Mark 1

Mr 1:1-8.

THE

PREACHING AND

BAPTISM OF

JOHN.

Mt 3:1-12;

Lu 3:1-18).

1. The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God--By

the "Gospel" of Jesus Christ here is evidently meant the blessed Story

which our Evangelist is about to tell of His Life, Ministry, Death,

Resurrection, and Glorification, and of the begun Gathering of Believers

in His Name. The abruptness with which he announces his subject, and the

energetic brevity with which, passing by all preceding events, he

hastens over the ministry of John and records the Baptism and Temptation

of Jesus--as if impatient to come to the Public Life of the Lord of

glory--have often been noticed as characteristic of this Gospel--a

Gospel whose direct, practical, and singularly vivid setting imparts to

it a preciousness peculiar to itself. What strikes every one is, that

though the briefest of all the Gospels, this is in some of the principal

scenes of our Lord's history the fullest. But what is not so obvious is,

that wherever the finer and subtler feelings of humanity, or the deeper

and more peculiar hues of our Lord's character were brought out, these,

though they should be lightly passed over by all the other Evangelists,

are sure to be found here, and in touches of such quiet delicacy and

power, that though scarce observed by the cursory reader, they leave

indelible impressions upon all the thoughtful and furnish a key to much

that is in the other Gospels. These few opening words of the Second

Gospel are enough to show, that though it was the purpose of this

Evangelist to record chiefly the outward and palpable facts of our

Lord's public life, he recognized in Him, in common with the Fourth

Evangelist, the glory of the Only-begotten of the Father.

2, 3. As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger

before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before

thee--

(Mal 3:1;

Isa 40:3).

3. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of

the Lord, make his paths straight--The second of these quotations is

given by Matthew and Luke in the same connection, but they reserve the

former quotation till they have occasion to return to the Baptist, after

his imprisonment

(Mt 11:10;

Lu 7:27).

(Instead of the words, "as it is written in the Prophets," there is

weighty evidence in favor of the following reading: "As it is written

in Isaiah the prophet." This reading is adopted by all the latest

critical editors. If it be the true one, it is to be explained

thus--that of the two quotations, the one from Malachi is but a later

development of the great primary one in Isaiah, from which the whole

prophetical matter here quoted takes its name. But the received text is

quoted by IRENÆUS, before the end of the

second century, and the evidence in its favor is greater in

amount, if not in weight. The chief objection to it is, that if

this was the true reading, it is difficult to see how the other one

could have got in at all; whereas, if it be not the true reading, it is

very easy to see how it found its way into the text, as it removes the

startling difficulty of a prophecy beginning with the words of Malachi

being ascribed to Isaiah.) For the exposition, see on

Mt 3:1-6;

Mt 3:11.

Mr 1:9-11.

BAPTISM OF

CHRIST AND

DESCENT OF THE

SPIRIT UPON

HIM

IMMEDIATELY

THEREAFTER.

Mt 3:13-17;

Lu 3:21, 22).

See on

Mt 3:13-17.

Mr 1:12, 13.

TEMPTATION OF

CHRIST.

Mt 4:1-11;

Lu 4:1-13).

See on

Mt 4:1-11.

Mr 1:14-20.

CHRIST

BEGINS

HIS

GALILEAN

MINISTRY--CALLING OF

SIMON AND

ANDREW,

JAMES AND

JOHN.

See on

Mt 4:12-22.

Mr 1:21-39.

HEALING OF A

DEMONIAC IN THE

SYNAGOGUE OF

CAPERNAUM AND

THEREAFTER OF

SIMON'S

MOTHER-IN-LAW AND

MANY

OTHERS--JESUS,

DAY,

IS

FOUND IN A

SOLITARY

PLACE AT

MORNING

PRAYERS, AND

IS

ENTREATED TO

RETURN, BUT

DECLINES, AND

GOES

FORTH ON

HIS

FIRST

MISSIONARY

CIRCUIT.

Lu 4:31-44;

Mt 8:14-17; 4:23-25).

21. And they went into Capernaum--(See on

Mt 4:13).

and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and

taught--This should have been rendered, "straightway on the sabbaths

He entered into the synagogue and taught," or "continued to teach." The

meaning is, that as He began this practice on the very first sabbath

after coming to settle at Capernaum, so He continued it regularly

thereafter.

22. And they were astonished at his doctrine--or "teaching"--referring

quite as much to the manner as the matter of it.

for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the

scribes--See on

Mt 7:28, 29.

23. And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit--literally, "in an unclean spirit"--that is, so entirely under demoniacal

power that his personality was sunk for the time in that of the spirit.

The frequency with which this character of "impurity" is ascribed to

evil spirits--some twenty times in the Gospels--is not to be overlooked.

and he cried out--as follows:

24. Saying, Let us alone--or rather, perhaps, "ah!" expressive of

mingled astonishment and terror.

what have we to do with thee--an expression of frequent occurrence

in the Old Testament

(1Ki 17:18;

2Ki 3:13;

2Ch 35:21,

&c.).

It denotes entire separation of interests:--that is, "Thou and

we have nothing in common; we want not Thee; what wouldst Thou with

us?" For the analogous application of it by our Lord to His mother, see

on

Joh 2:4.

thou Jesus of Nazareth--"Jesus, Nazarene!" an epithet originally given

to express contempt, but soon adopted as the current designation by

those who held our Lord in honor

(Lu 18:37;

Mr 16:6;

Ac 2:22).

art thou come to destroy us?--In the case of the Gadarene demoniac

the question was, "Art Thou come hither to torment us before the time?"

(Mt 8:29).

Themselves tormentors and destroyers of their victims, they discern in

Jesus their own destined tormentor and destroyer, anticipating and

dreading what they know and feel to be awaiting them! Conscious, too,

that their power was but permitted and temporary, and perceiving in

Him, perhaps, the woman's Seed that was to bruise the head and destroy

the works of the devil, they regard His approach to them on this

occasion as a signal to let go their grasp of this miserable victim.

I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God--This and other even

more glorious testimonies to our Lord were given, as we know, with no

good will, but in hope that, by the acceptance of them, He might appear

to the people to be in league with evil spirits--a calumny which His

enemies were ready enough to throw out against Him. But a Wiser than

either was here, who invariably rejected and silenced the testimonies

that came to Him from beneath, and thus was able to rebut the

imputations of His enemies against Him

(Mt 12:24-30).

The expression, "Holy One of God," seems evidently taken from that

Messianic Psalm

(Ps 16:10),

in which He is styled "Thine Holy One."

25. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of

him--A glorious word of command.

BENGEL remarks that it was only the

testimony borne to Himself which our Lord meant to silence. That he

should afterwards cry out for fear or rage

(Mr 1:26)

He would right willingly permit.

26. And when the unclean spirit had torn him--Luke

(Lu 4:35)

says, "When he had thrown him in the midst." Malignant cruelty--just

showing what he would have done, if permitted to go farther: it

was a last fling!

and cried with a loud voice--the voice of enforced submission and

despair.

he came out of him--Luke

(Lu 4:35)

adds, "and hurt him not." Thus impotent were the malignity and rage of

the impure spirit when under the restraint of "the Stronger than the

strong one armed"

(Lu 11:21, 22).

27. What thing is this? what new doctrine--teaching

is this?--The audience, rightly apprehending that the miracle was

wrought to illustrate the teaching and display the character and glory

of the Teacher, begin by asking what novel kind of teaching this could

be, which was so marvellously attested.

28. And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region

round about Galilee--rather, "the whole region of Galilee"; though

some, as MEYER and

ELLICOTT, explain it of the country surrounding

Galilee.

29. And forthwith, when they were come out of the synagogue--so also

in

Lu 4:38.

they entered into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John--The mention of these four--which is peculiar to Mark--is the first of

those traces of Peter's hand in this Gospel, of which we shall find many

more. The house being his, and the illness and cure so nearly affecting

himself, it is interesting to observe this minute specification of the

number and names of the witnesses; interesting also as the first

occasion on which the sacred triumvirate of Peter and James and John are

selected from among the rest, to be a threefold cord of testimony to

certain events in their Lord's life

(see on

Mr 5:37)

--Andrew being present on this occasion, as the occurrence took place

in his own house.

30. But Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever--Luke, as was

natural in "the beloved physician"

(Col 4:14),

describes it professionally; calling it a "great fever," and thus

distinguishing it from that lighter kind which the Greek physicians

were wont to call "small fevers," as GALEN, quoted

and anon--immediately.

they tell him of her--naturally hoping that His compassion and power

towards one of His own disciples would not be less signally displayed

than towards the demonized stranger in the synagogue.

31. And he came and took her by the hand--rather, "And advancing, He

took her," &c. The beloved physician again is very specific: "And He

stood over her."

and lifted her up--This act of condescension, most felt doubtless by

Peter, is recorded only by Mark.

and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto

them--preparing their sabbath-meal: in token both of the

perfectness and immediateness of the cure, and of her gratitude to the

glorious Healer.

32. And at even, when the sun did set--so

Mt 8:16.

Luke

(Lu 4:40)

says it was setting.

they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were

possessed with devils--the demonized. From

Lu 13:14

we see how unlawful they would have deemed it to bring their sick to

Jesus for a cure during the sabbath hours. They waited, therefore, till

these were over, and then brought them in crowds. Our Lord afterwards

took repeated occasion to teach the people by example, even at the risk

of His own life, how superstitious a straining of the sabbath rest this

was.

33. And all the city was gathered together at the door--of Peter's

house; that is, the sick and those who brought them, and the wondering

spectators. This bespeaks the presence of an eye-witness, and is one of

those lively examples of word-painting so frequent in this Gospel.

34. And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out

many devils--In

Mt 8:16

it is said, "He cast out the spirits with His word"; or rather, "with a

word"--a word of command.

and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew

him--Evidently they would have spoken, if permitted,

proclaiming His Messiahship in such terms as in the synagogue; but once

in one day, and that testimony immediately silenced, was enough. See on

Mr 1:24.

After this account of His miracles of healing, we have in

Mt 8:17

this pregnant quotation, "That it might be fulfilled which was spoken

(Isa 53:4),

Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses."

35. And in the morning--that is, of the day after this remarkable

sabbath; or, on the first day of the week. His choosing this day to

inaugurate a new and glorious stage of His public work, should be noted

rising up a great while before day--"while it was yet night," or

long before daybreak.

he went out--all unperceived from Peter's house, where He slept.

and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed--or, "continued

in prayer." He was about to begin His first preaching and healing

circuit; and as on similar solemn occasions

(Lu 5:16; 6:12; 9:18, 28, 29;

Mr 6:46),

He spent some time in special prayer, doubtless with a view to it. What

would one not give to have been, during the stillness of those grey

morning hours, within hearing--not of His "strong crying and tears,"

for He had scarce arrived at the stage for that--but of His calm,

exalted anticipations of the work which lay immediately before Him, and

the outpourings of His soul about it into the bosom of Him that sent

Him! He had doubtless enjoyed some uninterrupted hours of such

communings with His heavenly Father ere His friends from Capernaum

arrived in search of Him. As for them, they doubtless expected, after

such a day of miracles, that the next day would witness similar

manifestations. When morning came, Peter, loath to break in upon the

repose of his glorious Guest, would await His appearance beyond the

usual hour; but at length, wondering at the stillness, and gently

coming to see where the Lord lay, he finds it--like the sepulchre

afterwards--empty! Speedily a party is made up to go in search of Him,

Peter naturally leading the way.

36. And Simon and they that were with him followed after

him--rather, "pressed after Him." Luke

(Lu 4:42)

says, "The multitudes sought after Him"; but this would be a party from

the town. Mark, having his information from Peter himself, speaks only

of what related directly to him. "They that were with him" would

probably be Andrew his brother, James and John, with a few other choice

brethren.

37. And when they had found him--evidently after some search.

they said unto him, All men seek for thee--By this time, "the

multitudes" who, according to Luke

(Lu 4:42),

"sought after Him"--and who, on going to Peter's house, and there

learning that Peter and a few more were gone in search of Him, had set

out on the same errand--would have arrived, and "came unto Him and

stayed Him, that He should not depart from them"

(Lu 4:42);

all now urging His return to their impatient townsmen.

38. And he said unto them, Let us go--or, according to another reading,

"Let us go elsewhere."

into the next towns--rather, "unto the neighboring village-towns";

meaning those places intermediate between towns and villages, with which

the western side of the Sea of Galilee was studded.

that I may preach there also; for therefore came I forth--not

from Capernaum, as DE WETTE

miserably interprets, nor from His privacy in the desert place, as

MEYER, no better; but from the Father. Compare

Joh 16:28,

"I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world,"

&c.--another proof, by the way, that the lofty phraseology of the

Fourth Gospel was not unknown to the authors of the others, though

their design and point of view are different. The language in which our

Lord's reply is given by Luke

(Lu 4:43)

expresses the high necessity under which, in this as in every other

step of His work, He acted--"I must preach the kingdom of God to other

cities also; for therefore"--or, "to this end"--"am I sent." An act of

self-denial it doubtless was, to resist such pleadings to return to

Capernaum. But there were overmastering considerations on the other

side.

Mr 1:40-45.

HEALING OF A

LEPER.

Mt 8:1-4;

Lu 5:12-16).

See on

Mt 8:1-4.