Vincent's Word Studies In those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and saith unto them,
I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat: Sorrows (ὠδίνων)
Rev., rightly, travail; for the word is used especially of birth-throes. Shall ye be beaten (δαρήσεσθε) The verb literally means to skin or flay, and by a slang usage, like our phrase to tan or hide, comes to mean to cudgel or beat. And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far.
And his disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness? They lead (ἄγωσιν)
Present subjunctive; better perhaps, may be leading. While you are going along in custody to the judgment-seat, do not be worrying about your defences. Take no thought beforehand (μὴ προμεριμνᾶτε) See on Matthew 6:25. And he asked them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven.
And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people.
And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set them also before them. Abomination
See on Matthew 24:15. So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets. Housetop
See on Matthew 24:17. And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent them away.
And straightway he entered into a ship with his disciples, and came into the parts of Dalmanutha.
And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him.
And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation. The creation which God created
Note the peculiar amplification, and compare Mark 13:20, the elect or chosen whom he chose. And he left them, and entering into the ship again departed to the other side. Shortened
See on Matthew 24:22. Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf.
And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod. Shall shew (δώσουσιν)
Lit., shall give. A few editors, however, read ποιήσουσιν, shall make or do. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread.
And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened? Light (φέγγος)
The word is used in the New Testament wherever the light of the moon is referred to. Compare Matthew 24:29, the only other instance. It occurs also in Luke 11:33, but meaning the light of a lamp. Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember? The stars of heaven shall fall
A rendering which falls very far short of the graphic original: οἱ ἀστέρες ἔσονται ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ πίπτοντες: the stars shall be falling from heaven. So Rev., thus giving the sense of continuousness, as of a shower of falling stars. When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve.
And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven. From the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven (ἀπ' ἄκρου γῆς ἕως ἄκρου οὐρανοῦ)
From the outermost border of the earth, conceived as a fiat surface, to where the outermost border of the heaven sets a limit to the earth. Compare Matthew 24:31. Mark's expression is more poetical. And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?
And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him. Come to pass (γινόμενα)
The present participle, and therefore better as Rev., coming to pass; in process of fulfilment. And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought.
And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.
After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.
And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town. Watch (ἀγρυπνεῖτε)
The word is derived from ἀγρεύω, do hunt, and ὕπνος, sleep. The picture is of one in pursuit of sleep, and therefore wakeful, restless. Wyc.'s rendering of the whole passage is striking: See! wake ye and pray ye! And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am? A man taking a far journey (ἄνθρωπος ἀπόδημος)
The A. V. is incorrect, since the idea is not that of a man about to go, as Matthew 25:14; but of one already gone. So Wyc., gone far in pilgrimage; and Tynd., which is gone into a strange country. The two words form one notion - a man abroad. Rev., sojourning in another country. And they answered, John the Baptist: but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets. Watch (γρηγορεῖτε)
A different word from that in Mark 13:33. See also Mark 13:34. The picture in this word is that of a sleeping man rousing himself. While the other word conveys the idea of simple wakefulness, this adds the idea of alertness. Compare Mark 14:38; Luke 12:37; 1 Peter 5:8. The apostles are thus compared with the doorkeepers, Mark 13:34; and the night season is in keeping with the figure. In the temple, during the night, the captain of the temple made his rounds, and the guards had to rise at his approach and salute him in a particular manner. Any guard found asleep on duty was beaten, or his garments were set on fire. Compare Revelation 16:15 : "Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments." The preparations for the morning service required all to be early astir. The superintending priest might knock at the door at any moment. The Rabbis use almost the very words in which scripture describes the unexpected coming of the Master. "Sometimes he came at the cockcrowing, sometimes a little earlier, sometimes a little later. He came and knocked and they opened to him" (Edersheim, "The Temple"). And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ.
And he charged them that they should tell no man of him. Watch
The closing and summary word is the stronger word of Mark 13:35 : Be awake and on guard. And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. The feast of the passover and the unleavened bread (τὸ πάσχα καὶ τὰ ἄζυμα)
Lit., the passover and the unleavened. It was really one and the same festival. Sought (ἐζήτουν) Imperfect tense: were all this while seeking And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him.
But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men. Alabaster box
See on Matthew 26:7. Spikenard (νάρδου πιστικῆς) The meaning of πιστικῆς greatly disputed. The best authorities define it genuine or unadulterated: pure nard. Brake Possibly by striking the brittle neck of the flask. This detail is peculiar to Mark. And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. To what purpose, etc
See on Matthew 26:8. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. Murmured (ἐνεβριμῶντο)
See on Mark 1:43. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Good
See on Matthew 26:10. Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? And whensoever ye will, etc
Note Mark's amplification. Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. She hath done what she could (ὅ ἔσχεν ἐποίησεν) Lit., what she had she did. Peculiar to Mark. She is come aforehand to anoint (προέλαβεν μυρίσαι) Lit., she anticipated to anoint. Rev., hath anointed beforehand. The verb μυρίζω is found only here. Vincent's Word Studies, by Marvin R. Vincent [1886]. Text Courtesy of Internet Sacred Texts Archive. Bible Apps.com |
