XIV. (1, 2) AFTER TWO DAYS WAS THE FEAST OF THE PASSOVER. — See Notes on Matthew 26:1. Better, _was the passover, and the feast of unleavened bread._ The latter designation is common to St. Mark and St. Luke, as an explanation intended for Gentile readers. The same fact accounts, perhaps, for the o... [ Continue Reading ]
(3-9) AND BEING IN BETHANY. — See Notes on Matthew 26:6. OINTMENT OF SPIKENARD. — The Greek word so translated is, as the various renderings in the margin show, of doubtful import. It is used by St. John (John 12:3) in his account of the same facts. SHE BRAKE THE BOX. — As in the “breaking through... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE WERE SOME THAT HAD INDIGNATION. — Note St. Mark’s limitation of the murmurers to “some,” as an intermediate stage between St. Matthew’s “the disciples” and St. John’s naming “Judas.”... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR MORE THAN THREE HUNDRED PENCE. — The specific mention of the sum, not given by St. Matthew, is one of the few points common to St. Mark and St. John (John 12:5).... [ Continue Reading ]
SHE HATH WROUGHT A GOOD WORK ON ME. — “Good” in the sense of “noble,” as implying the higher form of goodness. The use of the word here is peculiar to St. Mark.... [ Continue Reading ]
WHENSOEVER YE WILL YE MAY DO THEM GOOD. — Peculiar to St. Mark; the other words being given by him in common with St. Matthew and St. John.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JUDAS ISCARIOT. — See Notes on Matthew 26:14.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY WERE GLAD, AND PROMISED TO GIVE HIM MONEY. — It may be noted (1) that the mention of the priests being “glad” is in common with St. Luke, and (2) that St. Mark does not name the specific sum which was promised as the price of blood.... [ Continue Reading ]
(12-21) AND THE FIRST DAY OF UNLEAVENED BREAD. — See Notes on Matthew 26:20. WHEN THEY KILLED THE PASSOVER. — Better, _when they used to sacrifice;_ the Greek tense implying a custom. Here, again, both St. Mark and St. Luke write as explaining the custom for their Gentile readers.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SENDETH FORTH TWO OF HIS DISCIPLES. — The number is given by St. Mark; the names, Peter and John, by St. Luke only. The sign of the pitcher of water is common to both Gospels, but not to St. Matthew.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE GOODMAN OF THE HOUSE. — Better, _the master._ The better MSS. give the reading, “Where is _my_ guest-chamber,” a form which implies discipleship on the part of the owner of the house, even more than that given by St. Matthew. The word translated “guest-chamber” is the same as that which appears... [ Continue Reading ]
FURNISHED AND PREPARED. — The first word implied that it was not a bare, empty chamber, but set out with cushions or _divans,_ on which the guests could recline; the second, that it was specially arranged for the Paschal Supper of that evening.... [ Continue Reading ]
AS THEY SAT. — Better, _as they reclined. _... [ Continue Reading ]
GOOD WERE IT FOR THAT MAN. — St. Mark, it will be noted, omits the fact recorded by St. Matthew, that the last “Is it I?” was uttered by the Traitor.... [ Continue Reading ]
(22-25) AS THEY DID EAT. — See Notes on Matthew 26:26. TAKE, EAT. — The latter word is wanting in many of the best MSS.... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN HE HAD GIVEN THANKS. — St. Mark agrees with St. Matthew in using the word “blessing” of the bread, and “giving thanks” of the cup. St. Luke uses the latter word of the bread, and implies by the word “likewise” that the form was repeated with the cup.... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH IS SHED FOR MANY. — Better, _is being shed,_ the participle, both here and in St. Matthew, being in the present tense.... [ Continue Reading ]
OF THE FRUIT OF THE VINE. — Better, _of the product._ Note the difference between “the kingdom of God” here, and “the kingdom of My Father” in Matthew 26:29.... [ Continue Reading ]
(26-42) AND WHEN THEY HAD SUNG AN HYMN. — See Notes on Matthew 26:30.... [ Continue Reading ]
BEFORE THE COCK CROW TWICE. — The word “twice” is omitted in many MSS. It agrees, however, with the emphatic mention of the cock crowing a “second time” in Mark 14:72, and with the form of the prediction in the same verse, and may fairly be regarded as the true reading, the omission in some MSS. bei... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SPAKE THE MORE VEHEMENTLY. — The Greek tense implies frequent and continuous speaking.... [ Continue Reading ]
WHILE I SHALL PRAY. — Literally, _till I shall have prayed. _... [ Continue Reading ]
BEGAN TO BE SORE AMAZED. — Note St. Mark’s use of the stronger word as compared with St. Matthew’s “to be sorrowful.”... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SAID, ABBA, FATHER. — The record of the word “Abba” as actually uttered, is peculiar to St. Mark. We, perhaps, find traces of the impression it made on the minds of men in the “Abba, Father” of Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6.... [ Continue Reading ]
SIMON, SLEEPEST THOU? — Note that while St. Matthew and St. Luke give the question in the plural, St. Mark reports it in the singular, and joins it with the emphatic utterance of the name of the disciple. His report, too, includes the two questions which appear separately in the other two Gospels.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE COMETH THE THIRD TIME. — We may note St. Mark’s omission of the third repetition of the prayer. IT IS ENOUGH. — Peculiar to St. Mark, and probably noting the transition from the half-reproachful permission, “Sleep on now, and take your rest,” to the emphatic and, as it were, startled exclama... [ Continue Reading ]
(43-45) AND IMMEDIATELY, WHILE HE YET SPAKE. — See Notes on Matthew 26:47. Note the re-appearance of St. Mark’s characteristic “immediately.” Many of the better MSS. add the distinguishing “Iscariot” to the name of Judas.... [ Continue Reading ]
TAKE HIM. — Better, _seize. _... [ Continue Reading ]
MASTER, MASTER. — Better, _Rabbi, Rabbi._ All the MSS. give the Hebrew word, and not its Greek equivalent.... [ Continue Reading ]
(46-50) TOOK HIM. — Better, as before, _seized._ See Notes on Matthew 26:51.... [ Continue Reading ]
AS AGAINST A THIEF. — Better, _as against a robber,_ the word implying the bolder form of theft.... [ Continue Reading ]
YE TOOK ME NOT. — Better, _ye seized Me not,_ or, _ye laid no hold on Me. _... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THERE FOLLOWED HIM A CERTAIN YOUNG MAN. — The remarkable incident that follows is narrated by St. Mark only. It had clearly made a deep impression on the minds of some of the disciples (probably enough, on that of Peter), from whom, directly or indirectly, the report came. Who it was that appear... [ Continue Reading ]
(53-65) AND THEY LED JESUS AWAY. — See Notes on Matthew 26:57.... [ Continue Reading ]
SAT... AND WARMED HIMSELF. — Better, _was sitting and warming himself._ WITH THE SERVANTS. — Better, _with the officers._ AT THE FIRE. — Literally, _at the light;_ the word bringing out very vividly the effect of the glare of the charcoal fire on St. Peter’s face,... [ Continue Reading ]
THEIR WITNESS AGREED NOT TOGETHER. — St. Mark gives what St. Matthew only implies as the cause of the failure.... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE AROSE CERTAIN. — St. Mark is here less definite than St. Matthew, who, writing for Jews, was apparently anxious to show that the rule which required “two or three witnesses” in support of a criminal charge had barely been complied with.... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS TEMPLE. — The word here, as in Matthew 26:61 and John 2:19, is that which indicates generally the sanctuary or shrine, and here the “Holy Place” of the Temple. MADE WITH HANDS... MADE WITHOUT HANDS. — The antithesis is peculiar to St. Mark, but we may, perhaps, trace an echo of it in the “more... [ Continue Reading ]
NEITHER SO DID THEIR WITNESS AGREE TOGETHER. — This, again, is peculiar to St. Mark. We are not told in what respects their evidence failed to agree; possibly in details of time and place, possibly in the absence or presence of the words reported in the previous verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SON OF THE BLESSED. — In St. Matthew and St. Luke we have simply “the Son of God;” but the use of “the Blessed” as a name of God in doxologies and other solemn formulæ was a common practice.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THE HIGH PRIEST RENT HIS CLOTHES. — It is noticeable that St. Mark uses the word for the inner garment, St. Matthew that for the outer.... [ Continue Reading ]
GUILTY OF DEATH. — Here, as in Matthew 26:66, the translators follow the old English usage, and connect the word “guilty,” not as we now do, with the crime of which a man is convicted, but with the punishment to which he is liable.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND TO COVER HIS FACE. — It was this (recorded by St. Mark and St. Luke, but not by St. Matthew) which gave point to the taunt “Prophesy.” They blindfolded the Prophet, and then called on Him to use His power of supernatural vision. THE SERVANTS DID STRIKE HIM. — Better, as before, _the officers._... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AS PETER WAS BENEATH. — See Notes on Matthew 26:69.... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU ALSO WAST WITH JESUS OF NAZARETH. — The order of the words varies in the MSS.; but the better ones give the words as spoken with an emphatic scorn, “And thou also wast with the Nazarene, Jesus.”... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE WENT OUT INTO THE PORCH. — The noun is not the same as that used by St. Matthew, but signifies literally “the space before the palace,” _i.e.,_ the vestibule. Substantially, of course, it comes to much the same meaning.... [ Continue Reading ]
A MAID. — Better, _the maid_ — _i.e.,_ the one that had pointed him out before.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THY SPEECH AGREETH THERETO. — Singularly enough, the words, which seem so natural, are wanting in many of the best MSS., and may, therefore, possibly have been an interpretative addition, possibly made by St. Mark himself, in what we may call a revised edition of his Gospel.... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN HE THOUGHT THEREON. — The Greek word is a somewhat peculiar one, and means literally “throwing at,” or “on.” The English version assumes that it means “casting his mind or thoughts,” just as “to reflect” is “to bend the mind,” and is probably right. The marginal readings give two conjectures. Y... [ Continue Reading ]