01550
01551
 \\Last of all\\ (\\eschaton pantn\\). Adverbial use of \\eschaton\\.

01552
 \\To wife\\ (\\gunaika\\). Predicate accusative in apposition with "her"
 (\\autn\\). So Luke, but Matthew merely has "had her" (\\eschon\\
 \\autn\\), constative aorist indicative active.

01553
 \\Is it not for this cause that ye err?\\ (\\Ou dia touto plansthe;\\).
 Mark puts it as a question with \\ou\\ expecting the affirmative
 answer. Matthew puts it as a positive assertion: "Ye are."
 \\Planaomai\\ is to wander astray (cf. our word _planet_, wandering
 stars, \\asteres plantai\\,
 # Jude 1:13
 like the Latin _errare_ (our _error_, err). \\That ye know not the\\
 \\scriptures\\ (\\m eidotes tas graphas\\). The Sadducees posed as men
 of superior intelligence and knowledge in opposition to the
 traditionalists among the Pharisees with their oral law. And yet
 on this very point they were ignorant of the Scriptures. How much
 error today is due to this same ignorance among the educated! \\Nor\\
 \\the power of God\\ (\\mde tn dunamin tou theou\\). The two kinds of
 ignorance generally go together (cf.
 # 1Co 15:34

01554
 \\When they shall rise from the dead\\ (\\hotan ek nekrn anastsin\\).
 Second aorist active subjunctive with \\hotan\\ (\\hote\\ plus \\an\\).
 # Mt 22:30
 has it "in the resurrection,"
 # Lu 20:35
 "to attain to the resurrection." The Pharisees regarded the
 future resurrection body as performing marriage functions, as
 Mohammedans do today. The Pharisees were in error on this point.
 The Sadducees made this one of their objections to belief in the
 resurrection body, revealing thus their own ignorance of the true
 resurrection body and the future life where marriage functions do
 not exist. \\As angels in heaven\\ (\\hs aggeloi en ti ourani\\). So
 # Mt 22:30
 # Lu 20:36
 has "equal unto the angels" (\\isaggeloi\\). "Their equality with
 angels consists in their deliverance from mortality and its
 consequences" (Swete). The angels are directly created, not
 procreated.

01555
 \\In the place concerning the Bush\\ (\\epi tou batou\\). This technical
 use of \\epi\\ is good Greek, in the matter of, in the passage about,
 the Bush. \\Batos\\ is masculine here, feminine in
 # Lu 20:37
 The reference is to
 # Ex 3:3-6
 (in the book of Moses, \\en ti bibli\\).

01556
 \\Ye do greatly err\\ (\\polu plansthe\\). Only in Mark. Solemn, severe,
 impressive, but kindly close (Bruce).

01557
 \\Heard them questioning together\\ (\\akousas autn sunztountn\\). The
 victory of Christ over the Sadducees pleased the Pharisees who
 now had come back with mixed emotions over the new turn of things
 # Mt 22:34
 # Lu 20:39
 represents one of the scribes as commending Jesus for his skilful
 reply to the Sadducees. Mark here puts this scribe in a
 favourable light, "knowing that he had answered them well" (\\eids\\
 \\hoti kals apekrith autois\\). "Them" here means the Sadducees.
 But
 # Mt 22:35
 says that this lawyer (\\nomikos\\) was "tempting" (\\peirazn\\) by his
 question. "A few, among whom was the scribe, were constrained to
 admire, even if they were willing to criticize, the Rabbi who
 though not himself a Pharisee, surpassed the Pharisees as a
 champion of the truth." That is a just picture of this lawyer.
 \\The first of all\\ (\\prt pantn\\). First in rank and importance.
 # Mt 22:36
 has "great" (\\megal\\). See discussion there. Probably Jesus spoke
 in Aramaic. "First" and "great" in Greek do not differ
 essentially here. Mark quotes
 # De 6:4
 as it stands in the LXX and also
 # Le 19:18
 # Mt 22:40
 adds the summary: "On these two commandments hangeth (\\krematai\\)
 the whole law and the prophets."

01558
01559
01560
01561
 \\And the scribe said\\ (\\eipen auti ho grammateus\\). Mark alone gives
 the reply of the scribe to Jesus which is a mere repetition of
 what Jesus had said about the first and the second commandments
 with the additional allusion to
 # 1Sa 15:22
 about love as superior to whole burnt offerings. \\Well\\ (\\kals\\).
 Not to be taken with "saidst" (\\eipes\\) as the Revised Version has
 it following Wycliff. Probably \\kals\\ (well) is exclamatory.
 "Fine, Teacher. Of a truth (\\ep' altheias\\) didst thou say."

01562
01563
 \\Discreetly\\ (\\nounechs\\). From \\nous\\ (intellect) and \\ech\\, to
 have. Using the mind to good effect is what the adverb means. He
 had his wits about him, as we say. Here only in the N.T. In
 Aristotle and Polybius. \\Nounechonts\\ would be the more regular
 form, adverb from a participle. \\Not far\\ (\\ou makran\\). Adverb, not
 adjective, feminine accusative, a long way (\\hodon\\ understood).
 The critical attitude of the lawyer had melted before the reply
 of Jesus into genuine enthusiasm that showed him to be near the
 kingdom of God. \\No man after that\\ (\\oudeis ouketi\\). Double
 negative. The debate was closed (\\etolma\\, imperfect tense, dared).
 Jesus was complete victor on every side.

01564
 \\How say the scribes\\ (\\Ps legousin hoi grammateis\\). The opponents
 of Jesus are silenced, but he answers them and goes on teaching
 (\\didaskn\\) in the temple as before the attacks began that morning
 # 11:27
 They no longer dare to question Jesus, but he has one to put to
 them "while the Pharisees were gathered together"
 # Mt 22:41
 The question is not a conundrum or scriptural puzzle (Gould), but
 "He contents himself with pointing out a difficulty, in the
 solution of which lay the key to the whole problem of His person
 and work" (Swete). The scribes all taught that the Messiah was to
 be the son of David
 # Joh 7:41
 The people in the Triumphal Entry had acclaimed Jesus as the son
 of David
 # Mt 21:9
 But the rabbis had overlooked the fact that David in
 # Ps 110:1
 called the Messiah his Lord also. The deity and the humanity of
 the Messiah are both involved in the problem.
 # Mt 22:45
 observes that "no one was able to answer him a word."

01565
 \\The footstool\\ (\\hupopodion\\). Westcott and Hort read \\hupokat\\
 (under) after Aleph B D L.

01566
 \\The common people heard him gladly\\ (\\ho polus ochlos kouen autou\\
 \\hedes\\). Literally, the much multitude (the huge crowd) was
 listening (imperfect tense) to him gladly. Mark alone has this
 item. The Sanhedrin had begun the formal attack that morning to
 destroy the influence of Jesus with the crowds whose hero he now
 was since the Triumphal Entry. It had been a colossal failure.
 The crowds were drawn closer to him than before.

01567
 \\Beware of the scribes\\ (\\blepete apo tn grammaten\\). Jesus now
 turns to the multitudes and to his disciples
 # Mt 23:1
 and warns them against the scribes and the Pharisees while they
 are still there to hear his denunciation. The scribes were the
 professional teachers of the current Judaism and were nearly all
 Pharisees. Mark
 # Mr 14:38-40
 gives a mere summary sketch of this bold and terrific indictment
 as preserved in
 # Mt 23
 in words that fairly blister today.
 # Lu 20:45-47
 follows Mark closely. See
 # Mt 8:15
 for this same use of \\blepete apo\\ with the ablative. It is usually
 called a translation-Hebraism, a usage not found with \\blep\\ in
 the older Greek. But the papyri give it, a vivid vernacular
 idiom. "Beware of the Jews" (\\blepe saton apo tn Ioudain\\, Berl.
 G. U. 1079. A.D. 41). See Robertson, _Grammar_, p. 577. The pride
 of the pompous scribes is itemized by Mark: \\To walk in long\\
 \\robes\\ (\\stolais\\), \\stoles\\, the dress of dignitaries like kings and
 priests. \\Salutations in the marketplaces\\ (\\aspasmous en tais\\
 \\agorais\\), where the people could see their dignity recognized.

01568
 \\First seats in the synagogues\\ (\\prtokathedrias\\). As a mark of
 special piety, seats up in front while now the hypocrites present
 in church prefer the rear seats. \\Chief places at feasts\\
 (\\prtoklisias en tois deipnois\\). Recognizing proper rank and
 station. Even the disciples fall victims to this desire for
 precedence at table
 # Lu 22:24

01569
 \\Devour widows' houses\\ (\\hoi katesthontes ts oikias tn chrn\\).
 New sentence in the nominative. Terrible pictures of civil wrong
 by graft grabbing the homes of helpless widows. They inveigled
 widows into giving their homes to the temple and took it for
 themselves. \\For a pretence make long prayers\\ (\\prophasei makra\\
 \\proseuchomenoi\\). \\Prophasei\\ instrumental case of the same word
 (\\prophmi\\) from which prophet comes, but here pretext, pretence
 of extra piety while robbing the widows and pushing themselves to
 the fore. Some derive it from \\prophain\\, to show forth. \\Greater\\
 (\\perissoteron\\). More abundant condemnation. Some comfort in that
 at any rate.

01570
 \\Sat down over against the treasury\\ (\\kathisas katenanti tou\\
 \\gazophulakiou\\). The storm is over. The Pharisees, Sadducees,
 Herodians, scribes, have all slunk away in terror ere the closing
 words. Mark draws this immortal picture of the weary Christ
 sitting by the treasury (compound word in the LXX from \\gaza\\,
 Persian word for treasure, and \\phulak\\, guard, so safe for gifts
 to be deposited). \\Beheld\\ (\\etherei\\). Imperfect tense. He was
 watching \\how the multitude cast money\\ (\\ps ho ochlos ballei\\) into
 the treasury. The rich were casting in (\\eballon\\, imperfect tense)
 as he watched.

01571
 \\One poor widow\\ (\\mia chra ptch\\). Luke has \\penichra\\, a poetical
 late form of \\pens\\. In the N.T. the \\ptchos\\ is the pauper rather
 than the mere peasant, the extreme opposite of the rich
 (\\plousioi\\). The money given by most was copper (\\chalkon\\). \\Two\\
 \\mites\\ (\\duo lepta\\). \\Leptos\\ means peeled or stripped and so very
 thin. Two \\lepta\\ were about two-fifths of a cent. \\Farthing\\
 (\\kodrantes\\, Latin _quadrans_, a quarter of an _as_).

01572
 \\Called unto him\\ (\\proskalesamenos\\). Indirect middle voice. The
 disciples themselves had slipped away from him while the terrific
 denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees had gone on, puzzled at
 this turn of affairs. \\More than all\\ (\\pleion pantn\\). Ablative of
 comparison (\\pantn\\). It may mean, more than all the rich put
 together. \\All that she had\\ (\\panta hosa eichen\\). Imperfect tense.
 \\Cast in\\ (\\ebalen\\). Aorist tense, in sharp contrast. \\All her\\
 \\living\\ (\\holon ton bion auts\\). Her \\livelihood\\ (\\bios\\), not her
 life (\\z\\). It is a tragedy to see a stingy saint pose as giving
 the widow's mite when he could give thousands instead of pennies.

01573
01574
 \\Master, behold, what manner of stones and what manner of\\
 \\buildings\\ (\\didaskale, ide potapoi lithoi kai potapai oikodomai\\).
 # Mt 24:1
 and
 # Lu 21:5
 tell of the fact of the comment, but Mark alone gives the precise
 words. Perhaps Peter himself (Swete) was the one who sought thus
 by a pleasant platitude to divert the Teacher's attention from
 the serious topics of recent hours in the temple. It was not a
 new observation, but the merest commonplace might serve at this
 crisis. Josephus (_Ant_. xv. II, 3) speaks of the great size of
 these stones and the beauty of the buildings. Some of these
 stones at the southeastern and southwestern angles survive today
 and measure from twenty to forty feet long and weigh a hundred
 tons. Jesus had, of course, often observed them.

01575
 \\These great buildings\\ (\\tautas tas oikodomas\\). Jesus fully
 recognizes their greatness and beauty. The more remarkable will
 be their complete demolition (\\kataluthi\\), \\loosened down\\. Only
 the foundation stones remain.

01576
 \\Over against the temple\\ (\\katenanti tou hierou\\). In full view of
 the temple about which they had been speaking. \\Privately\\ (\\kat'\\
 \\idian\\). Peter and James and John and Andrew (named only in Mark)
 had evidently been discussing the strange comment of Jesus as
 they were coming out of the temple. In their bewilderment they
 ask Jesus a bit to one side, though probably all the rest drew up
 as Jesus began to speak this great eschatological discourse.

01577
 \\Tell us, when shall these things be?\\ (\\Eipon hmin pote tauta\\
 \\estai;\\). The Revised Version punctuates it as a direct question,
 but Westcott and Hort as an indirect inquiry. They asked about
 the \\when\\ (\\pote\\) and the \\what sign\\ (\\ti smeion\\).
 # Mt 24:3
 includes "the sign of thy coming and the end of the world,"
 showing that these tragic events are brought before Jesus by the
 disciples. For discussion of the interpretation of this
 discourse,
 see note on "Mt 24:3"
 This chapter in Mark is often called "The Little Apocalypse" with
 the notion that a Jewish apocalypse has been here adapted by Mark
 and attributed to Jesus. Many of the theories attribute grave
 error to Jesus or to the Gospels on this subject. The view
 adopted in the discussion in Matthew is the one suggested here,
 that Jesus blended in one picture his death, the destruction of
 Jerusalem within that generation, the second coming and end of
 the world typified by the destruction of the city. The lines
 between these topics are not sharply drawn in the report and it
 is not possible for us to separate the topics clearly. This great
 discourse is the longest preserved in Mark and may be due to
 Peter. Mark may have given it in order "to forewarn and forearm"
 (Bruce) the readers against the coming catastrophe of the
 destruction of Jerusalem. Both Matthew
 # Mt 24
 and Luke
 # Lu 21:5-36
 follow the general line of Mark 13 though
 # Mt 24:43-25:46
 presents new material (parables).

01578
 \\Take need that no man lead you astray\\ (\\Blepete m tis hms\\
 \\plansi\\). Same words in
 # Mt 24:4
 # Lu 21:8
 has it "that ye be not led astray" (\\m planthte\\). This word
 \\plana\\ (our _planet_) is a bold one. This warning runs through
 the whole discussion. It is pertinent today after so many
 centuries. About the false Christs then and now
 See note on "Mt 24:5"
 It is amazing the success that these charlatans have through the
 ages in winning the empty-pated to their hare-brained views. Only
 this morning as I am writing a prominent English psychologist has
 challenged the world to a radio communication with Mars asserting
 that he has made frequent trips to Mars and communicated with its
 alleged inhabitants. And the daily papers put his ebullitions on
 the front page. For discussion of the details in verses
 # 6-8
 See note on "Mt 24:5"
 ... through verse 8
 All through the ages in spite of the words of Jesus men have
 sought to apply the picture here drawn to the particular calamity
 in their time.

01579
01580
 \\Must needs come to pass\\ (\\dei genesthai\\). Already there were
 outbreaks against the Jews in Alexandria, at Seleucia with the
 slaughter of more than fifty thousand, at Jamnia, and elsewhere.
 Caligula, Claudius, Nero will threaten war before it finally
 comes with the destruction of the city and temple by Titus in
 A.D. 70. Vincent notes that between this prophecy by Jesus in
 A.D. 30 (or 29) and the destruction of Jerusalem there was an
 earthquake in Crete (A.D. 46 or 47), at Rome (A.D. 51), at
 Apamaia in Phrygia (A.D. 60), at Campania (A.D. 63). He notes
 also four famines during the reign of Claudius A.D. 41-54. One of
 them was in Judea in A.D. 44 and is alluded to in
 # Ac 11:28
 Tacitus (_Annals_ xvi. 10-13) describes the hurricanes and storms
 in Campania in A.D. 65.

01581
01582
 \\But take heed to yourselves\\ (\\Blepete de humeis heautous\\). Only in
 Mark, but dominant note of warning all through the discourse.
 Note \\humeis\\ here, very emphatic. \\Councils\\ (\\sunedria\\). Same word
 as the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem. These local councils (\\sun, hedra\\,
 sitting together) were modelled after that in Jerusalem. \\Shall ye\\
 \\be beaten\\ (\\darsesthe\\). Second future passive indicative second
 person plural. The word \\der\\ means to flay or skin and here has
 been softened into \\beat\\ like our tan or skin in the vernacular.
 Aristophanes has it in this colloquial sense as have the papyri
 in the _Koin_. Before governors and kings (\\epi hgemonn kai\\
 \\basilen\\). Gentile rulers as well as before Jewish councils.
 \\Shall stand\\ (\\stathsesthe\\). First aorist passive indicative
 second person plural of \\histmi\\.

01583
 \\Must first be preached\\ (\\prton dei kruchthnai\\). This only in
 Mark. It is interesting to note that Paul in
 # Col 1:6,23
 claims that the gospel has spread all over the world. All this
 was before the destruction of Jerusalem.

01584
 \\Be not anxious beforehand what ye shall speak\\ (\\m promerimnte ti\\
 \\lalste\\). Negative with present imperative to make a general
 prohibition or habit. Jesus is not here referring to preaching,
 but to defences made before these councils and governors. A
 typical example is seen in the courage and skill of Peter and
 John before the Sanhedrin in Acts. The verb \\merimna\\ is from
 \\meriz\\ (\\meris\\), to be drawn in opposite directions, to be
 distracted.
 See note on "Mt 6:25"
 They are not to be stricken with fright beforehand, but to face
 fearlessly those in high places who are seeking to overthrow the
 preaching of the gospel. There is no excuse here for the lazy
 preacher who fails to prepare his sermon out of the mistaken
 reliance upon the Holy Spirit. They will need and will receive
 the special help of the Holy Spirit (cf.
 # Joh 14-16

01585
01586
 \\But he that endureth to the end\\ (\\ho de hupomeinas eis telos\\).
 Note this aorist participle with the future verb. The idea here
 is true to the etymology of the word, remaining under (\\hupomen\\)
 until the end. The divisions in families Jesus had predicted
 before
 # Lu 12:52; 14:25
 \\Be saved\\ (\\sthsetai\\). Here Jesus means final salvation
 (effective aorist future passive), not initial salvation.

01587
 \\Standing where he ought not\\ (\\hestkota hopou ou dei\\).
 # Mt 24:15
 has "standing in the holy place" (\\hestos en topoi hagii\\), neuter
 and agreeing with \\bdelugma\\ (abomination), the very phrase applied
 in 1Macc. 1:54 to the altar to Zeus erected by Antiochus
 Epiphanes where the altar to Jehovah was. Mark personifies the
 abomination as personal (masculine), while
 # Lu 21:20
 defines it by reference to the armies (of Rome, as it turned
 out). So the words of Daniel find a second fulfilment, Rome
 taking the place of Syria (Swete).
 See note on "Mt 24:15"
 for this phrase and the parenthesis inserted in the words of
 Jesus ("Let him that readeth understand"). Also,
 see note on "Mt 24:16"
 ... through verse 25
  for discussion of details in
 # Mr 13:14-22

01588
01589
 \\In the field\\ (\\eis ton agron\\). Here
 # Mt 24:18
 has \\en ti agri\\, showing identical use of \\eis\\ with accusative
 and \\en\\ with the locative.

01590
01591
01592
 \\Which God created\\ (\\hn ektisen ho theos\\). Note this amplification
 to the quotation from
 # Da 12:1

01593
 \\Whom he chose\\ (\\hous exelexato\\). Indirect aorist middle
 indicative. In Mark alone. Explains the sovereign choice of God
 in the end by and for himself.

01594
01595
 \\That they may lead astray\\ (\\pros to apoplanin\\). With a view to
 leading off (\\pros\\ and the infinitive).
 # Mt 24:24
 has \\hste apoplsthai\\, so as to lead off.

01596
 \\But take ye heed\\ (\\Humeis de blepete\\). Gullibility is no mark of a
 saint or of piety. Note emphatic position of you (\\humeis\\).
 Credulity ranks no higher than scepticism. God gave us our wits
 for self-protection. Christ has warned us beforehand.

01597
 \\The sun shall be darkened\\ (\\ho helios skotisthsetai\\). Future
 passive indicative. These figures come from the prophets
 # Isa 13:9; Eze 32:7; Joe 2:1,10; Am 8:9; Zep 1:14-16; Zec 12:12
 One should not forget that prophetic imagery was not always meant
 to be taken literally, especially apocalyptic symbols. Peter in
 # Ac 2:15-21
 applies the prophecy of Joel about the sun and moon to the events
 on the day of Pentecost.
 See note on "Mt 24:29"
 ... through verse 31
  for details of verses
 # 24-27

01598
 \\The stars shall be falling\\ (\\hoi asteres esontai piptontes\\).
 Periphrastic future indicative, \\esontai\\, future middle indicative
 and \\piptontes\\, present active participle.

