." 
 
vv. 27, 28.] ST MARK, XII. 135 
 
 that they rise : have ye not read in the book of Moses, how 
 in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God 
 of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? 
 He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living : 27 
 ye therefore do greatly err. 
 
 28 — 34. The Questiofi of the Scribe. 
 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them 28 
 reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered 
 them well, asked him. Which is the first commandment of 
 
 26. in the book of Moses] They had brought forward the name oi Moses 
 to perplex Him, He now appeals to the same great name in order 
 to confute thevt. He does not reprove them for attaching a higher 
 importance to the Pentateuch than to the Prophets, but for not tracing 
 the Divine Mind on the important sul^ject of the Resurrection even there. 
 
 in the bush] i.e. in the section of the Book of Exodus (iii. 6) cahed 
 *^the Bush." Similarly "the lament of David over Saul and yonathnn " 
 in 1 Sam. i. 17 — 27 was called "the Botu;" and Ezekiel i. 15 — 28 *' the 
 Chariot." Compare also Rom. xi. 2; "in Elias"=//^e? section concerning 
 Elias. In the Koran the chapters are named after the matter they 
 contain, and so also the Homeric poems. Wyclif alone of our English 
 translators gives the right meaning, "Han 3e not rad in j^e book of 
 Moyses on \>e bousche, how God seide to him." 
 
 God spake tinto him, saying] On that momentous occasion, which 
 marked ?.n epoch in the national history, God had revealed Himself t6 
 Moses as a personal God, by the august and touching title of "the God 
 of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, " and there- 
 fore as bearing apei-sonal relation to these patriarchs, upon whom He had 
 set His seal of Circumcision, and so admitted them into covenant union 
 with Himself. How unworthy would such a title be, if He, the Eternal 
 and Unchangeable, had revealed Himself only as the God of men who 
 had long since crumbled to dust and passed away into annihilation! 
 How meaningless such a Name, if the souls of men at death perished with 
 the body, "as the cloud faileth and passeth away " ! Was it possible to be- 
 lieve He would have deigned to call Himself the God "of dust and ashes"? 
 
 27. He is not the God of t/ie dead] Our Lord thus taught them that 
 the words implied far more than that God was the God, in Whom Abra- 
 ham and the patriarchs trusted and worshipped. 
 
 btit the God of the living] Jehovah could not have called Himself the 
 God of persons who do not exist, and over whom death had completely 
 triumphed. The patriarchs, therefore, though their bodies were dead, 
 must themselves have been still living in the separate state, and awaiting 
 the resurrection. 
 
 28—34. The Question of the Scribe. 
 
 28. one of the scribes] From Matt. xxii. 34, 35, it appears that he 
 was a Pharisee, and a Master of the Law. 
 
 IVhich is the first commandment of all?] This question, on which 
 
136 SX MARK, XII; [w. 29— 34. 
 
 29 all ? And Jesus answered him, The first of all the com- 
 mandments is, Hear, O Israel ; The Lord our God is one 
 
 30 Lord; and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy 
 heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with 
 
 31 all thy strength : this is the first commandment. And the 
 second is like, na77iely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour 
 as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than 
 
 32 these. And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou 
 hast said the truth : for there is one God ; and there is none 
 
 33 other but he : and to love him with all the heart, and with 
 all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the 
 strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than 
 
 34 all whole burnt ofi"erings and sacrifices. And when Jesus 
 
 the schools of Hillel and Shammai were disagreed, the Lawyer put, 
 tempting our Lord (Matt. xxii. 35), hoping that He would commit 
 Himself as an enemy of the Traditions. The Rabbinical schools taught 
 that there were important distinctions between the Commandments, 
 some being great and others small, some hard and weighty, others 
 easy and of less importance. Great commands were the observance of 
 the Sabbath, circumcision, minute rites of sacrifice and offering, the 
 rules respecting fringes and phylacteries. Indeed, all the separate com- 
 mandments of the ceremonial and moral Law had been carefully weighed 
 and classified, and it had been concluded that there were "248 affirma- 
 tive precepts, being as many as the members in the human body, and 
 365 negative precepts, being as many as the arteries and veins, or the 
 days of the year; the total being 613, which was also the number of the 
 letters in the Decalogue." 
 
 29. And Jeszis aftswered h{?)i\ Pointing, it may be, to the Scribe's 
 tephillin, the little leather box containing in one of its four divisions 
 the Shejna (Deut. vi. 4), which every pious Israelite repeated twice a 
 day. 
 
 The first of all the commandments] The Saviour quotes the introduc- 
 tion to the ten Commandments (Deut. vi. 4, 5) as the first command, 
 not as forming one of the commandments, but as containing the piHnciple 
 of all. 
 
 31. the second is like, namely this"] According to the best MSS. 
 the reading is, the second is this. The Lord had named only one 
 commandment as great to the rich young ruler (Luke x. 27). To the 
 Scribe He names two, as forming together " the great and first com- 
 mandment." Besides quoting Deut. vi. 4, 5, He refers him to Lev. 
 xix. 18. 
 
 33. burnt offerings and sacrifices'] The Scribe gathers up in his 
 reply some of the great utterances of the Prophets, which prove the 
 superiority of love to God and man over all mere ceremonial ob- 
 servances. See I Sam. xv, 22; Psalm li. ; Hosea vi. 6; Micah vi, 
 6-8. 
 
w. 35—37.] ST MARK, XII. 137 
 
 saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art 
 not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that 
 durst ask him any question. 
 
 35 — 37. Our Lord's Counter-question. 
 
 And Jesus answered and said, while he taught in the 3S 
 temple, How say the scribes that Christ is the Son of David ? 
 For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The Lord said 36 
 to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine 
 enemies thy footstool. David therefore himself calleth him 37 
 Lord ; and whence is he then his son ? And the common 
 people heard him gladly. 
 
 34. discreetly\ "wysely," Wyclif. The word only occurs here in 
 the N.T., and denotes "with knowledge and understanding." 
 
 Thou art not far] The perception of Divine truth which his answer 
 had shewed, revealed that he wanted but little to become a disciple 
 of Christ. *'Si non procul es, intra; alias praestiterit, procul fnisse." 
 
 no man... durst] No other attempt was henceforth made to entangle 
 *the Redeemer by replies to subtle questions; "all alike kept aloof from 
 one, from Whom chief priests and Rabbis equally went away humbled." 
 Some, however, would refer to this occasion the question respecting the 
 woman taken in adultery (John viii. i — 11). 
 
 35—37. Our Lord's Counter-question. 
 
 35. And yestis answered and said] He seemed to have turned to a 
 number of the Pharisees (Matt, xxii., 41) who had collected together, to 
 converse probably over the day's discomfiture. The great counter- 
 question is brought forward by St Matthew in all its historic importance 
 as the decisive concluding interrogation addressed to the Pharisees. St 
 Mark points out by the words ^^ Jesus answered''^ that the statement con- 
 tained a reply to some question already put. 
 
 36. David himself said] The Pharisees are referred to the cx*^ Psalm, 
 which the Rabbis regarded as distinctly Messianic. " The Lord 
 (Jehovah) said unto my Lord {Adonai), Sit thou on My right hand till 
 I make thy foes a footstool for thy feet." In this lofty and mysterious 
 Psalm, David, speaking by the Holy Ghost, was carried out of and 
 beyond himself, and saw in prophetic vision that his Son would also be 
 his Lord. The Psalm is more frequently cited by the New Testament 
 writers than any other single portion of the ancient Scriptures (Acts ii. 
 34, 35; I Cor. XV. 25; Heb. i. 13, v. 6, vii. 17, 21). "In later Jewish 
 writings nearly every verse of it is quoted as referring to the Messiah." 
 Perowne on the Psalms, 1 1. 291. 
 
 37. whence is he then his son 7] Abraham had never called Isaac or 
 Jacob or any of his descendants his lord. Why then had David done 
 §o? There could be but one answer: "Because that Son would be 
 David's Son as regarded human birth, his Lord as regarded His Divine 
 
138 ST MARK, XII. [vv. 38—40 
 
 38 — 40. Adinonition to beware of tlie Scribes. 
 
 38 And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the 
 scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salu- 
 
 39 tations in the marketplaces, and the chief seats in the 
 ^o synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts : which 
 
 devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long 
 prayers : these shall receive greater damnation. 
 
 Nature." This answer, however, the Pharisees declined to make, not 
 through ignorance, but through unbelief in our Lord's Messianic claims. 
 the co77imon people] Rather, the great multitude. "And moche 
 cumpany gladli herde him." Wyclif. This fact is peculiar to St Mark, 
 and implies that they listened to Him gladly, not merely in the general 
 sense, but with special reference to His Divine dignity as the Messiah. 
 
 38 — 40. Admonition to beware of the Scribes. 
 
 38. And he said] The terrible denunciations of the moral and 
 religious shortcomings of the leaders of the nation, which now fall 
 from our Lord's lips, are given far more fully by St Matthew, xxiii. 
 I — 39. It was only the Jewish Christians, for whom that Evangelist 
 wrote, who could at once, and at that time, understand and enter into 
 the terrible declension of Pharisaic Judaism. To the Gentile Christians 
 of Rome, for whom St Mark wrote, "the great woe-speech" would be 
 to a certain extent unintelligible. Hence the picture of the Scribes is 
 here shortly given in their three principal features; (i) ambition, 
 (2) avarice, and (3) hypocritical external piety. 
 
 m long clothing] "J^at wolen wandre in stoolis," Wyclif. Stoolis 
 from Latin stola = a robe. They came out to pray in long sweeping 
 robes, wearing phylacteries of extra size, and exaggerated tassels, hung 
 at the corners of their addas. Many such were doubtless to be seen at 
 Jerusalem at this very time, who had come up to celebrate the Feast of 
 the Passover. 
 
 love saliitatio7is] The sounding title of " Rabbi," " Rabbi." 
 
 39. the chief seats] The seats of honour for the elders of the synagogue 
 were placed in front of the ark containing the Law, in the uppermost 
 part, where they sat with their faces to the people. In the synagogue 
 at Alexandria there were seventy-one golden chairs, according to the 
 number of the members of the Great Sanhedrim. 
 
 the uppermost rooms] Rather, the chief seats, *' }7e first sitting places 
 in soperis," Wyclif. The highest place on the divan, as amongst the 
 Greeks. Amongst the Romans, when a party consisted of more than 
 three persons, it was the custom to arrange three of the couches on 
 which they reclined round a table, so that the whole formed three sides 
 of a square, leaving the bottom of it open for the approach of the 
 attendants. These couches were then respectively designated lectus 
 medins, suf?imus, and imus. The middle place in the triclinitim was 
 considered the mo3t dignified. At a large feast there would be many 
 such triclinia. 
 
v\'. 41, 42-] ST MARK, XII. 139 
 
 41 — 44. The Widow's Mite. 
 And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how 41 
 the people cast money into the treasury: and many that 
 were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor 4a 
 widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. 
 
 40. devour widows' houses] as guardians and administrators of their 
 property. 
 
 ^-eater damnation] "Jjei taken longe dom," Wyclif. The word denotes 
 "judgment," "punishment." The verb from which it comes denotes 
 " to judge," pass sentence, condemn. In i Cor. xi. 29, the words ren- 
 dered damnation, discerning, Jud^'-ed, and condemnation, are all, in the 
 original, parts or derivations of one and the same word ; and so Wyclif 
 admirably rendered them into the language of his day by words con- 
 nected with one and the same English verb; "He that etith and 
 drinkith vnworthili, etith and drinkith doovi to him, not wisely deniyng 
 the bodi of the Lord... and if we demyden wiseli us silf we schulden not 
 be demyd, but while we be demyd of the lord we ben chastised, that we 
 be not dampnyd with this world." Compare also Chaucer, Monk^s 
 Tale, 1 509 1, 
 
 ^'■Dampnyd was he to deye in that prison." 
 Bible Word-Book, pp. 142, 143. 
 
 41 — 44. The Widow's Mite. 
 
 41. And Jestis sai\ In perfect calm and quiet of spirit after all the 
 fierce opposition of this "day of Questions." 
 
 the treasury] This treasury, according to the Rabbis, consisted of 
 thirteen brazen chests, called "trumpets," because the mouths through 
 which the money was cast into the chest were wide at the top and 
 narrow below. They stood in the outer "Court of the Women." 
 " Nine chests were for the appointed temple-tribute, and for the sacri- 
 fice-tribute, that is, money-gifts instead of the sacrifices; four chests for 
 freewill-offerings, for wood, incense, temple-decoration, and burnt- 
 offerings." Lightfoot, Hor. Heb. 
 
 beheld] The imperfect tense in the original implies that He continued 
 watching and observing the scene. " Christus in hodierno quoque 
 cultu spectat omnes." Bengel. 
 
 ho7u the people] " Before the Passover, freewill offerings in addition 
 to the temple-tax were generally presented." Lange. 
 
 42. a certain poor widow] One of the helpless class which He had 
 just described as devoured by the extortion of the Scribes and Pharisees. 
 In three words St Mark presents to us a picture of her desolation : she 
 was alone, she was a widow, and she was poor. 
 
 two mites] "Sche sente tweye mynutis, j?at is, a ferjjing," Wyclif. 
 Mite is a contraction of niiniite, from Lat. mitiutum, though Fr. mite. 
 Thus Becon says, "let us with the poor widow of the gospel at 
 the least give t^vo minutes, and God will surely approve and accept our 
 good will." The Lepton, here mentioned, was the very smallest copper 
 coin. Two made one Roman quadrans, which was ^th of an as. The 
 
I40 ST MARK, XII. XIII. [vv. 43,44;!. 
 
 43 And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, 
 Verily I say unto you. That this poor widow hath cast more 
 
 44 in, than all they which have cast into the treasury : for all 
 they did cast in of their abundance ; but she of her want did 
 cast in all that she had, even all her living. 
 
 I — 13. Prophecies of the Destruction of Jerusalem. 
 
 13 And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples saith 
 
 as in Cicero's time = nearly a halfpenny, and the ^«a</ra«j = one-eighth 
 of a penny. This poor widow gave two, though, as Bengel remarks, she 
 might have kept back one. She gave her "all." " If we have regard to 
 the origin of the expression, it argues more of presumption than 
 humility to call any gift, as many do, however liberal, unless it were our 
 all, a 'mite,' while the frequent use of the term to excuse some shabby 
 offering which costs the donor nothing, is a remarkable example of the 
 serene unconsciousness with which persons will sometimes pass the most 
 bitter sarcasms upon themselves." Davies, Bible English, p. 251. 
 
 43. he called imto hini] "De re magna. Specimen judicii olim 
 exercendi, pro statu cordium." Bengel. 
 
 Dtore in, than all they] It is not said that the gifts of the others were 
 worthless. Many possessed, no doubt, no worth (Matt. vi. i) ; others, 
 a greater or a less. The greatest value, however, attached itself to 
 her gift, because of the self-denial which it implied. 
 
 44. of their abundance'] i.e. of their stipej-fliiity, *' of l^at Jjing \2X was 
 plenteuous to hem." Wyclif. 
 
 she of her want] "of hir myseste sente alle Hngis J?at she hadde, 
 al hir lyflode," Wyclif. Observe all the graphic touches in the account 
 of the widow's mite. (i) Our Lord was sitting over against the 
 Treasury ; (ii) He was watchitig the people casting in their contri- 
 butions ; (iii) He called to Him His disciples; and (iv) He points out 
 to them the full meaning of her act of self-denial. After this incident 
 in the "court of the women," and apparently while the Saviour was 
 still there, it came to pass, that two of the Apostles, Andrew and 
 Philip, brought to Him the "inquiring Greeks," who had desired to 
 see Him (John xii. 20 — 22). No sooner did He behold these "inquirers 
 from the West," than He broke forth into words of mysterious joy 
 (John xii. 24 — 26), and presentiments of His coming Passion (John 
 xii. 27, 28); after which was heard the last of the Three Heavenly Voices, 
 attesting the true dignity of His mission (John xii. 28). And so with 
 the clear prevision that He was about to be ^^ lifted z//" upon His 
 Cross, and, if ^^ lifted up" would '■^ draw all men unto Him" (John 
 xii. 32), He prepared to leave the Temple, which He was never to 
 enter again. His public work was over. His last counsels, His final 
 warnings, had been delivered. 
 
 Ch. XIII. 1 — 13. Prophecies of the Destruction of 
 Jerusalem. 
 
 1. And as he went"] Leaving the Temple, He passed with His 
 
w. 2—6.] ST MARK, XIII. 141 
 
 unto him, Master, see what manner of stones and what build- 
 ings are here 1 And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou 2 
 these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon 
 another, that shall not be thrown down. And as he sat upon 3 
 the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James 
 and John and Andrew asked him privately, Tell us, when 4 
 shall these things be ? and what shall be the sign when all 
 these things shall be fulfilled ? And Jesus answering them s 
 began to say. Take heed lest any man deceive you : for 6 
 
 Apostles down the eastern steps toward the valley of the Kidron. 
 As they were passing on, 
 
 one of his disciples] invited His attention to the marvellous structure 
 they were quitting, to the enormous size of its marble blocks, the 
 grandeur of its buildings, and the gorgeous gifts with which, though 
 still unfinished, it had been endowed (Luke xxi. 5). Josephus tells 
 us that while some of the stones were forty-five feet, most were thirty- 
 seven and a half feet long, twelve feet high, and eighteen broad. 
 Jos. Bell. Jud. M. (i.(i\ Ant. XV. ri, 3. 
 
 2. there shall not be left] Though now they seem fixed in their 
 places for eternity. And even as He said, less than forty years 
 afterwards, "Zion vfz.?. ploughed as afield, and Jerusalem became heaps, 
 and the mountain of the House as the high places of the forest" 
 (Micah iii. 12). Titus himself was amazed at the massive buildings 
 of Jerusalem, and traced in his triumph the hand of God (Jos. Bell. 
 Jud. VI. 9. i). At his departure after the capture of the city, he left 
 the tenth legion under the command of Terentius Rufus to carry out 
 the work of demolition, and Josephus tells us {Bell. Jud. vii. i. i) 
 that the whole inclosing walls and precincts of the Temple were "so 
 thoroughly levelled and di'g up that no one visiting the city would 
 believe it had ever been inhabited." 
 
 3. the mount of Olives] Nothing more appears to have been said 
 now, and crossing the valley of the Kidron, the little company as- 
 cended the steep footpath that leads over the mount of Olives in 
 the direction of Bethany. When they had reached the summit, He 
 sat down (Matt. xxiv. 3 ; Mark xiii. 3) 
 
 over against the temple] Notice this minuteness as regards details 
 oi place peculiar to the second Evangelist, and see Introduction, p. 19. 
 
 Peter and James and John and Andrew] Observe again these 
 minute particulars as X.o persons, and see Introd. p. 18. These Apostles 
 probably now sat nearest to their Master, and were the most favoured 
 of the apostolic band. 
 
 4. "di'hat shall be the sign] The question is given more fully by 
 St Matthew, xxiv. 3. It embraced three points : (i) the time of the 
 destruction of the Temple ; the sign (ii) of His Coming, and (iii) of 
 the end of the world. 
 
 5. Tahe heed] "The four moral key-notes of the Discourse on 
 the Last Things are ''Beware," " IVatch," "Endure," "■ Pray." 
 Farrar, Life, li. p. 258, 
 
143 ST MARK, XIII. [vv. 7—10. 
 
 many shall come in my name, saymg, I am Christ ; and 
 
 7 shall deceive many. And when ye shall hear of wars and 
 rumours of wars, be ye not troubled : for such things must 
 
 8 needs be ; but the end shall not be yet. For nation shall 
 rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom : and 
 there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be 
 famines and troubles : these ai'e the beginnings of sorrows. 
 
 9 But take heed to yourselves : for they shall deliver you up 
 to councils ; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten : 
 and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my 
 
 10 sake, for a testimony against them. And the gospel must 
 
 6. viany shall come] Five tokens are here given, to which the Lord 
 directs the attention of His disciples : (i) the rise of false prophets ; 
 (ii) vv'ars and rumours of wars ; (iii) the rising of nation against nation ; 
 (iv) earthquakes ; (v) famines (some MSS. omit t7'oubles) ; but the 
 Apostles were not to be terrified, these things were 
 
 8. the beginnings of sorroivs] rather, of birth-pangs. The word only 
 occurs in four places in the N. T. Here ; in the parallel. Matt. xxiv. 8 ; 
 in Acts ii. 24, "having loosed the pains (rather tlie pangs) of death;" 
 and I Thess. v. 3, "then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as 
 travail [ox birth -pangs) upon a woman with child." The occurrence of 
 the expression here is remarkable, and recals other places of Scripture, 
 where Creation is said to be "groaning and travailiitg^^ (Rom. viii. ■22), 
 waiting for its regeneration (Matt. xix. 28) or New Birth. For the 
 fulfilment of these prophecies comp. Jos. Ant. XIX. i ; Tac. Ann. 
 XII. 38, XV. 22, XVI. 13; Sen. Ep. xci. Tacitus describing the epoch 
 {Hist. I. 2) calls it "opimum casibus, atrox pra;liis, discors seditionibus, 
 ipsa etiam pace scevum." These "signs" then ushered in the epoch 
 of the destruction of Jerusalem, but realized on a larger scale they are 
 to herald the End of all things ; comp. 1 Thess. v. 3 ; 2 Thess. ii. 2. 
 
 9. to councils] Of the actual hearers of the Lord some were 
 destined to find this true within little more than fifty days. Thus, in 
 Acts iv. 3, we find all the Apostles brought before the Sanhedrim, and 
 again in Acts v. 18, 27. Similarly, St Paul was brought before the same 
 Council, Acts xxiii. i. 
 
 hi the synagogues ye shall be beaten] "Of the Jews," says St Paul 
 (2 Cor. xi. 24), "five times received I forty stripes save one ;" "thrice 
 was I beaten with rods.^^ It was part of the duties of the Chazzan, 
 or minister in each synagogue, to maintain order, and scourge the 
 condemned. 
 
 before rulers and kijigs] Thus St Paul stood before Felix (Acts xxiv. 
 10 — 22), before Festus (Acts xxv. i — 11), before Agrippa (Acts xxvi. 
 1 — 23), before Nero (2 Tim. iv. 16). Our Lord also, we may believe, 
 alluded to the general persecutions of the Christians in later times, 
 and especially to that of the emperor Nero, in which St Peter and 
 St Paul suffered martyrdom. 
 
w.ii— 13.] ST MARK, XIII. 143 
 
 first be published among all nations. But when they shall n 
 lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand 
 what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate : but what- 
 soever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye : for 
 it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost. Now the bro- 12 
 ther shall betray the brother to death, and the father the 
 son ; and children shall rise up against their parents, and 
 shall cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated 13 
 of all men for my name's sake : but he that shall endure 
 unto the end, the same shall be saved. 
 
 IC. the gospel must first he pttbrished\ And even so while many of 
 His hearers were yet alive, the Gospel was proclaimed throughout the 
 Roman Empire, from Arabia to Damascus, from Jerusalem to lUy- 
 ricum, in Italy and in Spain. Comp. Rom. xv. 19, 24, 28 ; Col. i. 
 
 11. take no thought beforehand} Rather, be not anxions beforehand, 
 or distracted beforehand with anxiety. " Nyle )?e ])enke what 3e 
 schulen speke," Wyclif. ''''Thought" when our translation was made, 
 signified tindue care or anxiety. Thus Bishop Ridley in the Accoutit 
 of the Dispitation at Oxford, 1544, says, "No person of any honesty, 
 without thinking, could abide to hear the like spoken by a most 
 vile varlet ;" and Shakespeare, Jid. Cces. II. i. 186, says, 
 
 " If he love Caesar, all that he can do 
 Is to himself, take thought and die for Ctesar," 
 
 and Hamlet iii. i. 84, 
 
 **And thus the native hue of resolution 
 Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought,''^ 
 
 and Ant. and Cleop. iii. 13. i, 
 
 *\Cleo. What shall we do, Enobarbus? 
 Etto. Thitik, and die." 
 
 See the Bible IVord-Book, sub loc. ; and Davies, Bible English, 
 pp. 99, 100. 
 
 but whatsoever shall he given yotc] Comp. Matt. x. 19, 20, where the 
 words occur as a portion of our Lord's charge to His Twelve Apostles. 
 "These were very weighty words for the Roman Christians, at a 
 time when the martyrdom of the Apostles Peter and Paul, in Rome, 
 was about to take place." Lange. 
 
 13. he that shall endure] "he j^at schol susteyne in to )je ende," 
 "Wyclif. The endurance here spoken of is the brave and persistetit 
 endurance of the Christian in faith and love. In this noble word, 
 the "queen of virtues," as Chrysostom does not fear to call it, 
 "there always appears in the New Testament a background of 
 manlijiess ; it does not mark merely the endtirance, the 'sustinen- 
 tiam,' or even the ' patientiam,' but the ' perseverantiam,^ the 'brave 
 
144 ST MARK, XIIT. [v. 14 
 
 14 — 23. Immediate Tokens of the Downfall of Jerusalem. 
 But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, 
 spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought 
 
 patience ' with which the Christian contends against the various 
 hindrances, persecutions, and temptations, that befall him in his 
 conflict with the inward and outward world." Bp Ellicott on i Thess. 
 i. 3. The verb occurs twice in St Matthew, once in St Mark, eight 
 times in St Paul's Epistles, twice in St James, and is twice used by 
 St Peter in the striking passage i Pet. ii. 20, "if when ye be buffeted 
 for your faults, ye shall take it patiently ;^\..''''\i when ye do well, and 
 suffer, ye take it patiently. " 
 
 14 — 23. Immediate Tokens of the Downfall of Jerusalem. 
 
 14. But when ye shall see"] Hitherto He had distinctly foretold the 
 destruction of the Holy City, now He gives them tokens which should 
 forewarn them of its approach, and tells them how they may secure 
 their own safety. 
 
 the abomination of desolation] The reference here is to Dan. ix. 
 27, "and [or the overspreading 0/ adominations he shall make it deso- 
 late," or, as it is rendered in the margin, "and upon the battlements 
 shall be the idols of the desolator." The LXX. render it, "and upon the 
 temple the abomination of desolations ;" conip. i Mace. i. 54 ; 1 Mace, 
 vi. ^. Hengstenberg would translate it, "and over the top of abomina- 
 tion comes the desolation." 
 
 i. The verb from which the Greek word rendered "abomination" 
 comes means to cause disgust by bad smell or otherwise. Hence it is 
 translated by Tertullian "abominamentum." 
 ii. In the Sep'tuagint it is specially applied to {a) idols, and {b) things 
 pertaining to idols. Thus in i Kings xi. 5 " Milcom" ( = Molech) is 
 called ^U he abomination of the Ammonites," and in i Kings xi. 7 
 " Chemosh" is called "the abotnijtation of Moab." Again Ahab is 
 said (i Kings xxi. 26) "to have done very abominably in following 
 idols," and Ahaz {2 Kings xvi. 3) to have made "his son to pass 
 through the fire according to the abominations of the heathen." 
 Comp. also 1 Kings xxi. 2. 
 iii. Thus the word passes into the New Testament, where it occurs 
 6 times, {a) Here; {b) in the parallel. Matt. xxiv. 15; [c) Luke 
 xvi. 15, "that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination 
 in the sight of God;" and [d) Rev. xvii. 4, "having a golden cup in 
 her hand full of abominations." Comp. also Rev. xvii. 5, xxi. 27. 
 iv. The key to the interpretation seems to be supplied by St Luke, 
 who says (xxi. 20), "And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed 
 with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh," and 
 thus shews that it is to be explained in some connection with the 
 Roman legions. 
 v. Hence {a) Some would understand it to denote the vile abomina- 
 tions practised by the Romans on the place where the Temple 
 stood. \b) Others, the Eagles, the standards of the Roman army, 
 
vv. 15—18.] ST MARK, XIII. 145 
 
 not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that 
 be in Judaea flee to the mountains : and let him that is ts 
 on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter 
 therein^ to take any thing out of his house : and let him that 16 
 is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment. 
 But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give 17 
 suck in those days ! And pray ye that your flight be not in i3 
 
 which were held in abomination by the Jews, both on accoixnt of the 
 representations of the Emperor which they bore, and because the 
 soldiers were known to offer sacrifice to them. The Roman Eagles, 
 therefore, rising over the site of the Temple, ^^ where they ought 
 not,'''' and ^^ compassing''' the city (Luke xxi. 20), was the sign that 
 the Holy Place had fallen under the dominion of the idolaters. (<") 
 Others again would refer the words not only to the Roman Eagles, 
 but to the outrages of lust and murder perpetrated by the "Zealots," 
 which drove every worshipper in horror from the sacred Courts. 
 See Jos. Bell. Jud. iv. 3. 7. But even this was in consequence of 
 the compassing of the city by the Imperial Legions. 
 let him that readeth] This of course is said parenthetically. 
 flee to the mountains'] Compare the flight of Lot from the doomed 
 '•cities of the plain" to "the mountains," Gen. xix. 17. In accord- 
 ance with these warnings the Christian Jews fled from Jerusalem to 
 the Persean town of Pella, a distance of about 100 miles. " Somewhere 
 on the slopes of Gilead, near the scene of Jacob's first view of the land 
 of his descendants, and of the capital of the exiled David, was Pella 
 (identified with Tabathat Fakkil), so called by the Macedonian Greeks 
 from the springing fountain, which likened it to the birthplace of their 
 
 own Alexander From these heights Abner in his flight from the 
 
 Philistines, and David in his flight from Absalom, and the Israelites on 
 their way to Babylon, and the Christian Jews of Pella, caught the last 
 glimpse of their familiar mountains." Stanley's Sinai and Palestine, 
 
 p. 330. 
 
 15. neither enter therein'\ The houses of Palestine, as we have seen 
 in the case of the "paralytic borne of four," ch. ii. 3 — 12, were 
 furnished with a flight of steps outside, by which the housetop could 
 be reached without actually entering the house. The Christians were 
 thus warned by our Lord to flee along the flat roofs to the city wall, 
 and so make their escape. 
 
 16. his garment] i.e. his " outer garment." 
 
 18. be not in the ivinter] with its rains and storms and swollen 
 torrents, '■'■ neither,''^ as St Matthew adds (xxiv. 20), '■^ on tJie Sabbath 
 day" We may well believe that the Christians made both these 
 petitions theirs. At any rate we know what did take place, [a) The 
 compassing of the city by the Roman armies spoken of by St Luke 
 (xxi. 20) took place at the commencement of October, A.D. 66, when 
 the weather was yet mild and favourable for travelling, (b) The final 
 siege, if any Christian Jews lingered on till then, took place in the still 
 more open months of April or May. See Lewin's Fasti Sacri, p. 344 
 ST MARK 10 
 
146 ST MARK, XIII. [w. 19—21. 
 
 19 the winter. For in those days shall be affliction, such as 
 was not from the beginning of the creation which God 
 
 20 created unto this time, neither shall be. And except that 
 the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be 
 saved : but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he 
 
 21 hath shortened the days. And then if any man shall say to 
 
 and p. 358. The Jewish custom, which forbade travelling on the 
 Sabbath beyond a distance of 2000 ells, would make the Christian Jews' 
 travelling on that day infinitely more difficult, even though they might 
 themselves be possibly free from any scruple. "They would in addition 
 to other embarrassments, expose themselves to the severest persecutions 
 of fanaticism." Lange. 
 
 19. in those days] There is no "in" here properly. THose days 
 shall be afiliction, "Jjc ilke dayes of tribuVacioun schulen be suche," 
 Wyclif. 
 
 stfc/i as was not from the beginning of the creation] The unexampled 
 atrocities of the siege of Jerusalem are fully described by Josephus. He 
 declares that "the misfortunes of all men, from the beginning of the 
 world, if they be compared to those of the Jews, are not so terrible as 
 theirs were," "nor did any age ever produce a generation more fruitful 
 in wickedness y>w« the begimving of the world.'''' The horrors of war 
 and sedition, of famine and pestilence, were such as exceeded all example 
 or conception. The city was densely crowded by the multitudes which 
 had come up to the Passover. Pestilence ensued, and famine followed. 
 The commonest instincts of humanity were forgotten. Acts of violence 
 and cruelty were perpetrated without compunction or remorse, and 
 barbarities enacted which cannot be described. Mothers snatched the 
 food from the mouths of their husbands and children, and one actually 
 killed, roasted, and devoured her infant son. (Comp. Lev. xxvi. 29; 
 Deut. xxviii. 56, 57). Dead bodies filled the houses and streets 
 of the city, Vhile cruel assassins rifled and mangled with the 
 exultation of fiends. The besieged devoured even the filth of the 
 streets,, and so excessive was the stench that it was necessary to hurl 
 600,000 corpses over the wall, while 97,000 captives were taken during 
 the war, and more than i, 100,000 perished in the siege. See Josephus, 
 Bell. Jud. VI. 9. 3; Tacitus, Hist. v. 13 ; Milman's History of the Jews 
 11. 16; M.tr'ivoXQ's History of the Romans, vi. 59. 
 
 20. except that the Lord had shortened] The word rendered ' ' shortened'' 
 only occurs here and in the parallel, Matt. xxiv. ii. It denotes to dock 
 or curtail. It occurs in the LXX. version of i Sam. iv. 12, where we 
 read that David "commanded his young men, and they cutoff i\\Q. hands 
 and the feet" of the murderers of Ishbosheth. If in God's pitying 
 mercy the number of those awful days had not been shortened, no 
 flesh could have been saved. 
 
 for the elect's sake] i.e. for the sake of the Christians. 
 he hath shortened] Had the horrors within and without which 
 accompanied the siege of Jerasalem been prolonged, the utter desola- 
 
w. 22—25.] ST MARK, XIII. 147 
 
 you, Lo, here is Christ ; or, lo, he is there ; believe him not : 
 for false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew 22 
 signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the 
 elect. But take ye heed : behold, I have foretold you all 23 
 things. 
 
 2 4 — 3 1 . The Second Advent of the Lord. 
 
 But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be =4 
 darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the =5 
 stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven 
 
 lion of the country would have been the result. But in mercy they were 
 shortened, (i) by the swift and energetic measures of the invading 
 armies, and (2) by the infatuation of \he besieged. On his part Titus 
 encircled the city with a wall five miles in extent, and fortified it with 
 thirteen strong garrisons in the almost incredibly short space of three 
 days, and Josephus makes special mention of his eagerness to bring the 
 siege to an end. On the other hand, the leaders of the factions within 
 slew the men who would have taught them how the siege might be pro- 
 longed, burnt the com which would have enabled them to hold out 
 against the enemy, and abandoned the towers, which were in reality 
 im.pregnable. Thus the city, which in the time of Zedekiah {2 Kings 
 XXV. 1 — 6; Jer. xxxix. i, 1) had resisted the forces of Nebuchadnezzar 
 for sixteen months, was taken by the Romans in less than five. 
 
 22. for false Christs and false prophets\ Josephus tells us that false 
 prophets and impostors prevailed on multitudes to follow them into the 
 desert, promising there to display signs and wonders (comp. Acts xxi, 
 38); and even at the last, when the Temple was in flames, numbers of 
 all ages flocked thither from the city upon the proclamation of a false 
 prophet, and of six thousand assembled there on this occasion, not one 
 escaped the fire or the sword. But such imposture is to be still more 
 signally realized with '"'■ signs and lying wonders'''' before the final coming 
 of Christ (2 Thess. ii. i — 10). 
 
 23. Bict take ye /ieed'[ Repeated and emphatic exhortation to watch- 
 fulness. 
 
 24 — 31. The Second AdvExNT of the Lord. 
 
 24. in those days] He, to Whom " a thousand years are as one day, 
 and one day as a thousand years'''' (2 Pet. iii. 8), to Whom there is no 
 past or future but one eternal Present, passes from one chapter to 
 another in the history of the world with the ease of One, Who seeth all 
 things clearly revealed. 
 
 the sun shall be darkened] Two of those then listening to the Lord, 
 have themselves described the signs in the physical world which are to 
 usher in the End; (a) St Peter, in his second Epistle, iii. i— 13, and 
 {b) St John, in Rev. xx. xxi. 
 
 10 — 2 
 
148 ST MARK, XIII. [vv. 26— 30. 
 
 26 shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man 
 
 27 coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then 
 shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect 
 from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to 
 
 28 the uttermost part of heaven. Now learn a parable of the 
 fig tree ; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth 
 
 29 leaves, ye know that summer is near : so ye in like manner, 
 when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is 
 
 30 nigh, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, that this 
 generation shall not pass, till all these things be done. 
 
 26. shall they see the Son of mai{\ Even when speaking of the 
 "glorious majesty" of His Second Advent, He calls Himself by the 
 name which links Him to the Humanity He came to save. For the 
 title see note on ch. ii. 10, and compare John v. 22, 27, " the Father 
 judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son, and 
 hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is 
 the Son of man.'''' 
 
 in the clonds\ And so the Angels distinctly stated to the Apostles at 
 the Ascension (Acts i. 11); and Daniel foresaw lA\xi\ coining with the 
 clouds of heaven (Dan. vii. 13, 14). 
 
 27. then shall he send his angels] As the only begotten Son, 
 who is in the bosom of the Father (John i. 18), alone ever declared or 
 manifested Him to His creatures, so to Him God hath delegated the 
 universal and ultimate judgment of mankind, that " as in our nature He 
 performed all that was requisite to save us, as in our nature He was 
 exalted to God's right hand to rule and bless us, so He shall in our 
 nature appear to judge us." Barrow's Sermons ; comp. also Pearson On 
 the Creed, Art. vii. 
 
 28. a parable] Rather, its parable, the lesson which in similitude it 
 was meant to teach. 
 
 of the fig tree] They had already been taught one lesson from the 
 withered fig-tree, they are now bidden to learn another from the tree 
 when her branch is yet tender. 
 
 29. it is nigh] Rather, He is nigh, i.e. the Judge spoken of in verse 16. 
 even at the doors] There is no ''even " in the original. So St James 
 
 says, "Behold, the Judge standeth before the door''' (James v. 9). 
 "There is something solemn in the brevity of the phrase, without the 
 nominative expressed." Bp Wordsworth. 
 
 30. this generation shall not pass] The word thus rendered denotes 
 {i) birth, age, as in the phrases "younger," " older in ^^^ ;" {2) desceiit ; 
 (3) a generation of men living at the same time ; (4) in a wider sense, a 
 race. He, Who surveys all things as an Eternal Present, "turns the 
 thoughts of His disciples to two horizons, one near and one far off:" — 
 
 (i) In reference to the destruction of Jerusalem, He declares that the 
 generation of the literal Israel then living would not pass away before 
 the judgments here predicted would fall upon Jerusalem, just as 
 God had made their forefathers wander in the wilderness "until all 
 
w. 31—34.] ST MARK, XIII. 14^ 
 
 Heaven and earth shall pass away : but my words shall not 31 
 pass away. 
 
 32 — 37. Final Exhortation to Watchfulness. 
 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not 32 
 the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the 
 Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray : for ye know not 33 
 when the time is. For the Son of man is as a man taking a 34 
 far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his 
 
 the generation Vi2& zon^Mxa^^'''' that had come out of Eg)'pt "and 
 done evil in the sight of the Lord" (Num. xxxii. 13) ; 
 (ii) In reference to His own Second Coming, and the world at large, 
 He afhrms that the race of men, and especially the generation of 
 them that sought the Lord {?•&. xxiv. 6), the faithful seed of Abra- 
 ham, should not pass away until all these things should be fulfilled. 
 
 31. but my words shall not pass away] Never did the Speaker seem 
 to stand more utterly alone than when He uttered this majestic utter- 
 ance. Never did it seem more improbable that it should be fulfilled. 
 But as we look across the centuries w^e see how it has been realised. 
 His words have passed into laws, they have passed into doctrines, they 
 have passed into proverbs, they have passed into consolations, but they 
 have never "passed away." What human teacher ever dared to claim 
 an eternity for his words ? 
 
 32—37. Final Exhortation to Watchfulness. 
 
 32. neither the Son] As our Lord is said to have "increased in 
 wisdom''' as well as "in stature" (Luke ii. 52), to have prayed to the 
 Father (Matt. xiv. 23, xxvi. 39, 42 — 44, &c.); to have received com- 
 mandfjient from the Father (John xiv. 3 1 ), even so it is here said by 
 Himself that His knowledge is limited. But we may believe (i) that it 
 is only as the Son of Man, that anything could be unknown to Him, Who 
 said ^^ I and tny Father are one;" and (ii) that as the Eternal Word, the 
 one Messenger of Divine Revelation, He did not know of that day and 
 that hour so as to reveal them to man. '"'■ In Patre Filius scit, though it 
 is no part of His office to reveal it a Patre." St Augustine, quoted by 
 Bp Wordsworth. 
 
 33. Take ye heed, watch and pray] " Se 3e, wake 3e, and preie 
 3e," Wyclif. The word rendered "watch" only occurs 4 times in the 
 New Testament : (i) here ; (2) in the parallel, Luke xxi. 36 ; (3) Eph. 
 vi. 18, "Praying always... and watching thereunto with all perseve- 
 rance ;" (4) Heb. xiii. 17, "Obey them that have the rule over you, ...for 
 they watch for your souls." It denotes (i) to be sleepless, (2) to be 
 vigilant. 
 
 34. For the Son of man is] These words do not occur in the original. 
 taking a far journey] Literally, one who is absent from his people, 
 
 who goes on foreign travel. " Which goa fer in pilgrimage," Wyclif. 
 The verb formed from it occurs in chap. xii. i, "A certain man planted 
 a vineyard... and 7(y£';z/ /;/^(7 a /rr country." Even so our Lord left His 
 
ISO ST MARK, XIII. XIV. [w. 35— 37; i. 
 
 servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the 
 
 35 porter to watch. Watch ye therefore : for ye know not when 
 the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or 
 
 36 at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: lest coming suddenly 
 
 37 he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto 
 all, Watch. 
 
 1,2. The Safihedrim in Council. 
 14 After two days was the feast of the passover, and of 
 
 Church, gave authority to His servants the Apostles, and to those who 
 should come after them, and to every man his work, and is now waiting 
 for the consummation of all things. 
 
 35. at even, or at midnight\ On the night watches see above, 
 ch. vi. 48. In the Temple the priest, whose duty it was to superintend 
 the night sentinels of the Levitical guard, might at any moment knock 
 at the door and demand entrance. *' He came suddenly and unex- 
 pectedly, no one knew when. The Rabbis use almost the very words 
 in which Scripture describes the unexpected coming of the Master, when 
 they say. Sometimes he came at the cockcrowing, sometimes a little 
 earlier, sometimes a little later. He came and knocked, and they 
 opened to him." Mishnah, Tamid, I. i, % quoted in Edersheim's The 
 'J'etnple a7id its Sei-vices, p. 120. 
 
 36. lest coming suddenly he find y on sleeping\ ** During the night 
 the * captain of the Temple ' made his rounds. On his approach the 
 guards had to rise and salute him in a particular manner. Any g^ard 
 found asleep when on duty was beaten, or his garments were set on fire 
 — a punishment, as we know, actually awarded." Edersheim, p. 120. 
 
 37. Watch^^ Observe in this chapter the emphasis given to Christ's 
 exhortation, " Watch!" The Apostle, under whose eye St Mark 
 wrote his Gospel, would seem to wish us to notice in spite of what fre- 
 quent warnings he himself failed to watch and fell. St Matthew tells 
 us how the Lord sought to impress these lessons of watchfulness and 
 faithfulness still more deeply by the Parables of the *'7V« Virgins" 
 (Matt. XXV. I — 13), and the " Talents" (Matt. xxv. 14 — 30), and closed 
 all with a picture of the Awful Day, when the Son of Man should 
 separate all nations one from another as the shepherd divideth his sheeji 
 from the goats (Matt. xxv. 31 — 46). So ended the great discourse on 
 the Mount of Olives, and the sun set, and the Wednesday of Holy Week 
 had already begun before the little company entered the hamlet of 
 Bethany. 
 
 Ch. XIV. 1, 2. The Sanhedrim in Council. 
 1. After two days'] From St Matthew's account we gather that it 
 was as they entered Betliany that our Lord Himself reminded the 
 Apostles (Matt. xxvi. 1,2) that after two days the Passover would be 
 celebrated, and the Son of Man be delivered up to be crucified. He thus 
 indicated the precise time when *' the Hour " so often spoken of before 
 
vv. 2, 3.] ST MARK, XIV. 151 
 
 unleavened bread : and th^ chief priests and the scribes 
 sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to 
 death. But they said, Not on the feast day^ lest there be an 2 
 uproar of the people. 
 
 3 — 9. The Feast in Simon's House. The Anointing by 
 
 Mary. 
 And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, 3 
 
 should come, and again speaks of its accompanying circumstances of 
 unutterable degradation and infamy — death, by Crucifixion. 
 
 and of unlearuened bread'] The Passover took place on the 14th of 
 Nisan, and the "Feast of unleavened bread" commenced on the 15th and 
 lasted for seven days, deriving its name from the Mazzoth, or unleavened 
 cakes, which was the only bread allowed during that week (Exod. xii. 
 34, 39; Deut. xvi. 3). From their close connection they are generally 
 treated as one, both in the Old and in the New Testament, and Josephus, 
 on one occasion, even describes it as "a feast for eight days." Jos. Antiq. 
 II. 15. I ; Edersheim, p. 177. 
 
 and the chief priests] While our Lord was in quiet retirement at 
 Bethany the rulers of the nation were holding a formal consultation in 
 the court of the palace of Caiaphas (Matt. xxvi. 3) how they could put 
 Him to death. Disappointed as they had been in ensnaring Him into 
 matter for a capital charge, they saw that their influence was lost unless 
 they were willing to take extreme measures, and the events of the 
 Triumphal Entry had convinced them of the hold He had gained over 
 many of the nation, especially the bold and hardy mountaineers of Galilee. 
 The only place where He appeared in public, after the nights had been 
 spent at Bethany was the Temple, but to seize Him there would in the 
 present excited state of popular feeling certainly lead to a tumult, and a 
 tumult to the interposition of Pilate, who during the Passover kept a 
 double garrison in the tower of Antonia, and himself had come up to 
 Jerusalem. 
 
 by craft] It was formally resolved therefore to take Him by crafty and 
 for this purpose to wait and take advantage of the course of events and 
 of any favourable opportunity which might present itself. 
 
 3—9, The Feast in Simon's House. The Anointing by 
 Mary. 
 
 3. A7id being in Bethany] Meanwhile circumstances had occurred 
 which in their result presented to the Jewish authorities a mode 
 of apprehending Him which they had never anticipated. To relate 
 these the Evangelist goes back to the evening before the Triumphal 
 Entry, and places us in the house of 
 
 Simon the leper] He had, we may believe, been a leper, and possibly 
 had been restored by our Lord Himself. He was probably a near friend 
 or relation of Lazarus. Some suppose he was his brother, others that he 
 was the husband of Mary. 
 
152 ST MARK, XIV. [w. 4, 5. 
 
 as he sat at meat, there came a. woman having an alabaster 
 box of ointment of spikenard very precious ; and she brake 
 
 4 the box, and poured it on his head. And there were some 
 that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was 
 
 5 this waste of the ointment made ? for it might have been 
 
 as he sat at meaf] We learn from St John that the sisters had made 
 Him a feast, at which Martha served, while Lazarus reclined at the 
 table as one of the guests (John xii, 2). 
 
 there came a rvojuan'] This was Mary the sister of Lazarus, full 
 of grateful love to Him, who had poured back joy into her once deso- 
 lated home. 
 
 having an alabaster box\ "hauynge a box of precious oynement spika- 
 nard," Wyclif. At Alabastron in Egypt there was a manufactory of small 
 vases for holding perfumes, which were made from a stone found in the 
 neighbouring mountains. The Greeks gave to these vases the natne of 
 the city from which they came, calling them alahastrons. This name 
 was eventually extended to the stone of which they were formed ; and 
 at length the term alabaster was applied without distinction to all per- 
 fume vessels, of whatever materials they consisted. 
 
 of omtynent of spikenard\ Or, as in margin, of pure {=gemnne) nard 
 or liquid nard. Pure or genuine seems to yield the best meaning, as 
 opposed to the pseudo-nardiis, for the spikenard was often adulterated. 
 Pliny, Nat. Hist. XII. 26. It was drawn from an Indian plant, brought 
 down in considerable quantities into the plains of India from such 
 mountains as Shalma, Kedar Kanta, and others, at the foot of which 
 flow the Ganges and Jumna rivers. 
 
 7)ery precious\ It was the costliest anointing oil of antiquity, and was 
 sold throughout the Roman Empire, where it fetched a price that put it 
 beyond any but the wealthy. Mary had bought a vase or flask of it 
 containing 1-2 ounces (John xii. 3). Of the costliness of the ointment we 
 may form some idea by remembering that it was among the gifts sent by 
 Cambyses to the Ethiopians (Herod. III. ^o), and that Horace promises 
 Virgil a whole cadiis (— 36 quarts nearly) of wine, for a small onyx box 
 of spikenard {Carm. IV. xii. 16, 17), 
 
 "Nardo vina merebere; 
 "Nardi parvus onyx eliciet cadum." 
 
 brake the box] i. e. she broke the narrow neck of the small flask, and 
 poured the perfume first on the head, and then on the feet of Jesus, 
 drj'ing them with the hair of her head. She did not wish to keep or 
 hold back anything. She offered up all, gave away all, and her " all " 
 was a tribute worthy of a king. "To anoint the feet of the greatest 
 monarch was long unknown ; and in all the pomps and greatnesses of the 
 Roman prodigality, it was not used till Otho taught it to Nero." Jeremy 
 Ta.yloi's Life 0/ Christ, III. 13. 
 
 4. And there were somi\ The murmuring began with Judas Iscariot 
 (John xii. 4), and his spirit of murmuring infected some of the others, 
 simple Galileans, little accustomed to such luxury. 
 
vv. 6-IO.] ST MARK, XIV. 153 
 
 sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been 
 given to the poor. And they murmured against her. And 6 
 Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath 
 wrought a good work on me. For ye have the poor with ^ 
 you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good : 
 but me ye have not always. She hath done what she could : 8 
 she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. 
 Verily I say unto you. Wheresoever this gospel shall be 9 
 preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath 
 done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her. 
 
 10, II. The Co?npact of Judas with the Chief Priests. 
 And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief 10 
 
 5. for more than three hundred pence\ i. e. for more than 300 denarii, 
 =300 X 7^c/.= about £\o. To Judas it wa& intolerable there should be 
 such an utter waste of good money. 
 
 they imirtJitired^ This word has already been explained in the note on 
 chap. i. 43. Wyclif renders it here *'^ei groyneden in to hir." De 
 Wette, "they scolded her." The word "expresses a passionate feeling, 
 which we strive to keep back in the utterance." "St Mark, without a 
 doubt, presents here the most accurate historic picture ; St John defines 
 most sharply the motive; St Matthew gives the especially practical his- 
 toric form." Lange. 
 
 8. she is come aforehand^ The word thus rendered only occurs three 
 times in the New Testament, (i) Here; (2) i Cor. xi. 21, "for in eating 
 every one taketh before other his own supper;" (3) Gal. vi. i, "if a man 
 be overtaken in a fault, "= "be surprised ox detected in the act of com- 
 mitting any sin." It denotes (i) to take befor-ehand ; (2) to take before 
 another; (3) to outstrip, get the start of, anticipate. 
 
 9. this gospel shall be preached'\ .\ memorable prophecy, and to this 
 day memorably fulfilled. The story of her devoted adoration has gone 
 forth into all lands. 
 
 10, 11. The Compact of Judas with the Chief Priests. 
 
 10. And fttdas Iscarioi'] The words '^ to the burying'' vcms\. have fallen 
 like the death knell of all his Messianic hopes on the ears of Judas Iscariot, 
 "the only southern Jew among the Twelve," and this, added to the con- 
 sciousness that his Master had read the secret of his life (John xii. 6), 
 filled his soul with feelings of bitterest mortification and hostility. 
 Three causes, if we may conjecture anything on a subject so full of 
 mystery, would seem to have brought about his present state of mind, and 
 precipitated the course which he now took: (i) avarice; (2) disappoint' 
 ment of his carnal hopes ; (3) ^ withering of inter 7ial religion. 
 
 (i) Avarice. We may believe that his practical and administrative 
 talents caused him to be made the almoner of the Apostles. This 
 constituted at once his opportunity and his trial. He proved unfaithful 
 
154 ST MARK, XIV. [v. ii. 
 
 II priests, to betray him unto them. And when they heard //, 
 they were glad, and promised to give him money. And he 
 sought how he might conveniently betray him. 
 
 to his trust, and used the common purse of the brotherhood for his 
 own ends (John xii. 6). The germs of avarice probably unfolded 
 themselves very gradually, and in spite of many warnings from his 
 Lord (Matt. vi. 19 — 34, xiii. 22, 23; Mark x. 25; Luke xvi. 11; 
 John vi. 70), but they gathered strength, and as he became entrusted 
 with larger sums, he fell more deeply, 
 (ii) Disappointment of his carnal hopes'] Like all his brother 
 Apostles, he had cherished gross and carnal views of the Messianic 
 glory, his heart was set on the realization of a visible kingdom, 
 with high places, pomp, and power. If some of the brother- 
 hood were to sit on thrones (Matt. xix. 28), might he not obtain 
 some post, profitable if not splendid ? But the issue of the Triumphal 
 Entry, and the repeated allusions of his Master to His death 
 and His burying, sounded the knell of all these temporal and 
 earthly aspirations. 
 (iii) A withering of internal religimi] He had been for three years 
 cl€)se to Goodness Incarnate, but the good seed within him had be- 
 come choked with the thorns of greed and carnal longings. "The 
 mildew of his soul had spread apace," and the discovery of his 
 secret sin, and its rebuke by our Lord at Bethany, turned his attach- 
 ment to his Master more and more into aversion. The presence of 
 Goodness so close to him ceasing to attract had begun to repel, and 
 now in his hour of temptation, while he was angry at being sus- 
 pected and rebuked, and possibly jealous of the favour shewn 
 to others of the brotherhood, arose the question, prompted by 
 none other than the Evil One (Luke xxii. 3), Why should he lose 
 everything? Might he not see what was to be gained by taking the 
 other side? {Miiiii. xxvi. 15). 
 weftt ufito the chief priests'] Full of such thoughts, in the darkness of 
 the night he repaired from Bethany to Jerusalem, and being admitted 
 into the council of the chief priests asked what they would give him 
 for betraying his Master into their hands. 
 
 11. they were glad] They shuddered not at the suggested deed of 
 darkness. His proposal filled them with joy. 
 
 and promised] How much he expected when he went over to them 
 we cannot tell. But by going at all he had placed himself in their 
 hands. He had made his -venture, and was obliged to take what they 
 offered. 1 hirty pieces of silver (Matt. xxvi. 15), the price of a slave (Exod. 
 xxi. 32), were equivalent to 120 denarii = 120 x 7 ^o'. = about £1. xy. 
 of our money. At this time the ordinary wages for a day's labour was 
 one denarius ; so that the whole sum amounted to about four months' 
 wages of a day labourer. It is possible, however, the sum, which seems 
 to us so small, may have been earnest-money. 
 
 cotiveniently] That is without raising the hostility of the populace, and 
 possibly after the conclusion of the Passover and the dispersion of the 
 Galilean pilgrims to their own homes. 
 
vir. 12—14.] ST MARK, XIV. 155 
 
 12 — 16. Preparations for the Last Supper. 
 And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed " 
 the passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou 
 that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the passover ? 
 And he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith unto 13 
 them. Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man 
 bearing a pitcher of water : follow him. And wheresoever 14 
 he shall go in, say ye to the goodman of the house, The 
 
 12 — 16. Preparations for the Last Supper. 
 
 12. the first day of tinleavened bread'\ Wednesday in Passion 
 week would seem to have been spent by our Lord in deep seclusion at 
 Bethany preparing Himself for the awfulness of the coming struggle, 
 and is hidden by a veil of holy silence. That night He slept at Bethany 
 for the last time on earth. "On the Thursday morning He awoke 
 never to sleep again." Farrar, Life, ii. p. 275. 
 
 when they killed the passovei-X i.e. the Paschal victim. Gomp. Luke 
 xxii. 7, "when the Passoz>er must be killed f r Cor. v. 7, "Christ our 
 Passover { — Paschal Lamb) is sacrificed for us." The name of the 
 Passover, in Hebrew Pesach, and in Aramaean and Greek Pascha, is 
 derived from a root which means to "step over," or to ^^ overleap," and 
 thus points back to the historical origin of the Festival. "And when I see 
 the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you 
 to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt" (Exod. xii. 13). 
 
 Where -wilt thoti] On this Thursday morning the disciples came to 
 our Lord for instructions as to the Passover. They may have expected, 
 considering the complete seclusion of Wednesday, that He would eat it 
 at Bethany, for "the village was reckoned as regards religious purposes 
 part of Jerusalem by the Rabbis, and the Lamb might be eaten there, 
 though it must be killed at the Temple. " Lightfoot, LLor. Heb. 
 
 that we go attd prepare^ The lamb had, we may believe, already been 
 bought on the tenth of Nisan, accoiding to the rule of the Law (Exod. 
 xii. 3), the very day on which He, the true Paschal Lamb, entered 
 Jerusalem in meek triumph. 
 
 13. he sendeth forth two of his disciples'] The Apostles Peter and 
 John (Luke xxii. 8). 
 
 and there shall meet yoti\ Observe the minuteness of the directions 
 and of the predictions as to the events which would happen. It is the 
 same mysterious minuteness which distinguishes the preparations for the 
 Triumphal Entry. 
 
 a man] It was generally the task of women to cany water. Amongst 
 the thousands at Jerusalem they would notice this man carrying an 
 earthen jar of water drawn from one of the fountains. We need not 
 conclude, because it was a slave's employment to do this (Deut. xxix. 
 11; Josh. ix. 21), that he was a slave. The Apostles were to follow 
 him to whatever house he entered. 
 
 14. say ye to the goodman of the house] The words addressed to him, 
 and the confidential nature of the communication, make it probable that 
 
156 ST MARK, XIV. [vv. 15, 1 6. 
 
 Master saith, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat 
 
 15 the passover with my disciples ? And he will shew you 
 a large upper room furnished atid prepared : there make 
 
 16 ready for us. And his disciples went forth, and came into 
 the city, and found as he had said unto them : and they 
 made ready the passover. 
 
 the owner of the house was a believing follower. "Discipulus, sed 
 non ex duodecim," Bengel. Some have conjectured it was Joseph of 
 Arimathcea, others John Mark ; but the Gospels and tradition alike are 
 silent. "Universal hospitality prevailed in this matter, and the only 
 recompence that could be given was the skin of the paschal lamb, and 
 the earthen dishes used at the meal." Geikie, ii. 462. 
 
 the guestcha7nber\ Curiously translated by Wyclif, **my fulfilling, or 
 etyng place.'''' The original word only occurs here, in the parallel Luke 
 xxii. II, and Luke ii. 7, "and she brought forth her firstborn son, 
 and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the 
 innr 
 
 15. a large tipper room furnished\ "a greet souping place strewid," 
 Wyclif. The guest-chamber was on the upper floor, ready, and provided 
 with couches, as the custom of reclining at meals required. We may 
 conclude also from the word prepared that the searching for and putting 
 away of every particle of leaven (i Cor. v. 7), so important a preliminary to 
 the Passover, and performed in perfect silence and with a lighted candle, 
 had been already carried out. 
 
 16. they made 7'eady the passover} This preparation would include 
 the provision of the unleavened cakes, of the bitter herbs, the four or 
 five cups of red wine mixed with water, of everything, in short, necessary 
 for the meal. At this point it may be well to try to realise the 
 manner in which the Passover vi'as celebrated amongst the Jews in the 
 time of our Lord, (i) With the Passover, by Divine ordinance, there 
 had always been eaten two or three flat cakes of unleavened bread 
 (Exod. xii. 18), and the rites of the feast by immemorial usage had been 
 regulated according to the succession of four cups of red wine always 
 mixed with water (Ps. xvi. 5, xxiii. 5, cxvi. 13). These were placed 
 before the master of the house where the Paschal Feast was cele- 
 brated, or the most eminent guest, who was called the Celebrant, the 
 President, or Proclaimer of the Feast. (ii) After those assembled 
 had reclined, he took one of the Four Cups, known as the "Cup of 
 Consecration," in his right hand, and pronounced the benediction 
 over the wine and the feast, saying, ** Blessed be Thou, Jehovah, our 
 God, Thou King of the universe. Who hast axatcd the fruit of the vine. " 
 He then tasted the Cup and passed it round, (iii) Water was then 
 brought in, and he washed, followed by the rest, the hands being 
 dipped in water, (iv) The table was then set out with the bitter herbs, 
 such as lettuce, endive, succory, and horehound, the sauce called 
 Charoseth, and the Passover lamb, (v) The Celebrant then once more 
 blessed God for the fruits of the earth, and taking a portion of the 
 
vv. 17, i8.] ST MARK, XIV. 157 
 
 17 — 21. Cdmmencenwit of the Supper. Revelation of the 
 Traitor. 
 
 And in the evening he cometh with the twelve. And as I3 
 
 bitter herbs, dipped it in the charoseth, and ate a piece of it of "the size 
 of an olive," and his example was followed by the rest, (vi) The 
 Ha^adah or "shewing forth" (i Cor. xi. 26) now commenced, and the 
 Celebrant declared the circumstances of the delivery from Eg}'pt, as com- 
 manded by the Law (Exod. xii. 27, xiii. 8). (vii) Then the second Cup 
 of wine was filled, and a child or proselyte inquired, " What mean ye 
 by this service?'''' (Exod. xii. ■26), to which reply was made according to a 
 prescribed formula or liturgy. The first part of the "Hallel," Psalms 
 cxiii., cxiv. , was then sung, and the second Cup was solemnly drunk, 
 (viii) The Celebrant now washed his hands again, and taking two of 
 the unleavened cakes, broke one of them, and pronounced the thanks- 
 giving in these words, ^'Blessed be Thoti, O Lord our God, Thoti King 
 of the tiniverse, Who bringest forth fruit out of the earth.'''' Then he 
 distributed a portion to each, and all wrapping some bitter herbs round 
 their portion dipped it in the charoseth and ate it. (ix) The flesh of 
 the lamb was now eaten, and the Master of the house, lifting up his 
 hands, gave thanks over the third Cup of wine, known as the "Cup of 
 Blessing," and handed it round to each person, (x) After thanking for 
 the food of which they had partaken and for their redemption from 
 Eg}'pt, a fourth Cup, known as the "Cup of Joy," was filled and 
 drunk, and the remainder of the Hallel (Pss. cxv. — cxviii.) was sung. 
 See Buxtorf, de Ccena Domini ; Lightfoot, Temple Service; Edersheim, 
 pp. 206 — 209. 
 
 17 — 21. Commencement of the Supper. Revelation of 
 THE Traitor. 
 
 17. iti the ro'ejting\ "It was probably while the sun was beginning 
 to decline in the horizon that Jesus and the disciples descended once 
 more over the Mount of Olives into the Holy City. Before them lay 
 Jerusalem in her festive attire. White tents dotted the sward, gay with 
 the bright flowers of early spring, or peered out from the gardens and 
 the darker foliage of the olive-plantations. From the gorgeous Temple 
 buildings, dazzling in their snow-white marble and gold, on which the 
 slanting rays of the sun were reflected, rose the smoke of the altar of 
 burnt offering.... The streets must have been thronged with strangers, 
 and the flat roofs covered with eager gazers, who either feasted their 
 eyes with a first sight of the Sacred City for which they had so often 
 longed, or else once more rejoiced in view of the well -remembered 
 localities. It was the last day-view which the Lord had of the 
 Holy City — till His resurrection!" Edersheim's The Temple and its 
 Services, pp. 194, 195. 
 
 he cometh with the twelve'] Judas must have stolen back to Bethany 
 before daylight, and another day of hypocrisy had been spent under the 
 penetrating glance of Him Who could read the hearts of men. 
 
158 ST MARK, XIV. [w. 19—21. 
 
 they sat and did eat, Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, One 
 
 19 of you which eateth with me shall betray me. And they 
 began to be sorrowful, and to say unto him one by one. Is 
 
 20 it I ? And others said, Zr it I ? And he answered and said 
 unto them, // is one of the twelve, that dippeth with me in 
 
 21 the dish. The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of 
 
 18. And as they sat\ Grouping together the four narratives, which, as 
 they approach the Passion, expand into the fulness of a diary, we infer 
 that (i) when the httle company had taken their places on the triclinia, 
 the Saviour as Celebrant or Proclaimer of the Feast, remarking that 
 with desire He had desired to eat this Passover before He suffered, took 
 the first cup and divided it amongst them (Luke xxii. 15 — 18). (ii) Then 
 followed the unseemly dispute touching priority (Luke xxii. 24 — 30), to 
 correct which and to teach them in the most striking manner possible a 
 lesson of humility, He washed His disciples' feet, covered with dust from 
 their walk along the road from Bethany (John xiii. i — 11). Then the 
 meal was resumed and He reclined once more at the table (John xiii. 
 12), the beloved disciple lying on His right, with his head close to 
 the Redeemer's breast. 
 
 One of you which eateth with me shall betray nie\ He had already 
 said, after washing their feet, "now ye are clean, but not aW' (John 
 xiii. 10), but at this moment the consciousness of the traitor's presence 
 so wrought upon Him (John xiii. 21) that He broke forth into words of 
 yet plainer prediction. 
 
 19. they began to be sorrowftiT\ The very thought of treason was to 
 their honest and faithful hearts insupportable, and' excited great surprise 
 and deepest sorrow. 
 
 one by one\ Observe the pictorial and minute details of St Mark. 
 Is it n\ None of them said "Is it he?'''' So utterly unconscious were 
 they of the treachery that lurked in their midst. 
 
 20. he answered and said unto theni] ^''Answered'''' is omitted in the 
 best MSS. The intimation was made privately to St John, to whom St 
 Peter had made a sign that he should ask who could be so base (John 
 xiii. 23 — 26). 
 
 one of the twelve'] One of His own "familiar friends " (Ps. xli. 9). 
 
 that dippeth with me] "He who is just about to dip with Me a piece of 
 the unleavened cakes into the r/iar^j^M"— a sauce consisting of a mixture 
 of vinegar, figs, dates, almonds, and spice, provided at the Passover — 
 "and to whom I shall give some of it presently" (John xiii. 26). To 
 this day at the summit of Gerizim the Samaritans on the occasion of the 
 l^assover hand to the stranger a little olive-shaped morsel of unleavened 
 bread enclosing a green fragment of wild endive or some other bitter 
 herb, which may resemble, except that it is not dipped in the dish, the 
 very * sop ' which Judas received at the hands of Christ. " Farrar, Life, 
 11. p. 290. 
 
 21. 7we to that man] The intimation just given was uttered pri- 
 vately for the ear of St John' alone, and through him was possibly made 
 known to St Peter; but the incident was of so ordinary a character, that 
 
vv. 22— 24-] ST MARK, XIV. IS9 
 
 him : but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is be- 
 trayed ! good were it for that man if he had never been born. 
 
 2 2 — 25. Institution of the Holy Eucharist. 
 And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and 22 
 brake //, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat : this is my 
 body. And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, 23 
 he gave // to them : and they all drank of it. And he said 24 
 unto them. This is my bl-ood of the new testament, which is 
 
 it would fail to attract any notice whatever, and could only be a sign to 
 the Apostle of Love. Then aloud, as we may believe, the Holy One 
 uttered His final warning to the Traitor, and pronounced words of 
 immeasurable woe on him by whom He was about to be betrayed, "// 
 luere good for tkat man if he had never been born.'''' But the last appeal 
 had no effect upon him. *^ Rabbi, is it I?^^ he inquired, steeling himself 
 to utter the shameless question. " Thou hast said," replied the Saviour, 
 in words probably heard only by those close by, and gave him "the 
 sop," and Satan entered into him, as St John tells us (xiii. 27) with 
 awful impressiveness. ''''That thou doest, do quickly,'''' the Saviour con- 
 tinued ; and the traitor arose and went forth, and it ivas night (John xiii. 
 27 — 30), but the night was not darker than the darkness of his soul. 
 
 22r— 25. Institution of the Holy Eucharist. 
 
 22. And as tJiey did eat] On the departure of the Traitor the 
 Saviour,, as though relieved of a heavy load, broke forth into words of 
 mysterious triumph (John xiii. 31 — 35), and then, as the meal went on, 
 proceeded to institute the Holy Eucharist. 
 
 Jestis took bread] that is one of the unleavened cakes that had been 
 placed before Him as the Celebrant or Proclaimer of the Feast. 
 
 and blessed] giving thanks and pronouncing the consecration, probably 
 in the usual words, see above, verse '6. 
 
 Take, eat] "Eat" is omitted here in the best editions. 
 
 this is my body] St Luke adds, '"'■which is being (or on the point of 
 being) given for you;" St Paul (i Cor. xi. 24), '■'"which is being (or 
 on the point of being) broken for you" while both add, "do tiiis in re- 
 met7ibrance of Me. " 
 
 23. he took the cup] probably the third Cup, and known as the "Cup 
 of Blessing." See above, verse 16. 
 
 24. This is my blood of the new testament] or rather. Covenant. 
 Some of the best MSS. here omit "new." He reminds them of the 
 old Covenant also made in blood with their fathers in the wilderness 
 (Exod. xxiv. 8). 
 
 which is shed for many] i. e. which is being (or on the point of being) 
 shed for many. St Matthew (xxvi. 28) adds, '■'unto the remission of 
 sins;" St Paul adds (i Cor. xi. 25), '■'Do this, as oft as ye shall drink it, 
 in remembrance of Me. " Thus did our Lord ordain Bread and Wine to be 
 the "outward part" or "sign" of the Sacrament of our Redemption by His 
 
i6o ST MARK, XIV. [w. 25—30. 
 
 25 shed for many. Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more 
 of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in 
 the kingdom of God. 
 
 26 — 3 1. The Flight of the Apostles foretold and the Denials 
 of St Peter. 
 
 26 And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the 
 
 27 mount of Olives. And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall 
 be offended because of me this night : for it is written, I 
 will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered. 
 
 28 But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee. 
 
 29 But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet 
 %vill not I. And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto 
 thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow 
 
 50 a 
 
 death. Tn the ordinary Paschal Feast these elements had been subordi- 
 nate. He now gives to them the first importance. In the ordinary 
 Paschal Feast the Lamb occupied the chief place. Now the type was 
 succeeded by the Antitype; now the "very Paschal Lamb" was come, and 
 was about to ofifer Himself from the altar of His Cross for the sins of the 
 whole world. Of the Jewish Paschal Lamb, therefore, no word is said, 
 but in its place our Lord puts the Bread and Wine, the Sacramental 
 Symbols of His Body and Blood. Gradually and progressively He had 
 prepared the minds of His disciples to realise the idea of His death as 
 a sacrifice. He now gathers up all previous announcements in the insti- 
 tution of this Sacrament. 
 
 26—31. The Flight of the Apostles foretold and the 
 Denials of St Peter. 
 23. when they had swig an hymii\ In all probability the concluding 
 portion of the Hallel. See above, note on verse 16. 
 
 27. And Jesus saith unto theml These words really were uttered as 
 they sat at the table just after the institution of the Holy Eucharist. 
 
 for it is written'] The words are taken from Zech. xiii. 7. The Good 
 Shepherd quotes the allusion to Himself in His truest character (John 
 
 X. 4). 
 
 28. after that I ant risen] The Angel afterwards referred to these 
 very words at the open Sepulchre on the world's first Easter-Day (Mark 
 xvi. 6, 7). 
 
 29. But Peter said tmto hi in] Ardent and impulsive as ever, the 
 Apostle could not endure the thought of such desertion. His pro- 
 testations of fidelity are more fully given in Matt. xxvi. n and John 
 xiii. 37. 
 
 30. in this night] Before the dawn of the morrow should streak the 
 eastern sky, and in the darkness the cock should twice have crowed, 
 he who had declared he would 7iever be offended, would thrice deny that 
 
vv. 31—34.] ST MARK, XIV. 161 
 
 twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. But he spake the more 31 
 vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee 
 in any wise. Likewise also said they all. 
 
 32 — 42. The Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. 
 And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane : 32 
 and he saith to his disciples. Sit ye here, while I shall pray. 
 And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and 33 
 began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy ; and saith 34 
 
 he had ever known his Lord. St Mark, as usual, records two points 
 which enhance the force of the warning and the guilt of Peter, viz. {a) that 
 the cock should crow twice, and {b) that after such warning he repeated 
 his protestation with greater vehemence. 
 
 61. If I sh<ndd\ Literally, If it be necessary for me to die with 
 Thee ; as Wyclif renders it, ' ' if it bihotie me to dye to gidere wij? J^ee. " 
 After this the Lord engaged in earnest conversation with His Apostles, 
 not as at the ordinary Passover on the great events of the Exodus, but on 
 His own approaching departure to the Father and the coming of the 
 Comforter (John xiv. i — 31); of Himself as the true Vine and His dis- 
 ciples as the branches (John xv. 1—6) ; of the trials which the Apostles 
 must expect and the assured aid of the Comforter (John xvi. ) ; and at 
 the close lifting up His eyes to heaven solemnly committed them to the 
 care of the Eternal Father, and dedicated to Him His completed work 
 (John xvii.). Then the concluding part of the Hallel (Pss. cxv. — cxviii.) 
 was sung, i. e. chanted, and the little company went forth into the dark- 
 ness towards the Mount of Olives. A perusal of these Psalms will reveal 
 their appropriateness to this solemn occasion. 
 
 32—42. The Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. 
 
 32. And they came] They would pass through one of the city gates, 
 " open that night as it was Passover," down the steep side of the Kidron 
 Qohn xviii. i), and coming by the bridge, they went onwards towards 
 
 a place which was named Gethsemane] The word Gethsemane 
 means "the Oil-Press." It was a garden (John xviii. i) or an oUve 
 orchard on the slope of Olivet, and doubtless contained a press to 
 crush the olives, which grew in profusion all around. Thither St John 
 tells us our Lord was often wont to resort (xviii. 2), and Judas "knew 
 the place." Though at a sufficient distance from public thoroughfares 
 to secure privacy, it was yet apparently easy of access. For a descrip- 
 tion of the traditional site see Stanley's Sinai and Palestine, p. 455. 
 
 33. he taketh with him] the three most trusted and long-tried of the 
 Apostolic body, who had been before the privileged witnesses of the 
 raising of the daughter of Jairus and of the Transfiguration. 
 
 began to be sore amazed] "To drede," Wyclif. We have already 
 met this word in ch. ix. 15, where it was applied to the amazement of 
 
i62 ST MARK, XIV. [vv. 35, 36. 
 
 unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death : 
 
 35 tarry ye here, and watch. And he went forward a Httle, 
 and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, 
 
 36 the hour might pass from him. And he said, Abba, Father, 
 
 the people when they saw the Lord after the Transfiguration, and we 
 shall meet with it again in ch. xvi. 5, 6, where it is applied to the holy 
 women at the Sepulchre. St Mark alone applies the word to our 
 Lord's sensations at this crisis of His life. 
 
 to be very heavy] "to heuye," Wyclif. The original word thus 
 translated only occurs (i) here, (2) in the parallel, Matt. xxvi. 37, and 
 (3) in Phil. ii. 26, "for he (Epaphroditus) longed after you all, and was 
 full of heaviness.''^ Buttmann suggests that the root idea is that of being 
 '^ away from ho77ie," and so "confused," "beside oneself." Others 
 consider the primary idea to be that of "loathing" and "discontent." 
 Truly in respect to His human nature our Lord was far from home, far 
 from His native skies, and the word may be taken to describe the 
 awfulness of His isolation, unsupported by a particle of human sympa- 
 thy, — a troubled, restless state, accompanied by the keenest mental 
 distress. 
 
 34. My soul is exceeding sorrowful] Here again we have a remark- 
 able word. We met with it before (ch. vi. 26), where Herod is said to 
 have been ^'' exceeding sorry''"' at the request for the Baptist's head; 
 St Luke also uses the word (xviii. 23, 24) to describe how the rich 
 young ruler was '■'■very sorrozuful," when he was bidden to sacrifice his 
 wealth. It points here to a depth of anguish and sorrow, and we may 
 believe that he, who at the first temptation had left the Saviour ^*for a 
 season'^ (Luke iv. 13), had now returned, and whereas before he had 
 brought "to bear against the Lord all things pleasant and flattering, if 
 so he might by aid of these entice or seduce Him from His obedience, 
 so now he thought with other engines to overcome His constancy, and 
 tried Him with all painful things, as before with all pleasurable, hoping 
 to terrify, if it might be, from His allegiance to the truth. Him whom 
 manifestly He could not allure." Trench's Studies, pp. 55, 56, and 
 above, i. 12. 
 
 and watch] ''with Me'' adds St Matthew (xxvi. 38). Perfect man, 
 " of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting," He yearned, in this 
 awful hour, for human sympathy. It is almost the only personal request 
 He is ever recorded to have made. It was but "a cup of cold water" 
 that He craved. But it was denied Him ! Very Man, He leaned ujum 
 the men He loved, and they failed Him ! He trod the winepress alone; 
 and of the people there was none with him (Isaiah Ixiii. 3). 
 
 35. forward a little] ''about a stone's throw" (Luke xxii. 41), perhaps 
 out of the moonlight into the shadow of the garden. 
 
 36. Abba] St Mark alone has preserved for us this word. St 
 Peter could not fail to have treasured up the words of murmured 
 anguish, which, "about a stone's throw" apart, he may have caught 
 before he was overpowered with slumber. It is used only twice more 
 in the New Testament, and both times by St Paul, Rom. viii. 15, 
 
vv. 37—42.] ST MARK, XIV. 163 
 
 all things are possible unto thee ; take away this cup from 
 me : nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt. And 37 
 he Cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, 
 Simon, sleepest thou ? couldest not thou watch one hour ? 
 Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The 38 
 spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak. And again he 39 
 went away, and prayed, and spake the same words. And 40 
 when he returned, he found them asleep again, (for their 
 eyes were heavy,) neither wist they what to answer him. 
 And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep 41 
 on now, and take your rest : it is enough, the hour is come ; 
 behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sin- 
 ners. Rise up, let us go ; lo, he that betrayeth me is at 43 
 hand. 
 
 "we have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba, 
 Father,^'' and Gal. iv. 6, "God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son 
 into your hearts, cr>'ing Abba, Father.'''' In Syriac it is said to have 
 been pronounced with a double b when applied to a spiritual father, 
 with a single b when used in its natural sense. With the double letter 
 at all events it has passed into the European languages, as an eccle- 
 siastical term, 'abbas,' 'abbot.' See Canon Lightfoot on Gal. iv. 6. 
 
 Father] vSt Mark adds this probably to explain the Aramaic word, 
 after his wont. 
 
 37. and saith unto Peter] who had made so many impetuous pro- 
 mises. 
 
 38. the flesh is weak] It is not of course implied that His own 
 "will" was at variance with that of His Father ; but, very Man, He had 
 a human will, and knew the mystery of the opposition of the strongest, 
 and at the same time the most innocent, instincts of humanity. The 
 fuller account of the "Agony" is found in St Luke xxii. 43, 44. 
 
 40, their eyes were heavy] "soj^li her yjen were greuyd," Wyclif. 
 Even as had been the case on the Mount of Transfiguration. The 
 original word supported by the best MSS. only occurs here, and denotes 
 that the Apostles were utterly tired, and their eyes "weighed down." 
 
 neither wist they what to answer him] A graphic touch peculiar to 
 the second Evangelist, just as the imperfect tense equally graphically 
 implies that the eyes of the Apostles were constantly becoming weighed 
 down in spite of any efforts they might make to keep awake. Comp. 
 the scene at the Transfiguration, Mark ix. 6. 
 
 41. the third time] The Temptation of the Garden divides itself, 
 like that of the Wilderness, into three acts, following close on one another. 
 
 Sleep on now] for ever if ye will. The words are spoken in a kind 
 of gentle irony and sorrowful expostulation. The Golden Hour for 
 watching and prayer was over. 
 
 it is enough] Their wakefulness was no longer needed. 
 
i64 ST MARK, XIV. [vv. 43-47. 
 
 43 — 52. TJie Betrayal. 
 
 43 And immediately, while he yet spake, cometh Judas, one 
 of the twelve, and with him a great multitude with swords and 
 staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. 
 
 44 And he that betrayed him had given them a token, saying, 
 Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; take him, and lead 
 
 45 him away safely. And as soon as he was come, he goeth 
 straightway to him, and saith, Master, master; and kissed him. 
 
 ^^ And they laid their hands on him, and took him. And one 
 
 43—62. The Betrayal. 
 
 43. And immediately] while He yet spake, the garden was filled 
 with armed men, and flashed with the light of numerous lanterns and 
 torches, though the Paschal moon was at the full, for "in the rocky 
 ravine of the Kidron there would fall great deep shadows from the 
 declivity of the mountains and projecting rocks, and there were 
 caverns and grottoes in which a fugitive might retreat." Lange, Life 
 0/ Christ, IV. 292. 
 
 covieth Judas] During the two hours that had elapsed since he had 
 gone forth from the Upper Room he had not been idle. He had 
 reported to the ruling powers that the favourable moment had come, 
 and had doubtless mentioned "the Garden" whither his Master was 
 wont to resort. He now returned, but not alone, for 
 
 with hii?i a great multitude with swords and staves'] These consisted 
 partly (a) of the regular Levitical guards of the Temple, the appa- 
 ritors of the Sanhedrim, and partly {b) of the detachment from the 
 Roman cohort quartered in the Tower of Autonia under the "chiliarch" 
 or tribune in command of the garrison (John xviii. 3, 1 2). The high- 
 priest, we may believe, had communicated with Pilate, and represented 
 that the force was needed for the arrest of a false Messiah, dangerous to 
 the Roman power. 
 
 44. a token] Judas had never imagined that our Lord would Him- 
 self come forth to meet His enemies (John xviii. 2 — 5). He had antici- 
 pated the necessity of giving a signal whereby they might know Him. 
 He had pressed forward and was in front of the rest (Luke xxii. 47). 
 The word translated "a tokene," Wyclif, only occurs here. 
 
 take him] Or rather, seize Him at once. 
 
 45. awflr^m<ffl'//m] Rather, kissed Him tenderly or fervently. The 
 customary kiss of a disciple to his teacher. The same word in the 
 original with its intensifying preposition is used to express (i) the kissing 
 of our Lord by the woman who was a sinner (Luke vii. 38, 45) ; (ii) the 
 kissing of the prodigal son by his father (Luke xv. 20); and (iii) the 
 kissing of St Paul by the Christians on the sea-shore of Miletus (Acts 
 XX. 37). The Latin compound, having the same force, is " </<fOSCulari, " 
 or " fjrosculari. " 
 
 47. And one 0/ them that stood by] This we know from St John was 
 Simon Peter (John xviii. ic), displaying his characteristic impetuosity to 
 
vv. 48— 51.] ST MARK, XIV. 165 
 
 of them that stood by drew a sword, and smote a servant 
 of the high priest, and cut off his ear. And Jesus an- 48 
 swered and said unto them, Are ye come out, as against a 
 thief, with swords and with staves to take me ? I was daily 49 
 with you in the temple teaching, and ye took me not : but 
 the scriptures must be fulfilled. And they all forsook him, 50 
 and fled. And there followed him a certain young man, 51 
 having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the 
 
 the end. Some think the Apostle's name was omitted by the Synoptists 
 lest the publication of it in his lifetime should expose him to the revenge 
 of the unbelieving Jews. 
 
 a sei'vant of the high priest] In none of the Synoptic Gospels do we 
 find mention of his name either. This we are told by St John was 
 JNIalchus. St John was an acquaintance of the high-priest's, and pro- 
 bably a frequenter of his house ; hence he knew the name of his 
 servant. 
 
 his ear] Both St Mark and St John use a diminutive = h'ttk ear. 
 St Luke alone (xxii. 50) tells us it was his right ear. Perhaps it was not 
 completely severed, for St Luke, who alone also records the healing, 
 says that our Lord simply touched it and healed him. 
 
 48. anstvered and said unto thevi] Those to whom He now spoke 
 were, as we learn from St Luke xxii. 52, some chief priests and elders 
 and officers of the Temple guard, who had been apparently watching 
 His capture. 
 
 a thief] Rather, a robber or bandit. See above, note on ch. xi. 17. 
 
 49. the scriptures must be fulfilled] Rather, but that the Scriptures 
 may be fulfilled all this has come to pass. 
 
 50. tliey all forsook him, and fled] Even the impetuous Peter who 
 had made so many promises ; even the disciple whom He loved. 
 
 51. a certain young man] This forms an episode as characteristic 
 of St Mark as that of the two disciples journeying to Emmaus is of 
 St Luke. Some have conjectured he was the owner of the garden of 
 Gethsemane; others Lazarus (see Professor Plumptre's Article on 
 "Lazarus" in Smith's Bible Diet.)', others Joses, the brother of the 
 Lord ; others, a youth of the family where Jesus had eaten the Passover. 
 It is far more probable that it was St Mark himself, the son of Mary, 
 the friend of St Peter, The minuteness of the details given points 
 to him. Only one well acquainted with the scene from personal 
 knowledge, probably as an eyewitness, would have introduced into his 
 account of it so slight and seemingly so trivial an incident as this. 
 
 having a linen cloth] He had probably been roused from sleep, or 
 just preparing to retire to rest in a house somewhere in the valley 
 of Kidron, and he had nothing to cover him except the sinddn or upper 
 garment, but in spite of this he ventured in his excitement to press on 
 amongst the crowd. The word siitddn in Matt, xxvii. 59, Mark xv. 46 and 
 Luke xxiii. 53 is applied to the fine linen, which Joseph of Arlmathica 
 
166 ST MARK, XIV. [vv. 52—55. 
 
 52 young men laid hold on him : and he left the Unen cloth, 
 and fled from them naked. 
 
 53 — 65. The yewish Trial 
 
 53 And they led Jesus away to the high priest : and with 
 him were assembled all the chief priests and the elders and 
 
 54 the scribes. And Peter followed him afar off, even into the 
 palace of the high priest : and he sat with the servants, and 
 
 55 warmed himself at the fire. And the chief priests and all 
 the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to 
 
 bought for the Body of Jesus. The LXX. use the word in Judg. xiv. 
 12 and in Pro v. xxxi. 24 for '■'■fine binder gai-inents.'''' 
 
 the young men'] This is omitted by Lachmann, Tischendorf, and 
 Tregelles. The crowd was probably astonished at the strange ap- 
 parition. 
 
 52. naked] This need not imply that he was absolutely naked. It 
 may mean, like the Latin nudits, "with only the tender robe on." 
 Comp. I Sam. xix. 24; John xxi. 7; Virg. Georg. I. 299. 
 
 53—65. The Jewish Trial. 
 
 53. And they ledyesus away] They bound Him first (John xviii. 12), 
 and then conducted Him across the Kidron and up the road leading into 
 the city. 
 
 to the high priest] This we know from St John was Caiaphas. But 
 our Lord was first brought to the palace of Annas his father-in-law 
 (John xviii. 13). This was either at the suggestion of some of the 
 ruling powers, or in accordance with previous arrangement, that his 
 "snake-like" astuteness as president of the Sanhedrim might help his 
 less crafty son-in-law. ' The palace seems to have been jointly occupied 
 by both as a common official residence, and thither, though it was deep 
 midnight, the chief priests, elders, and scribes repaired. 
 
 54. And Peter] Before the palace or within its outer porch appears 
 to have been a large open square court, in which public business was 
 transacted. Into it Peter and John ventured to follow (John xviii. 15). 
 The latter, as being acquainted with the high-priest, easily obtained 
 admittance ; Peter, at first rejected by the porteress, was suffered to 
 enter at the request of his brother Apostle. 
 
 and waj-med himself] The night was chilly, and in the centre 
 of the court the servants of the high-priest had made a fire of charcoal, 
 and there Peter, now admitted, was warming himself at the open hearth. 
 
 55. And the chief priests] St Mark passes over the details of the 
 examination before Annas and the first commencement of insult and 
 violence, recorded only by St John (xviii. 19—24). He places us in the 
 mansion of Caiaphas, whither our Lord was conducted across the court- 
 yard, and where a more formal assembly of the council of the nation had 
 met together. 
 
 sought for witness] By the Law they were bound to secure the agree- 
 ment of two witnesses on some specific charge. Before Annas aa 
 
w. 56-61.] ST MARK, XIV. 167 
 
 death ; and found none. For many bare false witness 56 
 against him, but their witness agreed not together. And 57 
 there arose certain, and bare false witness against him, say- 
 ing, We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that 58 
 is made with hands, and within three days I will build 
 another made without hands. But neither so did their wit- 59 
 ness agree together. And the high priest stood up in the 60. 
 midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? 
 what is it which these witness against thee ? But he held 61 
 his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest 
 
 attempt had been made to entangle the Accused with insidious ques- 
 tions. A more formal character must now be given to the proceedings. 
 
 56. but their ivitness agreed not together^ " j^e witnessingis weren 
 not ccnienable,^' Wyclif. The Law required that at least two witnesses 
 must agree. See Deut. xvii. 6, xix. 15. But now some who came 
 forward had nothing relevant to say, and others contradicted them- 
 selves. 
 
 57. And there arose certaiti] Two at last came forward, whose 
 evidence appeared likely to be more satisfactory. 
 
 58. We heard him sayl The statements now made are given with 
 more detail by St Mark than any other of the Evangelists. He alone tells 
 us they said that they had heard our Lord declare, " He would destroy 
 the Temple made with hands and in three days build another i?/ade 
 without hands. " In the opposition made with hands and made without 
 hands we have proof of the falseness of the accusation. 
 
 59. neither s6\ The utterance of words tending to bring the Temple 
 into contempt was regarded as so grave an offence that it afterwards 
 formed a capital charge against the first martyr, Stephen (Acts vi. 13). 
 But dangerous as was the charge, it broke down. The statements 
 of the witnesses did not tally, and their testimony was therefore 
 worthless. Their memories had travelled over three years to the 
 occasion of the first Passover at Jerusalem and the first cleansing of 
 the Temple. But they perverted the real facts of the case (John ii. 
 18 — 22). St Mark alone notices the disagreement of their testimony. 
 "The differences between the recorded words of our Lord and the 
 reports of the witnesses are striking: '/ can destroy'' (Matt. xxvi. 6i) ; 
 ^ I will destroy' (Mark xiv. 58); as compared with 'Destroy... and I will 
 raise'' (John ii. 19)." Westcott's Introduction, p. 326 n. 
 
 60. And the high priest stood up\ The impressive silence, which our 
 l,ord preserved, while false witnesses were being sought against Him 
 (Matt. xxvi. 62), was galling to the pride of Caiaphas, who saw that 
 nothing remained but to force Him, if possible, to criminate Himself. 
 Standing up, therefore, in the midst (a graphic touch which we owe 
 to St Mark alone), he adjured Him in the most solemn manner possible 
 (Matt. xxvi. 63) to declare whether He was "the Malcha Meschicha" — 
 the King Messiah, the Son of the Blessed. 
 
i68 ST MARK, XIV. [w. 62—65. 
 
 asked liim, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son 
 
 62 of the Blessed ? And Jesus said, I am : and ye shall see 
 the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and 
 
 63 coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest rent 
 his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses ? 
 
 64 Ye have heard the blasphemy : what think ye ? And they 
 
 65 all condemned him to be guilty of death. And some began 
 to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and 
 
 62. And Jestis said, lam] Thus adjured, the Lord broke the silence 
 He had hitherto maintained. His answer to such a question must be 
 liable to no misinterpretation. Peter in an ecstatic moment had de- 
 clared He was the King Messiah, "//^<? So7i of the living God" (Matt, 
 xvi. 16), and He had not refused the awful Name. Thousands also of 
 Galilean pilgrims had saluted Him with Hosannas in this character 
 through the streets of Jerusalem. But as yet He had not openly declared 
 Himself. The supreme moment, however, had at length arrived, and He 
 now replied, 'T am — the Messiah, the Son of God, the Son of Man — and 
 hereafter ye shall see Me sitting 07t the right hand of power, and coming 
 in the clouds of heaven." Comp. Dan. vii. 13; Ps. viii. 4, ex. i. 
 
 63. Then the high priest] Caiaphas had now gained his end. The 
 Accused had spoken. He had criminated Himself. All was uproar 
 and confusion. The high-priest rent his linen robes. This was not law- 
 ful for him to do in cases of mourning (Lev. x. 6, xxi. 10), but was 
 allowable in cases of blasphemy (see 2 Kings xviii. 37). It was to be 
 performed standing, and so that the rent was to be from the neck 
 straight do\vnwards. The use of the plural "his clothes," by St Mark, 
 seems to intimate that he tore all his clothes, except that which was next 
 his body. 
 
 64. they all condemned him] Worse than false prophet, worse than 
 false Messiah, He had declared Himself to be the ^^Sott of God," and 
 that in the presence of the high-priest and the great Council. He had 
 incurred the capital penalty. But though they thus passed sentence, they 
 could not execute it. The right had been taken from them ever since 
 Judasa became a Roman province. The sentence, therefore, needed 
 confirmation, and the matter must be referred to the Roman governor. 
 
 65. And some began] It was now about three o'clock in the morning, 
 and till further steps could be taken our Lord was left in charge of 
 soldiers of the guard and the servants and apparitors of the higli- 
 priest. 
 
 to spit on hitn] In those rough ages a prisoner under sentence of 
 death was ever delivered over to the mockery of his guards. It was so 
 now with the Holy One of God. Spitting was regarded by the Jews as 
 an expression of the greatest contempt (Num. xii. 14; Deut. xxv. 9). 
 Seneca records that it was inflicted at Athens on Aristides the Just, but 
 it was only with the utmost difficulty any one could be found willing to 
 do it. But those who were excommunicated were specially liable lo 
 this expression of contempt (Isaiah 1. 6). 
 
w. 66— 70.] ST MARK, XIV. i6g 
 
 to say unto him, Prophesy : and the servants did strike him 
 with the palms of their hands. 
 
 6 6 — 7 2 . The Denial of our Lord by St Peter. 
 And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh 66 
 one of the maids of the"high priest: and when she saw Peter 67 
 warming himself, she looked upon him, and said, And thou 
 also wast with Jesus of Nazareth. But he denied, saying, I 68 
 know not, neither understand I what thou sayest. And he 
 went out into the porch ; and the cock crew. And a maid 69 
 saw him again, and began to say to them that stood by. 
 This is one of them. And he denied it again. And a little 70 
 
 did strike him with the palms of their hands'] **The hands they bound 
 had healed the sick, and raised the dead; the lips they smote had 
 calmed the winds and waves. One word and His smiters might have 
 been laid low in death. But as He had begun and continued, He would 
 end — as self-restrained in the use of His awful powers on His OM^n 
 behalf as if He had been the most helpless of men — Divine patience and 
 infinite love knew no wearying." 
 
 66 — 72. The Denial of our Lord by St Peter. 
 
 66. And as Peter'] During the sad scene enacted in the hall of 
 trial above, an almost sadder moral tragedy had been enacted in the 
 court below. 
 
 67. warming himself] This seems to have been shortly after his 
 entrance, as related above. The maid who approached probably was the 
 porteress who had admitted him. 
 
 she looked upon him] with fixed and earnest gaze, as the original word 
 used by St Luke (xxii. 56) implies. 
 
 68. but he denied] Thrown oflf his guard and perhaps disconcerted 
 by the searching glances of the bystanders, Peter replied at first evasively, 
 that he neither knew nor understood what she meant. See Lange, 
 Life, IV. p. 316. Others think it means, "/ know Him not, neither 
 understand I what thou sayest.^'' 
 
 into the porch] Anxious probably for a favourable opportunity of re- 
 tiring altogether, the Apostle now moved towards the darkness of the 
 porch. Here the second denial took place (Matt. xxvi. 71, 7-2), and for 
 the first time a cock crew. 
 
 69. a maid saw him again] Recognised at the porch, Peter seems 
 to have returned once more towards the fire, and was conversing in his 
 rough Galilean dialect with the soldiers and servants when, after the 
 lapse of an hour, another maid approached. 
 
 to them that stood by] On this occasion she addressed herself to the 
 bystanders, amongst whom was a kinsman of Malchus (John xviii. ■26). 
 
 70. And he denied it again] This denial was probably addressed to 
 those round the fire. But escape was hopeless. "Surely," said one, 
 
I70 ST MARK, XIV. XV. [w. 71, 72;!. 
 
 after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art 
 one of them : for thou art a GaUlasan, and thy speech agreeth 
 
 71 thereto. But he began to curse and to swear, sayi?ig, I know 
 
 72 not this man of whom ye speak. And the second time the 
 cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus 
 said unto him. Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny 
 me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept. 
 
 I — 15. The Examination before Pilate. 
 15 And straightway in the morning the chief priests held a 
 
 '"'■this fellow is one of thein ;'''' ** Thoii a?-t a Galilcsan," said another, "and 
 thy speech agreeth thereto. " These last words are omitted by Lachmann, 
 Tischendorf, and Tregelles. *' Thy speech bewrayeth thee''"' are the words 
 used by St Matthew (xxvi. 73). The Galilean burr was rough and 
 indistinct. Hence the Galileans were not allowed to read aloud in the 
 Jewish synagogues. 
 
 71. he began to curse and to swear"] Assailed by the bystanders just 
 mentioned and by the kinsman of Malchus (John xviii. 26), the Apostle 
 now fell deeper still. With oaths and curses he denied that he had 
 ever known the Man of whom they spoke, and at that moment, for 
 the second time, the cock crew, and at the same moment the Lord, 
 either {a) on His way from the apartments of Annas across the court- 
 yard to the palace of Caiaphas, or [b) thrust back into the court after 
 His condemnation, turned and looked tipon Peter (Luke xxii. 6r). 
 
 72. And Peter called to mind] That glance of sorrow went straight 
 to the Apostle's heart; all that his Lord had said, all His repeated warn- 
 ings rushed back to his remembrance, and lit up the darkness of his soul. 
 He could contain himself no longer, and 
 
 when he thought thereon] for so we have rendered the original word. 
 Others render it (i) abtcndantly=^'\iQ wept abtmdantly" as in the 
 margin; others (ii) ^^ he began to weep ;'^ others (iii) ^^ he threw his mantle 
 over his head;" others (iv) ^^ he flung himself fo7'th and wept,'''' 
 
 he wept] Not with the remorse of Judas, but the godly sorrow of true 
 repeiTtance. Observe that the Apostle has not lessened his fault, for it 
 is from him, doubtless, through St Mark, we are informed "that the 
 first crowing of the cock did not suffice to recal him to his duty, but a 
 second was needed." Lange. 
 
 Ch. XV. 1—15. The Examination before Pilate. 
 1. And straightway] As the day dawned, a second and more formal 
 meeting of the Sanhedrim was convened in one of the halls or courts 
 near at hand. A legal Sanhedrim it could hardly be called, for there are 
 scarcely any traces of such legal assemblies during the Roman period. 
 In theory the action of this august court was humane, and the proceed- 
 ings were conducted with the greatest care. A greater anxiety was mani- 
 fested to clear the arraigned than to secure his condemnation, especially 
 in matters of life and death. It was enacted (i) that a majority of at 
 
V. 2.] ST MARK, XV. 171 
 
 consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole coun- 
 cil, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered 
 him to Pilate. And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of 2 
 
 least two must be secured before condemnation ; (ii) that while a 
 verdict of acqtiittal could be given on the same day, one of gicilty must 
 be reserved for the following day ; (iii) that no criminal trial could be 
 carried through in the night ; (iv) that the judges who condemned a criminal 
 to death must fast all day; (v) that the sentence itself could be revised; 
 and that (vi) if even on the way to execution the criminal reflected that 
 he had something fresh to adduce in his favour, he might be led 
 back and have the validity of his statement examined. See Ginsburg's 
 Article on The Sanhedri?fi in Kitto's Biblical Cyclopcedia, III. 767. But 
 the influence of the Sadducees, who were now in the ascendancy, and 
 were Draconian in their severity, had changed all this, and it was resolved 
 to endorse the sentence already pronounced, and deliver over the Great 
 Accused to the secular arm. 
 
 carried him away\ Either (i) to one of the two gorgeous palaces which 
 the first Herod had erected, or (ii) to a palace near the Tower of Antonia, 
 for hither the governor had come up from Coesarea "on the sea" to keep 
 order during the feast. 
 
 to PilcUe\ The Roman governor roused thus early that eventful 
 morning to preside in a case, which has handed down his name through 
 the centuries in connection with the greatest crime committed since the 
 world began, was Pontius Pilate, (i) His name Pontius is thought to 
 indicate that he was connected, either by descent or adoption, with the 
 gens of the Poittii, first conspicuous in Roman history in the person, 
 of C. Pontius Telesinus, the great Samnite general. His cognomen 
 Pilatus has been interpreted as=(a) "armed with the />ihtm or javelin," 
 as = (d) an abbreviation oipileattis, from pileus, the cap or badge of manu- 
 mitted slaves, indicating that he was either a libertiis ("freedman"), or 
 descended from one. He succeeded Valerius Gratus A.D. 26, and 
 brought with him his wife Procla Oi Claudia Procula. (ii) His office 
 was that of procurator under the governor {propmtoj') of Syria, but 
 within his own province he had the power of a legattis. His head- 
 quarters were at Caesarea (Acts xxiii. 23); he had assessors to assist him 
 in council (xxv. 12); wore the military dress; was attended by a cohort 
 as a body-guard (Matt, xxvii. 27); and at the great festivals came up to 
 Jerusalem to keep order. When presiding as judge he would sit on a 
 Bema or portable tribunal erected on a tesselated pavement, called in 
 Hebrew Gabbatha (John xix. 13), and was invested with the power of 
 life and death (Matt, xxvii. 26). (iii) In character he was not insensible 
 to the claims of mercy and justice, but he was weak and vacillating, and 
 incapable of compromising his own safety in obedience to the dictates of 
 his conscience. As a governor he had shewn himself cruel and un- 
 scrupulous (Luke xiii. i, 2), and cared little for the religious suscepti- 
 bilities of a people, whom he despised and could not understand. 
 
 2. And Pilate asked him'] This was a private investigation within 
 XixQ prcBtorium, after the Jews, carefully suppressing the religious grounds 
 
172 ST MARK, XV. [w. 3—7. 
 
 the Jews? And he answering said unto him, Thou sayest 
 
 3 it. And the chief priests accused him of many things : but 
 
 4 he answered nothing. And Pilate asked him again, saying, 
 Answerest thou nothing ? behold how many things they wit- 
 
 5 ness against thee. But Jesus yet answered nothing ; so that 
 
 6 Pilate marvelled. Now at that feast he released unto them 
 
 7 one prisoner, whomsoever they desired. And there was one 
 named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made 
 
 on which they had condemned our Lord, had advanced against Him a 
 triple accusation of (i) seditious agitation, (ii) prohibition of the payment 
 of the tribute money, and (iii) the assumption of the suspicious title of 
 "King of the Jews." This was z. political charge, and one which Pilate 
 could not overlook. Having no qucestor to conduct the examination, 
 he was obliged to hear the case in person. 
 
 Thou sayest it] St Mark does not mention here what we know from 
 St John, {a) the inquiry of our Lord of Pilate why he asked the question, 
 and {^) His explanation of the real nature of His kingdom (John xviii. 
 37' 38)' He brings out our Lord's acknowledgment of His regal dignity, 
 though Pilate could not understand His meaning. 
 
 3. And the chief priests accused hint] After the first examination 
 Pilate came forth to the Jewish deputation, standing before the entrance 
 of the palace, and declared his conviction of the innocence of the 
 Accused (John xviii, 38; Luke xxiii. 4). This was the signal for a 
 furious clamour on the part of the chief priests and members of the 
 Sanhedrim, and they accused our Lord of many things, of(i) "stirring 
 up the people," and (2) "teaching falsely throughout all Judaea, begin- 
 ximgfrom Galilee Q\ en to Jerusalem" (Luke xxiii. 5). 
 
 4. And Pilate asked] These renewed accusations led to further 
 questions from Pilate, but our Lord preserved a complete silence. This 
 increased the procurator's astonishment, but he thought he had found an 
 escape from his dilemma, when he heard the word ^^Galilee.^^ Galilee 
 was within the province of Herod Antipas, and he sent the case to his 
 tribunal (Luke xxiii. 6 — 12). But Herod also affirmed that the Ac- 
 cused had done nothing worthy of punishment, and Pilate finding the 
 case thrown back upon his hands, now resolved to try another experi- 
 ment for escaping from the responsibility of a direct decision. 
 
 6. Now at that feast] Rather, at festival time. There is no article 
 in the Greek (or in Luke xxiii. 17; Matt, xxvii. 15), and the apparent 
 limitation of the custom to the Feast of the Passover is not required 
 by the original words, or by the parallel in John xviii. 39. It seems 
 to have been a custom, the origin of which is unknown, to release to the 
 people on the occasion of the Passover and other great Feasts any prisoner 
 whom they might select. The custom may have been of Jewish origin, 
 and had been continued by the Roman governors from motives of policy. 
 Even the Romans were accustomed at the Lectisternia and Bacchanalia 
 to allow an amnesty for criminals. 
 
 7 one named Barabbas] There lay in prison at this time, awaiting 
 
v^^ 8—12.] ST MARK, XV. 173 
 
 insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the 
 insurrection. And the multitude crying aloud began to de- 8 
 sire him to do as he had ever done unto them. But Pilate 9 
 answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the 
 King of the Jews ? For he knew that the chief priests had 10 
 delivered him for envy. But the chief priests moved the n 
 people, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them. 
 And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will 12 
 ye then that I shall do u7ito him whom ye call the King of 
 
 execution, a celebrated bandit or robber named Barabbas. This word 
 is a patronymic, and means (i) according to some, Bar- Abbas = j-cw of 
 ^l;da='^son of the father," or (ii) according to others, Bar-Rabbas = 
 "son of a Rabbi." In three MSS. of Matt, xxvii. 16, his name is 
 given as '^festis Bar-abbas," and this reading is supported by the 
 Armenian and Syriac Versions and is cited by Origen. 
 
 tAem that had made insurrection^ Barabbas had headed one of the 
 numerous insurrections against the Roman power, which were con- 
 stantly harassing the procurators, and giving untold trouble to the 
 legionary troops quartered at Csesarea and other places. In this parti- 
 cular insurrection blood had been shed, and apparently some Roman 
 soldiers had been killed. 
 
 9. But Pilate answered theni] The proposition of the people that 
 he should act according to his usual custom concurred with Pilate's own 
 ■wishes ard hopes, and he resolved deliberately to give the populace 
 their choice. 
 
 10. for envy] He could not doubt who were the ringleaders in the 
 tumultuous scene now being enacted, or what was the motive that had 
 prompted them to bring the Accused before his tribunal — nothing more 
 or less than envy of the influence He had gained and the favour He had 
 won throughout the land. He hoped, therefore, by appealing directly 
 to the people to procure our Lord's r-;lease. 
 
 11. But the chief priests] It was probably at this juncture that he 
 received the message from his wife imploring him to have nothing to do 
 with " that jiist person''' (Matt, xxvii. 19) standing before him. His 
 feelings, therefore, of awe were intensified, and his resolve to eflect tlie 
 rele-ose increased. But the chief priests stirred up the people, and urged 
 them to choose Barabbas, the patriot leader, the zealot for their country, 
 the champion against oppression. The word translated "moved" only 
 occurs here and in the parallel, Luke xxiii. 5. It denotes (i) to shake to 
 and fro 1 to brandish ; (ii) to make threatening gestures ; (iii) to stir up, or 
 instigate. Their efforts were successful, ajid when Pilate formally put 
 the question, the cry went up, *'iV<?/ this Man," the Holy and Undefiled, 
 AVhom they had lately welcomed with Hosannas into their city, but the 
 hero of the insurrection, Barabbas (John xviii. 39, 40). 
 
 12. What will ye\ This question seems to have been put in disdain 
 and anger ; disdain at their fickleness, anger at the failure of his efforts 
 lo stem the torrent. 
 
174 ST MARK, XV. [w. 13—15. 
 
 ]l the Jews ? And they cried out again, Crucify him. Then 
 Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done ? And 
 
 15 they cried out the more exceedingly. Crucify him. And 
 so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas 
 unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged /iim, 
 to be crucified. 
 
 w^om ye call the King of the yews\ He may have hoped that the 
 sound of the title might have not been in vain on the ears of those who 
 had lately cried, "Blessed is the king \\\2X cometh in the name of the 
 Lord," "Blessed is the ki7tgdom of our father David" (Luke xix. 38; 
 Mark xi. 10). But he was bitterly deceived. 
 
 13. Crucify hin{\ was the cry that now fell upon his ears, prompted 
 by the chief priests, re-echoed by the crowd. Still the procurator did 
 not yield, though already at Csesarea he had had proof of the invincible 
 tenacity of a Jewish mob, whom not even the prospect of instant death 
 could deter (Jos. Antiq. xviii. 3. i). He resolved to make another 
 direct appeal to the excited crowd. " Why should he crucify Him ?" 
 "What evil had He done?" 
 
 14. But they cried out the 7nore'\ " Why and wherefore ?" There were 
 no questions with them. They were resolved to have His life. Nothing 
 else would satisfy. The cry was kept up unbroken, Away with thii 
 man, Crucify Him ! Crucify Ni?n ! In vain Pilate expostulated. In 
 vain he washed his hands openly before them all (Matt, xxvii. 24) in 
 token of his conviction of the perfect innocence of the Accused. His 
 wavering in the early stage of the trial was bringing on its terrible 
 consequences. 
 
 15. And so Pilate\ One hope, however, the procurator still seems 
 to have retained. Irresolution indeed had gone too far, and he could 
 not retrace his steps. He thought he must content the people, and 
 therefore released Barabbas unto them. But he imagined there was 
 room for a compromise. Clamorous as was the crowd, perhaps they 
 would be satisfied with a punishment only less terrible than the Cross, 
 and so he gave the order that He, Whom he had pronounced perfectly 
 innocent, should be scourged. 
 
 willing to content the people^ "willinge for to do ynow to j^e peple," 
 Wyclif. Here we have one of St Mark's Latinisms. The Greek 
 expression answers exactly to the Latin satisfacere=to satisfy, appease, 
 content. 
 
 when he had scourged him] Generally the scourging before crucifixion 
 was inflicted by lictors (Livy, xxxiii. 36 ; Jos. Bell. Jiid. II. 14. 9 ; 
 V. II. i). But Pilaie, as sub-governor, had no lictors at his disposal, 
 and therefore the punishment was inflicted by soldiers. Lange, iv. 
 356 n. The Roman scourging was horribly severe. Drops of lead and 
 small sharp-pointed bones were often plaited into the scourges, and the 
 sufl'erers not unfrequently died under the infliction. Compare the 
 horribile fla^ellum of Hor. Sat. I. iii. 119; and " flagrum /<f««'«/j ossibus 
 catenatum, Apul. Met. viii. That the soldiers could not have per- 
 
vv. i6, 17.] ST MARK, XV. 175 
 
 16 — 24. The Mockery of the Soldiers. The Way to the 
 Cross. 
 
 And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Prse- 16 
 torium ; and they call together the whole band. And they 17 
 clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and 
 
 formed their duty with forbearance on this occasion, is plain from the 
 wanton malice, with which they added mockery to the scourging. 
 
 to be crucijfiedl But the compromise did not content the excited 
 multitude. The spectacle of so much suffering so meekly borne did not 
 suffice. " If thou let this man go," they cried, "thou art not Csesar's 
 friend : whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar " 
 (John xix. 17). This crafty well-chosen cry roused all Pilate's fears. 
 He could only too well divine the consequences if they accused him 
 of sparing a prisoner who had been accused of treason before the gloomy 
 suspicious Tiberius (" atrocissime exercebat leges majestatis,'" Suet. 
 Vii. Tib, c. 58; Tac. Ann. ill. 38). His fears for his own personal 
 safety turned the scale. After one more effort therefore (John xix. 
 13 — 15), he gave the word, the irrevocable word, *^ Let Him be crucified'''' 
 (John xix. 16), and the long struggle was over, St John, it is to be 
 observed, mentions the scourging as one of Pilate's final attempts to 
 release Jesus. St Mark, like St Matthew, looks upon it as the first 
 act in the awful tragedy of the Crucifixion. Both views are equally true. 
 The scourging should have moved the people j it only led them to 
 greater obduracy ; it proved, as St Mark brings out, the opening scene 
 in the Crucifixion. 
 
 16 — 24. The Mockery of the Soldiers. The Way to the 
 Cross. 
 
 16. the hall, called FrcBtoriuni] "in to \)Q fioor of ])e moot hall,'''' 
 Wyclif. The building here alluded to is called by three of the Evange- 
 lists \hQ Frcetorium. In St Matthew (xxvii. if) it is translated ^^ common 
 hall," with a marginal alternative ^^ go^iernor^s house." In St John (xviii. 
 28, 33, xix. 9) it is translated ^^ hall of judgment" and *^ Judgment 
 hall," with a marginal alternative ^^ Pilate's house" in the first passage ; 
 while here it is reproduced in the English as "prsetorium." In Acts 
 xxiii. 35 it is rendered ^^ judgment hall," and in Phil. i. 13, where it 
 signifies *^ the prcetorian army," it is rendered ^^ pcdace." This last 
 rendering might very properly have been adopted in all the passages in 
 the Gospels and Acts, as adequately expressing the meaning. See Pro- 
 fessor Lightfoot on the Revision of the New Testament, p. 49. 
 
 the luhole band] In the palace-court, which formed a kind of barracks 
 or guard-room, they gathered the whole cohort. The word translated 
 "band" is applied to the detachment bi-ought by Judas (John xviii. 5), 
 and occurs again Acts x. i, xxi. 31, xxvii. i. 
 
 17. clothed him with purple\ Instead of the white robe, with which 
 Herod had mocked Plim, they threw around Him a scarlet sagum, or 
 soldier's cloak. St Matthew, xxvii. 28, calls it "a scarlet robe;" St 
 John, xix. 2, '■'■a purple robe." It was a war-cloak, such ^s princes, 
 
176 ST MARK, XV. [vv. 18—22. 
 
 18 put it about his head^ and began to salute him, Hail, King 
 
 19 of the Jews ! And they smote him on the head with a reed, 
 and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped 
 
 20 him. And when they had mocked him, they took off the 
 purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led 
 
 21 him out to crucify him. And they compel one Simon a 
 Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the 
 
 22 father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross. And they 
 bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being inter- 
 generals, and soldiers wore, dyed with purple; "probably a cast-off 
 robe of state out of the praetorian wardrobe," — a burlesque of the long 
 and fine purple robe worn only by the Emperor. Lange, IV. 357. 
 
 a crown of thorns\ Formed probably of the thorny ndbk^ which yet 
 "grows on dwarf bushes outside the walls of Jerusalem." Tristram's 
 Land of Israel.^ p. 429. 
 
 and put it about his head] In mimicry of the laurel wreath worn at 
 times by the Ceesars. 
 
 19. S7}wte him] Rather, began to smite or kept smiting Him. 
 with a reed] The same which they had already put into His hands as 
 
 a sceptre. 
 
 did spit upon him] See note above, ch. xiv. 65. 
 
 20. and led him out] The place of execution was without the 
 gates of the city. 
 
 21. they compel] The condemned were usually obliged to carry 
 either the entire cross, or the cross-beams fastened together like the 
 letter V, with their arms bound to the projecting ends. Hence the term 
 i\xxz\{Q.x=-''^ cross-bearer. " " Patibulum ferat per urbem, deinde affigatur 
 cruci." This had a reference to our Lord being typified by Isaac bearing 
 the wood of the burnt offering, Gen. xxii. 6. But exhausted by all He 
 had undergone, our Lord sank under the weight laid upon Him, and the 
 soldiers had not proceeded far from the city gate, when they met a man 
 whom they could *^ compel" or ^^ impress" into their service. The 
 original word translated '■Uompel" is a Persian word. At regular stages 
 throughout Persia (Hdt. viii. 98; Xen. Cyrop. viii. 6, 17) mounted 
 couriers were kept ready to carry the royal despatches. Hence the verb 
 [angariare Vulg.) denotes (1) to despatch as a mounted courier ; (2) to 
 impress, force to do some service. It occurs also in Matt. v. 41, 
 " Whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain." 
 
 Simon a Cyrenian] The man thus impressed was passing by, and 
 coming from the country (Luke xxiii. 26). His name was Simon, a 
 Hellenistic Jew, of Cyrene, in northern Africa, the inhabitants of which 
 district had a synagogue at Jerusalem (Acts ii. 10, vi. 9). 
 
 the father of Alexander and Huf is] St Mark alone adds this. Like 
 " Bartimaeus, the son of Timceus," these words testify to his originality. 
 I'Vom the way they are mentioned it is clear that these two persons must 
 have been well known to the early Christians. Rufus has been identified 
 with one of the same name saluted by St Paul, Rom. xvi. 13. 
 
vv. 23, 24.] ST MARK, XV. 177 
 
 preted, The place of a skull. And they gave him to drink 23 
 wine mingled with myrrh : but he received it not. And 24 
 when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, cast- 
 ing lots upon them, what every man should take. 
 
 to bear his cross] The cause of execution was generally inscribed 
 on a white tablet, called in Latin titiihis {'■^ qui causai?i pcence indicarety'' 
 Sueton. Calig. 32). It was borne either suspended from the neck, or 
 carried before the sufferer. The latter was probably the mode adopted 
 in our Lord's case. And Simon may have borne both title and Cross. 
 St Mark does not mention our Lord's words on the way to the 
 women (Luke xxiii. 28 — 31). 
 
 22. the place Golgotha] St Mark gives the explanation of the 
 Hebrew word "Golgotha." St Luke omits it altogether. It was a 
 bare hill or rising ground on the north or north-west of the city, having 
 the form on its rounded summit of a skull, whence its name. It was {«) 
 apparently a well-known spot ; {b) outside the gate (comp. Heb. xiii. 
 12) ; but {c) near the city (John xix. 20) ; {d) on a thoroughfare leading 
 into the country (Luke xxiii. 26) ; and {e) contained a "garden" or 
 "orchard" (John xix. 41). From the Vulgate rendering of Luke xxiii. 
 33, "Et postquam venerunt in locum, qui vocatur Calvaria:'" { = a bare 
 shell, ")je place of Cahiarie," Wyclif), the word Calvary has been 
 introduced into the English Version, obscuring the meaning of the 
 Evangelist. There is nothing in the name to suggest the idea that the 
 remains of malefactors who had been executed were strewn about, for 
 the Jews always buried them. 
 
 23. they gave hi?)i\ More literally, they oflFered Him. 
 
 wine mingled with myrrh] It was a merciful custom of the Jews to 
 give those condemned to crucifixion, with a view to producing stupe- 
 faction, a strong aromatic wine. Lightfoot tells us {Hor. Heb. II. 366) 
 it was the special task of wealthy ladies at Jerusalem to provide this 
 potion. The custom was founded on Rabbinic gloss on Proverbs xxxi. 6, 
 "Give strotzg drink to him that is perishing, and zvine to those whose 
 soul is in bitterness." 
 
 but he received it not] The two malefactors, who were led forth with Him, 
 probably partook of it, but He would take nothing to cloud His faculties. 
 
 24. when they had crucified him] The present tense appears to be here 
 the preferable reading, they crucify Him and part His garments among 
 them. There were four kinds of crosses, (i) the crux simplex, a single 
 stake driven through the chest or longitudinally through the body ; (ii) 
 the crtix decussata (x); (iii) the C7-ux imtnissa (f); and (iv) the crtix 
 commissa (T). From the mention of the title placed over the Saviour's 
 Head, it is probable that His cross was of the third kind, and that He 
 was laid upon it either while it was on the ground, or lifted and 
 fastened to it as it stood upright. His arms stretched out along the two 
 cross-beams, and His body resting on a little projection, sedile, a foot or 
 two above the earth. That His feet were nailed as well as His hands 
 is apparent from Luke xxiv. 39, 40. 
 
 they parted] i.e. the soldiers, a party of four with a centurion (Acts 
 Sr MARK 12 
 
1/8 ST MARK, XV. [w. 25—28. 
 
 25—38. The Death. 
 ^5 And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. And 
 
 the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE 
 .7 KING OF THE JEWS. And with him they crucify two 
 
 thieves ; the one on his right hand, and the other on his 
 28 left. And the scripture ^vas fulfilled, which saith, And he 
 
 xii. ^), for each sufferer, detailed, according to the Roman custom, ad 
 excubias, to mount guard, and see that the bodies were not taken 
 away. 
 
 casting lots] The dice doubtless were ready at hand, and one of their 
 helmets would serve to throw them. 
 
 ■what every man shoidd take] The clothes of the crucified fell to the 
 soldiers who guarded them, as part of their perquisites. The outer 
 garment, or tallith, they divided into fourth parts, probably loosening 
 the searas. The inner garment, like the robes of the priests, ^vas 
 without seam ^ woven fro7n the top throiighoiit (John xix. •23), of linen or 
 perhaps of wool. It would have been destroyed by rending, so for it 
 they cast lots, unconsciously fulfilling the words spoken long ago by the 
 Psalmist, They parted my raiment a7nong them, and for my vesture they 
 did cast lots (Ps. xxii. 18). 
 
 25—38. The Death. 
 
 25. it was the third hour] or nine o'clock. St John's words (xix. 14) 
 clearly point to a different mode of reckoning. 
 
 26. And the superscription] "and )?e title of his cause was written," 
 Wyclif The cause of execution was generally, as we have seen, in- 
 scribed on a white tablet, titulus, smeared with gypsuf?i. It had been 
 borne before Him on His way to the Cross, or suspended round His 
 neck. It was now nailed on the projecting top of the cross over His 
 head. 
 
 The King of the Jews] Pilate had caused it to be written in three 
 languages, that all classes might be able to read it. The ordinary 
 Hebrew or Aramaic of the people, the official Latin of the Romans, and 
 the Greek of the foreign population (John xix. 20). For the endeavour 
 of the Jewish high-priest to get the title altered see St John xix. 11, 21. 
 
 27. two thieves] Rather, two robbers, or malefactors as St Luke calls 
 them (xxiii. 33). See note above, xi. 17. It is more than probable that 
 they belonged to the band of Barabbas and "had been engaged in one 
 of those fierce and fanatical outbreaks against the Roman domination 
 which on a large scale or a small so fast succeeded one another in the 
 latter days of the Jewish commonwealth." This explains the fact that 
 we read of no mockery of them, of no gibes levelled against them. They 
 were the popular heroes. They realized the popular idea of the Messiah.. 
 See Trench's Studies, p. 294. 
 
 28. A fid the scripture was fulfilled] The reference here is to Isaiah 
 liii, 12, but the verse is omitted in some MSS. 
 
w. 20— 33.] ST MARK, XV. 179 
 
 was numbered with the transgressors. And they that passed 29 
 by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying. Ah, thou 
 that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, 
 save thyself, and come down from the cross. Likewise also 3° 
 the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the 
 scribes. He saved others ; himself he cannot save. Let 32 
 Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that 
 we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with 
 him reviled him. ' And when the sixth hour was come, there 33 
 
 2P. railed on hivi\ The instincts of ordinary pity were quenched in 
 the fierceness of malignant hatred and religious bigotry. 
 
 AK\ " Fyf," Wyclif. It is an exclamation of exultant derision = the 
 Latin Vah. 
 
 that destroyest the temple\ This saying of our Lord at His first 
 cleansing of the Temple was never forgotten. Perhaps some of the false 
 witnesses of the previous night were now present. 
 
 31. tJie chief priests'] whose high dignity and sacred office should 
 have taught them better than to descend to the low passions of 
 the mob. 
 
 mocking said] "scornynge him, ech to oj^er, wi)> scribis, seiden," 
 Wyclif. The ordinary bystanders blaspheme {v. -29), the members of 
 the Sanhedrim mock, for they think they have achieved a complete vic- 
 tory. 
 
 32. they that were crucified with him] At first both the robbers joined 
 in reproaching Him. The word rendered here "they reviled him" is 
 rendered "cast the same in his teeth" in Matt, xxvii. 44. One of 
 them, however, went further than this, and was guilty of blaspheming 
 Him (Luke xxiii. 39), but, as the weary hours passed away, the other, 
 separating himself from the sympathies of all who stood around the 
 Cross, turned in unexampled penitence and faith to Him that hung so 
 close to him, and whose only "token of royalty was the crown of 
 thorns that still clung to His bleeding brows," and in reply to his 
 humble request to be remembered when He should come in His king- 
 dom, heard the gracious words, "Z"^ day shall thou be with me in 
 paradise'''' (Luke xxiii. 43). Thus even from "the Tree" the Lord 
 began to reign, and when "lifted up," to "draw" men, even as He 
 had said, unto Himself (John xii. 32). 
 
 33. And when the sixth hour was come] i.e. 12 o'clock. The most 
 mysterious period of the Passion was rapidly drawing near, when the 
 Lord of life was about to yield up His spirit and taste of death. At this 
 hour nature herself began to evince her sympathy vnth. Him Whom 
 man rejected. The clearness of the Syrian noontide was obscured, and 
 darkness deepened over the guilty city. It is impossible to explain the 
 origin of this darkness. The Passover moon was then at the full, so 
 that it could not have been an eclipse. Probably it was some super- 
 natural derangement of the terrestrial atmosphere. The Pharisees 
 
 12 2 
 
i8o ST MARK, XV. [w. 34—37. 
 
 34 was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And 
 at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, 
 Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted. My 
 
 35 God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me ? And some of 
 them that stood by, when they heard //, said. Behold, he 
 
 36 calleth Elias. And one ran and filled a spunge full of 
 vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, say- 
 ing. Let alone ; let us see whether Elias will come to take 
 
 37 him down. And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up 
 
 had often asked for a "sign from heaven." Now one was granted 
 them. 
 
 m7 til the ninth honr'\ i.e. till 3 o'clock. A veil hides from us the in- 
 cidents of these three hours, and all the details of what our Lord, 
 shrouded in the supernatural gloom, underwent "for us men and for our 
 salvation." 
 
 34. And at the ninth hourl the hour of the offering of the evening 
 sacrifice, 
 
 yestis cried with a loud voice] He now gives utterance to the words 
 of the first verse of the xxii"*^ Psalm, in which, in the bitterness 
 of his soul, David had complained of the desertion of his God, and 
 said, 
 
 "Eloi! Eloi! lama sabachthani?" 
 
 This is the only one of the "Seven Sayings from the Cross," which has 
 been recorded by St Mark, and he gives the original Aramaic and its 
 explanation. Observe that of these sayings (i) the first three all referred to 
 others, to {a) His murderers, [b) the penitent malefactor, [c] His earthly 
 mother; (ii) the next three referred to His own mysterious and awful 
 conflict, [a) His loneliness, [b) His sense of thirst, [c) His work now all 
 but ended ; (iii) with the seventh He pommends His soul into His 
 Father's hands. 
 
 35. Behold, he calleth Klias] They either only caught the first 
 syllable, or misapprehended words, or, as some think, spoke in wilful 
 mockery, and declared He called not on Eli, God, but on Elias, 
 whose appearance was universally expected. See note above, ix. ir. 
 
 36. full of vinegar] Burning thirst is the most painful aggravation 
 of death by crucifixion, and it was as He uttered the words, "//"/wVj/," 
 that the soldier ran and filled a sponge with vinegar, or the sour 
 wine-and-water called posca, the ordinary drink of the Roman soldiers. 
 
 and put it on a reed] i.e. on the short stem of a hyssop-plant (John 
 xix. 29). 
 
 Let alone] According to St Mark, the man himself cries " Let be; " 
 according to St Matthew, the others cry out thus to him as he offers the 
 drink ; according to St John, several filled the sponge with the sour 
 wine. Combining the statements, together we have a natural and ac- 
 curate picture of the excitement caused by the loud cry. 
 
w. 38, 39-] ST MARK, XV. i8i 
 
 the ghost. And the veil of the temple was rent in twain 38 
 from the top to the bottom. 
 
 39 — 41. The Cotifession of the Centurion. 
 
 And when the centurion, which stood over, against him, 39 
 saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, 
 
 37. And Jesus cried with a loud voice] saying, "It is finished." The 
 three Evangelists all dwell upon the loudness of the cry, as it had been 
 the triumphant note of a conqueror. 
 
 and gave tip the ghost] saying, " Father, into thy hands I commend 
 my spirit," and then all was over. The Lord of life hung lifeless 
 upon the Cross. "There may be something intentional in the fact that 
 in describing the death of Christ the Evangelists do not use the neuter 
 verb, 'He died,' but the phrases, ^ He gave tip the ghost'' (Mark xv. 
 37; Luke xxiii. 46; John xix. 30); ^ He yielded tip the ghosf (Matt, 
 xxvii. 50) ; as though they would imply with St Augustine that He gave 
 up His life, ^qtiia vohiit^ qtiando volziit, quomodo voliiit.^ Comp. John 
 x. 18." Farrar, Z?/^, 1 1 p. 418 n. 
 
 the ghost] Ghost , from A. S. gdst, G. ^i?zV/,= spirit, breath, opposed 
 to body. "The word has now acquired a kind of hallowed use, and is 
 applied to one Spirit only, but was once common." Bible Word- 
 Book, p. 224. Compare {a) Wyclif's translation here, "deiede or sente 
 out the bre))\^ {b) "^^^j/Zj/ dangers" ( = spiritual dangers), ^^o\xr ghostly 
 enemy" ( = our spiritual enemy), in the Catechism; {c) Bishop Andrewes' 
 Sermons, ii. 340, "Ye see then that it is worth the while to confess this 
 [that Jesus is the Lord], as it should be confessed. In this sense 
 none can do it but by the Holy Ghost. Otherwise, for an ore tenus 
 only, otir ozvn ghost will serve well enough." Bible English, p. 265. 
 
 38. And the veil of the temple] the beautiful thick, costly veil 
 of purple and gold, inwrought with figures of Chenibim, 20 feet 
 long and 30 broad, which separated the Holy Place from the Most 
 Holy, 
 
 was rent in twatn] For the full symbolism of this see Heb. ix. 3, 
 X. 19. For the earthquake which now shook the city, see Matt, xxvii. 
 51. Such an event must have made a profound impression, and 
 perhaps was the first step towards the change of feeling which after- 
 wards led a great number of " the p'iests to become obedient to the faith " 
 (Acts vi. 7). 
 
 39 — 41. The Confession of the Centurion. 
 
 39. when the centurion] in charge of the quaternion of soldiers. See 
 above, v. 24. 
 
 that he so cried out] The whole demeanour of the Divine Sufferer, 
 the loudness of the cry, and the words He uttered, thrilled the officer 
 through and through. Death he must have often witnessed, on the 
 battle-field, in the amphitheatre at Caesarea, in tumultuous insurrec- 
 
i82 ST MARK, XV. [v v. 40, 41. 
 
 40 Truly this man was the Son of God. There were also 
 women looking on afar off : among whom was Mary Mag 
 dalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, 
 
 41 and Salome ; (who also, when he was in Galilee, followed 
 him, and ministered unto him;) and many other women 
 which came up with him unto Jerusalem. 
 
 tions in Palestine, but never before had he been confronted with the 
 majesty of a Voluntaiy Death undergone for the salvation of the world. 
 The expression of a wondrous power of life and spirit in the last sign of 
 life, the triumphant shout in death, was to him a new revelation. 
 
 the Son of Godi In an ecstacy of awe and wonder *'//<f glorified 
 God,^^ he exclaimed, "Z?? inith this man was righteous^' (Luke xxiii. 
 47) ; nay, he went further, and declared, ** This Man was a (or the) 
 Son of God.''"' It is possible that on bringing the Lord back after the 
 scourging, which he superintended, the centurion may have heard the 
 mysterious declaration of the Jews, that by their Law the Holy One 
 ought to die, because He viade Himself the Son of God (John xix. 7). 
 The words made a great impression on Pilate then (John xix. 8). But 
 now the centurion had seen the end. And what an end ! All that 
 he had dimly believed of heroes and demigods is transfigured. This man 
 was more. He was the Son of God. Together with the centurion at 
 Capernaum (Matt, viii.) and Cornelius at Csesarea (Actsx.) he forms 
 in the Gospel and Apostolic histories a triumvirate of believing Gentile 
 soldiers. The words, /, if I be lifted tip^ will draw all men unto me^ 
 had been already fulfilled in the instance of the penitent malefactor. 
 They are now true of this Roman officer. The "Lion of the tribe of 
 Judah" was "reigning from the Tree." 
 
 40. There were also women'] forerunners of the noble army of Holy 
 "Women, who were, in the ages to come, throughout the length and 
 breadth of Christendom, to minister at many a death-bed out of love 
 for Him Who died '' the. Death:' 
 
 Mary Magdalene^ Mary of Magdala, out of whom had gone forth 
 seven demons (Luke viii. 2). This is the first time she is mentioned 
 by St Mark. 
 
 Mary the mother of yames the less] The "Mary of Clopas " (John 
 xix. 25) who stood by the cross, and "Mary of James the Less " (comp. 
 Matt, xxvii. 56), are the same person ; she was the sister of the Blessed 
 Virgin, and had married Clopas or'AlphjEus. 
 
 yames the less] James the Little, so called to distinguish him from 
 the Apostle St James, the son of Zebedee. Some think he was so called 
 (a) because he was younger than the other James ; or {b) on account 
 of his low stature ; or (c) because, when elevated to the bishopric of 
 Jerusalem (Gal. ii. 12), he took the name in humility, to distinguish 
 him from his namesake, now famous in consequence of his martyrdom 
 (Acts xii. 2). 
 
 yoses] See note above, iii. 31. 
 
 Salome] See note above, x. 35. 
 
vv, 42-44-] ST MARK, XV. 183 
 
 42 — 47. The Burial. 
 
 And now when the even was come, because it was the 42 
 preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, Joseph of 43 
 Arimathaea, an honourable counseller, which also waited for 
 the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, 
 and craved the body of Jesus. And Pilate marvelled if he 44 
 
 42—47. The Burial. 
 
 42. the preparation'] i. e. for the Sabbath, which St Mark, writing 
 for other readers than Jews, explains as ^Uhe day before the Sabbath." 
 
 43. Joseph of Arimathced] i.e. either of Rama in Benjamin (Matt, 
 ii. 18) or Ramathaim in Ephraim (i Sam, i. i). Probably the latter. 
 The place is called in the LXX. " Armathaim," and by Josephus 
 " Armathia." Joseph was a man of wealth (Matt, xxvii. 57), a member 
 of the Sanhedrim (Luke xxiii. 50), and a secret disciple of Jesus (John 
 xix. 38), who had not consented to the resolution of the rest to put Him 
 to death (Luke xxiii. 51). 
 
 •waited for the kingdom] like Simeon (Luke ii. 25) and Anna (Luke 
 ii. 38). 
 
 went in boldly] He is no longer a secret disciple. He casts away 
 all fear. The Cross transfigures cowards into heroes. ** It was no 
 light matter Joseph had undertaken : for to take part in a burial, at any 
 time, would defile him for seven days, and make everything unclean 
 which he touched (Num. xix. 11 ; Hagg. ii. 13); and to do so now in- 
 volved his seclusion through the whole Passover week — with all its holy 
 observances and rejoicings." Geikie, ii. 576. 
 
 craved the body ofyesus] It was not the Roman custom to remove the 
 bodies of the crucified from the cross. Instead of shortening their 
 agonies the Roman law left them to die a lingering death, and suffered 
 their bodies to moulder under the action of sun and rain (comp. Cic. 
 7'usc. Qncest. I. 43, " Theodori nihil interest humine an stcblime 
 putrescat"), or be devoured by wild beasts (comp. Hor. Epist. xvi. 
 48, "Non hominem occidi : non pasces in cruce cot'vos''''). The more 
 merciful Jewish Law, however, did not allow such barbarities, and the 
 Roman rulers had made an express exception in their favour. In accord- 
 ance, therefore, with the request of the Jev/ish authorities, the legs of 
 the malefactors had been broken to put them out of their misery (John 
 xix. 31), but our Lord was found to be dead already (John xix. 33), and 
 the soldier had pierced His side with a spear, the point of which was a 
 handbreadth in width, thus causing a wound which would of itself have 
 been sufficient to cause death, whereupon there had issued forth blood 
 and water (John xix. 34). Thus the Holy Body was now ready for its 
 entombment. 
 
 44. And Pilate marvelled] Death by crucifixion did not generally 
 snpervene even for three days, and thirty-six hours is said to be the earliest 
 period when it would be thus brought about. Pilate, therefore, marvelled 
 
i84 ST MARK, XV [vv. 45— 47. 
 
 were already dead : and calling unto him the centurion, he 
 45 asked him whether he had been any while dead. And when 
 
 he knew // of the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph. 
 45 And he bought fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped 
 
 him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was 
 
 hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the 
 47 sepulchre. And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of 
 
 J OSes beheld where he was laid. 
 
 at the request of Joseph, and required the evidence of the centurion to 
 assure himself of the fact. 
 
 45. he gave the body to Joseph^ The word translated *'gave " only 
 occurs in the New Testament here and in 2 Peter i. 3, 4 ; "according 
 as his divine povi^er hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life 
 and godliness;" "whereby ai'e given unto us exceeding great and 
 precious promises." It means more than simply to give, and= 'V^ give 
 
 freely," " largiri." The word appears to be used designedly by St Mark, 
 implying that Pilate, who from his character might have been expected 
 to extort money from the wealthy " counsellor, "}9r^/j'^<3;z/(? up the Body 
 at his request, placing it at his disposal by a written order, or a verbal 
 command to the centurion. 
 
 46. And he bought fine linen\ Thus successful, Joseph purchased 
 fine (probably white) linen, the original word for which has been already 
 explained in the note on ch. xiv. 51, and then he repaired to Golgotha, 
 where he was joined by Nicodemus, formerly a secret disciple like 
 himself, but whom the Cross had emboldened to come forward and bring 
 a viixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight (John xix. 
 39), to do honour to the Lord of life. 
 
 7vrapped him in the lineit] Thus assisted, Joseph took down the Holy 
 Body, laid it in the fine linen, sprinkled the myrrh and aloes amongst 
 the folds, and wound them round the wounded Limbs. 
 
 a sepidchrc\ He then conveyed the Body to a new Tomb, wherein as 
 yet no man had ever been laid, and which he had hewn out of the lime- 
 stone rock in a garden he possessed hard by Golgotha (John xix. 41). 
 He was anxious probably himself to be buried there in the near precincts 
 of the Holy City. Here now they laid the Holy Body in a niche in the 
 r6ck, and 
 
 rolled a stone\ of large size (Matt, xxvii. 60) to the horizontal entrance, 
 while 
 
 47. Mary Magdale7ie\ and Mary the mother of Joses (see note above, 
 V. 40) and the other women (Luke xxiii. 55), '"beheld," i.e. observed 
 carefully, the place where He was laid, and where, surrounded by all the 
 mystery of death, 
 
 ' ' Still He slept, from Head to Feet 
 Shrouded in the winding-sheet, 
 Lying in the rock alone. 
 Hidden by the sealed stone." 
 
vv. 1—5.] ST MARK, XVI. 185 
 
 I — 8. The Resurrection. 
 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and 16 
 Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet 
 spices, that they might come and anoint him. And very 2 
 early in the morning the first day of the week, they came 
 unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. And they said 3 
 among themselves. Who shall roll us away the stone from 
 the door of the sepulchre ? And when they looked, they 4 
 saw that the stone was rolled away : for it was very great. 
 And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sit- s 
 
 Ch. XVI. 1—8. The Resurrection. 
 
 1. And xvhen the sabbath wat past'] Friday night, Saturday, and 
 Saturday night passed away, three days according to the Jewish reckon- 
 ing (comp. (a) I Sam. xxx. 12, 13; 2 Chron. x. 5, 12 ; {b) Matt. xii. 40; 
 John ii. 19; Matt, xxvii. 63), and He, Who had truly. died, lay also 
 truly buried. 
 
 bought sweet spices] Meanwhile the holy women, whom a love 
 stronger than death had drawn to observe the spot on the evening of 
 His burial, had returned in order that they might complete the embalming 
 of the Body, which had necessarily been done in haste, as the Sabbath 
 drew on (Luke xxiii. 54). 
 
 2. A7id very early in the mornijig] while * ' it was yet dark " (John xx. 
 i), before the dawn streaked the eastern sky on 
 
 the first day of the week] the world's first Easter-Day, our Lord^s Day 
 (Rev. i. 10), 
 
 they came] or rather, come (observe again the graphic present of the 
 Evangelist), draw near, to the sepulchre. 
 
 3. And they said aviojig themselves] Unaware of the deputation of 
 the Jewish rulers, which had gone to Pilate, and secured the sealing of 
 the Stone and the setting of the wutch over the Tomb (Matt, xxvii. 
 62 — 66), their only anxiety was, Who shall roll away the stone from the 
 door of the septdchre'^ 
 
 4. And when they looked] But as they drew nearer amidst the 
 ghmmering light, the earth quaked beneath their feet (Matt, xxviii. 2), 
 and looking up they saw that all cause of anxiety was removed, for the 
 stone was already rolled away. Observe the force of the expression 
 '■'■when they looked.^'' It means when they '■Rooked up ;" an accurate and 
 graphic detail. 
 
 for it was very great] About this fact there could be no doubt. The 
 stone which had closed the entrance was " very great ," and even at a 
 distance on looking up to the height, on which the rock-tomb lay, they 
 could see it was not in its place, but had changed its position. 
 
 5. A fid entering into the sepndchre] This emboldened them all to 
 enter into the tomb, except Mary of Magdala, who, seeing in the rolling 
 away of the stone the confirmation of her worst fears, fled away to the 
 Apostles Peter and John ; and there they saw 
 
i86 ST MARK, XVI. [vv. 6— 8. 
 
 ting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and 
 
 6 they were affrighted. And he saith unto them, Be not af- 
 frighted : Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified : 
 he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they 
 
 7 laid him. But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that 
 he goeth before you into Gahlee : there shall ye see him, as 
 
 8 he said unto you. And they went out quickly, and fled from 
 
 a young ma->i\ or as some of them may have specified, two (Luke 
 xxiv. 4), sitting on the right hand, (Comp. Luke i. 11.) 
 
 clothed in a long white garmenfl white or ^^ glistering'''^ (Luke xxiv. 
 4) ; "hilid with a whit stoole," Wydif. Note the word "hilid" here, 
 from "helan" to "cover," whence our word "heU" = *Vy^^ covered 
 plcice. " 
 
 arid they were affrighted^ On the force of the Greek word thus 
 rendered, see above, ch. ix. 15. The sight of the heavenly visitants 
 (Luke xxiv. 4) filled them with the utmost terror and amazement, '*]jei 
 weren abaist,''^ Wyclif. 
 
 6. he is risen] When exactly He had risen no man knoweth, for no man 
 saw. But that it was true did not admit of doubt. When the Apostles 
 Peter and John visited the tomb an hour or so afterwards (JohiLxx. 
 3—10), they went in undismayed, but it was empty. The Holy Body 
 was gone ! There were no traces of violence. All was order and calm. 
 The linen bandages lay carefully unrolled by themselves. The face- 
 cloth that had covered the Face lay not with them. It was folded up in 
 a place in the empty niche by itself. But He was not there. He had 
 risen even as He had said. 
 
 behold the place] where, indeed, He had been laid by kindly hands, but 
 which did not contain Him now. 
 
 7. go your 7vay] Practical action must take the place of vague 
 astonishment. There was a message to be borne. 
 
 and Peter] No wonder it is in the Gospel of St Mark we find this 
 wondrous touch. Who afterwards would have been so likely, as the 
 Apostle himself, to treasure up this word, the pledge of possible forgive- 
 ness, after the dreadful hours he must have spent during Friday night, 
 Saturday, and Saturday night ? What story would he have so often told 
 to his son in the faith either in Eastern Babylon or the capital of the 
 West ? 
 
 he goeth before you] as a true Shepherd before His sheep. It is the 
 same word which {a) He Himself used on the evening of the Betrayal, 
 "After I am risen again, I \\'\^ go before you into Galilee" (Matt. xxvi. 
 32; Mark xiv. 28) ; which {b) is applied to the star ''going before'' the 
 Magi at His nativity, and {c) to His own ''going before"" His Apostles 
 on the road towards Jerusalem, where He was to suffer. See note 
 above, ch. x. 32. 
 
 8. they went out quickly] At present the holy women were over- 
 whelmed with alarm at the sight they had witnessed and the words they 
 bad heard. 
 
vv. 9— lo.] ST MARK, XVL 187 
 
 the sepulchre ; for they trembled and were amazed : neither 
 said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid. 
 
 9 — 1 1. The Appearance to Mary Magdalene. 
 
 Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, 9 
 he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had 
 cast seven devils. And she went and told them that had 10 
 
 they trembled'), Literally, for tremblmg and amazement possessed 
 them, or as Wyclif renders it, " forsoj^e drede and quakynge hadde 
 assaylid hem." The original word = ^^ amazement" has been already the 
 subject of comment above, eh. v. 42. The word rendered ^'trembling" 
 occurs nowhere else in the Four Gospels. 
 
 neither said they any thing to any man\ That is, on their way to the 
 Holy City they did not open their lips to any passers by they chanced to 
 meet. Joy opened them freely enough afterwards to the Apostles (Matt, 
 xxviii. 8). 
 
 for they -were afraid"] In a tumult of rapture and alarm they fled 
 back from the tomb towards the Holy City. The occurrence of the 
 morning was so new to them, great, and unheard of, that they ventured 
 not as yet to publish it. 
 
 9—11. The Appearance to Mary Magdalene. 
 
 9. No7u when] On this section from 9 — -20, see Introduction, pp. 
 15, 16. 
 
 he appeared firsfl As yet, it will be observed, no human eye had 
 seen the risen Conqueror of Death. The holy women had seen the 
 stone rolled away, and the empty tomb, and had heard the words of the 
 Angels, and announced all that had occurred to the Eleven, but their 
 words appeared to them as '■^ idle tales'''' (Luke xxiv. 11). The Apostles 
 Peter and John also, when they vicited the Sepulchre, beheld proofs 
 that it was indeed empty, but ^^ Him they saw not." The first person 
 to whom the Saviour shewed Himself after His resurrection was Mary 
 of Magdala. After recounting to the Apostles Peter and John the 
 rolling away of the stone, she seems to have returned to the sepulchre ; 
 there she beheld the two angels in white apparel, whom the other 
 women had seen (John xx. 12), and while she was in vain solacing her 
 anguish at the removal of her Lord, He stood before her, and one word 
 sufficed to assure her that it was He, her Healer, and her Lord. 
 
 otit of whom he had cast srcen devils] That He should have been 
 pleased to manifest Himself first after His resurrection not to the whole 
 Apostolic company, but to a woman, and that woman not His earthly 
 Mother, but Mary of Magdala, clearly made a strong impression on the 
 early Church. 
 
 10. she went and told] In the fulness of believing faith she hurried 
 back to Jerusalem and recounted her tale of joy to the Eleven and the 
 rest. 
 
ST MARK, XVI. [vv. ii— 13. 
 
 11 been with him, as they mourned and wept. And they, when 
 they had heard that he was ahve, and had been seen of her, 
 beUeved not. 
 
 12, 13. The Appearance to Two of them. 
 
 12 After that he appeared in another form unto two of 
 
 13 them, as they walked, and went into the country. And they 
 
 as they mourned and wept\ Desolate at the loss of their beloved 
 Master, and unable to realize the wonderful accounts of His resurrection. 
 " Weylinge and wepynge " is Wyclifs rendering. 
 
 11. had been seen of her\ The original word here translated "had 
 been seen" occurs nowhere else in St Mark except here in this section 
 and in verse 14. 
 
 believed not\ So incredible to them did the whole story appear. 
 
 12, 13. The Appearance to Two of them. 
 
 12. After thaf] On the world's first Easter-Day the risen Saviour 
 manifested Himself first to Mary Magdalene, then to the other minis- 
 tering women. The Evangelist now proceeds to relate the appearance 
 to the two disciples journeying towards Emmaus, which is more fully 
 described by St Luke (xxiy. 13 — 35). 
 
 he appeared^ ^^ he is schewid" Wyclif. This word in the original is 
 applied to our Lord's "manifestations" of Himself after His resurrection 
 {a) by St Mark twice, here and xvi. 14; {b) by St John three times, xxi. 
 1, 14 ; {c)hy St Paul to our "manifestation" in our real character at the 
 Last Judgment, 2 Cor. v. ro (coinp. r Cor. iv. 5) ; [d) by the same 
 Apostle to the "manifestation" of Christ at His second coming, Col. 
 iii. 4. The word points here to a change in the Person of our Lord after 
 His resurrection. He is the same and yet not the same, [a) The same. 
 There are the well-known intonations of His voice, and the marks in 
 His hands and feet (John xx. 20, 25); and He eats before His Apostles, 
 converses with them, blesses them. And yet He is {b) not the same. His 
 risen Body is no longer subject to the laws of time and space. He 
 comes we know not whence. He goes we know not whither. Now He 
 stands in the midst of the Apostles (John xx. 19) ; now He vanishes out 
 of their sight (Luke xxiv. 31). He knows now of no continued sojourn 
 on earth. He '''^ appears frovi time to time" (Acts i. 3); He ^^mani- 
 fests'''' Himself to chosen witnesses, as seemeth Him good. 
 
 in another for m'\ It is plain from St Luke xxiv. 16 that He was 
 not at the time recognised. This appearance would seem to have been 
 vouchsafed early in the afternoon of the day of the Resurrection. 
 
 tinto two ofthej?i\ The name of one was Cleopas = Cleopatros, not the 
 Clopas of John xix. 25, and another whose name is not known. Some 
 have conjectured it was Nathanael, others the Evangelist St Luke. 
 
 as they zualked'\ from Jerusalem in the direction of the village of 
 Emmaus. St Luke says it was sixty stadia ( A. V. "threescore furlongs"), 
 or about 7^ miles from Jerusalem. From the earliest period it was 
 identified by Christian writers with the Emmaus on the border of the 
 
V. 14.] ST MARK, XVI. 189 
 
 went and told // unto the residue ; neither believed they 
 them. 
 
 14 — 18. The Appearance to the Eleven. 
 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at 14 
 meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness 
 
 plain of Philistia, afterwards called Nicopolis (i Mace. iii. 40), situated 
 some 20 miles from Jerusalem. Afterwards it was identified with the 
 little village of el-Kiibeibeh, about 3 miles west of the ancient Mizpeh, and 
 9 miles from Jerusalem. The true site has yet to be settled. 
 
 13. they went and told it unto the residue] No sooner did they recognise 
 our Lord in the breaking of the bread (Luke xxiv. 35), and He had 
 vanished out of their sight (Luke xxiv. 31), than they returned in haste 
 to Jerusalem, ascended to the Upper Room, found ten of the Apostles 
 met together (Luke xxiv. 33), and whereas they thought they alone were 
 the bearers of joyful tidings, they were themselves greeted with joyful 
 tidings, '■'■ The Lord has risen indeed, atid appeared unto Si^non^^ (Luke 
 xxiv. 34 ; I Cor. xv. 5). When this appearance was vouchsafed to St 
 Peter we are not told. It certainly occurred after the return from the 
 sepulchre, but whether before or after the journey to Emmaus cannot be 
 determined. 
 
 neither believed they theni] The Ten, as we have just now seen, an- 
 nounced that the Lord had appeared to Simon, and this they at the time 
 believed. When the two disciples arrive, they announce that He had 
 appeared to them also. Unable to comprehend this new mode of exist- 
 ence on the part of their risen Lord, that He could be now here and now 
 there, they were filled with doubts. They had refused to believe the 
 evidence of Mary Magdalene (Mark xvi. 11), and even now hesitation 
 possessed them, and they could not give credence to the word of the 
 two disciples. The Evangelists multiply proofs of the slowness of the 
 Apostles to accept a truth so strange and unprecedented as their Lord's 
 resurrection, and that not to a continuous sojourn, as in the case of 
 Lazarus, but to a form of life which was manifested only from time to 
 time, and was invested with new powers, new properties, new attributes. 
 The Resurrection, it is to be remembered, was unlike {a) any of the 
 recorded miracles of raising from the dead, {b) any of the legends of 
 Greece or Rome. It was "not a restoration to the old life, to its 
 wants, to its inevitable close, but the revelation of a new life, fore- 
 shadowing new powers of action and a new mode of being." See 
 Westcott's Gospel of the Resurrection, pp. 154 — 160. 
 
 14 — 18. The Appearance to the Eleven. 
 
 14. Aftenvard'] That is on the evening of the day of the Resurrec- 
 tion, when the two disciples returning from Emmaus had recounted 
 their tale of joy, and the others had told them of the appearance to 
 St Peter. 
 
 as they sat at meat] On this occasion, when they were terrified at His 
 sudden appearing (Luke xxiv. 37), and thought they were looking at a 
 
I90 ST MARK, XVI. [vv. 15—17. 
 
 of heart, because they believed not them which had seen 
 
 15 him after he was risen. And he said unto them, Go ye into 
 
 16 all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He 
 that believeth and is baptized shall be saved ; but he that 
 
 ^7 beheveth not shall be damned. And these signs shall fol- 
 
 spectre or phantom, He calmed their fears by {a) bidding them take 
 note of His Hands and His Feet, by (d) eating in their presence of 
 broiled fish (Luke xxiv. 41 — 43), and by (c) reiterating His salutation, 
 ^^ Peace be unto you'''' (John xx. 21). 
 
 and upbraided tkeni\ Their new-bom joy still struggled with bewil- 
 derment and unbelief (Luke xxiv. 21), and one of their number, St 
 Thomas, was absent altogether, having apparently thrown away all 
 hope. 
 
 hardness of heart] Compare His words (a) after the feedmg of the 
 Five and Four Thousand, and (1^) to the disciples journeying towards 
 Emmaus, Luke xxiv. 25. 
 
 them which had seen him'] Of the five appearances after the Resur- 
 rection vouchsafed on the world's first Easter-Day four had already 
 taken place before this interview, (i) To Mary Magdalene, (ii) to the 
 other ministering women, (iii) to the two journeying to Emmaus, 
 (iv) to St Peter. 
 
 15. And he said unto thepi] St John informs us that on this occa- 
 sion the Risen Saviour bjreathed on the Apostles, and gave them a fore- 
 taste of the bestowal of the Holy Ghost, with power to remit sin and 
 retain sin. St Mark tells us of very important words, which He went 
 on to utter, anticipating the final charge recorded by St Matthew (Matt 
 xxviii. 16 — 20). 
 
 Go ye into all the world] Or, as it is expressed in St Matthew's 
 Gospel, '■^make disciples of all itations" (xxviii. 19), and comp. Luke 
 xxiv. 47 ; Acts i. 8. Contrast these injunctions with those to the 
 Twelve during His earthly ministry, Matt. x. 5, 6, " Go not into the 
 way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: 
 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. " 
 
 every creature] i.e. to the whole creation, the whole world of men, 
 not Jews only or Samaritans, but Gentiles of all nations. Comp. Rom. 
 viii. 21, 22. 
 
 16. He that believeth and is baptized] Not faith only, but baptism 
 also is required by the Lord. Compare the words of Philip the deacon 
 to the Ethiopian eunuch, Acts viii. 37. 
 
 he that believeth not] He addeth not and is baptized here. This 
 would have been superfluous. He who refuses to believe will refuse to 
 be baptized. 
 
 shall be damned] See note above, ch. xii. 40. He who wilfully 
 rejects the Gospel message, when duly offered him, shall have no share 
 in its saving mercies, but shall be left to the condemnation due to him 
 for his sins. 
 
 17. And these signs'] For this word applied to Miracles see 
 note, ch. vi. 2. 
 
vv. i8, 19.] ST MARK, XVI. 191 
 
 low them that believe ; In my name shall they cast out 
 devils ; they shall speak with new tongues ; they shall take 18 
 up serpents ; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not 
 hurt them ; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall 
 recover. 
 
 1 9, 20. The Ascension. 
 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was ^9 
 
 shall follow] Literally, shall proceed along with. The same word 
 in the original is used by St Luke, i. 3, "It seemed good to me also, 
 having had perfect understanding of all things " (literally, having' care- 
 fully followed up). 
 
 tliem that believe] i. e. those that shall have believed, shall have adopted 
 the Faith and been baptized. 
 
 hi viy name shall they cast out devils] As is afterwards recorded to 
 have been done by Philip the deacon in Samaria {Acts viii. 7), by St 
 Paul at Philippi (Acts xvi. 18) and Ephesus (Acts xix. 15, 16). 
 
 they shall speak with new tongues] as all the Apostles did on the day 
 of Pentecost, and the Gentile friends of Cornelius (Acts x. 46), and the 
 twelve disciples at Ephesus (Acts xix. 6), and many afterwards in the 
 Church of Corinth (i Cor. xii. 10). 
 
 18. they shall take tip serpents] And so we read of St Paul shaking 
 off the viper at Malta (Acts xxviii. 5). Comp. Luke x. 19. 
 
 and if they drink] As is related of St John that he drank the cup of 
 hemlock which was intended to cause his death, and suffered no harm 
 from it, and of Barsabas surnamed Justus (Eusebius, Eccl. Hist. ill. 39). 
 
 they shall lay hands on the sick] As St Peter did on the lame man at 
 the Beautiful Gate of the Temple (Acts iii. 7), and St Paul on Publius 
 in the island of Malta (Acts xxviii. 8). "Gifts of healing" are men- 
 tioned both by this last Apostle (i Cor. xii. q) and by St James (v. 14, 15) 
 as remaining in the Church. 
 
 19, 20. The Ascension. 
 
 19. So then after the Lord] Some MSS. here insert the word Jesus. 
 Combined with Lord, it would be a term of reverence. 
 
 spoken unto them] This does not mean immediately after our Lord 
 had uttered the last words, but after He had on different occasions 
 during the " Great Forty Days " spoken unto them of "the things per- 
 taining to the kingdom of God" (Acts i. 3). The original word here 
 rendered '■^ had spoken unto them " has a much wider signification. It 
 signifies to teach, to instrtut by precuhing and other oral communication. 
 Compare its use in Mark xiii. 11; John ix. 29, *'We know that God 
 spake unto M.o%es,,^' i.e. held communications v^\'Ca. Moses; John xv. 22, 
 "If I had not come," says our Lord, "and spoken unto them," i.e. 
 preached to them. So that here it denotes after our Lord had during 
 the forty days fully instructed His Apostles by His oral teaching in all 
 things appertaining to His kingdom and the planting of His Church. 
 
192 ST MARK, XVI. [v. 20. 
 
 received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. 
 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord 
 
 he was received '\ The original word only occurs here in the Gospels. 
 It is applied three times in the Acts (i. 2, 11, -22) to the Ascension, and 
 is so applied by St Paul, i Tim. iii. 16, ** received tip into glory." 
 
 into heaven'\ What St Mark records thus concisely in his short prac- 
 tical Gospel for the busy, active, Christians of Rome, St Luke has 
 related at much greater length. From him we learn how one day the 
 Lord bade His Apostles accompany Him along the road from Jerusalem 
 towards Bethany and the Mount of Olives j how, full of hopes of a tem- 
 poral kingdom, they questioned Him as to the time of its establish- 
 ment ; how their inquiries were solemnly silenced (Acts i. 7); and how 
 then after He had bestowed upon them His last abiding blessing, while 
 His Hands were yet upUfted in benediction (Luke xxiv. 50, 51), ^^ He 
 began to be pa^'ted from theni^ and a cloud received Him out of their 
 
 and sat on the right hand of God] The Session at the right 
 Hand of God, recorded only by St Mark, forms a striking and appro- 
 priate conclusion to his Gospel, and "conveys to the mind a comprehen- 
 sive idea of Christ's Majesty and Rule." Our Lord was "taken up," 
 and bore our redeemed humanity into the very presence of God, into "the 
 place of all places in the universe of things, in situation most eminent, 
 in quality most holy, in dignity most excellent, in glory most illustrious, 
 the inmost sanctuary of God's temple above" (Barrow's Sermon on the 
 Ascension). There, having led "captivity captive, and received gifts 
 for men" (Ps. Ixviii. 18 ; Eph. iv. 8), He sat down on the right Hand 
 of God, by which expression we are to understand that in the heaven of 
 heavens He now occupies the place of greatest honour, of most exalted 
 majesty, and of most perfect bliss, and that God hath conferred upon 
 Him all preeminence of dignity, power, favour, and felicity. See 
 Pearson on the Creed, Art. vi. 
 
 20. ^4«^//^^j] i.e. the Apostles. 
 
 went forth] Not immediately. They were commanded not to 
 "depart from Jerusalem," but to "tarry " there until at Pentecost they 
 should be endued with power from on high (Luke xxiv. 49 ; Acts i. 4). 
 But when the day of Pentecost had come, and the Comforter had been 
 bestowed, they went forth on their career of conquest, 
 
 and preached every whei-e] St Mark himself when he wrote his Gos- 
 pel had witnessed the spread of the Church from Babylon in the distant 
 East to the City of the Seven Hills in the West. 
 
 the Lord worJiing with them] according to His promise, ^^ Behold I 
 am with you always, even unto the end of the world." The word 
 translated ^^ working with them" only occurs here in the Gospels, but is 
 used by St Paul, Rom. viii. 28, "all things work together for good to 
 them that love God;" i Cor. xvi. 16, "to every one XSx'^X helpeth with 
 ns ;" 2 Cor. vi. i, " we then as workers together with Him, beseech you 
 also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain ; " and by St James 
 (ii. 22), "seest thou how faith wrought with his works?" 
 
V. 20.] ST MARK, XVI. 193 
 
 working with them^ and confirming the word with signs fol- 
 lowing. Amen. 
 
 confirming] The original word here employed denotes (i) /<? make 
 firm to the tread, (2) to make steadfast, (3) /^ establish, confirm. It 
 occurs nowhere else in the Gospels, but it is found five times in St Paul's 
 Epistles, and twice in the Epistle to the Hebrews. Thus St Paul writes 
 to the Romans (xv. 8), "Jesus Christ was a minister of the circum- 
 cision to confirvi the promises made unto the fathers;" and to the 
 
 Corinthians (i. 8) that God will ^''confirm them unto the end, that they 
 may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ ; " and to the same 
 
 Church again (2 Cor. i. i\), "now he which stablisheth us with you 
 
 is God;" and he exhorts the Colossians (ii. 6, 7), "to walk, rooted and 
 built up in Qesus Christ], and stablished in the faith." And for illustra- 
 tions of the confirmation of the Apostolic commission compare (i) Acts 
 iv. 29, 30; (ii) Acts V. 12; (iii) Acts xiv. 3. 
 
 with signs] Rather, by the signs wliicli followed. 
 
 following] The original word thus rendered denotes more than merely 
 to follow, and = to follow close npon, to follow in the track of another. 
 St Paul uses it in i Tim. v. 10, speaking of the condition of a "widow 
 indeed," "if she had diligently followed every good work;" and in 
 
 I Tim. V. -24, "Some men's sins are open beforehand and some 
 
 men thty follow after.^^ St Peter uses the word in one place (i Pet. ii. 
 21), "Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that ye 
 should follow His steps." The word is very expressive here, and 
 denotes that the "signs" followed close upon, and were the immediate 
 result of, the continued operation of Him, Who, clad in majesty 
 ineffable, sitteth at the right hand of God, and hath promised to 
 be with His Church " even tinto the end of the world'''' (Matt, xxviii. 
 20). The Evangelist does not conceive of Christ's Session as a state of 
 inactive rest, (i) As the High Priest of His Church He pleads with the 
 Father the merits of His wondrous sacrifice (Rom. viii. 34; Heb. iv. 14, 
 vii. 25; I John ii. i, 2). (ii) As the Prophet, He teaches, inspires, and 
 guides His Church into all truth (Deut. xviii. 15; Lulce xxiv. 19). 
 (iii) As King of kings and Lord of lords. He sways the destinies of the 
 universe, and employs the agency of heaven and earth for the govern- 
 ment and defence of His people, till He shall have subdued all things 
 unto Himself (Phil. iii. 21), and the last enemy, even death, shall be 
 destroyed (i Cor. xv. 26), and the victory, for which all Creation waits, 
 shall be finally and completely won (Rom. viii. 19 — 23). 
 
 Amen] This is wanting in the best MSS. For some remarks re- 
 specting the apotheosis of the Caesars at the era of the Ascension, see 
 Abp Trench's Htdsean Lectures, and compare the striking fact that 
 "on public buildings at Ephesus, Augustus is found, from inscriptions 
 on recently discovered buildings there, to have been described by the 
 singular title TIos Geou, ''Son of God.'' With this revelation of the 
 great Conqueror, the true divus Ccesar, seated at the right hand of 
 God — of which glorious reality the divine honours paid to the emperors 
 at the very time he was writing from Rome were the dark shadow — 
 
 ST MARK i-y 
 
[94 
 
 ST MARK, XVI. [v. 20. 
 
 the second Evangelist brings his Gospel to a close. He has portrayed 
 the Son of Man and the Son of God as He wrought on earth, in all 
 the fulness of His living Energy, ''going about doing good" (Acts x. 38); 
 He leaves us to realize, and realizing to believe in. His continued 
 operation in the very heaven of heavens, in behalf of His Church and 
 the Humanity He came to save. 
 
 "The golden censer in His hand, 
 He offers hearts from every land, 
 Tied to His own by gentlest band 
 
 Of silent love : 
 Above Him winged blessings stand 
 In act to move." 
 
 Keble's Christian Year. Ascension Day. 
 
INDEX I. 
 
 Abiathar and the shewbread, 44 
 
 Adultery, woman taken in, 137 
 
 Agony in the Garden, 161 ; comparison 
 of, with first temptation, 162 
 
 Ahimelech, 44 
 
 Alphaeus, 41 
 
 Ange.s, at the temptation, 31 ; at the 
 sepulchre, 186 
 
 Annas, some account of, 166; our Lord's 
 examination before, 166 
 
 Apostles, meaning of word, 48 ; lists of, 
 48, 49 ; mission of, 69 ; return of, after 
 their first mission, 75 ; slowness of, to 
 believe the Resurrection, 190 
 
 Appearance of our Lord to Mar^' Mag- 
 dalene, 187 ; to the other ministering 
 women, 188 ; to the two disciples, 188 ; 
 to St Peter, 189 ; to the Ten Apostles, 
 189 
 
 Arimathsea, site of, 183 
 
 j\scension, as recorded by St Mark, 191 
 
 Atonement, figures used to describe ef- 
 fects of, 117 
 
 Babylon, St Mark at, 10 
 
 Baptism, our Lord's, 29 ; probable locali- 
 ty of, 29 ; import of, 30 
 
 Barabbas, 172; various reading, 173; 
 his crime, 173 
 
 Barnabas, his connection with St Mark, 
 9; sharp contention with St Paul on 
 account of, 10 
 
 Bartholomew. See Nathanael. 
 
 Baskets, kinds of, 78 ; use amongst the 
 Jews, 78 
 
 Beelzebub, meaning of, 51 
 
 Bethany, supper at, 151 
 
 Bethphage, meaning of, 120, 123: pro- 
 bable site of, 120 
 
 Bethsaida, western, 78 ; eastern = Beth- 
 saida-Julias, 93; history of, 76 
 
 Betrayal of our Lord, 164 ; circumstances 
 of, 165 ; planned by Judas, 154 
 
 Brethren of our Lord, 68; opinions con- 
 cerning, 68 
 
 Csesarea on the sea, 95 ; seat of the pro- 
 curator, 171 ; Pilate resides there, 171 
 
 Csesarea Philippi, 94; history of, 94; 
 events connected with, 64 
 
 Caiaphas, 166 ; his character, 166, 167 
 
 Calvary, meaning of word, 177 
 
 Cana, miracle at, 87 
 
 Cananite, Simon the, 50; meaning of 
 
 word, 50 
 Capernaum, 33 ; events connected with. 
 
 Chief priests, meaning of the name, 124 ; 
 
 conduct of, at the Crucifixion, 179 
 Clement of Alexandria, testimony of, 
 
 concerning St Mark, 13 
 Cleopas, 188 
 Clothes, rending of, by the high priest, 
 
 168 
 Cock-crowing, 150 
 Corn, plucking ears of, 43 
 Cross, form of, 177; title on, 178; our 
 
 Lord's borne by Simon the Cyrenian, 
 
 176; Roman customs regarding, 178 
 Crown of Thorns, materials of, 176 
 
 Dalmanutha, position of, 91 
 
 Darkness, the, at the Crucifixion, 179, 
 
 180 
 David and the shewbread, 44 
 Decapolis, cities in the region of, 63 
 Demoniacs, healing of, 51; boy, healing 
 
 of, 103 ; at Gadara, 60 
 Denarius, the, value of, 76 ; description 
 
 of, 77 ; shewn to our Lord, 132 
 Devil, the temptation of Christ, 31 
 Disciples, early, call of, 32 ; disciples of 
 
 HiUel. no, 136 
 Discourse of our Lord, character of, after 
 
 the Transfiguration, 101 
 
 Emmaus, doubts concerning site of, 187, 
 
 188 ; two disciples journeying to, 188 
 Ephraim, Christ retires to, 109 
 Eucharist, the Holy, institution of, 159 
 Eusebius, testimony of, concerning St 
 Mark's Gospel, 11 
 
 Fasting, Jewish rules concerning, 42 
 
 Figs, time of, 123 
 
 Fig-tree, withering of, 125 
 
 Five thousand, feeding of, 75; site of 
 
 miracle, 76 
 Four thousand, feeding of, 89; site of 
 
 miracle, 90 
 
 Gabbatha, 171 
 
 Galilee, populousness of, 31 ; dialect of 
 inhabitants of, 170; Apostles bidden to 
 repair to, after the Resurrection, iS5 
 
196 
 
 INDEX I. 
 
 Garment, Christ's seamless, 178 
 
 Genealogy, none in St Mark, 16 
 
 Gennesaret, names of, 32 ; storm on, 59 ; 
 land of, 80 
 
 Gergesa, site of, 60 
 
 Gethsemane, meaning of word, 161 ; our 
 Lord's agony in, iGr 
 
 Golgotha, site of, 177; meaning of, 177 
 
 Gospels, the one Gospel, 7 ; commemora- 
 tion of, in the Gospels, 8 ; meaning of 
 the word, 8, n. ; the Gospel of Jesus 
 Christ, 27 
 
 Grave-clothes, position of, at the Resur- 
 rection, 186 
 
 Greek language spoken at Rome, 12, n. 
 3 ; title on the Cross in, 178 
 
 Greeks, the enquiring, 140; brought to 
 our Lord, 140 
 
 Guards, setting of, 185 
 
 Hell, meaning of, 107 
 
 Herod Antipas, his adultery, 72; his 
 murder of the Baptist, 75 ; our Lord 
 before, 172 
 
 Herodians, the, some account of, 46; 
 formation of the name, 46: their hos- 
 tility to our Lord, 132; their questioning 
 of Him, 132 
 
 Herodias, wife of Herod Antipas, 72; 
 some account of, 72 : her hatred of the 
 Baptist, 72; causes his murder, 74 
 
 High priest, the appointment of, under 
 the Romans, 124 
 
 Hillel, school of, no, 136; opinions of, 
 respecting divorce, no 
 
 Holy Ghost, the descent of, at our Lord's 
 Baptism, 29 ; promised to the Apostles, 
 143 ; sin against the, explained, 52 
 
 Idumaea, meaning of word, 46 ; extent of, 
 
 46 ; multitudes from, come to our Lord, 
 
 46 
 
 Inscription, the, placed on the Cross, 178 
 
 Irenaeus, testimony of, concernLng St 
 
 Mark, 13 
 
 Jairus, daughter of, restored to life, 66 
 
 James, St, the Great, call of, 33; named 
 with his brother Boanerges, 49 ; present 
 at the raising of Jairus' daughter, 66; 
 at the Transfiguration, 98; his am- 
 bitious request, 115; at Gethsemane, 
 161 ; early martyrdom of, 49 
 
 James, St, the Less, call of, 30; meaning 
 of appellation, 182 
 
 Jericho, earlj' history of, 117; blind men 
 restored at, 118 
 
 Jerome, testimony of, concerning St 
 Mark, 14 
 
 Jerusalem, our Lord's triumphal entry 
 into, 121 ; view of, from Mount Olivet, 
 122; His prophecies respecting, 141; 
 destruction of, 146, 147 
 
 Jesus 
 
 (i) His Baptism, 29 ; His Temptation, 
 ..30 
 
 (ii) Mtmstrntions in Eastern Galilee 
 Calls His first disciples, 32 ; cures 
 the demoniac at Capernaum, 33; 
 heals Peter's wife's mother, 35 ; 
 cleanses a leper, 37 ; cures the para- 
 lytic, 38; calls St Matthew, 40; de- 
 fends the disciples for plucking the 
 ears of corn, 43 ; heals the man with 
 the withered hand, 45; calls the 
 Apostles, 47 ; delivers the parables, 
 of the Sower, 53 ; the Seed growing 
 secretly, 57; the Mustard Seed, 58; 
 stills the Storm, 59 ; heals the Gada- 
 rene demoniac, 60 ; and the woman 
 with the issue, 64 ; raises the daugh- 
 ter of Jairus, 65 ; is rejected at Na- 
 zareth, 67 ; sends forth the Apostles, 
 69; feeds the Five Thousand, 76; 
 walks on the Sea, 78 
 
 (iii) Miftistratiotis in Northern Galilee 
 Heals the daughter of the Syro- 
 phoenician woman, 85 ; gradually 
 heals the deaf and dumb, 87 ; feeds 
 the Four Thousand, 89; warns His 
 Apostles against the leaven of the 
 Pharisees and of Herod, 91 ; gradual- 
 ly cures the blind man, 93 ; receives 
 the confession of St Peter, 94 ; pre- 
 dicts for the first time His Passion, 96; 
 is transfigured, 98 ; heals the lunatic 
 boy, 103; predicts His Passion for the 
 second time, 105 ; teaches His Apos- 
 tles humility and self-denial, 106 
 
 (iv) Mifiistraiions in Percea 
 
 Replies to question about divorce, 
 no ; blesses httle children, in ; puts 
 the rich young ruler to the test, 112; 
 reveals the danger of riches, 113; 
 promises the reward of self-sacrifice, 
 114 
 
 (v) Last j'otimey to Jerusalem and 
 tJie Passion 
 
 Predicts His sufferings for the 
 third time, 115; rebukes the am- 
 bitious Apostles, 116; heals blind 
 Bartimaeus, 118; is anointed by 
 Mary at Bethany, 152; enters Jeru- 
 salem in triumph, 121; declares the 
 judgment of the barren fig-tree, 123; 
 cleanses the Temple, 123; is ques- 
 tioned by the Sanhedrim, 126; re- 
 plies to the Pharisees respecting the 
 tribute-money, 132; to the Sadducees 
 respecting the resurrection, 134; to 
 the lawyer, respecting the Command- 
 ments, 136; puts His counter-ques- 
 tion, 137 ; predicts the destruction of 
 Jerusalem, and the end of the world, 
 140; prepares for the Passover, 155; 
 institutes the Holy Eucharist, 159; 
 endures the agony at Gethsemane, 
 
INDEX I. 
 
 197 
 
 161 ; is betrayed, 164 ; is tried 
 before the Jews, 166; denied by St 
 Peter, 169; is tried before Pilate, 
 170 ; is condemned, 168 ; crucified, 
 176; dies, 180; is buried, 184 
 (vi) Victory over the grave and As- 
 cension 
 
 Lies in the Tomb, 184; rises again, 
 185; is seen by Mary Magdalene, 
 187; by the two disciples, 188; by 
 the Eleven, 189 ; gives His last 
 charge, 190 ; ascends up into heaven, 
 191 ; sitteth at the right Hand of 
 God, 192 
 John, St, call of, 33; account of, 49; he 
 and his brother surnamed Boanerges, 
 49 ; at the raising of Jairus' daughter, 
 66 , at the Transfiguration, 98 ; in the 
 garden of Gethsemane, 161 
 John, surnamed Mark. See Mark 
 John the Baptist, his mission, 27; his 
 appearance, 28 ; his diet, 28 ; his mes- 
 sage, 28; its effect, 28; baptizes our 
 Lord, 29; imprisoned by Herod, 72; 
 his murder, 75 
 Jordan, the, St John Baptist at, 28 
 Joseph of Arimathaea, some account of, 
 183; assists at our Lord's burial, 184; 
 his new tomb, 184 
 Joseph, the husband of the Blessed Vir- 
 gin, his early death, 68 
 Judas Iscariot, the call of, 51 ; his com- 
 plaints at the anointing of our Lord by 
 Mary, 152 ; causes of his betrayal of 
 our Lord, 153, 154 ; his compact with 
 the rulers, 153 ; his movements after 
 the Supper, 164 ; his betrayal of our 
 Lord, 164 
 Judas of Galilee, rising of, 132 
 Jude, St, the call of, 50 ; his surname, 
 50 ; once mentioned in the Gospels, 50 
 Justin Martyr, testimony of, concerning 
 St Mark, 13 
 
 Kanean or Kaneniah, 51 
 Kingdom of God, the, meaning of the 
 expression, 32 
 
 Language of the Galileans, 170 
 Lazarus, position of family of, 151 ; resur- 
 rection of, 109; at the house of Simon 
 the Leper, 151 
 Leper, purification of, 37, 38 
 Levi, identity of, with St Matthew, 41 
 Locusts, as an article of food, 28 
 Lots, casting of, at the Crucifixion, 178 
 Luke, St, his testimony regarding the 
 written Gospels, 8 
 
 Magdala, meaning of word, 91 ; position 
 
 oT. 91 
 Magdalene, Mary. See Mary 
 Malchus, his ear cut off by St Peter, 165 ; 
 
 healed by our Lord, 165 
 
 Mark, St 
 
 («) /lis na7ne, 8 ; changes in his name, 
 8 
 
 {J}) his early life, his mother, 9 ; con- 
 nection with Barnabas, 9 ; probably 
 converted by St Peter, 9 
 
 (fi) his early activity, with Paul and 
 Barnabas, 9 ; leaves them at Perga, 
 q; second missionary journey, the 
 sharp contention, 10 ; repairs to Cy- 
 prus, 10 
 
 [d) his later activity, with St Paul at 
 Rome, 10; with St Peter at Babylon, 
 10; with both Apostles at Rome, 10 
 
 {e) his death, probably by martyrdom, 
 u 
 Mark's, St, Gospel 
 
 (1) ^/;«^ of its composition, 11; place, 11; 
 for whom written, 11, 12; language 
 in which written, 12 
 
 (ii) relation of the Evangelist to St 
 Peter; testimony of John the Pres- 
 byter, 13; of Justin Martyr, 13; of 
 Irenaeus, 13; of Origen, 13; of Cle- 
 ment of Alexandria, 13; ofTertullian, 
 14; of Jerome, 14 
 
 (iii) genuineness, 15; concluding sec- 
 tion, xvi. 9 — 20, 15 
 
 (iv) characteristics, 16; absence of 
 genealogy of our Lord, 16 ; design of 
 St Mark, 16; his testimony to our 
 Lord's divine power, 16, 17 ; to His 
 human personality, 17 ; graphic power 
 of the Evangelist, 18 ; minute details 
 in respect to person, 18 ; number, 18 ; 
 time, 19; place, 19 
 
 (v) langtiage and style, 19, 20 
 
 (vi) analysis of, 20 — 25 
 Marriage, question of the Jews concern- 
 ing, 134 
 Mary Magdalene, healed by our Lord, 
 
 182 ; at His Cross, 182 ; at the Burial, 
 
 185; Christ's appearance to, 187 
 Mary, St, the Virgin, seeks our Lord, 
 
 53 ; at the Cross, 180 ; Christ's words 
 
 to, 180 
 Mary, sister of Barnabas, 8 ; her house 
 
 at Jerusalem, 9; receives St Peter, 
 
 9 
 Mary, sister of Lazarus, anoints our 
 
 Lord, 152 ; His words respecting her, 
 
 153 
 Mary, wife of Clopas, at the Cross, 182 ; 
 
 at the sepulchre, 185 
 Matthew, St, call of, 40; feast at the house 
 
 of, 41 ; identity with Levi, 41 
 Messiah, popular expectation of, 178 
 Miletus, seashore of, kissing of St Paul 
 
 at, 164 
 Miracle, words used to express, in the 
 
 Gospels, 67 ; miracles recorded by St • 
 
 Mark, 26 
 Miraculous draught of fishes, the, 33 
 Mount of Transfiguration, 98 
 
INDEX I. 
 
 Mustard Seed, the, Parable of, 58 
 Mustard tree, the, 58 
 
 Nathanae!, or Bartholomew, call of, 50 ; 
 character of, 50 ; incidents respecting, 
 recorded in the Gospels, 50 
 
 Nazareth, position of, 29; Christ in the 
 synagogue of, 67 
 
 Nicodemus, a secret disciple, 184; bold- 
 ness after the Crucifixion, 184; helps 
 at the burial of our Lord, 184 
 
 Origan, testimony of, concerning St 
 Mark, 13 
 
 Paneas, site of, 94 ; meaning of, 94 
 
 Parable, meaning of, 54 ; use of word in 
 Old Testament, 54 ; St Mark's record 
 of, 26 
 
 Parables, scenery round the Lake sug- 
 gesting, 53 
 
 Paralytic, the, healing of, 38 
 
 Passover, the first, attended by our Lord, 
 43 ; the second kept at Capernaum, 75, 
 80; the third, 155; as celebrated in 
 the time of our Lord, 156 
 
 Passover, the = Paschal Victim, 155 
 
 Persea, our Lord's tour in, 109 
 
 Perga, vacillation of St Mark at, 9 
 
 Peter, St, call of, 32 ; meaning of his 
 name, 49 ; his wife's mother healed, 
 35 ; present at the resurrection of 
 Jairus' daughter, 66 ; his confession, 
 95; present at the Transfiguration, 98; 
 impetuosity of, 164 ; with our Lord on 
 Olivet, 141 ; sent to prepare the Pass- 
 over, 155 ; his denials foretold, 160 ; 
 protestation of, 161; his fall, 169; his 
 visit to the sepulchre, 187 ; appearance 
 of our Lord to, 189 ; his relation to St 
 Mark, 9, 10 ; John the Presbyter's testi- 
 mony concerning, 13; his influence in 
 the composition of St Mark's Gospel, 
 13 
 
 Pharisees, their hostility to our Lord, 
 45, 46; attempt to ensnare Him, 132; 
 His counter-question to, 137 
 
 Philip, St, the Apostle, call of, 50; occa- 
 sions when mentioned, 50 
 
 Pilate, early history, 171 ; meaning of 
 name, 171 ; office of, 171 ; character, 
 171 ; our Lord's first appearance be- 
 fore, 171; His second appearance, 172 ; 
 his vacillation, 171 ; his awe in the 
 presence of our Lord, 173 ; gives the 
 irrevocable sentence, 174 ; places the 
 title over His Head, 178 ; consents to 
 our Lord's burial, 184 
 
 Pilate's wife, her message to her hus- 
 band, 173 
 
 Potion, the, offered to Christ, 177 
 
 Prastorium, meaning of word, 175 
 
 Prayer, posture of the Jews at, 126 
 
 Procurator, head quarters of, at Csesa- 
 rea, 171; insignia of his authority, 171 
 
 Publicans, the, office of, 41 ; general 
 character, 41 ; present at St John's 
 Baptism, 28 ; general opinion respect- 
 ing, 41 
 
 Purple robe, the, of Christ, 175 
 
 Resurrection of Jairus' daughter, 65 ; 
 
 circumstances of our Lord's, 185, 186; 
 
 appearances of our Lord after, 187, 
 
 189 
 Resurrection-body, nature of oiu: Lord's, 
 
 188 
 Rome, St Paul and St Peter at, 10; 
 
 St Mark at, 10; Greek language of, 
 
 12, «. 3 
 Roofs, nature of, 38 ; breaking up of, 38 
 Ruler of synagogue, office of, 63 
 
 Sabbath, the, doctrine of the Pharisees 
 concerning, 43; teaching of our Lord 
 concerning, 44; miracles wrought on, 
 45 
 
 Sabbath-day's journey, a, 146 
 
 Sadducees, their doctrines, 134 ; their 
 opposition to our Lord, 134 ; their at- 
 tempt to ensnare Him, 134; their in- 
 fluence in the Sanhedrim^ 171 
 
 Salome, mother of James and John, 115 ; 
 her ambitious request, 115 ; at the 
 crucifixion, 182 
 
 Salome, daughter of Herodias, 73 ; asks 
 for St John Baptist's head, 74 
 
 Samaria, our Lord's first journey through, 
 31 ; second journey through, 109 
 
 Samaritan woman, our Lord's discourse 
 with, 31 
 
 Sanhedrim, the, hostility of, to our Lord, 
 109, 172 ; resolves on Christ's death, 
 109 ; a deputation from, questions 
 Christ, 170; assembles to try our Lord, 
 170 ; lost the power of life and death, 
 168; sends our Lord to Pilate, 171 
 
 Scourging by the Romans, its terrible 
 cruelty, 174 
 
 Scribes, from Jerusalem, 51 ; some ac- 
 count of, 33 ; opposition to our Lord, 
 45. 46, 51 
 
 Shammai, school of, 110, 136; rivalry 
 with school of Hillel, no 
 
 Shekel, the coin, current only in the 
 temple, 124; half, annual payment of, 
 106, 124 
 
 Sidon, description of, in the time of our 
 Lord, 85 
 
 Simon of Cyrene, 176 
 
 Simon Peter. See Peter 
 
 Simon, St, call of, 32 ; explanation of his 
 name, 49 ; his connection with the 
 Sect of the Zealots, 51 
 
 Simon, the leper, entertains our Lord at 
 Bethany, 151 
 
INDEX I. 
 
 199 
 
 Son of Man, meaning of the title, 40 ; 
 
 applied only to our Lord by Himself, 
 
 40; exception to this rule, 40 
 Sower, the Parable of, 53 ; explained by 
 
 our Lord, 55 
 Spikenard, costliness of, 152 
 Stone, great, rolled against the door of 
 
 the Sepulchre, 184 
 Sufferings, our Lord's predictions of His 
 
 own, 114 
 Supper, the Last, celebration of, 159 ; 
 
 our Lord's preparations for, 155 ; order 
 
 of incidents of, 158 
 Swine, the destruction of, 62 
 Synagogue, our Lord present in, 33; 
 
 miracle wrought in, 34 ; rulers of, 63 ; 
 
 scourging in, 142 
 Syrophoenician woman, the, her petition, 
 
 86 ; her mighty faith, 87 ; her victory, 
 
 87 
 
 Temple, the, first cleansing of, 31 ; 
 second cleansing, T23 ; Christ's pro- 
 phecies respecting destruction of, 141 : 
 veil of, rent in twain, 181 
 
 Temptation, the, of Christ, 30 ; features 
 of, as recorded by St Mark, 30 
 
 TertuUian, testimony of, concerning St 
 Mark, 14 
 
 Thaddasus, 50 ; identity with Jude, 50 
 
 Thief, the penitent, 179 
 
 Thirty pieces of silver, value of, 154 
 
 Thomas, St, character of, 50 ; occasions 
 when mentioned, 50 
 
 Thorns, the crown of, 176 
 
 Tiberias, Sea of. See GennesareL 
 Title, the, placed by Pilate, on the 
 
 Cross, 178 
 Tombs, demoniacs dwelling in, 60, 61 
 Transfiguration, the, 98; probable scene 
 of, 98; circumstances attending, 99, 
 100; significance of, 99 
 Treasure- chests in the Temple, 139 
 Treasury, the rich men casting their gifts 
 
 into the, 139; situation of, 139 
 Tribute to Caesar, Christ questioned re- 
 specting, 132 
 Triumphal entry, description of, 121; 
 
 attendant circumstances, 121 
 Tyre, description of, 85 ; our Lord's jour- 
 ney towards, 85 
 
 Voice, the heavenly, at the Jordan, 30 ; 
 at the Transfiguration, 30, 100 ; in the 
 Temple Courts, 30 
 
 Watch, setting of the, 185 
 
 Watches, the Jewish, periods of, 79 
 
 Widow's offering, the, 139 
 
 Wilderness of Judsea, 27 
 
 Woman, the, of Syrophoenicia, 86 ; her 
 
 disadvantages, 86; her wrestling with 
 
 Christ, 86 ; her victory, 87 
 Woman, the, taken in adultery, 137 
 
 Zealot, Simon the, 50, 51 
 
 Zealots, the, factions of, at siege of 
 
 Jerusalem, 145 
 Zebedee, his social position, 33 
 
 INDEX 11. 
 
 WORDS AND PHRASES EXPLAINED. 
 
 Abba, 162 
 
 Abomination of desolation, 144 
 
 AfHiction, 56 
 
 Again-buying, 117 
 
 Ah, 179 
 
 Alabaster-box, 152 
 
 Apostle, 48 
 
 Atonement, 117 
 
 Beelzebub, 51 
 
 Beginnings of sorrows, 142 
 
 Beside himself, 51 
 
 Branches, 121 
 
 Bridechamber, children of the, 42 
 
 Bush, in the, 135 
 
 iJy and by, 74 
 
 Calvary, 177 
 Camel, 113 
 Cares, 57 
 Charger, 74 
 Chief seats, 138 
 Choke, 55 
 Clearly, 131 
 Coasts, 87 
 Companies, by, 77 
 Compel, 176 
 Confirm, 192 
 Corban, 82 
 Corner-stone, 131 
 Covenant, 159 
 Covetousness, 84 
 Crumbs, 87 
 
200 
 
 INDEX II. 
 
 Damnation, 139 
 
 Den of thieves, 124 
 
 Denarius, 76, 77 
 
 Desolation, abomination of, 144 
 
 Discreetly, 137 
 
 Dogs, 86. 
 
 Doubt, 125 
 
 Draught, 83 
 
 Elders, 127 
 Endure, 143 
 Ephphatha, 89 
 Exceeding sorrowful, 162 
 Executioner, 75 
 Exercise lordship, 117 
 
 Fat (winefat), 128 
 Follow, 191 
 
 Garment, 64, 119, 121 
 Gehenna, 107 
 Generation, 148 
 Ghost, 181 
 Golgotha, 177 
 Gospel, 8, «. 
 Greek, 86 
 Guestchamber, 156 
 
 Had a quarrel, 72 
 
 Haply, if, 123 
 
 Hardness, 45 
 
 Head of the corner, 131 
 
 Heavy, to be very, 163 
 
 Hedge, 128 
 
 Hell, 107 
 
 His ( = its), 108 
 
 Hold thy peace, 34 
 
 If haply, 123 
 
 Lasciviousness, 84 
 
 Latchet, 28 
 
 Leaven, 92 
 
 Lepton, 139 
 
 Lordship, to exercise, 117 
 
 Lowring, 113 
 
 Man, Son of, 40 
 Mighty works, 67 
 Millstone, 107 
 Miracles, 67 
 Mite, 139 
 Murmur, 37 
 Mystery, 55 
 
 Naked, 166 
 Net, 32 
 New cloth, 43 
 
 Of( = by), 29 
 
 Parable, 54 
 Passover, 155 
 Penny, 76 
 Plagues, 47 
 
 Powers, 68 
 Prsetorium, 175 
 Presently, 123 
 Pride, 84 
 Purple, 175 
 
 Quadrantes, 10 
 Quarrel, had a, 72 
 
 Rabbi, 119 
 Rabboni, 119 
 Ranks, in, 77 
 Redemption, 117 
 Render, 133 
 Rooms, uppermost, 138 
 
 Sabbath, second-first, 43 
 Satan, 31 
 
 Satisfacere, 12, 174 
 Savour, to, 96 
 Scrip, 70 
 Seats, chief, 138 
 Shortened, 146 
 Signs, 67 
 Sindon, 165 
 Son of Man, 40 
 Sorrows, beginnings of, 142 
 Speculator, 12, 75 
 Stony ground, 54 
 Stoolis, 138 
 Straitly, 37 
 Syrophoenician, 86 
 
 Talitha cumi, 66 
 Tares, 53 
 Testament, 159 
 Thieves, 178 
 Thieves, den of, 124 
 Thought, 143 
 Thought, 170 
 Toiling, 79 
 Tower, 129 
 Tradition, 83 
 Trespass, 126 
 Tribulation, 56 
 Trouble, to, 65 
 
 Upper room, 156 
 Uppermost rooms, 138 
 
 Ways, 121 
 
 Whelp, 86 
 
 Which ( = who), 116 
 
 Wickedness, 84 
 
 Winefat, 128 
 
 Wist, 100 
 
 Works, 68 
 
 Worship, 112 
 
 Wound in the head, to, 1 30 
 
 Xestes, 12 
 
 Zelotes, 50 
 
 cambkiuge: printed bv c. j. clay, m.a. at the univkrsity press. 
 
The CAMBRIDGE BIBLE for SCHOOLS 
 
 (©pmiousJ ot ti)t ^itsisf. 
 
 " In many of our Grammar Schools and High Schools, at least the 
 elder lads are now 'examined' in some portion of Holy Scripture, and 
 have to 'get it up' as they would a book of Virgil or of Homer. In 
 a large proportion of these schools the Scripture Examination is con- 
 ducted by members of the Cambridge University. The examiners have 
 found, as was natural, that, while on every other subject handbooks of 
 the most accessible and serviceable kind abound, there is an absolute 
 dearth of similar manuals on the several books of Scripture. Now the 
 lads in our schools, and even the junior students of our colleges, can 
 hardly be expected to keep a long array of commentaries on their 
 shelves, or to be able to use them to much purpose even if they have 
 access to them. Hence the S}aidics of the University Press have 
 decided to produce a series of the Scripture manuals of which there is 
 just now so great a need, and have selected Canon Perowne as general 
 editor of the series. No better selection could have been made. The 
 name of Dr Perowne is a guarantee for good and scholarly work ; while 
 his intimate acquaintance with the Biblical scholars of every Church 
 and school of thought will enable him to secure the co-operation of the 
 men best fitted to assist him. 
 
 "The first volume of the series now lies before me — a small octavo 
 of two hundred pages. Paper and type are as good as can be desired. 
 And into this small volume Dr Maclear, besides a clear and able Intro- 
 duction to the Gospel, and the text of St Mark, has compressed many 
 hundreds of valuable and helpful notes. In short, he has given us 
 a capital manual of the kind required — containing all that is needed to 
 illustrate the text, i. e. all that can be drawn from the history, geography, 
 customs, and manners of the time. Of course it is part of a School 
 Bible, and does not trace the sequence of thought in the Gospel, or 
 emphasize the traths taught in it ; still less does it deduce and discuss 
 doctrines. But as a handbook, giving in a clear and succinct form the 
 information which a lad requires in order to stand an examination in the 
 Gospel, it is admirable ... I can very heartily commend it, not only 
 to the senior boys and girls in our High Schools, but also to Sunday- 
 school teachers, who may get from it the very kind of knowledge they 
 often find it hardest to get." — Expositor. 
 
 "The scheme is well started in the little book before us. Dr 
 IMaclear has formed a sound conception of the kind of book needed for 
 school purposes, and has made his contribution thoroughly serviceable. 
 The text, with copious notes, is preceded by an Introduction dealing 
 briefly with the general characteristics of the Gospel according to St 
 Mark, its genuineness, integrity, the critical difficulties connected with 
 the portion xvi. 9 — 20, and such like topics. With the help of a book 
 like this, an intelligent teacher may make 'Divinity' as interesting 
 a lesson as any in the school course. The notes are of a kind that will 
 be, for the most part, intelligible to boys of the lower forms of our 
 public schools ; but they may be read with greater profit by the fifth 
 and sixth, in conjunction with the original text." — The Academy. 
 
CAMBRIDGE BIBLE FOR SCHOOLS. 
 
 "The Cambridge Bible for Schools: St Mark. — This little 
 volume forms the first part of an edition of the Bible which is being 
 issued from the University Press, under the general direction of Prof. 
 
 Perowne St Mark is edited by Dr Maclear, Head Master of King's 
 
 College School. It is a very business-like little book. The text is 
 given in paragraphs, and each paragraph has a title, which reappears as 
 a division of the notes. The introduction, which occupies twenty pages, 
 is clear and good, and concludes with an analysis of the book. There 
 are maps and an index. The notes are pointed and instructive, and 
 constantly give words and phrases from Wicliff 's version, and quota- 
 tions from classical and modern authors, which add greatly to the 
 interest of the work and to its usefulness for schools. There is a good 
 list of writers who have undertaken other parts of this edition of the 
 Bible, including the editor and his distinguished brothers, Professor 
 Plumptre, Canon Farrar, Dr Moulton, and Mr Sanday." — Contemporary 
 Review. 
 
 *' The Gospel according to S. Mark, with Notes and Introduction, by 
 Rev. G. F. Maclear, D.D. (Cambridge University Press), is a publi- 
 cation which will be of the highest value for all teaching purposes ; it 
 is beautifully executed in all respects, and deserves a high recommend- 
 ation. The notes supply the needful facts of criticism without its 
 pedantry, and are redolent of high culture and ability. We observe 
 that it forms the first volume of a series by various editors, to bear the 
 general title of The Cambridge Bible for Schools, and which is 
 apparently intended to popularise Biblical science as far as it can be 
 done. If each of the volumes be executed as well as this, there could 
 scarcely be a more valuable gift to schools and educational institutions 
 of every grade." — Literary Churchman. 
 
 *' The Gospel according to St Mark, with Notes by the Rev. G. F. 
 Maclear, D.D., is the first of a series of Text-books upon the Bible, 
 divided into handy portions, suitable for school use. The whole of the 
 Bible will be in due course annotated and published in separate parts, 
 at a moderate price, by the Syndicate of the Cambridge University Press. 
 If the succeeding books of the series shall be as well edited as the one 
 now before us, we may confidently predict a large sale for them.... Dr 
 Maclear's introductory chapters and analysis of the Gospel of St Mark 
 are excellent. They give the youthful student a sketch of the Evangelist 
 and of the leading characteristics of his Gospel. They answer his 
 questions as to where, when, for whom, and in what language it was 
 written. The notes are clear, full of information — not mere words and 
 wind. They prove that the Editor has laid under tribute the labours of 
 many writers, and that he possesses a remarkable faculty for making 
 exceedingly apt quotations from every author that he has read. Of 
 course the notes betoken an accurate and scholarly acquaintance with the 
 Greek text. This manual will be found most useful to schoolmasters 
 and Sunday-school teachers ; to them the cheapness of this book (only 
 half-a-crown) will be an additional recommendation." — John Bull. 
 
 " We welcome with enthusiasm this first fruit of the banding to- 
 gether of eminent divinity students of our Universities under the editor- 
 ship of Dr Perowne, and are not sorry that it represents the labours of 
 so experienced a scholar and teacher as Dr Maclear, upon the Gospel 
 of St Mark. We gather from it an earnest of the handy and compact 
 
OPINIONS OF THE PRESS. 
 
 arrangement to be looked for in the contents of the volumes to follow, 
 the ordering of the requisite introductory matter, the conciseness yet 
 sufficiency of the notes to the text, the fullness of the general index, and 
 the discreet choice of that of special words and phrases.... Amongst 
 other introductory matter are several helpful and lucid analyses ; and 
 when we come to the chapters of the text annotated in the form of 
 footnotes, it is borne in upon us that not only is all collateral in- 
 formation, historical, geographical, textual, and linguistic, pressed 
 judiciously into the allotted note-space, but the best books illustrative 
 of the subject — e.g. Stanley's "Sinai and Palestine," Tristram's "Land 
 of Israel," and Thomson's "Land and the Book," with other kindred 
 works of reference, are concisely quoted, as well as on more reflective 
 matters, Farrar's "Life of Christ."... When we add that here and there 
 some pregnant sentence of Augustine, such as "Caro preniit, fides tangit," 
 
 is brought to bear on the text and that all niceties of language 
 
 are carefully traced out and explained ; we shall have shown, it may be, 
 sufficient cause why this volume, and those that follow it, if of like 
 calibre, should find a place, not only in the study of the intelligent 
 schoolboy and young biblical scholar, but also in the clergyman's 
 library, where not a little pabulum for sermon hints may be derived 
 from what is a mine of information, although contained in a succinct 
 and handy volume." — English Churchnian. 
 
 "This is the first instalment of the Cambridge Bible for Schools, 
 which, we venture to predict, will be a useful assistant to the intelligent 
 reading of the Scriptures, whether we regard the high reputation of the 
 editor, Dr J. J. S. Pero\vne, or the list of proposed contributors, or 
 whether we judge of the whole by anticipation from the specimen now 
 before us. Anything wTitten by Dr Maclear for the use of schools will 
 at once command respect, and this book in completeness and arrange- 
 ment fully maintains the high character of his well-kno\ATi Mammls on 
 the Old and New Testaments. There are two ways of studying the 
 Scriptures: ist, by taking a wide view of the whole of a subject, as of 
 the Gospel history, in such a book as Maclear' s New Testament Manual ; 
 or, 2ndly, by giving a minute study to one particular book, observing 
 its special characteristics of language and style and matter, and compar 
 ing it in detail with the others. For such a purpose the present work 
 is admirably adapted. It collects all that either is known or may be in- 
 ferred of the life of the author, marshals the characteristic features of 
 the Gospel as bearing on the question of the purpose and other circum- 
 stances of its composition, and supplies a careful analysis of its contents. 
 The Gospel itself follows according to the authorised version, illustrated 
 by an abundant supply of notes occupying i68 pages. These are so full 
 that we may venture to say that nothing noteworthy is left untouched." — 
 The Chiirch Sunday School Magazine. 
 
 " The Gospel according to St Matthew, by the Rev. A. Carr. This 
 valuable series of school books is under the editorship of Professor 
 Perowne, and is doing a great and thorough educational work in 
 our schools. The volume before us condenses in the smallest possible 
 space the best results of the best commentators on St Matthew's Gospel. 
 The introduction is able, scholarly, and eminently practical, as it bears 
 on the authorship and contents of the Gospel, and the original form 
 in which it is supposed to have been written. It is well illustrated by 
 
CAMBRIDGE BIBLE FOR SCHOOLS. 
 
 two excellent maps of the Holy Land and of the Sea of Galilee." — 
 English Chii7-chnian. 
 
 " llie Book of Joshua. Edited by G. F. Maclear, D.D. We have 
 the first instalment of what we have long desiderated, a School Com- 
 mentary on the books of Scripture. If we may judge of the work con- 
 templated by the sample before us it has our heartiest commendation. 
 With Dr J. J. S. Perowne for General Editor and an eminent list of 
 well-known Biblical scholars as contributors, we have the highest 
 guarantee that the work will be completed in a scholarly, useful, and 
 reliable form. The introductory chapter of the present volume on the 
 life, character, and work of Joshua is ably and attractively written. 
 We would call special attention to the section that treats of the destruc- 
 tion of the Canaanitish nations by Divine command. This, as a subject 
 likely to be misunderstood by young Bible scholars, called for clear and 
 judicious handling, and we are glad to notice that it has been fully, and, 
 
 as we think, veiy successfully dealt with The 'notes' will be found 
 
 brief, terse, pointed, and suggestive. The historical illustrations are 
 apposite and felicitous. The maps and geographical explanations are 
 accurate and valuable. The book ought to be in the hands of every 
 teacher, and even clergymen will find it a valuable accession to their 
 list of commentaries. We await the issue of the remaining volumes 
 with interest." — Weekly Revirw. 
 
 "A very important work in the nature of a Scriptural text-book for 
 the use of students has been undertaken by the Syndics of the Cam- 
 bridge University Press — namely, the separate issue of the several books 
 of the Bible, each edited and annotated by some Biblical scholar of high 
 reputation. Among those who have undertaken to contribute to the 
 work are Canon Farrar, Professor Robertson Smith, Professor Davidson, 
 Professor E. H. Plumptre, Archdeacon Perowne, and Dr Maclear. The 
 whole series is being edited by Canon Perowne. The work is entitled 
 The Cambridge Bible for Schools, and four instalments of it have already 
 appeared — the Book of Joshua and the Gospel according to St Mark, 
 by Dr Maclear ; the Gospel according to St Matthew, by the Rev. 
 A. Carr, M.A.; and the General Epistle of St James, by Professor 
 Plumptre. The method pursued in each text-book is the same. There 
 is first a biographical, historical, and critical introduction ; after which 
 follows the text, profusely illustrated and explained by notes. The 
 amount of work expended on each of the four text-books that have 
 thus far appeared is very great ; and it is, moreover, work of excellent 
 quality, undertaken and performed in a broad and scholarly spirit. 
 The value of the work as an aid to Biblical study, not merely in schools 
 but among people of all classes who are desirous to have intelligent 
 knowledge of the Scriptures, cannot ea^^ily be over-estimated." — The 
 Scotsman. 
 
 "The Books of Joshua and Mark, by the Rev. G. F. Maclear, 
 D.D.; St Matthew, by the Rev. A. Carr, M.A. ; St James, by E. H. 
 Plumptre, D.D. It is with gratitude to the Syndics of the Cambridge 
 University Press that we receive the first four specimens of their attempt 
 to supply an annotated edition of the Bible in handy portions, suitable 
 for school use, and as a preparation for the University Local Exami- 
 nations, whether in England or Scotland. In selecting the Hulsean 
 Professor of Divinity, Canon Perowne, as general editor, they have 
 
OPINIONS OF THE PRESS. 
 
 given a guarantee of the combined orthodoxy and scholarship of the 
 work.... Each pretty little volume varies in price from is. 6d. to 2S. 6d. 
 Older folks than the youths who study for the University examina- 
 tions — even ministers themselves — will be glad to use such helps to 
 the critical study of the Divine Word. For travellers and holiday- 
 makers the volumes are most appropriate. To the exiles in the isolated 
 stations of India, China, and the Colonies, we commend the Cambridge 
 Bible for Schools^ — Daily Reviezu (Edinburgh). 
 
 "Among the Commentaries which are in course of publication, the 
 Cambridge Bible for Schools (Cambridge University Press) deserves 
 mention. It is issued in conveniently-sized volumes, each containing 
 a Book of the Old or New Testament. We have just received two of 
 these volumes — one, on The Book of Joshua, prepared by Dr Maclear, 
 of the King's College School ; the other, by Professor Plumptre, on 
 The Epistle of St James. That they are designed for the use of schools 
 sufficiently indicates the scope of the annotations which accompany the 
 text of each of these books. That on the Book of Joshua is enriched 
 with notices of the most recent discoveries in Biblical archaeology and 
 geography. The illustrations, however, are not confined to such notices, 
 but embrace a wider exegesis. It has, moreover, two maps and a very 
 good index of the contents of the annotations. The volume on the 
 Epistle of St James is, independently of a sufficient commentary, en- 
 riched with a useful introduction, in which the authorship of the Epistle 
 and the time when written are discussed with the fulness which we had 
 a right to expect from Dr Plumptre. The series will be valuable to 
 schools; but it will by no means exhaust its usefulness there. More 
 advanced readers of Holy Scripture than are to be found in our public 
 schools will derive assistance from these handy volumes, which, when 
 completed — if completed as those already published give us reason to 
 expect — will be a welcome addition to our commentaries on Holy 
 Scripture."— y^/^/z Bull. 
 
 "St Matthrcv, edited by A. Carr, M.A. The Book of Joshua, edited 
 by G. F. Maclear, D.D. The General Epistle of St James, edited by 
 E. H. Plumptre, D.D. (Cambridge University Press). These volumes 
 are constiTicted upon the same plan, and exhibit the same features as 
 that on 'St Mark's Gospel,' of which we gave a full account on its 
 issue. The introductions and notes are scholarly, and generally such 
 as young readers need and can appreciate. The maps in both Joshua 
 and Matthew are very good, and all matters of editing are faultless. 
 Professor Plumptre's notes on 'The Epistle of St James' are models of 
 terse, exact, and elegant renderings of the original, which is too often 
 obscured in the authorised version." — Nonconformist. 
 
 "The issue of the Bible in sections, although not an entirely novel 
 plan, is now, we believe, adopted for the first time with a special view 
 to school use, each book in this series being intended as a separate 
 text-book, complete in itself, with its introduction, notes, and maps. 
 The system which has always been adopted with the best results in 
 regard to secular school-books can scarcely fail to be equally valuable 
 when applied to the sacred volume, and, as the names of the editors 
 will show, the most eminent scholars and divines of the day are being 
 employed upon the work. The text adopted in the edition is that of 
 Scrivener's Cambridge Paragraph Bible, the notes in every case being 
 printed under the text. When completed, the Bible will form a most 
 
CAMBRIDGE BIBLE FOR SCHOOLS. 
 
 valuable work for reference as well as for its more immediate purpose." 
 — Publishers' Circular. 
 
 ^^T/ie General Epistle of St James ^ with Notes and Introduction. 
 By Professor Plumptre, D.D, (University Press, Cambridge). This is 
 only a part of the Cambridge Bible for Schools, and may be bought 
 for a few pence. Nevertheless it is, so far as I know, by far the best 
 exposition of the Epistle of St James in the English language. Not 
 Schoolboys or Students going in for an examination alone, but Ministers 
 and Preachers of the Word, may get more real help from it than from 
 the most costly and elaborate commentaries." — Expositor. 
 
 "The system of University Local Examinations has been fruitful 
 not only in encouraging education in its higher branches, but it has 
 been the means of the publication of many valuable helps to candidates 
 and students generally. No work of this class, however, will, we 
 think, be found to be more useful to all students of Scripture than that 
 now being issued by the Cambridge University Press, bearing the title, 
 "The Cambridge Bible for Schools. "...The names of the editors are 
 sufficient to denote the ability with which these books are prepared. 
 They each contain a copious introduction, and explanatory notes, which 
 throw such light upon the passages as few books of their class do. 
 The maps are well executed." — Cliristian Signal. 
 
 "With Mr Carr's well-edited apparatus to St Matthew's Gospel, 
 where the text is that of Dr Scrivener's Cambridge Paragraph Bible, 
 we are sure the young student will need nothing but a good Greek 
 text.... We should doubt whether any volume of like dimensions could 
 be found so sufficient for the needs of a student of the first Gospel, from 
 whatever point of view he may approach it." — Saturday Review. 
 
 "The Cambridge Bible for Schools: St Matthew, Joshua, 
 Jonah, Corinthians, and James. We have on a former occasion drawn 
 the attention of our readers to the first volume of this excellent series — 
 St Mark. The volumes indicated above have now been published, and 
 fully maintain the high standard won by the first. They furnish valu- 
 able and precise information in a most convenient form, and will be 
 highly esteemed by students preparing for examinations, and also by 
 Sunday-school teachers and others. They are particularly valuable in 
 furnishing information concerning history, geography, manners and 
 customs, in illustration of the sacred text." — The Baptist. 
 
 "The Cambridge Bible for Schools: — The First Epistle to the 
 Corinthians. Edited by Professor Lias. Jonah. Edited by Arch- 
 deacon Perowne. (Cambridge University Press.) Every fresh instal- 
 ment of this annotated edition of the Bible for schools confirms the 
 favourable opinion we formed of its value from the examination of its 
 first number. The origin and plan of the Epistle are discussed with its 
 character and genuineness. The analysis of its contents is very full and 
 clear, and will be found of great service to the teachers of the more 
 advanced classes in Sunday-schools and to the leaders of Bible-classes. 
 The notes at the foot of the text are brief, but suggestive. We should 
 recommend the committee of the City Missions, and all who have 
 charge of rural evangelization societies, to put this book into the hands 
 of their agents. The nature of the Book of Jonah is such that it 
 involves a discussion at the outset as to whether it is fable or fact, or 
 ]iartly both. And we have, therefore, a portion of the introduction 
 'devoted to that subject. The moral teaching of the book is so valuable, 
 
OPINIONS OF THE PRESS. 
 
 and the light it sheds upon the growth of religion amongst the Jews 
 so interesting, that these elements ought to receive the largest share of 
 an editor's attention." — The Nonco7iformist. 
 
 "Dr Maclear's commentary for Schools on The Book of Joshua is, 
 as may be anticipated from him, clear and compendious. The historical 
 books of the Old Testament are especially adapted for such an exegesis, 
 elucidating many minute points, which might escape the observation of 
 a less careful student. Another volume of the same series. The Gospel 
 of Si Matthew, with Mr Carr's annotations, deserves equally high 
 praise. The commentary is terse and scholarly, without losing its 
 interest for ordinary readers. The maps, the index, and the tabulated 
 information in the Appendix all enhance the usefulness of this handy 
 little volume. The name of the editor, Dr Plumptre, is in itself enough 
 to recommend the edition of The General Epistle of St James, in 
 the same series. More copious than the. companion volumes, it 
 contains some lengthy notes in the fomi of an excursus — e.g. on the 
 personal relation of St Paul and St James the Less." — Giiardia7i. 
 
 " The last part, the Book of Jonah, is from the hand of (The Ven. 
 T. T.) Perowne, Archdeacon of Norwich. The little work is well done, 
 vvritten in a graceful, lucid, and cheerful style, which will be attractive 
 to young readers. The notes contain information and reflection in a 
 very just proportion, the great preponderance being given to informa- 
 tion." — The British and Foreign Evangelical Reviezv. 
 
 " The Acts of the Apostles. — Edited by J. Rawson Lumby, D.D., 
 Norrisian Professor of Divinity. — We said before, in noticing former 
 volumes, not only the schoolboy or girl, or the student preparing for 
 examination, but the general reader and devout Christian will find these 
 handy books most edifying. The editors have drawn from history, 
 geography, and the manners and customs of the East, everything that 
 will illustrate the text and make it clear to the dullest comprehension. 
 "With the help of such books. Divinity is made a most interesting study, 
 and no one connected with tuition, either in our Sunday or day-schools, 
 but will here find helpful assistance. Doctrinal teaching is not at- 
 tempted — but, frequently, and especially in The Acts of the Apostles, 
 great pains are taken to enable the student, ignorant of Greek, to under- 
 stand the varied forces of the tenses of the verbs, the degrees of 
 comparison of the adjectives, and the more literal interpretation of the 
 Greek idioms." — Cambridge Chronicle. 
 
 "We believe we have already spoken of previous volumes in terms 
 of praise. Indeed, it would be difficult to speak too highly of the 
 volumes before us, especially that edited by Professor Lumby. They 
 carry on the same 'lines' as their predecessors, and are eminently 
 adapted for the needs of those schools where it is the custom to set 
 a portion of Scripture to be got up just like a book of Virgil or Homer. 
 The notes are foot-notes, and explain with clearness and brevity all 
 the points of interest, geographical, topographical, and archaeological, 
 touched upon in the text." — Educational Times. 
 
 ''The Book of Joshua. By the Rev. G. F. Maclear, D.D. Jmah. 
 By the Ven. T. T. Perowne, B.D. The Gospel according to St Matthew. 
 By the Rev. A. Carr, M.A. The Gospel according to St Mark. By 
 the Rev. G. F. Maclear, D.D. The Acts of the Apostles (i— xiv). By 
 J. Rawson Lumby, D.D. We cannot have a healthier intellectual 
 exercise than an impartial examination of the structure and contents 
 of Scripture, and there are no books more likely to aid such an 
 
CAMBRIDGE BIBLE FOR SCHOOLS. 
 
 examination than the Manuals issued by the Syndics of the University 
 Press. Works of more solid worth have not been published. The 
 text adopted throughout is that of Scrivener's Cambridge Paragraph 
 Bible. Each part contains a careful and scholarly introduction on the 
 authorship, the date, the sources, &c., of the book. The notes are 
 terse and suggestive, giving in few words the gist of elaborate re- 
 searches. They abound in fine textual criticism, no less than in valuable 
 doctrinal and ethical comments. Dr Maclear is thoroughly at home in 
 such an historical book as Joshiia. He draws illustrations from all 
 quarters, especially from old English hterature, and writes in a style 
 of great elegance. The volume on yonah is a literary gem, both on 
 apologetic and hermeneutical grounds. In Mr Carr's Matthew there is, 
 in addition to keen verbal criticism and archaeological research, a deter- 
 mined effort to trace the course of thought in the inspired text, to point 
 out the nexus between the various sections and verses of the Gospel. 
 Mr Carr has all the qualifications which vigorous and refined scholar- 
 ship can give, and possesses what is of far higher value, clear spiritual 
 insight. Mr Lumby's manner of work is known to most of our readers 
 froni his papers in the Expositor. His notes on the Acts will certainly 
 enhance his reputation, and form a valuable commentary on one of the 
 most important books of the New Testament. Mr Lumby has enriched 
 his pages with illustrations of singular appropriateness from the Talmud. 
 He is evidently familiar with 'this great sea' of Jewish literature, and 
 draws from it for the elucidation of his text treasures of no ordinary 
 worth. All these books are, in fact, a valuable addition to our Biblical 
 expositions, original contributions to a subject of transcendant import- 
 ance ; and while they cannot fail to be valued by those for whom they 
 are expressly designed, we have a shrewd suspicion that they will be 
 still more highly appreciated by minds of a riper order. The maps 
 which most of the manuals contain are beautifully executed, and will be 
 a great aid to the intelligent study of the Scriptures. Canon Perowne, 
 to whom the general editorship of the series has been entrusted, may be 
 congratulated on the success which the scheme has so far achieved. 
 ' The Cambridge Bible for Schools ' is one of the most popular and 
 useful literary enterprises of the nineteenth century." — Baptist Magazine. 
 
 "The Cambridge Bible for Schools — The Second Epistle to 
 the Corinthians. By Professor LiAS. The General Epistles of St Peter 
 and St Jnde. By E. H. Plumptre, D.D. We welcome these 
 additions to the valuable series of the Cambridge Bible. We have 
 nothing to add to the commendation which we have from the first 
 jmblication given to this edition of the Bible. It is enough to say that 
 Professor Lias has completed his work on the two Epistles to the 
 Corinthians in the same admirable manner as at first. Dr Plumptre 
 has also completed the Catholic Epistles." — Nonconfor7nist. 
 
 "(i) The Acts of the Apostles. By J. Rawson Lumby, D.D. 
 {2) The Secojid Epistle of the Corinthians, edited by Professor Lias. 
 The introduction is pithy, and contains a mass of carefully-selected 
 information on the authorship of the Acts, its designs, and its sources. 
 
 The Second Epistle of the Corinthians is a manual beyond all 
 
 praise, for the excellence of its pithy and pointed annotations, its 
 analysis of the contents, and the fulness and value of its introduction." 
 — Examiner. 
 
 CAMBRIDGE; PRINTED BY C. J. CLAY, M.A., AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS. 
 

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