TILL THEY SEE THE KINGDOM OF GOD COME WITH POWER (εως αν ιδωσιν την βασιλειαν του θεου εληλυθυιαν εν δυναμε). In Mark 8:38 Jesus clearly is speaking of the second coming. To what is he referring in Mark 9:1? One is reminded of Mark 13:32; Matthew 24:36 where Jesus expressly denies that anyone save... [ Continue Reading ]
BY THEMSELVES (μονους). Alone. This word only in Mark. See on Matthew 17:1-8 for discussion of the Transfiguration. Luke 9:28 adds "to pray" as the motive of Jesus in taking Peter, James, and John into the high mountain.... [ Continue Reading ]
GLISTERING, EXCEEDING WHITE (στιλβοντα λευκα λιαν). Old words, all of them. Matthew 17:2 hasWHITE AS THE LIGHT (λευκα ως το φως), Luke 9:29 "white and dazzling" (λευκος εξαστραπτων) like lightning.SO AS NO FULLER ON EARTH CAN WHITEN THEM (οια γναφευς επ της γης ου δυνατα ουτως λευκανα). Γναφω... [ Continue Reading ]
ELIJAH WITH MOSES (Ελειας συν Μωυσε). Matthew and Luke have "Moses and Elijah." Both, as a matter of fact were prophets and both dealt with law. Both had mysterious deaths. The other order in Mark 9:5.... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR HE WIST NOT WHAT TO ANSWER (ου γαρ ηιδε τ αποκριθη). Deliberative subjunctive retained in indirect question. But why did Peter say anything? Luke says that he spoke, "not knowing what he said," as an excuse for the inappropriateness of his remarks. Perhaps Peter felt embarrassed at having been... [ Continue Reading ]
SUDDENLY LOOKING ROUND ABOUT (εξαπινα περιβλεψαμενο). Matthew 17:8 has it "lifting up their eyes." Mark is more graphic. The sudden glance around on the mountain side when the cloud with Moses and Elijah was gone.JESUS ONLY WITH THEMSELVES (μεθ' εαυτων ε μη Ιησουν μονον). Mark shows their surpr... [ Continue Reading ]
SAVE WHEN (ε μη οταν). Matthew has "until" (εως ου).SHOULD HAVE RISEN (αναστη). Second aorist active subjunctive. More exactly, "should rise" (punctiliar aorist and futuristic, not with any idea of perfect tense). Luke 9:36 merely says that they told no man any of these things. It was a high an... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY KEPT THE SAYING (τον λογον εκρατησαν) to themselves as Jesus had directed, butQUESTIONING AMONG THEMSELVES (προς εαυτους συνζητουντες). Now they notice his allusion to rising from the dead which had escaped them before (Mark 8:31).... [ Continue Reading ]
RESTORETH ALL THINGS (αποκατιστανε παντα). This late double compound verb, usual form αποκαθιστημ in the papyri, is Christ's description of the Baptist as the promised Elijah and Forerunner of the Messiah. See on Matthew 17:10-13. The disciples had not till now understood that the Baptist fulfill... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SCRIBES QUESTIONING WITH THEM (κα γραμματεις συνζητουντες προς αυτους). Mark alone gives this item. He is much fuller on this incident (Mark 9:14-29) than either Matthew (Matthew 17:14-20) or Luke (Luke 9:37-43). It was just like the professional scribes to take keen interest in the failure o... [ Continue Reading ]
WERE GREATLY AMAZED (εξεθαμβηθησαν). First aorist passive ingressive aorist with perfective compound εξ-. The sudden and opportune appearance of Jesus in the midst of the dispute when no one was looking for him turned all eyes to him. He would not fail, however the disciples might do so. The peop... [ Continue Reading ]
WHAT QUESTION YE WITH THEM? (Τ συνζητειτε προς αυτουσ;). Jesus had noticed the embarrassment of the nine and at once takes hold of the situation.... [ Continue Reading ]
I BROUGHT UNTO THEE MY SON (ηνεγκα τον υιον μου προς σε). The father stepped out and gave the explanation of the excited dispute in direct and simple pathos.... [ Continue Reading ]
WHERESOEVER IT TAKETH HIM (οπου εαν αυτον καταλαβη). Seizes him down. Our word catalepsy is this same word. The word is used by Galen and Hippocrates for fits. The word is very common in the papyri in various senses as in the older Greek. Each of the verbs here in Mark is a graphic picture.DASHES... [ Continue Reading ]
BRING HIM UNTO ME (φερετε αυτον προς με). The disciples had failed and their unbelief had led to this fiasco. Even the disciples were like and part of theFAITHLESS (απιστος, unbelieving) generation in which they lived. The wordFAITHLESS does not here mean treacherous as it does with us. But J... [ Continue Reading ]
TARE HIM GRIEVOUSLY (συνεσπαραξεν αυτον). Luke 9:42 has both ερρηξεν (dashed down, like Mark 9:18, ρησσε) and συνεσπαραξεν (convulsed). This compound with συν- (together with), strengthens the force of the verb as in συνπνιγω (Mark 4:7) and συντηρεω (Mark 6:20). The only other instance of this co... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT IF THOU CANST (αλλ 'ε τ δυνη). Jesus had asked (verse Mark 9:21) the history of the case like a modern physician. The father gave it and added further pathetic details about the fire and the water. The failure of the disciples had not wholly destroyed his faith in the power of Jesus, though t... [ Continue Reading ]
IF THOU CANST (το ε δυνη). The Greek has a neat idiom not preserved in the English translation. The article takes up the very words of the man and puts the clause in the accusative case of general reference. "As to the 'if thou canst,' all things can (δυνατα) to the one who believes." The word fo... [ Continue Reading ]
CRIED OUT (κραξας). Loud outcry and at once (ευθυς). The later manuscripts have "with tears" (μετα δακρυων), not in the older documents.I BELIEVE; HELP MY UNBELIEF (Πιστευω: βοηθε τη απιστια). An exact description of his mental and spiritual state. He still had faith, but craved more. Note pres... [ Continue Reading ]
A MULTITUDE CAME RUNNING TOGETHER (επισυντρεχε οχλος). A double compound here alone in the N.T. and not in the old Greek writers. Επιτρεχω occurs in the papyri, but not επισυντρεχω. The double compound vividly describes the rapid gathering of the crowd to Jesus and the epileptic boy to see the ou... [ Continue Reading ]
HAVING TORN MUCH (σπαραξας). The uncompounded verb used in verse Mark 9:20.BECAME AS ONE DEAD (εγενετο ωσε νεκρος). As if dead from the violence of the spasm. The demon did him all possible harm in leaving him.... [ Continue Reading ]
PRIVATELY, SAYING (κατ' ιδιαν οτ). Indoors the nine disciples seek an explanation for their colossal failure. They had cast out demons and wrought cures before. The Revisers are here puzzled over Mark's use of οτ as an interrogative particle meaningWHY where Matthew 17:19 has δια τ. Some of the... [ Continue Reading ]
SAVE BY PRAYER (ε μη εν προσευχη). The addition of "and of fasting" does not appear in the two best Greek manuscripts (Aleph and B). It is clearly a late addition to help explain the failure. But it is needless and also untrue. Prayer is what the nine had failed to use. They were powerless becaus... [ Continue Reading ]
HE WOULD NOT THAT ANY MAN SHOULD KNOW IT (ουκ ηθελεν ινα τις γνο). Imperfect tense followed by ingressive aorist subjunctive (γνο = γνω, the usual form). He was not willing that any one should learn it. Back in Galilee Jesus was, but he was avoiding public work there now (cf. Mark 7:24). He was n... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR HE TAUGHT (εδιδασκεν γαρ). Imperfect tense, and the reason given for secrecy. He was renewing again definitely the prediction of his death in Jerusalem some six months ahead as he had done before (Mark 8:31; Matthew 16:21; Luke 9:22). Now as then Jesus foretells his resurrection "after three... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THEY UNDERSTOOD NOT THE SAYING (ο δε ηγνοουν το ρημα). An old word. Chiefly in Paul's Epistles in the N.T. Imperfect tense. They continued not to understand. They were agnostics on the subject of the death and resurrection even after the Transfiguration experience. As they came down from the m... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE HOUSE (εν τη οικια). Probably Peter's house in Capernaum which was the home of Jesus when in the city.WHAT WERE YE REASONING IN THE WAY? (Τ εν τη οδω διελογισζεθε;). Imperfect tense. They had been disputing (verse Mark 9:34), not about the coming death of the Master, but about the relati... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THEY HELD THEIR PEACE (Hο δε εσιωπων). Imperfect tense. Put thus to them, they felt ashamed that the Master had discovered their jealous rivalry. It was not a mere abstract query, as they put it to Jesus, but it was a canker in their hearts.... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SAT DOWN AND CALLED THE TWELVE (καθισας εφωνησεν τους δωδεκα). Deliberate action of Jesus to handle this delicate situation. Jesus gives them the rule of greatness: "If any man would be first (πρωτος) he shall be last (εσχατος) of all, and minister (διακονος) of all." This saying of Christ, li... [ Continue Reading ]
ONE OF SUCH LITTLE CHILDREN (εν των τοιουτων παιδιων). Matthew 18:5 has "one such little child" and Luke 9:48 "this little child." It was an object lesson to the arrogant conceit of the twelve apostles contending for primacy. They did not learn this lesson for they will again wrangle over primacy... [ Continue Reading ]
BECAUSE HE FOLLOWED NOT US (οτ ουκ ηκολουθε ημιν). Note vivid imperfect tense again. John evidently thought to change the subject from the constraint and embarrassment caused by their dispute. So he told about a case of extra zeal on his part expecting praise from Jesus. Perhaps what Jesus had ju... [ Continue Reading ]
FORBID HIM NOT (μη κωλυετε). Stop hindering him (μη and the present-imperative) as John had been doing.... [ Continue Reading ]
HE THAT IS NOT AGAINST US IS WITH US (ος ουκ εστιν καθ' ημων υπερ ημων εστιν). This profound saying throws a flood of light in every direction. The complement of this logion is that in Matthew 12:30: "He that is not with me is against me." Both are needed. Some people imagine that they are really... [ Continue Reading ]
BECAUSE YE ARE CHRIST'S (οτ Χριστου εστε). Predicate genitive, belong to Christ. See Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 1:12; 2 Corinthians 10:7. That is the bond of universal brotherhood of the redeemed. It breaks over the lines of nation, race, class, sex, everything. No service is too small, even a cup... [ Continue Reading ]
INTO HELL, INTO THE UNQUENCHABLE FIRE (εις την γεενναν, εις το πυρ το ασβεστον). Not Hades, but Gehenna. Ασβεστον is alpha privative and σβεστος from σβεννυμ to quench. It occurs often in Homer. Our word asbestos is this very word. Matthew 18:8 has "into the eternal fire." The Valley of Hinnom ha... [ Continue Reading ]
The oldest and best manuscripts do not give these two verses. They came in from the Western and Syrian (Byzantine) classes. They are a mere repetition of verse Mark 9:48. Hence we lose the numbering 44 and 46 in our verses which are not genuine.... [ Continue Reading ]
See on Mark 9:44... [ Continue Reading ]
WITH ONE EYE (μονοφθαλμον). Literally one-eyed. See also Matthew 18:9. Vernacular _Koine_ and condemned by the Atticists. See Matthew 18:8. Mark has here "kingdom of God" where Matthew 18:9 has "life.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEIR WORM (ο σκωληξ αυτων). "The worm, i.e. that preys upon the inhabitants of this dread realm" (Gould). Two bold figures of Gehenna combined (the gnawing worm, the burning flame). No figures of Gehenna can equal the dread reality which is here described. See Isaiah 66:24.... [ Continue Reading ]
HAVE SALT IN YOURSELVES (εχετε εν εαυτοις αλα). Jesus had once called them the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13) and had warned them against losing the saltness of the salt. If it is αναλον, nothing canSEASON (αρτυω) it and it is of no use to season anything else. It is like an exploded shell, a... [ Continue Reading ]