Mark 10

Mark 10:12

[a] put away her husband] That which is here said convertibly of divorces, the wife putting away the husband, as the husband the wife, must not so be understood, that the wife hath (or ever had) in any case power to put away the husband, though not to marry again, as in case of fornication, the husband may put away the wife; for there is that difference between the husband and the wife, that renders one lawful, and not the other, viz. the dominion of the husband over the wife, which the wife, whose part is obedience, Gen. iii. 16. 1 Peter iii. 6, hath not back again

h Ep. 443.

Mark 10:13

[a] not yet] That the words are thus literally to be rendered, οὐ γὰρ ἦν καιρὸς σύκων, for it was not a time or season of figs, there is no doubt; what the meaning of the word time or season here is, will be the only difficulty. If the time or season of the year wherein figs are ripe, so that it be here said it was not that time of ripe figs, then many inconveniences will follow: as, first, that will not be (as this passage is designed) a reasonable account why there was nothing but leaves on the tree, for green figs there might be, and so somewhat beside leaves, though the time of ripe figs were not come. 2dly, It is not to be imagined that Christ, being hungry, ver. 12, and thereupon going out of his way to a fig tree, εἰ ἄρα εὗρήσει τι ἐν αὐτῇ, in all account to find some food there, should do so at a time when he knew fruit was not ripe, green figs, before they are ripe, being as unfit for food as could be imagined. 3dly, If we consider the time which is there specified, we shall have reason to doubt, whether, thus interpreting καιρὸς, there were indeed any truth in the speech, being great probability that at this time of the year figs in Judæa were wont to be ripe; for it was immediately before the Passover, (presently after the Hosannas,) both here and in Matthew; and that is about the time of putting the sickle into the corn, Deut. xvi. 9, and their offering their firstfruits (seven weeks before Pentecost, Lev. xxiii. 16); by which it is evident that fruits were then ripe

Mark 10:15

And he that shall not come to Christianity as a little child, with that very humility and self-denial and resignation, and sole dependence on Christ, as is observable in one of this age, shall never be received or entertained by Christ.

Mark 10:19

[b] defraud not] That our Saviour reckons up here the six last precepts of the Decalogue, containing our duty toward our brethren, that is, toward other men, under the law, is presently clear to him that considers the words, either here or Matt. xix. 17. From thence it is clear again, that Μὴ ἀποστερήσῃς is St. Mark’s rendering of the tenth commandment. And it is observable how many ways this commandment is rendered in the Bible: in Exod. xx. and Deut. v. the Septuagint express it by Οὐκ ἐπιθυμήσεις, Thou shalt not covet; St. Paul, Rom. vii. 7, hath the same; but St. Mark here, Μὴ ἀποστερήσῃς, Thou shalt not defraud; and St. Matthew, ch. xix, Ἀγαπήσεις, &c., Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. From which it is further observable what is the meaning of that commandment; that, undoubtedly, which will be the joint, united importance of these three phrases, and not that which might be thought sufficient to express the meaning of some one of them; that is, so to rest satisfied every man with his own lot, which God hath afforded him, and so to desire the good of others as well as of himself, as not to desire, or endeavour to gain any thing to himself by the loss or diminution of any other; to think the neighbour as fit to enjoy any thing that belongs to him, as himself to enjoy his own; and so join together these two precepts of the heathens, the

Quod sis esse velis, nihilque malis,

Mark 10:23

[c] hardly] The thorny ground appears by the parable of the sower to be very contrary to the good, fruitful, the emblem of the honest heart, wherein Christianity was to be planted. By that was meant the mind choked with riches and the cares of this world, which betray and eat out many good hopeful seeds of grace, which would otherwise lift up the soul to the pursuit of the one necessary. And this is the interpretation of the δυσκόλως εἰσελεύσονται, great difficulty of the rich man’s being a disciple of Christ, and attaining to his kingdom. This Julian, in his Epistle to Ecebolius, speaks of scoffingly, and saith, that he took away from the Christians all that they had, μὴ στερηθῶσιν ἧς ἐλπίζουσι τῆς οὐρανίου βασιλείας, “that they may not be deprived of that heavenly kingdom which they hope for.”

Mark 10:29

See Matt. xix. 29. † See note [e] on 2 Peter iii.

Mark 10:31

But for you who talk so much of your sufferings know this, that of those that come in latest to discipleship or apostleship (as Paul), some shall in diligence and bringing in proselytes to Christ, 1 Cor. xv. 10, very much outstrip those who came in first, (that is, Peter who here speaks and the other disciples of Christ’s first election.)

[d] many] They who were called and chosen first to be disciples, who consequently ought to have expressed more zeal, more fidelity, and taken more pains in the apostolical office, are here called the first, in respect of their πρωτοκλησία, being first called into the vineyard; and such was Peter and John, and the rest of his present disciples. The last are those which were called later, as St. Paul, who saith truly of himself, that as he was born out of due time, suddenly, (not regularly, as the disciples in Christ’s lifetime had been disciples a long space before they had their commission of apostleship,) so he was in labours more abundant, &c. 1 Cor. xv. 10, and 2 Cor. xi. 23. And they that have written the itineraries of the apostles have observed the truth of it, St. Paul having travelled much further than either St. Peter or St. John, as they have described the circuit.

CHAP. XI.

Mark 10:32

And as Christ before and his disciples after him were going up to Jerusalem they began to consider the danger of this voyage, the sanhedrim re- † have placed their confidence, newobéras.

Mark 10:35

And the mother of James and John in behalf of her children came (Matt. xx. 20.) to him with a petition. See note [a] on Luke vii. u The preferment which ye ask for is not such as you take it for, but only a condition of suffering, which perhaps you will not be much in love with or able to support.

Mark 10:40

But to be advanced before all others is a thing of that nature that I shall not dispose of it according to favour partially, to gratify you or satisfy your importunity, but according to those rules and conditions and qualifications which my Father hath set down. ⁸ they that among the Gentiles do exercise rule over them receive advantages from their subjects, are served and maintained in all their grandeur and splendour by them: see Matt. xx. 25, and note [a] on

Mark 10:43

But in the authority which I shall confer on you and your successors it shall be quite otherwise, ye shall attend and wait upon them whose rulers you are.

Mark 10:44

And the higher ye are advanced in ecclesiastic dignity, the greater burden of office and duty shall lie upon you, to attend the wants of all your inferiors, and to supply them.

Mark 10:45

See Matt. xx. 28. ⁹ there were two blind men, Matt. xx. 30, of which one was called Bartimaeus, that is, the son of Timaeus, which sat—

Mark 10:47

And when they were told that it was Jesus that passed by, Bartimaeus (and the other in like manto have indignation about James, dyararativ vepi ‘Ian. ⁷ seem, Sotovres.

Mark 10:49

For every apostate or temporary Christian, every wicked man that by the temptations of the flesh fore-mentioned is taken off from the Christian course, shall (like a burnt offering) be consumed with fire, but every pious man will preserve himself pure from all evil affections, as the sacrifice is by salt from all putrefaction. ² As the doctrine and grace of Christ is useful to you in respect of yourselves, to eat up corruptions in the soul, so let it have that other quality of salt, as it is a sign of union and of the perpetuity and firmness of that, and so let it engage you in all amity and peaceableness with other men. ### CHAP. X. ᵃ departed from Galilee, Matt. xix. 1. ᵇ Is it lawful for a man upon a dislike of his wife, for other causes besides fornication, to put her away? This they asked out of an intention to ensnare him, knowing his doctrine in this matter, Matt. v. 32, contradicted that liberty which they had by Moses. ᶜ Moses gave us liberty to do so, Deut. xxiv. 1. ᵈ This law wherein that was permitted by Moses was written to provide by that means against the inflexibleness and impersuasibleness of the Jews’ hearts, which, if this were forbidden them, would be apt to commit some greater villany. 6—9. But the prime law of the creation was quite otherwise, making the union between husband and wife a sacred thing, that must not be violated by any. See note on 2 Peter i. 6.

Mark 10:50

[f] salt] That salt is σίμβολον φιλίας καὶ εἰρήνης, a symbol significative of friendship and peace, is ordinarily said; in reference to which is that of Æschines de ementit. Legat. τοὺς γὰρ τῆς πόλεως ἄλας, “the salt of the city,” meaning thereby the public peace and prosperity; and from hence saith i Eustathius, τοῖς ἐπιξενομένοις παρετίθεντο ἄλες πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων βρωμάτων, “salt before all other meats was set before the guests.” The only difficulty is, from whence this custom sprang, or wherein this symbolical nature of salt consists, and that is answered by the same Eustathius, ὡς γὰρ ἐξ ὑδάτων πολλῶν καὶ χυτῶν παγεῖς, ἐν τι στερεὸν γέγονε σῶμα, οὕτω καὶ οἱ συνελθόντες εἰς φιλίαν ἐκ διεστώτων εἰς ἓν, τῷ τε τόπῳ καὶ τῇ φιλικῇ διαθέσει συνήχθησαν, “for as salt being compacted of many drops of water, every one in itself fluid and unsteady, becomes one solid body; so they that from distant places conjoin into a league of friendship, meet together both in place and friendly disposition.”