Mark 1:9

ἐν ἐκείναις τ. ἡ. = in those days; an indefinite note of time = while John was carrying on his ministry of preaching and baptising. ῆλθεν Ἰησοῦς, came Jesus, with what feelings, as compared with Pharisees and Sadducees, vide notes on Mt. ἀπὸ Ναζ. τ. Γαλ., from Nazareth, presumably His home; of Galilee, to define the part of the country for outsiders; only Galilee mentioned in Mt. εἰς τὸν Ἰ.: ἐν with dative in Mark 1:5. The expression is pregnant, the idea of descending into the river being latent in εἰς. ὑπὸ Ἰωάν., by John; no hesitation indicated; cf. remarks on three synoptical narratives on this point in Mt. It does not even appear whether John had any suspicion that the visitor from Nazareth was ὁ ἰσχυρότερος, of whom he had spoken. The manner in which the baptism of Jesus is reported is the first instance of the realism of this Gospel, facts about Jesus stated in a naked manner as compared, e.g., with Lk., who is influenced by religious decorum.