Mark 1:7

ἐκήρυσσεν. Mk alone has this imperf. of continued action, which fits on well to ἦν ἐνδεδ. κ. ἔσθων. Mt., Lk. and Jn have aorists of other verbs. By some John was believed to be the Messiah, and this compelled him to be more explicit about his relation to the Messiah.

ἱκανός. It is clear from Matthew 8:8 and Luke 7:6 that this = ἄξιος (John 1:27); the thong (Acts 22:25) of whose sandals I am not fit to, etc. Note the characteristically graphic fulness of κύψας λῦσαι, where the aor. may mean that he was unworthy to render even once the humble service which a slave rendered often to his master. Mt. speaks of the sandals being carried, a custom common in Palestine, but unknown to Mk’s Roman readers. With the superfluous αὐτοῦ comp. Mark 7:25 and οὗ� (Ps. 9:28), μακάριος� (Psalms 83:6). The pleonasm is a Hebraism. Blass, § 50. 4; J. H. Moulton, Gr. of N.T. Grk, p. 95.