01250
 \\Perceiving in himself\\ (\\epignous en heauti\\). She thought,
 perhaps, that the touch of Christ's garment would cure her
 without his knowing it, a foolish fancy, no doubt, but one due to
 her excessive timidity. Jesus felt in his own consciousness. The
 Greek idiom more exactly means: "Jesus perceiving in himself the
 power from him go out" (\\tn ex autou dunamin exelthousan\\). The
 aorist participle here is punctiliar simply and timeless and can
 be illustrated by
 # Lu 10:18
 : "I was beholding Satan fall" (\\etheroun ton Satann pesonta\\),
 where \\pesonta\\ does not mean _fallen_ (\\peptkota\\) as in
 # Re 9:1
 nor falling (\\piptonta\\) but simply the constative aorist \\fall\\
 (Robertson, _Grammar_, p. 684). So here Jesus means to say: "I
 felt in myself the power from me go." Scholars argue whether in
 this instance Jesus healed the woman by conscious will or by
 unconscious response to her appeal. Some even argue that the
 actual healing took place after Jesus became aware of the woman's
 reaching for help by touching his garment. What we do know is
 that Jesus was conscious of the going out of power from himself.
 # Lu 8:46
 uses \\egnn\\ (personal knowledge), but Mark has \\epignous\\ (personal
 and additional, clear knowledge). One may remark that no real
 good can be done without the outgoing of power. That is true of
 mother, preacher, teacher, doctor. \\Who touched my garments?\\ (\\Tis\\
 \\mou hpsato tn himatin;\\). More exactly, \\Who touched me on my\\
 \\clothes\\; The Greek verb uses two genitives, of the person and the
 thing. It was a dramatic moment for Jesus and for the timid
 woman. Later it was a common practice for the crowds to touch the
 hem of Christ's garments and be healed
 # Mr 6:56
 But here Jesus chose to single out this case for examination.
 There was no magic in the garments of Jesus. Perhaps there was
 superstition in the woman's mind, but Jesus honoured her darkened
 faith as in the case of Peter's shadow and Paul's handkerchief.

01251
 \\Thronging thee\\ (\\sunthlibonta se\\). See verse
 # 24
 The disciples were amazed at the sensitiveness of Jesus to the
 touch of the crowd. They little understood the drain on Jesus
 from all this healing that pulled at his heart-strings and
 exhausted his nervous energy even though the Son of God. He had
 the utmost human sympathy.

01252
 \\And he looked round about\\ (\\kai perieblepeto\\). Imperfect middle
 indicative. He kept looking around to find out. The answer of
 Jesus to the protest of the disciples was this scrutinizing gaze
 (see already
 # 3:5,34
 Jesus knew the difference between touch and touch (Bruce).

01253
 \\Fearing and trembling, knowing\\ (\\phobtheisa kai tremousa,\\
 \\eiduia\\). These participles vividly portray this woman who had
 tried to hide in the crowd. She had heard Christ's question and
 felt his gaze. She had to come and confess, for something "has
 happened" (\\gegonen\\, second perfect active indicative, still true)
 to her. \\Fell down before him\\ (\\prosepesen auti\\). That was the
 only proper attitude now. \\All the truth\\ (\\psan tn altheian\\).
 Secrecy was no longer possible. She told "the pitiful tale of
 chronic misery" (Bruce).

01254
 \\Go in peace\\ (\\Hupage eis eirnn\\). She found sympathy, healing,
 and pardon for her sins, apparently. Peace here may have more the
 idea of the Hebrew _shalm_, health of body and soul. So Jesus
 adds: "Be whole of thy plague" (\\isthi hugis apo ts mastigos\\
 \\sou\\). Continue whole and well.

01255
 \\While he yet spake\\ (\\Eti autou lalountos\\). Genitive absolute.
 Another vivid touch in Mark and
 # Lu 8:49
 The phrase is in
 # Ge 29:9
 Nowhere does Mark preserve better the lifelike traits of an
 eyewitness like Peter than in these incidents in chapter 5. The
 arrival of the messengers from Jairus was opportune for the woman
 just healed of the issue of blood (\\en husei haimatos\\) for it
 diverted attention from her. Now the ruler's daughter has died
 (\\apethane\\). \\Why troublest thou the master any further?\\ (\\Ti eti\\
 \\skulleis ton didaskalon;\\). It was all over, so they felt. Jesus
 had raised from the dead the son of the widow of Nain
 # Lu 7:11-17
 but people in general did not expect him to raise the dead. The
 word \\skull\\, from \\skulon\\ (_skin, pelt, spoils_), means to skin,
 to flay, in Aeschylus. Then it comes to mean to vex, annoy,
 distress as in
 # Mt 9:36
 which see. The middle is common in the papyri for bother, worry,
 as in
 # Lu 7:6
 There was no further use in troubling the Teacher about the girl.

01256
 \\Not heeding\\ (\\parakousas\\). This is the sense in
 # Mt 18:17
 and uniformly so in the LXX. But here the other sense of hearing
 aside, overhearing what was not spoken directly to him, probably
 exists also. "Jesus might overhear what was said and disregard
 its import" (Bruce). Certainly he ignored the conclusion of the
 messengers. The present participle \\laloumenon\\ suits best the idea
 of overhearing. Both Mark and
 # Lu 8:50
 have "Fear not, only believe" (\\m phobou, monon pisteue\\). This to
 the ruler of the synagogue (\\ti archisunaggi\\) who had remained
 and to whom the messenger had spoken.

01257
 \\Save Peter, and James, and John\\ (\\ei m Petron kai lakbon kai\\
 \\Iann\\). Probably the house was too small for the other disciples
 to come in with the family. The first instance of this inner
 circle of three seen again on the Mount of Transfiguration and in
 the Garden of Gethsemane. The one article in the Greek treats the
 group as a unit.

01258
 \\Wailing greatly\\ (\\alalazontas polla\\). An onomatopoetic word from
 Pindar down. The soldiers on entering battle cried \\Alla\\. Used of
 clanging cymbals
 # 1Co 13:1
 Like \\ololuz\\ in
 # Jas 5:1
 It is used here of the monotonous wail of the hired mourners.

01259
 \\Make a tumult\\ (\\thorubeisthe\\). Middle voice. Jesus had dismissed
 one crowd (verse
 # 37
 but finds the house occupied by the hired mourners making bedlam
 (\\thorubos\\) as if that showed grief with their ostentatious noise.
 # Mt 9:23
 spoke of flute-players (\\aultas\\) and the hubbub of the excited
 throng (\\thoruboumenon\\. Cf.
 # Mr 14:2; Ac 20:1,21,34
 Mark, Matthew, and Luke all quote Jesus as saying that "the child
 is not dead, but sleepeth." Jesus undoubtedly meant that she was
 not dead to stay dead, though some hold that the child was not
 really dead. It is a beautiful word (she is \\sleeping\\, \\katheudei\\)
 that Jesus uses of death.

01260
 \\And they laughed him to scorn\\ (\\kai kategeln\\). "They jeered at
 him" (Weymouth). Note imperfect tense. They kept it up. And note
 also \\kat-\\ (perfective use). Exactly the same words in
 # Mt 9:24
 and
 # Lu 8:53
 The loud laughter was ill suited to the solemn occasion. But
 Jesus on his part (\\autos de\\) took charge of the situation. \\Taketh\\
 \\the father of the child and her mother and them that were with\\
 \\him\\ (\\paralambanei ton patera tou paidiou kai tn mtera kai tous\\
 \\met' autou\\). Having put out (\\ekbaln\\) the rest by a stern
 assertion of authority as if he were master of the house, Jesus
 takes along with him these five and enters the chamber of death
 "where the child was" (\\hopou n to paidion\\). He had to use
 pressure to make the hired mourners leave. The presence of some
 people will ruin the atmosphere for spiritual work.

01261
 \\Talitha cumi\\. These precious Aramaic words, spoken by Jesus to
 the child, Peter heard and remembered so that Mark gives them to
 us. Mark interprets the simple words into Greek for those who did
 not know Aramaic (\\to korasion, egeire\\), that is, \\Damsel, arise\\.
 Mark uses the diminutive \\korasin\\, a little girl, from \\kor\\,
 girl. _Braid Scots_ has it: "Lassie, wauken."
 # Lu 8:5-9
 has it \\H pais, egeire\\, \\Maiden, arise\\. All three Gospels mention
 the fact that Jesus took her by the hand, a touch of life
 (\\kratsas ts cheiros\\), giving confidence and help.

01262
 \\Rose up, and walked\\ (\\anest kai periepatei\\). Aorist tense (single
 act) followed by the imperfect (\\the walking went on\\). \\For she was\\
 \\twelve years old\\ (\\n gar etn ddeka\\). The age mentioned by Mark
 alone and here as explanation that she was old enough to walk.
 \\Amazed\\ (\\exestsan\\). We have had this word before in
 # Mt 12:23
 and
 # Mr 2:12
 which see. Here the word is repeated in the substantive in the
 associative instrumental case (\\ekstasei megali\\), with a great
 ecstasy, especially on the part of the parents
 # Lu 8:56
 and no wonder.

01263
 \\That no one should know this\\ (\\hina mdeis gnoi touto\\). Second
 aorist active subjunctive, \\gnoi\\. But would they keep still about
 it? There was the girl besides. Both Mark and Luke note that
 Jesus ordered that food be given to the child \\given her to eat\\,
 (\\dothnai auti phagein\\), a natural care of the Great Physician.
 Two infinitives here (first aorist passive and second aorist
 active). "She could walk and eat; not only alive, but well"
 (Bruce).


01264
 \\Into his own country\\ (\\eis tn patrida autou\\). So
 # Mt 13:54
 There is no real reason for identifying this visit to Nazareth
 with that recorded in
 # Lu 4:26-31
 at the beginning of the Galilean Ministry. He was rejected both
 times, but it is not incongruous that Jesus should give Nazareth
 a second chance. It was only natural for Jesus to visit his
 mother, brothers, and sisters again. Neither Mark nor Matthew
 mention Nazareth here by name, but it is plain that by \\patrida\\
 the region of Nazareth is meant. He had not lived in Bethlehem
 since his birth.

01265
 \\Began to teach\\ (\\rxato didaskein\\). As was now his custom in the
 synagogue on the sabbath. The ruler of the synagogue
 (\\archisunaggos\\, see
 # Mt 5:22
 would ask some one to speak whensoever he wished. The reputation
 of Jesus all over Galilee opened the door for him. Jesus may have
 gone to Nazareth for rest, but could not resist this opportunity
 for service. \\Whence hath this man these things?\\ (\\Pothen touti\\
 \\tauta;\\). Laconic and curt, \\Whence these things to this fellow?\\
 With a sting and a fling in their words as the sequel shows. They
 continued to be amazed (\\exeplssonto\\, imperfect tense passive).
 They challenge both the apparent \\wisdom\\ (\\sophia\\) with which he
 spoke and \\the mighty works\\ or powers (\\hai dunameis\\) \\such as\\
 \\those\\ (\\toiautai\\) \\coming to pass\\ (\\ginomenai\\, present middle
 participle, repeatedly wrought) \\by his hands\\ (\\dia tn cheirn\\).
 They felt that there was some hocus-pocus about it somehow and
 somewhere. They do not deny the wisdom of his words, nor the
 wonder of his works, but the townsmen knew Jesus and they had
 never suspected that he possessed such gifts and graces.

01266
 \\Is not this the carpenter?\\ (\\Ouch houtos estin ho tektn;\\).
 # Mt 13:55
 calls him "the carpenter's son" (\\ho tou tektonos huios\\). He was
 both. Evidently since Joseph's death he had carried on the
 business and was "the carpenter" of Nazareth. The word \\tektn\\
 comes from \\tekein, tikt\\, to beget, create, like \\techn\\ (craft,
 art). It is a very old word, from Homer down. It was originally
 applied to the worker in wood or builder with wood like our
 carpenter. Then it was used of any artisan or craftsman in metal,
 or in stone as well as in wood and even of sculpture. It is
 certain that Jesus worked in wood. Justin Martyr speaks of
 ploughs, yokes, et cetera, made by Jesus. He may also have worked
 in stone and may even have helped build some of the stone
 synagogues in Galilee like that in Capernaum. But in Nazareth the
 people knew him, his family (no mention of Joseph), and his trade
 and discounted all that they now saw with their own eyes and
 heard with their own ears. This word carpenter "throws the only
 flash which falls on the continuous tenor of the first thirty
 years from infancy to manhood, of the life of Christ" (Farrar).
 That is an exaggeration for we have
 # Lu 2:41-50
 and "as his custom was"
 # Lu 4:16
 to go no further. But we are grateful for Mark's realistic use of
 \\tektn\\ here. \\And they were offended in him\\ (\\kai eskandalizonto en\\
 \\auti\\). So exactly
 # Mt 13:56
 \\were made to stumble in him\\, trapped like game by the \\skandalon\\
 because they could not explain him, having been so recently one
 of them. "The Nazarenes found their stumbling block in the person
 or circumstances of Jesus. He became--\\petra skandalou\\
 # 1Pe 2:7,8; Ro 9:33
 to those who disbelieved" (Swete). Both Mark and
 # Mt 13:57
 which see, preserve the retort of Jesus with the quotation of the
 current proverb about a prophet's lack of honour in his own
 country.
 # Joh 4:44
 quoted it from Jesus on his return to Galilee long before this.
 It is to be noted that Jesus here makes a definite claim to being
 a prophet (\\prophts\\, forspeaker for God), a seer. He was much
 more than this as he had already claimed to be Messiah
 # Joh 4:26; Lu 4:21
 the Son of man with power of God
 # Mr 1:10; Mt 9:6; Lu 5:24
 the Son of God
 # Joh 5:22
 They stumble at Jesus today as the townspeople of Nazareth did.
 \\In his own house\\ (\\en ti oikii autou\\). Also in
 # Mt 13:57
 This was the saddest part of it all, that his own brothers in his
 own home disbelieved his Messianic claims
 # Joh 7:5
 This puzzle was the greatest of all.

01267
01268
01269
 \\And he marvelled because of their unbelief\\ (\\kai ethaumasen dia\\
 \\tn apistian autn\\). Aorist tense, but Westcott and Hort put the
 imperfect in the margin. Jesus had divine knowledge and accurate
 insight into the human heart, but he had human limitations in
 certain things that are not clear to us. He marvelled at the
 faith of the Roman centurion where one would not expect faith
 # Mt 8:10; Lu 7:9
 Here he marvels at the lack of faith where he had a right to
 expect it, not merely among the Jews, but in his own home town,
 among his kinspeople, even in his own home. One may excuse Mary,
 the mother of Jesus, from this unbelief, puzzled, as she probably
 was, by his recent conduct
 # Mr 3:21,31
 There is no proof that she ever lost faith in her wonderful Son.
 \\He went round about the villages teaching\\ (\\perigen ts kmas\\
 \\kukli didaskn\\). A good illustration of the frequent poor verse
 division. An entirely new paragraph begins with these words, the
 third tour of Galilee. They should certainly be placed with verse
 # 7
 The Revised Version would be justified if it had done nothing
 else than give us paragraphs according to the sense and
 connection. "Jesus resumes the role of a wandering preacher in
 Galilee" (Bruce). Imperfect tense, \\perigen\\.

01270
 \\By two and two\\ (\\duo duo\\). This repetition of the numeral instead
 of the use of \\ana duo\\ or \\kata duo\\ is usually called a Hebraism.
 The Hebrew does have this idiom, but it appears in Aeschylus and
 Sophocles, in the vernacular _Koin_ (Oxyrhynchus Papyri No.
 121), in Byzantine Greek, and in modern Greek (Deissmann, _Light
 from the Ancient East_, pp. 122f.). Mark preserves the vernacular
 _Koin_ better than the other Gospels and this detail suits his
 vivid style. The six pairs of apostles could thus cover Galilee
 in six different directions. Mark notes that he "began to send
 them forth" (\\rxato autous apostellein\\). Aorist tense and present
 infinitive. This may refer simply to this particular occasion in
 Mark's picturesque way. But the imperfect tense \\edidou\\ means he
 kept on giving them all through the tour, a continuous power
 (authority) over unclean spirits singled out by Mark as
 representing "all manner of diseases and all manner of sickness"
 # Mt 10:1
 "to cure diseases" (\\iasthai\\,
 # Lu 9:1
 healing power. They were to preach and to heal
 # Lu 9:1; Mt 10:7
 Mark does not mention preaching as a definite part of the
 commission to the twelve on this their first preaching tour, but
 he does state that they did preach
 # 6:12
 They were to be missioners or missionaries (\\apostellein\\) in
 harmony with their office (\\apostoloi\\).

01271
 \\Save a staff only\\ (\\ei m rabdon monon\\). Every traveller and
 pilgrim carried his staff. Bruce thinks that Mark has here
 preserved the meaning of Jesus more clearly than
 # Mt 10:10
 (nor staff) and
 # Lu 9:3
 (neither staff). This discrepancy has given trouble to
 commentators. Grotius suggests no second staff for Matthew and
 Luke. Swete considers that Matthew and Luke report "an early
 exaggeration of the sternness of the command." "Without even a
 staff is the _ne plus ultra_ of austere simplicity, and
 self-denial. Men who carry out the spirit of these precepts will
 not labour in vain" (Bruce).

01272
 \\Shod with sandals\\ (\\hupodedemenous sandalia\\). Perfect passive
 participle in the accusative case as if with the infinitive
 \\poreuesthai\\ or \\poreuthnai\\, (to go). Note the aorist infinitive
 middle, \\endusasthai\\ (text of Westcott and Hort), but \\endussthe\\
 (aorist middle subjunctive) in the margin. Change from indirect
 to direct discourse common enough, not necessarily due to
 "disjointed notes on which the Evangelist depended" (Swete).
 # Mt 10:10
 has "nor shoes" (\\mde hupodmata\\), possibly preserving the
 distinction between "shoes" and "sandals" (worn by women in
 Greece and by men in the east, especially in travelling). But
 here again extra shoes may be the prohibition.
 See note on "Mt 10:10"
  for this. \\Two coats\\ (\\duo chitnas\\). Two was a sign of
 comparative wealth (Swete). The mention of "two" here in all
 three Gospels probably helps us to understand that the same thing
 applies to shoes and staff. "In general, these directions are
 against luxury in equipment, and also against their providing
 themselves with what they could procure from the hospitality of
 others" (Gould).

01273
 \\There abide\\ (\\ekei menete\\). So also
 # Mt 10:11; Lu 9:4
 Only Matthew has city or village
 # 10:11
 but he mentions house in verse
 # 12
 They were to avoid a restless and dissatisfied manner and to take
 pains in choosing a home. It is not a prohibition against
 accepting invitations.

01274
 \\For a testimony unto them\\ (\\eis marturion autois\\). Not in Matthew.
 # Lu 9:5
 has "for a testimony against them" (\\eis marturion epi autous\\).
 The dative \\autois\\ in Mark is the dative of disadvantage and
 really carries the same idea as \\epi\\ in Luke. The dramatic figure
 of \\shaking out\\ (\\ektinaxate\\, effective aorist imperative, Mark and
 Matthew), \\shaking off\\ (\\apotinassete\\, present imperative, Luke).

01275
 \\Preached that men should repent\\ (\\ekruxan hina metanosin\\).
 Constative aorist (\\ekruxan\\), summary description. This was the
 message of the Baptist
 # Mt 3:2
 and of Jesus
 # Mr 1:15

01276
 \\They cast out many demons and they anointed with oil\\ (\\exeballon\\
 \\kai leiphon elaii\\). Imperfect tenses, continued repetition.
 Alone in Mark. This is the only example in the N.T. of \\aleiph\\
 \\elaii\\ used in connection with healing save in
 # Jas 5:14
 In both cases it is possible that the use of oil (olive oil) as a
 medicine is the basis of the practice. See
 # Lu 10:34
 for pouring oil and wine upon the wounds. It was the best
 medicine of the ancients and was used internally and externally.
 It was employed often after bathing. The papyri give a number of
 examples of it. The only problem is whether \\aleiph\\ in Mark and
 James is used wholly in a ritualistic and ceremonial sense or
 partly as medicine and partly as a symbol of divine healing. The
 very word \\aleiph\\ can be translated rub or anoint without any
 ceremony. "Traces of a ritual use of the unction of the sick
 appear first among Gnostic practices of the second century"
 (Swete). We have today, as in the first century, God and
 medicine. God through nature does the real healing when we use
 medicine and the doctor.

01277
 \\Heard\\ (\\kousen\\). This tour of Galilee by the disciples in pairs
 wakened all Galilee, for the name of Jesus thus became known
 (\\phaneron\\) or known till even Herod heard of it in the palace. "A
 palace is late in hearing spiritual news" (Bengel). \\Therefore do\\
 \\these powers work in him\\ (\\dia touto energousin hai dunameis en\\
 \\auti\\). "A snatch of Herod's theology and philosophy" (Morison).
 John wrought no miracles
 # Joh 10:41
 but if he had risen from the dead perhaps he could. So Herod may
 have argued. "Herod's superstition and his guilty conscience
 raised this ghost to plague him" (Gould). Our word _energy_ is
 this same Greek word here used (\\energousin\\). It means at work.
 Miraculous powers were at work in Jesus whatever the explanation.
 This all agreed, but they differed widely as to his personality,
 whether Elijah or another of the prophets or John the Baptist.
 Herod was at first much perplexed (\\diporei\\,
 # Lu 9:7
 and
 # Mr 6:20

01278
01279
 \\John, whom I beheaded\\ (\\hon ego apekephalisa Iann\\). His fears
 got the best of him and so Herod settled down on this nightmare.
 He could still see that charger containing John's head coming
 towards him in his dreams. The late verb \\apokephaliz\\ means to
 cut off the head. Herod had ordered it done and recognizes his
 guilt.

01280
 \\For Herod himself\\ (\\Autos gar ho Hrids\\). Mark now proceeds to
 give the narrative of the death of John the Baptist some while
 before these nervous fears of Herod. But this _post eventum_
 narrative is very little out of the chronological order. The news
 of John's death at Machaerus may even have come at the close of
 the Galilean tour. "The tidings of the murder of the Baptist seem
 to have brought the recent circuit to an end" (Swete). The
 disciples of John "went and told Jesus. Now when Jesus heard it,
 he withdrew from thence in a boat"
 # Mt 14:12
 See note on "Mt 14:3"
 ... through verse 12
  for the discussion about Herod Antipas and John and Herodias.

01281
 \\Thy brother's wife\\ (\\tn gunaika tou adelphou\\). While the brother
 was alive
 # Le 18:16; 20:21
 After a brother's death it was often a duty to marry his widow.

01282
 \\And Herodias set herself against him\\ (\\H de Hridias eneichen\\
 \\auti\\). Dative of disadvantage. Literally, \\had it in for him\\.
 This is modern slang, but is in exact accord with this piece of
 vernacular _Koin_. No object of \\eichen\\ is expressed, though
 \\orgn\\ or \\cholon\\ may be implied. The tense is imperfect and aptly
 described the feelings of Herodias towards this upstart prophet
 of the wilderness who had dared to denounce her private relations
 with Herod Antipas. Gould suggests that she "kept her eye on him"
 or kept up her hostility towards him. She never let up, but bided
 her time which, she felt sure, would come. See the same idiom in
 # Ge 49:23
 She \\desired to kill him\\ (\\thelen auton apokteinai\\). Imperfect
 again. \\And she could not\\ (\\kai ouk dunato\\). \\Kai\\ here has an
 adversative sense, but she could not. That is, not yet. "The
 power was wanting, not the will" (Swete).

01283
 \\Feared John\\ (\\ephobeito ton Iann\\). Imperfect tense, continual
 state of fear. He feared John and also Herodias. Between the two
 Herod vacillated. He knew him to be righteous and holy (\\dikaion\\
 \\kai hagion\\) and so innocent of any wrong. So he \\kept him safe\\
 (\\sunetrei\\). Imperfect tense again. Late Greek verb. From the
 plots and schemes of Herodias. She was another Jezebel towards
 John and with Herod. \\Much perplexed\\ (\\polla porei\\). This the
 correct text not \\polla epoiei\\, did many things. Imperfect tense
 again. \\He heard him gladly\\ (\\hdes kouen\\). Imperfect tense
 again. This is the way that Herod really felt when he could slip
 away from the meshes of Herodias. These interviews with the
 Baptist down in the prison at Machaerus during his occasional
 visits there braced "his jaded mind as with a whiff of fresh air"
 (Swete). But then he saw Herodias again and he was at his wits'
 end (\\porei\\, lose one's way, \\a\\ privative and \\poros\\, way), for
 he knew that he had to live with Herodias with whom he was
 hopelessly entangled.

01284
 \\When a convenient day was come\\ (\\genomens hmeras eukairou\\).
 Genitive absolute. A day well appointed \\eu\\, well, \\kairos\\, time)
 for the purpose, the day for which she had long waited. She had
 her plans all laid to spring a trap for her husband Herod Antipas
 and to make him do her will with the Baptist. Herod was not to
 know that he was the mere catspaw of Herodias till it was all
 over.
 See note on "Mt 14:6"
  for discussion of Herod's birthday (\\genesiois\\, locative case or
 associative instrumental of time). \\Made a supper\\ (\\deipnon\\
 \\epoisen\\). Banquet. \\To his lords\\ (\\tois megistsin autou\\). From
 \\megistan\\ (that from \\megas\\, great), common in the LXX and later
 Greek. Cf.
 # Re 6:15; 18:23
 In the papyri. The grandees, magnates, nobles, the chief men of
 civil life. \\The high captains\\ (\\tois chiliarchois\\). Military
 tribunes, commanders of a thousand men. \\The chief men of Galilee\\
 (\\tois prtois ts Galilaias\\). The first men of social importance
 and prominence. A notable gathering that included these three
 groups at the banquet on Herod's birthday.

01285
 \\The daughter of Herodias herself\\ (\\ts thugatros auts\\
 \\Hridiados\\). Genitive absolute again. Some ancient manuscripts
 read \\autou\\ (his, referring to Herod Antipas. So Westcott and
 Hort) instead of \\auts\\ (herself). In that case the daughter of
 Herodias would also have the name Herodias as well as Salome, the
 name commonly given her. That is quite possible in itself. It was
 toward the close of the banquet, when all had partaken freely of
 the wine, that Herodias made her daughter come in and dance
 (\\eiselthouss kai orchsamens\\) in the midst (Matthew). "Such
 dancing was an almost unprecedented thing for women of rank, or
 even respectability. It was mimetic and licentious, and performed
 by professionals" (Gould). Herodias stooped thus low to degrade
 her own daughter like a common \\hetaira\\ in order to carry out her
 set purpose against John. \\She pleased Herod and them that sat at\\
 \\meat\\ (\\resen Hridi kai tois sunanakeimenois\\). The maudlin
 group lounging on the divans were thrilled by the licentious
 dance of the half-naked princess. \\Whatsoever thou wilt\\ (\\ho ean\\
 \\thelis\\) The drunken Tetrarch had been caught in the net of
 Herodias. It was a public promise.

01286
 \\And he sware unto her\\ (\\kai mosen auti\\). The girl was of
 marriageable age though called \\korasion\\ (cf.
 # Es 2:9
 Salome was afterward married to Philip the Tetrarch. The
 swaggering oath to the half of the kingdom reminds one of
 # Es 5:3
 the same oath made to Esther by Ahasuerus.

01287
 \\What shall I ask?\\ (\\Ti aitsmai;\\). The fact that she went and
 spoke to her mother proves that she had not been told beforehand
 what to ask.
 # Mt 14:8
 does not necessarily mean that, but he simply condenses the
 account. The girl's question implies by the middle voice that she
 is thinking of something for herself. She was no doubt unprepared
 for her mother's ghastly reply.

01288
 \\Straightway with haste\\ (\\euthus meta spouds\\). Before the king's
 rash mood passed and while he was still under the spell of the
 dancing princess. Herodias knew her game well.
 See note on "Mt 14:8"
 ... and verses following

01289
 \\He would not reject her\\ (\\ouk thelsen athetsai autn\\). He was
 caught once again between his conscience and his environment.
 Like many since his day the environment stifled his conscience.

01290
 \\A soldier of his guard\\ (\\spekoulatora\\). Latin word _speculator_. A
 spy, scout, lookout, and often executioner. It was used of the
 bodyguard of the Roman emperor and so for one of Herod's spies.
 He was used to do errands of this sort and it was soon done. It
 was a gruesome job, but he soon brought John's head to the
 damsel, apparently in the presence of all, and she took it to her
 mother. This miserable Tetrarch, the slave of Herodias, was now
 the slave of his fears. He is haunted by the ghost of John and
 shudders at the reports of the work of Jesus.

01291
01292
 \\His corpse\\ (\\to ptma autou\\).
 See note on "Mt 24:28"
 It was a mournful time for the disciples of John. "They went and
 told Jesus"
 # Mt 14:12
 What else could they do?

01293
 \\And the apostles gather themselves together unto Jesus\\ (\\kai\\
 \\sunagontai hoi apostoloi pros ton Isoun\\). Vivid historical
 present. \\All things whatsoever they had done and whatsoever they\\
 \\had taught\\ (\\panta hosa epoisan kai hosa edidaxan\\). Not past
 perfect in the Greek, just the aorist indicative, constative
 aorist that summed it all up, the story of this their first tour
 without Jesus. And Jesus listened to it all
 # Lu 9:10
 He was deeply concerned in the outcome.

01294
 \\Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place and rest awhile\\
 (\\Deute humeis autoi kat' idian eis ermon topon kai anapauesthe\\
 \\oligon\\). It was plain that they were over-wrought and excited and
 needed refreshment (\\anapauesthe\\, middle voice, refresh
 yourselves, "rest up" literally). This is one of the needed
 lessons for all preachers and teachers, occasional change and
 refreshment. Even Jesus felt the need of it. \\They had no leisure\\
 \\so much as to eat\\ (\\oude phagein eukairoun\\). Imperfect tense
 again. Crowds were coming and going. Change was a necessity.

01295
 \\And they went away in a boat\\ (\\kai aplthon en ti ploii\\). They
 accepted with alacrity and off they went.

01296
 \\Outwent them\\ (\\prolthon autous\\). The crowds were not to be
 outdone. They recognized (\\egnsan\\) Jesus and the disciples and
 ran around the head of the lake on foot (\\pezi\\) and got there
 ahead of Jesus and were waiting for Him when the boat came.

01297
 \\They were as sheep not having a shepherd\\ (\\san hs probata m\\
 \\echonta poimena\\). Matthew has these words in another context
 # Mt 9:26
 but Mark alone has them here. \\M\\ is the usual negative for the
 participle in the _Koin_. These excited and exciting people
 (Bruce) greatly needed teaching.
 # Mt 14:14
 mentions healing as does
 # Lu 9:11
 (both preaching and healing). But a vigorous crowd of runners
 would not have many sick. The people had plenty of official
 leaders but these rabbis were for spiritual matters blind leaders
 of the blind. Jesus had come over for rest, but his heart was
 touched by the pathos of this situation. So "he began to teach
 them many things" (\\rxato didaskein autous polla\\). Two
 accusatives with the verb of teaching and the present tense of
 the infinitive. He kept it up.

01298
 \\When the day was now far spent\\ (\\d hras polls genomens\\).
 Genitive absolute. \\Hra\\ used here for day-time (so
 # Mt 14:15
 as in Polybius and late Greek. \\Much day-time already gone\\.
 # Lu 9:12
 has it began to \\incline\\ (\\klinein\\) or wear away. It was after 3
 P.M., the first evening. Note second evening or sunset in
 # Mr 6:47; Mt 14:23; Joh 6:16
 The turn of the afternoon had come and sunset was approaching.
 The idiom is repeated at the close of the verse.
 See note on "Mt 14:15"

01299
 \\Into the country and villages round about\\ (\\eis tous kukli agrous\\
 \\kai kmas\\). The fields (\\agrous\\) were the scattered farms (Latin,
 _villae_). The villages (\\kmas\\) may have included Bethsaida
 Julias not far away
 # Lu 9:10
 The other Bethsaida was on the Western side of the lake
 # Mr 6:45
 \\Somewhat to eat\\ (\\ti phagsin\\). Literally, \\what to eat\\, \\what they\\
 \\were to eat\\. Deliberative subjunctive retained in the indirect
 question.
