Mark 10:17

ἐκπορευομένου αὐτοῦ. As He was going out of the house in which He had welcomed the children. Mk alone has this detail, and that the rich man ran and prostrated himself. The action indicates youthful impulsiveness; he is quite in earnest (cf. Mark 1:40; Mark 5:22); he has perhaps just heard of Christ’s graciousness to the children, and it has kindled his enthusiasm. All three place the coming of the rich man immediately after the blessing of the children, to which it forms an instructive contrast. The children were nearer to the Kingdom than they knew; it did them no harm to be exalted, and they were greatly exalted. The rich man was farther from the Kingdom than he knew; it might do him good to be somewhat abased, and he was abased. Εἰς ὁδόν, as in Mark 6:8, means for a journey, to travel, rather than “into the way” (A.V., R.V.), which would be εἰς τἡν ὁδόν. It is doubtful whether εἷς (Mk, Mt.) simply = τις (a rare use without a substantive), or means that he was by himself. There is reason for conjecturing that εἷς τις νεανίσκος (Mark 14:51) is the Evangelist; but that this εἷς is the same as that εἷς τις νεανίσκος is pure conjecture. Lk. calls him ἄρχων, which may mean no more than that he was a leading man. In the wording Lk. often agrees with Mk against Mt., but only once (ἀκούσας, Mark 10:23) with Mt. against Mk. See on Mark 5:21 for the pronouns after the gen. abs., and on Mark 1:15; Mark 1:40 for the combination of participles.

ἐπηρώτα. Conversational imperf. See on Mark 5:9.

Διδάσκαλε�. The admiration is genuine, but it is defective; he means no more than that he is seeking instruction from a teacher of great reputation for wisdom and kindness. It is perhaps chiefly the kindness (Matthew 20:15), as manifested to the children in spite of the disciples’ opposition, that is meant; cf. Mark 3:4; Luke 6:45; Luke 23:50. Mt., in order to avoid what seems to be implied in the question which Christ asks in return, transfers ἀγαθός from Διδάσκαλε to τί; “Master, what good thing shall I do?” This makes ἀγαθόν pointless; action that is to win eternal life must be good. Lk. both here and Mark 10:45 has τί ποιήσας, as if the speaker thought that one heroic act might win eternal life. The Philippian gaoler (Acts 16:30) asked τί με δεῖ ποιεῖν; cf. Luke 3:10-14, and see Wetstein on Matthew 19:16.

ζωὴν αἰώνιον. Mk uses this remarkable expression only here and Mark 10:30; Mt. and Lk. each have it thrice, John 17 times, 1 Jn six times. The expression never varies, but A.V. has “eternal life,” “life eternal,” “everlasting life,” “life everlasting”; R.V. always “eternal life.” The idea becomes prominent in Jewish thought in connexion with belief in the resurrection (Daniel 12:2; cf. Ps. of Solomon iii. 16; 2Ma 7:9). See on Mark 3:29; Mark 9:43; also on John 3:15 with App. E. In class. Grk κληρονομέω is “receive a share of an inheritance,” “inherit,” and is followed by the gen. In Polyb. and LXX., as in N.T., it has the acc. In LXX. and N.T. the idea of “inheritance” seems to be almost lost, and that of “sanctioned and settled possession” to remain. Hort on 1 Peter 1:4. Mk has it nowhere else.