Mark 16:18

18. [3586][3587] omit καὶ ἐν ταῖς χερσίν.

[3586] 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.

[3587] 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.

The question of the genuineness of the last twelve verses is discussed in the Introduction (pp. xliii ff.). The time has come when discussion ought not to be necessary. Writers and preachers might be allowed to assume that these verses are no part of the Gospel according to St Mark with as much freedom as they assume that the words about the Three Heavenly Witnesses are no part of the First Epistle of St John. There are cases in which the evidence on one side is so strong that no amount of evidence on the other side, however voluminous and imposing, can shake it; and this is one of them. The interesting facts pointed out by Professor A. C. Clark (The Primitive Text of the Gospels and Acts, pp. 73 f.) do not make the genuineness of these verses more probable.

18. ὄφεις�. Christ’s words to the Seventy (Luke 10:19), which mean that they will triumph over fraud and treachery (cf. Psalms 91:13), would easily be understood literally, and what is said here may be an inference from that, or from what happened to St Paul at Malta (Acts 28:3-6). There is no need to think of Moses’ rod or the brazen serpent. Even if ἐν ταῖς χερσίν be omitted (see crit. note), “take up in their hands” must be the meaning. “Remove” or “drive away” (Luther, vertreiben), as in 1 Corinthians 5:2, or “kill” (Euthym., Theoph., ἀφανίζειν), as in Luke 23:18; John 19:15; Acts 21:36, is certainly not the meaning. The extermination of snakes is not regarded as a special work of believers. The writer thinks of them as miraculously preserved from the bite of venomous creatures.

θανάσιμόν τι πίωσιν. The famous legend about St John drinking hemlock without being harmed (Hastings’ D.B. II. p. 682 a) may have grown out of this verse or Mark 10:39. Eusebius (H. E. iii. 39) quotes from Papias a similar story about Justus Barsabbas, and there are many such. Nowhere else in Bibl. Grk is θανάσιμος found; in class. Grk it means “near death” of persons and “deadly” of things. The narrator understands the words literally in each case. He is not thinking of spiritual serpents or spiritual poisons. The cessation of the power of serpents and poisons and wild beasts is often given as a feature of the Golden Age (Isaiah 11:8-9; Isaiah 35:9; Isaiah 65:25; Ezekiel 34:25; Job 5:22-23; Hosea 2:18). Virgil has the same idea (Ecl. iv. 24, viii. 71, Geor. ii. 152).

χεῖρας ἐπιθήσουσιν. The hands which can take up serpents with impunity can heal the diseases of their fellows. Christ Himself used this method of healing, and the Apostles did so also (Mark 6:5; Acts 9:12; Acts 9:17; Acts 28:8). It is remarkable that anointing with oil (Mark 6:13; James 5:14) is not mentioned. It is perhaps accidental, but the order in which the signs are placed runs thus; casting out demons (time of Christ); speaking with tongues (Apostolic Age); taking up snakes and drinking poison (Growth of Legend); healing by laying on of hands (all ages). Contrast Matthew 28:20.

καλῶς ἕξουσιν. The expression is classical, but is not found elsewhere in N.T., but κακῶς ἔχοντες is not rare (Mark 1:32; Mark 1:34; Mark 2:17; Mark 6:55).