GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK. 5 And there went out unto you with the Holy Ghost. CHAPTER I. 1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The word gospel, originally signifying glad tidings, and specifically the glad tidings concerning the long-promised Messiah's approach, had come to signify the religious dispensation established by the Messiah, that is, the Christian religion, strictly so called. In giving an account of the life and death of Jesus Christ, Mark proposed to state what was the very beginning of this new dispensation, or religion. The words this is may be considered as implied at the opening of this verse. The Son of God. See on Matt. : 17. him all the land of Judea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey; 7 And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. 8 I indeed have baptized you with water but he shall baptize 4. The wilderness. See on Matt. 3:1. || Baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; that is, baptism which implied an acknowledgment of repentance, and was a pledge of repentance, and which had respect to the forgiveness of sins as connected with repentance. Compare Matt. 3: 6, 8. Thus Mark traces back the gospel, the Christian religion, to the earliest events immediately connected with it. John's ministry was the beginning of the gospel, as the dawn is the beginning of day. 5-7. Compare Matt. 3: 4-6 11. The latchet of whose shoes. Sandals were bound around the feet by a leather thong, or strap, here called latchet. To loose and to bind on sandals, was the business of the lowest See servants. 8. Compare Matt. 3: 11, 12. Mark 2. In the prophets; Malachi and Isaiah. || Behold, I send, &c. Mal. 3: 1. See on Matt. 11: 10. 3. The voice, &c. Is. 40.3 on Matt. 3:3. VOL. I. 21 9 And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. 10 And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him. 11 And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 12 And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilder ness. 13 And he was there in the wilderness forty days tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him. 14 Now, after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. 16 Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon, here expresses in part, and briefly, what Matthew has furnished in a more copious manner. 9-11. Compare Matt. 3: 13-17. 12, 13. Compare Matt. 4: 1–11. Driveth. The word thus rendered does not always signify a forcible driving, but the inducing of a person to go, by whatever means. The word in the original here used, is the same as is used in v. 43 (translated sent away), and in Matt. 9: 25, 38 (translated put forth and sent forth) 14, 15. Compare Matt. 4: 12—16. The time is fulfilled; the time predicted by the prophets, when the 24 Saying, Let us alone; they entered into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God. 25 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. 26 And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him. 30 But Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever; and anon they tell him of her. 32 And at even when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils. 33 And all the city was gathtogether at the door. 27 And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority com-ered mandeth he even the unclean 34 And he healed many that spirits, and they do obey him. were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him. 23 And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee. 35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he 29 And forthwith, when they were come out of the synagogue, Matt. 4: 24. The word unclean means wicked, evil. 24. Let us alone. The original word may be regarded as equivalent to our word quit, desist; or, which is the more probable, as an exclamation of sorrow and indignation; as, Ah! Alas! What have we, &c. See on Matt. 8:29. || To destroy us? to consign us to misery, to perdition. Compare Matt. 8:29. || The Holy One of God; the Messiah, as being set apart, or consecrated by God to his official work, and as being therefore a most venerable person. 26. Torn him; more properly, convulsed him, thrown him into convulsions. Thus Mark's account agrees with that of Luke (4:35), who says, the evil demon hurt him not. 27. What new doctrine; what new sort of teaching. || Even the unclean spirits. See on Matt. 8: 16. 31 And he came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them. 29-31. Compare Matt. 8: 14, 15. 32. See on Matt. 8: 16. 33. All the city; Capernaum. v. 21. The expression is a general one, meaning that large numbers of the inhabitants crowded about the door. Compare 2: 2. 34. Compare Matt. 4: 23. Suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him. Jesus made no concealment, so far as his own testimony was concerned, of his being the Messiah; but he might have had very wise objections to being publicly called the Messiah by certain sorts of persons, and at certain times. Had no caution been exercised, his appearing as the Messiah might have been greatly abused. 35-39. Compare Luke 4: 42-44. OBSERVE, here, the devotion of Jesus to his public work, and, at the 11 I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thy house. 6 But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, 7 Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only? 8 And immediately, when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within them-it on this fashion. selves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? 9 Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? 12 And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw 13 And he went forth again by the sea-side, and all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught them. 14 And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alpheus, sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed 10 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power him. on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) account of the crowd. They uncovered the roof, &c. The houses in Palestine were furnished with a flight of stairs outside, situated in, or near, the porch, so that persons could go up to the roof without entering the house. The roofs were nearly flat, and were surrounded by a balustrade, or breastwork (see Deut. 22: 8), so as to prevent persons from falling off. The friends of the sick man could, then, without much difficulty, convey him to the roof of the house. As to the lower part of the house, there was a gate opening from the street into a porch; from this porch another gate led to an open space, enclosed on four sides, but open above, called the court, or area. This was provided with various conveniences for accommodating large companies; and it was in this court that Jesus and the company were assembled. Persons on the roof could look down into the court. It was,, however, sometimes furnished with an awning, or large veil of thick cloth, to exclude the heat of the sun. In the present case, this awning was to be removed, and| 15 And it came to pass, that as Jesus sat at meat in his a portion of the breastwork broken through, so that the sick man, on his mattress, could be let down near to Jesus. The removing of the awning is what is here called uncovering the roof; and the breast work they broke away, or broke through. The man could easily then be let down by the help of cords. Luke says (5: 19) they "let him down through the tiling." The flooring, as we might call it, of the roofs, was a substance composed of broken coals, stones, ashes, and a sort of plaster. Such a substance gave occasion to the word translated tiling to be applied to the roof; and the whole roof, or the roofing, was expressed by it. Luke, then, used language just like our expression they let him down by the roof; somewhat as Paul was let down through a window by the wall. 2 Cor. 11: 33. 13, 14. By the sea-side; the sea of Galilee. Compare Matt. 9: 9. || Alpheus. He is believed to be not the same as the Alpheus mentioned in Matt. 10: 3. 15-22. Compare Matt. 9: 10-17. |