Mark 14:51

νεανίσκος τις ([3235][3236][3237][3238] rather than εἷς τις νεαν. ([3239][3240][3241] etc.). [3242] has νεαν. δέ τις. συνηκολούθει ([3243][3244][3245][3246] rather ἠκολούθει ([3247] or συνηκολούθησεν ([3248]) or ἠκολούθησεν ([3249] [3250][3251][3252][3253][3254][3255][3256] omit οἱ νεανίσκοι. [3257][3258][3259][3260] omit ἀπʼ αὐτῶν.

[3235] Codex Sinaiticus. 4th cent. Discovered by Tischendorf in 1859 at the Monastery of St Katharine on Mount Sinai. Now at St Petersburg. The whole Gospel, ending at Mark 16:8. Photographic facsimile, 1911.

[3236] Codex Vaticanus. 4th cent., but perhaps a little later than א. In the Vatican Library almost since its foundation by Pope Nicolas V., and one of its greatest treasures. The whole Gospel, ending at Mark 16:8. Photographic facsimile, 1889.

[3237] Codex Ephraemi. 5th cent. A palimpsest: the original writing has been partially rubbed out, and the works of Ephraem the Syrian have been written over it; but a great deal of the original writing has been recovered; of Mark we have Mark 1:17 to Mark 6:31; Mark 8:5 to Mark 12:29; Mark 13:19 to Mark 16:20. In the National Library at Paris.

[3238] Codex Regius. 8th cent. An important witness. At Paris. Contains Mark 1:1 to Mark 10:15; Mark 10:30 to Mark 15:1; Mark 15:20 to Mark 16:20, but the shorter ending is inserted between Mark 16:8 and Mark 16:9, showing that the scribe preferred it to the longer one.

[3239] Codex Alexandrinus. 5th cent. Brought by Cyril Lucar, Patriarch of Constantinople, from Alexandria, and afterwards presented by him to King Charles I. in 1628. In the British Museum. The whole Gospel. Photographic facsimile, 1879.
[3240] Codex Basiliensis. 8th cent. At Basle.

[3241] Codex Boreelianus. Once in the possession of John Boreel. 9th cent. At Utrecht. Contains Mk 1–41; Mark 2:8-23; Mark 3:5 to Mark 11:6; Mark 11:27 to Mark 14:54; Mark 15:6-39; Mark 16:19-20.

[3242] Codex Bezae. 6th cent. Has a Latin translation (d) side by side with the Greek text, and the two do not quite always agree. Presented by Beza to the University Library of Cambridge in 1581. Remarkable for its frequent divergences from other texts. Contains Mark, except Mark 16:15-20, which has been added by a later hand. Photographic facsimile, 1899.

[3243] Codex Sinaiticus. 4th cent. Discovered by Tischendorf in 1859 at the Monastery of St Katharine on Mount Sinai. Now at St Petersburg. The whole Gospel, ending at Mark 16:8. Photographic facsimile, 1911.

[3244] Codex Vaticanus. 4th cent., but perhaps a little later than א. In the Vatican Library almost since its foundation by Pope Nicolas V., and one of its greatest treasures. The whole Gospel, ending at Mark 16:8. Photographic facsimile, 1889.

[3245] Codex Ephraemi. 5th cent. A palimpsest: the original writing has been partially rubbed out, and the works of Ephraem the Syrian have been written over it; but a great deal of the original writing has been recovered; of Mark we have Mark 1:17 to Mark 6:31; Mark 8:5 to Mark 12:29; Mark 13:19 to Mark 16:20. In the National Library at Paris.

[3246] Codex Regius. 8th cent. An important witness. At Paris. Contains Mark 1:1 to Mark 10:15; Mark 10:30 to Mark 15:1; Mark 15:20 to Mark 16:20, but the shorter ending is inserted between Mark 16:8 and Mark 16:9, showing that the scribe preferred it to the longer one.

[3247] Codex Bezae. 6th cent. Has a Latin translation (d) side by side with the Greek text, and the two do not quite always agree. Presented by Beza to the University Library of Cambridge in 1581. Remarkable for its frequent divergences from other texts. Contains Mark, except Mark 16:15-20, which has been added by a later hand. Photographic facsimile, 1899.

[3248] Codex Sangallensis. 9th or 10th cent. Contains the Gospels nearly complete, with an interlinear Latin translation. The text of Mark is specially good, agreeing often with CL. At St Gall.
[3249] odex Alexandrinus. 5th cent. Brought by Cyril Lucar, Patriarch of Constantinople, from Alexandria, and afterwards presented by him to King Charles I. in 1628. In the British Museum. The whole Gospel. Photographic facsimile, 1879.

[3250] Codex Sinaiticus. 4th cent. Discovered by Tischendorf in 1859 at the Monastery of St Katharine on Mount Sinai. Now at St Petersburg. The whole Gospel, ending at Mark 16:8. Photographic facsimile, 1911.

[3251] Codex Vaticanus. 4th cent., but perhaps a little later than א. In the Vatican Library almost since its foundation by Pope Nicolas V., and one of its greatest treasures. The whole Gospel, ending at Mark 16:8. Photographic facsimile, 1889.

[3252] Codex Ephraemi. 5th cent. A palimpsest: the original writing has been partially rubbed out, and the works of Ephraem the Syrian have been written over it; but a great deal of the original writing has been recovered; of Mark we have Mark 1:17 to Mark 6:31; Mark 8:5 to Mark 12:29; Mark 13:19 to Mark 16:20. In the National Library at Paris.

[3253] An asterisk denotes that the word is not found elsewhere in N.T., and such words are included in the index, even if there is no note on them in the commentary.

[3254] Codex Bezae. 6th cent. Has a Latin translation (d) side by side with the Greek text, and the two do not quite always agree. Presented by Beza to the University Library of Cambridge in 1581. Remarkable for its frequent divergences from other texts. Contains Mark, except Mark 16:15-20, which has been added by a later hand. Photographic facsimile, 1899.

[3255] Codex Regius. 8th cent. An important witness. At Paris. Contains Mark 1:1 to Mark 10:15; Mark 10:30 to Mark 15:1; Mark 15:20 to Mark 16:20, but the shorter ending is inserted between Mark 16:8 and Mark 16:9, showing that the scribe preferred it to the longer one.

[3256] Codex Sangallensis. 9th or 10th cent. Contains the Gospels nearly complete, with an interlinear Latin translation. The text of Mark is specially good, agreeing often with CL. At St Gall.

[3257] Codex Sinaiticus. 4th cent. Discovered by Tischendorf in 1859 at the Monastery of St Katharine on Mount Sinai. Now at St Petersburg. The whole Gospel, ending at Mark 16:8. Photographic facsimile, 1911.

[3258] Codex Vaticanus. 4th cent., but perhaps a little later than א. In the Vatican Library almost since its foundation by Pope Nicolas V., and one of its greatest treasures. The whole Gospel, ending at Mark 16:8. Photographic facsimile, 1889.

[3259] Codex Ephraemi. 5th cent. A palimpsest: the original writing has been partially rubbed out, and the works of Ephraem the Syrian have been written over it; but a great deal of the original writing has been recovered; of Mark we have Mark 1:17 to Mark 6:31; Mark 8:5 to Mark 12:29; Mark 13:19 to Mark 16:20. In the National Library at Paris.

[3260] Codex Regius. 8th cent. An important witness. At Paris. Contains Mark 1:1 to Mark 10:15; Mark 10:30 to Mark 15:1; Mark 15:20 to Mark 16:20, but the shorter ending is inserted between Mark 16:8 and Mark 16:9, showing that the scribe preferred it to the longer one.

51. καὶ νεανίσκος τις. See crit. note. This strange incident has so little to do with the narrative, and is so out of harmony with the tone of it, that we wonder why it was inserted. It cannot be part of Peter’s reminiscences, for he had fled before it occurred, and he would not regard the matter as instructive. It can hardly be part of the story which he habitually told, and it would not be likely to be part of the primitive tradition. The patristic guess that the young man was St John is excluded by the fact that he had already fled. James, the Lord’s brother, is less improbable, but has little to recommend it. Much more probably the young man was the Evangelist himself. This hypothesis gives an adequate reason for the insertion of the incident. The matter was of intense interest to him, and some who read his Gospel would know who was meant. He does not give his name, for he does not wish to pose as the one adherent of Jesus who did not fly until an attempt was made to arrest him. If the Evangelist was the son of “the goodman” in whose house the Paschal meal was celebrated (see on Mark 14:14), then his appearance at this crisis is intelligible. The house was near Gethsemane, and the noise and lights of the band led by Judas may have awakened Mark, who—taking the first thing that came to hand as a covering—ran out to see what was happening. As his father knew Jesus (Mark 14:14) and was perhaps a disciple, Mark would be greatly interested, even if he were not himself a disciple. All this hangs together very well, but the evidence for it is slender. The suggestion that the incident is given as a specimen of the animosity of Christ’s foes against anyone who seemed to sympathize with Him, is not very convincing. As in the case of “the father of Alexander and Rufus” (Mark 15:21), the Evangelist seems to assume that some of his readers will know who is meant; but it is the interest to himself that causes the adventure of the young man to be recorded. Zahn, Introd. to N.T. II. p. 494; Mk “paints a small picture of himself in the corner of his work.”

σινδόνα. This may mean either an article of clothing or a coverlet caught up to serve as clothing. Of the perfect housewife (Proverbs 31:24) it is said σινδόνας ἐποίησεν καὶ�, which Toy explains as “probably a square piece of cloth that could be used as an outer garment or as a night-dress”; and Moore thinks that the 30 linen garments which Samson wagered (Judges 14:12) were “rectangular pieces of fine and therefore costly linen stuff, which might be worn as an outer garment, or as a night-wrapper.” The Talmud says that such a piece of linen might be used as a curtain or a shroud. We may conjecture with Bengel that a young man who had a σινδών as a wrapper came from a well-to-do household. Cf. Acts 12:8.