Mark 9:20

συνεσπάραξεν ([1941][1942][1943][1944][1945] 33) rather than ἐσπάραξεν ([1946][1947][1948][1949]).

[1941] 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.

[1942] 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.

[1943] 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.

[1944] 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.

[1945] 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.
[1946] 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.
[1947] Codex Oxoniensis. 9th cent. Contains Mark, except Mark 3:35 to Mark 6:20.

[1948] Codex Petropolitanus. 9th cent. Gospels almost complete. Mark 16:18-20 is in a later hand.

[1949] Codex Athous Laurae. 8th cent. Like N and Σ, it is written in silver letters on purple vellum. Contains Mark 9:5 to Mark 16:20, and, as in L, the shorter ending is inserted between Mark 16:8 and Mark 16:9. As in Δ, the text of Mark is specially good.

20. καὶ ἰδὼν κ.τ.λ. There is the common confusion of personality between the demoniac and the demon; cf. Mark 3:11. In any case we have a confusion of construction, as often in Mk. Either ἰδών refers to τὸ πνεῦμα, the masc. being used because Mk thinks of the demon as a person; or ἰδών refers to the boy, and the sentence means “when the boy saw Jesus, straightway he was convulsed by the demon.”

συνεσπάραξεν. Also in Lk. Stronger than σπάραξαν (Mark 1:26), where, as here, Syr-Sin. has “threw him down.” Cf. συμπληρόω, συντέμνω.

ἐκυλίετο. Here only in N.T., but freq. in LXX. Cf. κυλισμός (2 Peter 2:22). The change from aor. to imperf. is accurate.