01450
01451
01452
01453
01454
01455
 Mark does not give the exception stated in
 # Mt 19:9
 "except for fornication" which see for discussion, though the
 point is really involved in what Mark does record. Mere formal
 divorce does not annul actual marriage consummated by the
 physical union. Breaking that bond does annul it.

01456
 \\If she herself shall put away her husband and marry another\\ (\\ean\\
 \\aut apolusasa ton andra auts gamsi\\). Condition of the third
 class (undetermined, but with prospect of determination). Greek
 and Roman law allowed the divorce of the husband by the wife
 though not provided for in Jewish law. But the thing was
 sometimes done as in the case of Herodias and her husband before
 she married Herod Antipas. So also Salome, Herod's sister,
 divorced her husband. Both Bruce and Gould think that Mark added
 this item to the words of Jesus for the benefit of the Gentile
 environment of this Roman Gospel. But surely Jesus knew that the
 thing was done in the Roman world and hence prohibited marrying
 such a "grass widow."

01457
 \\They brought\\ (\\prosepheron\\). Imperfect active tense, implying
 repetition. So also
 # Lu 18:15
 though
 # Mt 19:13
 has the constative aorist passive (\\prosnechthsan\\). "This
 incident follows with singular fitness after the Lord's assertion
 of the sanctity of married life" (Swete). These children (\\paidia\\,
 Mark and Matthew; \\breph\\ in Luke) were of various ages. They were
 brought to Jesus for his blessing and prayers (Matthew). The
 mothers had reverence for Jesus and wanted him to touch
 (\\hapstai\\) them. There was, of course, no question of baptism or
 salvation involved, but a most natural thing to do.

01458
 \\He was moved with indignation\\ (\\ganaktsen\\). In Mark alone. The
 word is ingressive aorist, became indignant, and is a strong word
 of deep emotion (from \\agan\\ and \\achthomai\\, to feel pain). Already
 in
 # Mt 21:15; 26:8
 Old and common word. \\Suffer the little children to come unto me\\
 (\\aphete ta paidia erchesthai pros me\\). Mark has the infinitive
 \\erchesthai\\ (come) not in Matthew, but in Luke. Surely it ought to
 be a joy to parents to bring their children to Jesus, certainly
 to allow them to come, but to hinder their coming is a crime.
 There are parents who will have to give answer to God for keeping
 their children away from Jesus.

01459
 \\As a little child\\ (\\hs paidion\\). How does a little child receive
 the kingdom of God? The little child learns to obey its parents
 simply and uncomplainingly. There are some new psychologists who
 argue against teaching obedience to children. The results have
 not been inspiring. Jesus here presents the little child with
 trusting and simple and loving obedience as the model for adults
 in coming into the kingdom. Jesus does not here say that children
 are in the kingdom of God because they are children.

01460
 \\He took them in his arms\\ (\\enagkalisamenos\\). A distinct rebuke to
 the protest of the over-particular disciples. This word already
 in
 # Mr 9:36
 In
 # Lu 2:28
 we have the full idiom, to receive into the arms (\\eis ts agkalas\\
 \\dechesthai\\). So with tender fondling Jesus repeatedly blessed
 (\\kateulogei\\, imperfect), laying his hands upon each of them
 (\\titheis\\, present participle). It was a great moment for each
 mother and child.

01461
 \\Ran\\ (\\prosdramn\\). Jesus had left the house
 # 10:10
 and was proceeding with the caravan on the way (\\eis hodon\\) when
 this ruler eagerly ran and kneeled (\\gonupetsas\\) and was asking
 (\\eprt\\, imperfect) Jesus about his problem. Both these details
 alone in Mark.

01462
 \\Why callest thou me good?\\ (\\Ti me legeis agathon;\\). So
 # Lu 18:19
 # Mt 19:17
 has it: "Why asketh thou concerning that which is good? "The
 young ruler was probably sincere and not using mere fulsome
 compliment, but Jesus challenges him to define his attitude
 towards him as was proper. Did he mean "good" (\\agathos\\) in the
 absolute sense as applied to God? The language is not a
 disclaiming of deity on the part of Jesus. \\That I may inherit\\
 (\\hina klronoms\\).
 # Mt 19:16
 has (\\sch\\), that I may "get."

01463
01464
 \\All these\\ (\\tauta panta\\). Literally, \\these all\\ (of them).

01465
 \\Looking upon him loved him\\ (\\emblepsas auti gapsen\\). Mark alone
 mentions this glance of affection, ingressive aorist participle
 and verb. Jesus fell in love with this charming youth. \\One thing\\
 \\thou lackest\\ (\\Hen se husterei\\).
 # Lu 18:22
 has it: "One thing thou lackest yet" (\\Eti hen soi leipei\\).
 Possibly two translations of the same Aramaic phrase.
 # Mt 19:20
 represents the youth as asking "What lack I yet?" (\\Ti eti\\
 \\huster;\\). The answer of Jesus meets that inquiry after more than
 mere outward obedience to laws and regulations. The verb \\huster\\
 is from the adjective \\husteros\\ (behind) and means to be too late,
 to come short, to fail of, to lack. It is used either with the
 accusative, as here, or with the ablative as in
 # 2Co 11:5
 or the dative as in Textus Receptus here, \\soi\\.

01466
 \\But his countenance fell\\ (\\ho de stugnasas\\). In the LXX and
 Polybius once and in
 # Mt 16:3
 (passage bracketed by Westcott and Hort). The verb is from
 \\stugnos\\, sombre, gloomy, like a lowering cloud.
 See note on "Mt 19:22"
  for discussion of "sorrowful" (\\lupoumenos\\).

01467
 \\Looked round about\\ (\\periblepsamenos\\). Another picture of the
 looks of Jesus and in Mark alone as in
 # 3:5,34
 "To see what impression the incident had made on the Twelve"
 (Bruce). "When the man was gone the Lord's eye swept round the
 circle of the Twelve, as he drew for them the lesson of the
 incident" (Swete). \\How hardly\\ (\\Ps duskols\\). So
 # Lu 18:24
 # Mt 19:23
 has it: "With difficulty (\\duskols\\) shall a rich man." See on
 Matthew for this word.

01468
 \\Were amazed\\ (\\ethambounto\\). Imperfect passive. A look of blank
 astonishment was on their faces at this statement of Jesus. They
 in common with other Jews regarded wealth as a token of God's
 special favour. \\Children\\ (\\tekna\\). Here alone to the Twelve and
 this tender note is due to their growing perplexity. \\For them\\
 \\that trust in riches\\ (\\tous pepoithotas epi tois chrmasin\\). These
 words do not occur in Aleph B Delta Memphitic and one Old Latin
 manuscript. Westcott and Hort omit them from their text as an
 evident addition to explain the difficult words of Jesus.

01469
 \\Needle's eye\\ (\\trumalis rhaphidos\\).
 See note on "Mt 19:24"
  for discussion. Luke uses the surgical needle, \\belons\\. Matthew
 has the word \\rhaphis\\ like Mark from \\rhapt\\, to sew, and it
 appears in the papyri. Both Matthew and Luke employ \\trmatos\\ for
 eye, a perforation or hole from \\titra\\, to bore. Mark's word
 \\trumalias\\ is from \\tru\\, to wear away, to perforate. In the LXX
 and Plutarch.

01470
 \\Then who\\ (\\kai tis\\).
 # Mt 19:25
 has \\Tis oun\\. Evidently \\kai\\ has here an inferential sense like
 \\oun\\.

01471
 \\Looking on them\\ (\\emblepsas autois\\). So in
 # Mt 19:26
 Their amazement increased
 # 26
 \\But not with God\\ (\\all' ou para thei\\). Locative case with \\para\\
 (beside). The impossible by the side of men (\\para anthrpois\\)
 becomes possible by the side of God. That is the whole point and
 brushes to one side all petty theories of a gate called needle's
 eye, etc.

01472
 \\Peter began to say\\ (\\rxato legein ho Petros\\). It was hard for
 Peter to hold in till now.
 # Mt 19:27
 says that "Peter answered" as if the remark was addressed to him
 in particular. At any rate Peter reminds Jesus of what they had
 left to follow him, four of them that day by the sea
 # Mr 1:20; Mt 4:22; Lu 5:11
 It was to claim obedience to this high ideal on their part in
 contrast with the conduct of the rich young ruler.

01473
01474
 \\With persecutions\\ (\\meta digmn\\). This extra touch is in Mark
 alone. There is a reminiscence of some of "the apocalyptic of the
 familiar descriptions of the blessings of the Messianic kingdom.
 But Jesus uses such language from the religious idiom of this
 time only to idealize it" (Gould). The apostles were soon to see
 the realization of this foreshadowing of persecution. Vincent
 notes that Jesus omits "a hundred wives" in this list, showing
 that Julian the Apostate's sneer on that score was without
 foundation.

01475
 See note on "Mt 19:30"
  for the use of the paradox about \\first\\ and \\last\\, probably a
 rebuke here to Peter's boast.

01476
 \\And they were amazed\\ (\\kai ethambounto\\). Imperfect tense
 describing the feelings of the disciples as Jesus was walking on
 in front of them (\\n proagn autous\\, periphrastic imperfect
 active), an unusual circumstance in itself that seemed to bode no
 good as they went on through Perea towards Jerusalem. In fact,
 \\they that followed were afraid\\ (\\hoi de akolouthountes ephobounto\\)
 as they looked at Jesus walking ahead in solitude. The idiom (\\hoi\\
 \\de\\) may not mean that all the disciples were afraid, but only
 some of them. "The Lord walked in advance of the Twelve with a
 solemnity and a determination which foreboded danger" (Swete).
 Cf.
 # Lu 9:5
 They began to fear coming disaster as they neared Jerusalem. They
 read correctly the face of Jesus. \\And he took again the twelve\\
 (\\kai paralabn tous ddeka\\). Matthew has "apart" from the crowds
 and that is what Mark also means. Note \\paralabn\\, taking to his
 side. \\And began to tell them the things that were to happen to\\
 \\him\\ (\\rxato autois legein ta mellonta auti sumbainein\\). He had
 done it before three times already
 # Mr 8:31; 9:13; 9:31
 So Jesus tries once more. They had failed utterly heretofore. How
 is it now? Luke adds
 # 18:34
 : "They understood none of these things." But Mark and Matthew
 show how the minds of two of the disciples were wholly occupied
 with plans of their own selfish ambition while Jesus was giving
 details of his approaching death and resurrection.

01477
01478
01479
 \\There come near unto him James and John\\ (\\kai prosporeuontai\\
 \\Iakbos kai Ians\\). Dramatic present tense. Matthew has \\tote\\,
 then, showing that the request of the two brothers with their
 mother
 # Mt 20:20
 comes immediately after the talk about Christ's death. \\We would\\
 (\\thelomen\\). We wish, we want, bluntly told. \\She came worshipping\\
 (\\proskunousa\\) Matthew says. The mother spoke for the sons. But
 they try to commit Jesus to their desires before they tell what
 they are, just like spoiled children.

01480
01481
 \\In thy glory\\ (\\en ti doxi\\).
 # Mt 20:21
 has "in thy kingdom."
 See note on "Mt 20:20"
  for the literal interpretation of
 # Mt 19:28
 They are looking for a grand Jewish world empire with apocalyptic
 features in the eschatological culmination of the Messiah's
 kingdom. That dream brushed aside all the talk of Jesus about his
 death and resurrection as mere pessimism.

01482
 \\Or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with\\ (\\ to\\
 \\baptisma ho eg baptizomai baptisthnai\\). Cognate accusative with
 both passive verbs.
 # Mt 20:22
 has only the cup, but Mark has both the cup and the baptism, both
 referring to death. Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane will refer
 to his death again as "the cup"
 # Mr 14:36; Mt 26:39; Lu 22:42
 He had already used baptism as a figure for his death
 # Lu 12:50
 Paul will use it several times
 # 1Co 15:29; Ro 6:3-6; Col 2:12

01483
 See note on "Mt 20:23"
 ... through verse 28
  for discussion on these memorable verses
 # 39-45
 identical in both Matthew and Mark. In particular in verse
 # 45
 note the language of Jesus concerning his death as "a ransom for
 many" (\\lutron anti polln\\), words of the Master that were not
 understood by the apostles when spoken by Jesus and which have
 been preserved for us by Peter through Mark. Some today seek to
 empty these words of all real meaning as if Jesus could not have
 or hold such a conception concerning his death for sinners.

01484
 See note on "Mr 10:39"

01485
 See note on "Mr 10:39"

01486
 See note on "Mr 10:39"

01487
 See note on "Mr 10:39"

01488
 See note on "Mr 10:39"

01489
 See note on "Mr 10:39"

01490
 \\From Jericho\\ (\\apo Iereich\\).
 See note on "Mt 20:29"
  for discussion of this phrase and Luke's
 # Lu 18:35
 "nigh unto Jericho" and the two Jerichos, the old and the new
 Roman (Luke). The new Jericho was "about five miles W. of the
 Jordan and fifteen E. of Jerusalem, near the mouth of the _Wady
 Kelt_, and more than a mile south of the site of the ancient
 town" (Swete). \\Great multitude\\ (\\ochlou hikanou\\). Considerable,
 more than sufficient. Often in Luke and the papyri in this sense.
 See
 # Mt 3:11
 for the other sense of fit for \\hikanos\\. \\Bartimaeus\\ (\\Bartimaios\\).
 Aramaic name like Bartholomew, \\bar\\ meaning son like Hebrew _ben_.
 So Mark explains the name meaning "the son of Timaeus" (\\ho huios\\
 \\Timaiou\\). Mark alone gives his name while
 # Mt 20:30
 mentions two which see for discussion. \\Blind beggar\\ (\\tuphlos\\
 \\prosaits\\), "begging" (\\epaitn\\) Luke has it
 # Lu 18:35
 All three Gospels picture him as \\sitting by the roadside\\
 (\\ekathto para tn hodon\\). It was a common sight. Bartimaeus had
 his regular place. Vincent quotes Thomson concerning Ramleh: "I
 once walked the streets counting all that were either blind or
 had defective eyes, and it amounted to about one-half the male
 population. The women I could not count, for they are rigidly
 veiled" (_The Land and the Book_). The dust, the glare of the
 sun, the unsanitary habits of the people spread contagious
 eye-diseases.

01491
01492
 \\Rebuked him\\ (\\epetimn auti\\). Imperfect tense. Kept rebuking
 repeatedly. So
 # Lu 18:39
 Aorist tense in
 # Mt 20:31
 \\Should hold his peace\\ (\\sipsi\\). Ingressive aorist subjunctive,
 become silent. \\The more a great deal\\ (\\polli mllon\\). So
 # Lu 18:39
 Only \\meizon\\ in
 # Mt 20:31

01493
 \\Stood still\\ (\\stas\\). Second aorist active ingressive participle.
 So
 # Mt 20:32
 # Lu 18:40
 has \\statheis\\, aorist passive participle. \\He calleth thee\\ (\\phnei\\
 \\se\\). That was joyful news to Bartimaeus. Vivid dramatic presents
 here in Mark.

01494
 \\Casting away his garment\\ (\\apobaln to himation autou\\). Second
 aorist active participle. Outer robe in his haste. \\Sprang up\\
 (\\anapdsas\\). Leaping up, vivid details again in Mark.

01495
 \\That I should do\\ (\\pois\\). Neat Greek idiom with aorist
 subjunctive without \\hina\\ after \\theleis\\. For this asyndeton (or
 parataxis) see Robertson, _Grammar_, p. 430. \\Rabboni\\ (\\Rabbounei\\).
 The Aramaic word translated Lord (Kurie) in
 # Mt 20:33
 and
 # Lu 18:41
 This very form occurs again in
 # Joh 20:16
 \\That I may receive my sight\\ (\\hina anableps\\). To recover sight
 (\\ana-\\), see again. Apparently he had once been able to see. Here
 \\hina\\ is used though \\thel\\ is not (cf.
 # 10:35
 The Messiah was expected to give sight to the blind
 # Isa 61:1; Lu 4:18; 7:22

01496
 \\Followed\\ (\\kolouthei\\). Imperfect tense picturing joyful
 Bartimaeus as he followed the caravan of Jesus into the new
 Jericho. \\Made thee whole\\ (\\sesken\\). Perfect active indicative.
 The word commonly means \\save\\ and that may be the idea here.




01497
 \\Unto Bethphage and Bethany\\ (\\eis Bthphag kai Bthanian\\). Both
 together as in
 # Lu 19:29
 though
 # Mt 21:1
 mentions only Bethphage. See discussion in Matthew for this and
 the Mount of Olives.

01498
 \\As ye enter\\ (\\eisporeuomenoi\\). So also
 # Lu 19:30
 Present middle participle. \\Colt\\ (\\plon\\). So
 # Lu 19:30
 # Mt 21:2
 speaks of the ass (\\onon\\) also. \\Whereon no one ever yet sat\\ (\\eph'\\
 \\hon oudeis anthrpn ekathisen\\). So
 # Lu 19:30

01499
 \\The Lord\\ (\\ho Kurios\\). So Matt. and Luke.
 See note on "Mt 21:3"
  for discussion of this word applied to Jesus by himself. \\He will\\
 \\send him back\\ (\\apostellei\\). Present indicative in futuristic
 sense.
 # Mt 21:3
 has the future \\apostelei\\.
