Mark 3

Mark 3:2

And the Pharisees, ver. 6, desirous to have somewhat to lay to his charge, thought they had now an opportunity, and therefore observed greedily what he would do to this lame man, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day or no. about, or before Abiathar’s being high priest.

Mark 3:10

[a] pressed upon him] The word ἐπιπίπτειν αὐτῷ seems to be mistaken by interpreters, when it is rendered either irruere or incidere, to rush or press upon. It is all one with προσπίπτειν, ver. 11, to fall down at his feet, as they do that have any petition or request to make, as these had here, ἵνα ἄψωνται, that they might touch him. Thus ch. vi. 52, in a like matter, it is in another phrase to this sense, παρεκάλουν αὐτὸν ἵνα κᾶν κρασπεδον ἄψωνται, they besought him that they might but touch the hem &c.

Mark 3:11

And those that were possessed with devils, or the devils in the possessed, when—

Mark 3:16

And these twelve were, 1. Simon, on whom he bestowed a surname, signifying a stone, or rock. ¹ the forementioned, house in Capernaum, ch. ii. 1.

Mark 3:17

[b] Boanerges] Βοανεργίς is the corruption of the Hebrew בני רעש, sons of σεισμὸς, earthquake, or any other the greatest commotion, such as here is styled βροντὴ, thunder. And the meaning of this title may seem to be, that those two sons of Zebedee were to be special eminent ministers of the gospel, which is called, Heb. xii. 26. φωνὴ τὴν γῆν σαλεύουσα, a voice shaking the earth, taken from Hag. ii. 7, which is directly the periphrasis of רעש, which is here rendered βροντὴ, thunder, in the notion, wherein φωνὴ, voice, and βροντὴ, thunder, are promis-

Mark 3:20

And again so great a multitude came in unto him, that they had no time or vacancy to take food, he and his disciples.

Mark 3:21

And when his kindred heard the reports abroad concerning him, they came to him to get him home

² pleased, ἦθελεν: see note on Col. ii. 18. ³ Zeiot: see note on Matt. x. 4. ⁴ delivered

him up, παρίδωκεν αὐτόν. ⁵ come into the house, Ἰρχονται εἰς οἶκον.

[c] beside himself] The word ἐξίστη here used, doth in all places of the New Testament but this, and 2 Cor. v. 13, signify being amazed or astonished, some sudden perturbation of mind, which deprives the man of the exercise of his faculties. In that place to the Corinthians it is set opposite to σωφρονεῖν, sobriety, or temper, the speaking magnificently of himself, commending his own office or performances, exceeding a little in such kind of speeches of himself. For which he saith in another place, that he may be counted a fool by some; and thus in the Old Testament it is variously used for excesses, or vehemencies, or commotions of mind, psalm xxxi. 23, I said in my haste, the Hebrew hath בְּחִפּוּ, the Greek, ἐν ἑκστάσει μου, and the Vulgar Latin, in excessu mentis meæ, “in the excess,” or “vehemence of my mind.” And the same Hebrew word, psalm xlviii. 5, is rendered ἐσαλεύθησαν, commoti sunt, “they were troubled.” Agreeably here, I suppose, it will be most fitly taken, for a commotion, excess, vehemence, transportation of mind, acting or speaking in zeal (above that which is called ordinarily temper and sobriety,) or in such a manner, as they which are moved by some extraordinary spirit are wont to do, as prophets &c.; according to that of St. Chrysostom, τοῦτο μάντεως ἴδιον τὸ ἐξιστηκίνα &c. “it is proper to prophets to be thus transported.” See note [a] 2 Cor. xii. Which sense of the word will be thus fitted to the place. In this chapter Christ began to shew himself in the full lustre of his office; he cures on the sabbath day, which the Pharisees conceived unlawful, ver. 2; looks about him μετ’ ὀργῆε, with some incitation of mind, ver. 5; is followed by great multitudes, ver. 7; heals the diseased, and is flocked to for that purpose, ver. 10; is called openly the Son of God by the demoniacs, ver. 11; makes twelve disciples, and sends them out to preach, and cure, ver. 14; and upon this the Pharisees and Herodians take counsel against him, ver. 6; those of their faction say he acts by Beelzebub, ver. 22, and is possessed by him; that is, that he was acted by some principal evil spirit, and did all his miracles thus, and so was not to be followed, but abhorred by men. And they that said not these high blasphemies against him, yet ἔλεγον ὅτι ἐξίστη, said, that this making of disciples &c. was a kind of excess, an height, a transportation; and this was the conceit of his own kindred. They had a special prejudice against him, ch. vi. 4, and did not believe on him, John vii. 5. And accordingly, hearing this report of his doing these high things, came out κρατήσαι, to get him into their hands, and have him home with them, ἔλεγον γὰρ, for they said that he was guilty of some excesses. As for that interpretation which renders it of fainting through hunger, though it be favoured by b learned men, yet it seems not to have any ground in the nature of the word, ἐξίστασθαι, nor in κρατεῖν, (being here joined not with a genitive, but an accusative case,) nor in any circumstances of the context, save only the casual mention of their having no time to eat bread, ver. 20, (which one thing hath seemed to some to be of so much force, Acts x. 10, as to cause them to render the ἑκστασις that fell on St. Peter, no more but a sleep, that such as faint, or are dispirited through hunger, fall into, when

b See Is. Casaubon ad Baron. p. 247.

Mark 3:26

[b] in the &c.] The notation of the preposition ἐπὶ for the time not then present, but soon after succeeding, is remarkable, Matt. i. 11, where ἐπὶ τῆς μετοικεσίας cannot be understood or rendered under the Babylonish deportation, for that will not be found true in the history, Jechoniah being not born under the captivity but before; and being king, Jer. xxiv. 1, and so carried captive into Babylon: ἐπὶ therefore must there signify next before, as the Latin sub doth often note, sub finem libri, “a little before the end of the book,” and many the like, and so it is most true, Josias begat Jechoniah, &c. next before, or near about, the Babylonish deportation. So in like manner here ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἀβιαθὰρ may not be rendered under Abiathar the high priest, for it was in Abimelech’s time, who was Abiathar’s father, 1 Sam. xxi. and the story is known that Abimelech and the rest of the priests, almost the whole family, were by Saul’s appointment slain for succouring David at this time, Abiathar (here named) peculiarly escaping out of this slaughter, 1 Sam. xxii. 20, and succeeding in the high priesthood upon this occasion, and so continuing long under David’s reign, famous for bringing him the ephod, ch. xxx. 7, and he and Zadok especial assistants to his affairs, 2 Sam. xv. 35. It is therefore necessary that ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἀβιαθὰρ ἀρχιερεῖς here must be so rendered as to denote the time immediately preceding Abiathar’s being high priest; and this uncertain signification of prepositions in the New Testament proceeds from the like of the Hebrew in the Old. For so לפני, which is often rendered ἐπὶ, under, is often προ, before, also, Gen. xiii. 10, and xxvii. 7, 10, and xxxvi. 11, and l. 16, and in many other places, to note the time precedent. So in like manner for place as well as time. For when, Matt. xxi. 19, it is said that Christ saw a fig tree ἐπὶ τῆς ὁδοῦ, it must not be rendered in, but at some distance from the way; for so in Mark we read ἰδὼν συκὴν μακρόθεν, seeing a fig tree afar off.

Mark 3:27

No man can come into the house of a strong man, and rob him. See Matt. xii. 20.

Mark 3:28

See note [a] on Matt. xii. ### CHAP. III. the synagogue at Capernaum, ch. i. 21.

See Matt. xii. 31.

¶ shall resist the Holy Spirit, (see note [h] on Matt. xii.) there is no pardon to be had for him, without particular repentance and reformation, but is—

¶ The miracles he doth are by the power of the devil, ver. 22.