Mark 7:36

And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it; AND HE CHARGED THEM THAT THEY SHOULD TELL NO MAN. Into this very region He had sent the man out of whom had been cast the legion of devils, to proclaim "what the Lord had done, for him" (). Now He will have them "tell no man." But in the former case there was no danger of obstructing His ministry by "blazing the matter" (), as He Himself had left the region; whereas now He was sojourning in it. BUT THE MORE HE CHARGED THEM, SO MUCH THE MORE A GREAT DEAL THEY PUBLISHED IT. They could not be restrained; nay, the prohibition seemed only to whet their determination to publish His fame....

36._Then he enjoined them not to tell it to any person. _Many commentators torture these _injunctions _to an opposite meaning, as if Christ had purposely excited them to spread abroad the fame of the miracle; but I prefer a more natural interpretation which I have formerly stated, (424) that Christ only intended to delay the publication of it till a more proper and convenient time. I have no doubt, therefore, that their zeal was unseasonable, when, though _enjoined _to be silent, they were in haste to speak. We need not wonder that men unaccustomed to the doctrine of Christ are carried away by immoderate zeal, when it is not called for. Yet what they unwisely attempted to do, was made by Christ to promote his own glory; for not only was the miracle made known, but the whole of that district, in despising the Author of heavenly gifts, was rendered inexcusable....

31-37 Here is a cure of one that was deaf and dumb. Those who brought this poor man to Christ, besought him to observe the case, and put forth his power. Our Lord used more outward actions in the doing of this cure than usual. These were only signs of Christ's power to cure the man, to encourage his faith, and theirs that brought him. Though we find great variety in the cases and manner of relief of those who applied to Christ, yet all obtained the relief they sought. Thus it still is in the great concerns of our souls....

Verse Mark 7:36. _TELL NO MAN_] Matthew 8:4. This miracle is not mentioned by any other of the evangelists. Another proof that Mark did not _abridge_ Matthew. For a practical review of the different important subjects of this chapter, see Matthew 15:1, and particularly the observations at the end. Matthew 15:39....

TELL NO MAN - Do not noise it abroad. He was not ambitious of being known, and he knew that if much was said of his cures, it would excite the jealousy of the Pharisees and endanger his life....

EXPOSITION MARK 7:1, MARK 7:2 These verses, according to the Greek construction, should run thus: AND THERE ARE GATHERED TOGETHER UNTO THE PHARISEES, AND CERTAIN OF THE scribes, WHICH HAD COME FROM JERUSALEM, AND HAD SEEN THAT SOME OF HIS DISCIPLES ATE THEIR BREAD WITH DEFILED, THAT IS, UNWASHEN, HANDS. The word (ἐμέμψαντο) translated in the Authorized Version, "they found fault," does not appear in the best authorities. It seems to have been interpolated to help the construction. St. Mark explains the meaning of the word κοιναῖς_ _(literally, common), by the word (ἀνίπτοις) "unwashen." The disciples, doubtless, washed their hands, but they abstained from the multiplied ceremonial washings of the Pharisees, wh

AND HE CHARGED THEM,.... The man that had his hearing and speech restored to him, and those that brought him, and as many as were witnesses of the miracle: THAT THEY SHOULD TELL NO MAN; of the cure that was wrought, being not desirous of the applause of men; and knowing it would bring upon him the envy of the Scribes and Pharisees; and be a means of putting the common people upon setting him up as a temporal king, such as they expected the Messiah would be: BUT THE MORE HE CHARGED THEM, SO MUCH THE MORE A GREAT DEAL THEY PUBLISHED [IT]; or "spake of him", as the Ethiopic version reads it; for they looked upon his charge merely to proceed from modesty, and that made them the more forward to speak of his greatness and in his praise, to publish his mighty works, and spread the fame of his miracles far and near. So, such who have received the grace of God, are become acquainted with Christ...

CHAPTER 7 _ 1. The Opposition of the Pharisees. (Mark 7:1 .Matthew 15:1)_ 2. Grace shown to the Syrophenician Woman. (Mark 7:24. Matthew 15:21) 3. The healing of the deaf man. (Mark 7:31. Matthew 15:29 .) 1. THE OPPOSITION OF THE PHARISEES. Mark 7:1 This paragraph is of much importance. The scope of the analysis forbids a full annotation, but we refer th

THE HEALING OF A DEAF-MUTE. The cure of the Syro-Phœ nician woman's daughter threatens the privacy Jesus sought in Tyre. He therefore withdraws to Decapolis (another Gentile district, Matthew 4:25 *), going northward through Sidon, and presumably reaching Decapolis by a circuitous route which avoided Galilee. (Wellhausen's conjecture, Bethsaida for Sidon, is unnecessary.) The incident that follows is peculiar to Mk. Jesus heals a deaf-mute, by means not unusual in that age (_cf._ account of healings by Vespasian in Tacitus, _Hist._ iv. 81). Mt. omits this story, perhaps because the methods employed (cf. Mark 8:23) savour of magic. Mk., a popular writer, is interested in the details and in the actual word used. The rare word _mogilalos,_ with an impediment in his speech, recalls...

CLEAN AND UNCLEAN (Mark 7:1-4)...