John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible.
Mark 12:1
Ver. 1. And he began to speak unto them by parables,.... As of the two sons the father bid go to work in the vineyard; and of the planting of a vineyard, and letting it out to husbandmen, as here; though the latter is only related by this evangelist, yet both are by Matthew. This was not the first time of his speaking by parables to the people, though it might be the first time he spake in this way to the chief priests and elders, and who are particularly designed in them.
A certain man planted a vineyard. The Persic version adds, "with many trees": that is, with vines, though sometimes other trees, as fig trees, were planted in vineyards; see Lu 13:6. This man is, by the Evangelist Matthew, called an "householder": by whom is meant God the Father, as distinguished from his Son, he is afterward said to send: and by the "vineyard", planted by him, is meant the vineyard of the Lord of hosts, the men of Israel, Isa 5:1;
and set an hedge about it, or "wall", as the Persic version renders it; meaning either the law, not the Jews oral law, or the traditions of the elders, which were not of God's setting, but the ceremonial and moral law; or the wall of protection by divine power, which was set around the Jewish nation especially when they went up to their solemn feasts.
And digged a place for the winefat. The Syriac and Arabic versions add, "in it"; and the Persic version, "in the vineyard"; for this was made in the vineyard, where they, trod and squeezed the grapes when gathered; and may design the altar in the house of the Lord, where the libations, or drink offerings, were poured out;
and built a tower. The Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions add, "in it"; for this also was built in the vineyard, and may intend either the city of Jerusalem; or the temple in it, the watch house where the priests watched, and did their service, day and night.
And let it out to husbandmen; or "workmen", as the Arabic version renders it, who wrought in it, and took care of the vines. The Ethiopic version renders it, "and set over it a worker and keeper of the vineyard"; by whom are meant the priests and Levites, to whom were committed the care of the people, with respect to religious things:
and went into a far country; left the people of the Jews to these husbandmen, or rulers, whether civil or ecclesiastical, but chiefly the latter, to be instructed and directed by them, according to the laws and rules given them by the Lord; See Gill on "Mt 21:33".
Mark 12:2
Ver. 2. And at the season he sent unto the husbandman a servant,.... The Evangelist Matthew says, "when the time of the fruit drew near", Mt 21:34; and so the Persic version here reads. The Syriac and Ethiopic versions read, "in its own time", or "season", which was the fourth year from the planting of it; and then it was holy to the Lord; and might not be eaten until the fifth year, Le 19:23. According to the Jewish canons {l}, a vineyard of the fourth year was marked with clods of earth, to show it was not to be eaten of; and the fruit of it was brought up to Jerusalem, from every place that was but a day's journey from thence, there to be eaten, or redeemed. Nor by the "servant" are intended the prophets of the Old Testament, who were sent to the Jews to call upon them to bring forth fruits of righteousness; for not a single person, but a set of men, are here designed; and the Evangelist Matthew expresses it in the plural number, "servants":
that he might receive from the husbandmen the fruit of the vineyard: by the hands of his servants; for in Matthew it is, "that they might receive", &c. such as righteousness and judgment, truth and holiness, so as to give an account of them, which might have been expected from a people under such advantages, Isa 5:7;
See Gill on "Mt 21:34".
{l} Misn. Maaser Sheni, c. 5. sect. 1, 2.
Mark 12:3
Ver. 3. And they caught him,.... This clause is left out in the Syriac and Persic versions, though it seems proper to be retained; and denotes the rudeness and violence with which the prophets of the Lord were used by the Jewish nation:
and beat him: either with their fists, or with rods, and scourges, till the skin was flayed off:
and sent him away empty; without any fruit to carry with him, or give an account of, to the owner of the vineyard.
Mark 12:4
Ver. 4. And again he sent unto them another servant,.... Another set of good men, to instruct, advise, and counsel them, and exhort them to their duty; such as were Isaiah, Zechariah, and others:
and at him they cast stones, and wounded [him] in the head; for of these were stoned, as well as sawn asunder, and slain with the sword; though it seems, that this servant, or this set of men, were not stoned to death, because he was afterwards said to be sent away: nor could the stoning be what was done by the order of the sanhedrim, which was done by letting an heavy stone fail upon the heart {k}; but this was done by all the people, by the outrageous zealots, in the manner Stephen was stoned. Dr. Lightfoot thinks, the usual sense of the Greek word may be retained; which signifies "to reduce", or "gather into a certain sum": and so as this servant was sent to reckon with these husbandmen, and take an account from them of the fruit of the vineyard, one cast a stone at him, saying, there is fruit for you; and a second cast another stone, saying the same thing; and so they went on one after another, till at last they said, in a deriding way, now the sum is made up with you:
and sent [him] away shamefully handled; with great ignominy and reproach.
{k} Misn. Sanhedrin, c. 6. sect. 4.
Mark 12:5
Ver. 5. And again he sent another,.... That is, another servant, or set of men, it may be in the times of the Maccabees, who were used in a very inhuman manner; see Heb 11:37;
and him they killed; either with the sword, or by inflicting some capital punishment, as stoning, strangling, &c.
and many others; that is, either the owner of the vineyard sent many other servants, or the husbandmen ill used many others that were sent to them:
beating some; with their hands, or with scourges;
and killing some; in one or other of the above ways.
Mark 12:6
Ver. 6. Having yet therefore one son, his well beloved,.... The Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the one, and only Son of God his Father, his only begotten Son, for he has no other Son in the same way of filiation; and who is his dear Son, the Son of his love, who was loved by him before the foundation of the world; and whom he declared to be his beloved Son, both at his baptism, and at his transfiguration upon the mount, by a voice from heaven: this Son he having with him, in his bosom, as one brought up with him, and rejoicing before him,
he sent him also last unto them; after all the prophets had been with them, when the last days were come, the end of the Jewish state, civil and ecclesiastical; see Heb 1:1;
saying, they will reverence my son. The Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions read, "perhaps they will reverence my son", as in Lu 20:13;
See Gill on "Mt 21:37".
Mark 12:7
Ver. 7. But those husbandmen said among themselves,.... This, in the Persic version, is introduced thus, "when the vine dressers saw the son of the lord of the vineyard": agreeably to Mt 21:38. The Ethiopic version renders it, "and the servants said"; not the servants that had been sent, but the workmen in the vineyard:
this is the heir; that is, "of the vineyard", as the Persic version expresses it they knew him by the prophecies of the Old Testament which had described him, and by the miracles which were wrought by him; and they could not deny but that the vineyard of the house of Judah belonged to him, and he was right heir to the throne of Israel; though they refused to embrace him, confess him, and declare for him: but, on the other hand, said,
come let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours; that is, "the vineyard", and the Persic version again read. The priests, Scribes, and elders of the people consulted together to take away his life, with this view: that they might continue in the quiet possession of their nation, temple, and worship, in the office they bore, and in the privileges they partook of; and that the Romans might not come, and take away their place and nation, Joh 11:47;
See Gill on "Mt 21:38".
Mark 12:8
Ver. 8. And they took him, and killed him, and cast him, out of the vineyard. They sent their officers and servants, and apprehended him in the garden; they delivered him to the Gentiles, who were without the vineyard, and by whom, at their instigation, he was put to death, even to the death of the cross. The Ethiopic version reads it in the same order as in Matthew; "they cast him out of the vineyard, and killed hin"; See Gill on "Mt 21:39".
Mark 12:9
Ver. 9. What shall therefore the Lord of the vineyard do?.... The Arabic and Ethiopic versions add, to them; that is, to the husbandmen, as is expressed in Mt 21:40,
See Gill on "Mt 21:40":
he will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others. As the former clause contains a question put by Christ upon his having finished the parable, this is an answer to it, given by the chief priests, Scribes, and elders, in whose presence, and for whose sake it was delivered; See Gill on "Mt 21:41".
Mark 12:10
Ver. 10. And have ye not read this Scripture?.... In
Ps 118:22 these are the words of Christ directed to the above persons, who were, many of them, teachers of the people, and therefore ought to have read the scriptures, and have taken notice of, and considered more especially such as respected the Messiah, as this passage did, and was very appropriate to the case in the parable Christ had respect unto:
the stone which the builders rejected, is become the head of the corner: by "the stone" is meant the same with the son and heir in the parable, even himself, the true Messiah; and by "the builders", the chief priests, Scribes, and elders, the same with the husbandmen, whose rejection of the stone, or of the Messiah, is signified by their seizing him, casting him out of the vineyard, and killing him; and yet notwithstanding all this, according to this Scripture, he was to be, and now is become, the head of the corner, exalted above angels and men, at the right hand of God;
See Gill on "Mt 21:42".
Mark 12:11
Ver. 11. This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes. That is, the exaltation of the Messiah, after he had been so ill treated, and at last put to death by the Jews. These words are a continuation of the passage cited out of Ps 118:22.
Mark 12:12
Ver. 12. They sought to lay held on him,.... That is, the chief priests, Scribes, and elders, after they had heard the parables he spake to them, were greatly irritated, and provoked, and had a good will to have seized him, and carried him away, and have had him before their court, and condemn him:
but feared the people; lest they should rise up in his defence, and fall on them; for many of them liked; and were attached to his ministry; and others had received favours of one kind or another from him through his miracles:
for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them: and that they were the husbandmen designed, who had not brought the fruit of the vineyard to their lord, but had ill treated his servants, and would his son.
And they left him; in the temple, not daring to do any thing to him:
and went their way; to their council chamber, perhaps to consult what measures to take, and how to destroy him.
Mark 12:13
Ver. 13. And they send unto him,.... That is, the chief priests, Scribes, and elders, who had been with Jesus in the temple, and were silenced by his reasonings, and provoked by his parables; and therefore left him, and went together to consult what methods they should take to get him into their hands, and be revenged on him; the result of which was, they send to him
certain of the Pharisees. The Syriac and Persic versions read "Scribes", who were the more skillful and learned part of that body of men, and scrupled paying tribute to Caesar, he being an Heathen prince, and they the Lord's free people:
and of the Herodians; who were, as the Syriac and Persic versions read, "of the household of Herod"; his servants and courtiers, and consequently in the interest of Caesar, under whom Herod held his government, and must be for paying tribute to him: these two parties of such different sentiments, they sent to him,
to catch him in his words; or "in word", or discourse; either with their word, the question they should put to him, or with his word, the answer he should return: and so the Ethiopic version supplies it, reading it, "with his own word"; they thought they should unavoidably catch him, one way or other; just as a prey is hunted, and taken in a net or snare, as the word used signifies: for if he declared against giving tribute to Caesar, the Herodians would have whereof to accuse him, and the Pharisees would be witnesses against him; and if he should be for it, the latter would expose him among the people, as an enemy to their civil liberties, and one that was for subjecting them to the Roman yoke, and consequently could not be the Messiah and deliverer they expected; See Gill on "Mt 22:16".
Mark 12:14
Ver. 14. And when they were come,.... Unto Jesus in the temple:
they said unto him, master; they saluted him in like manner, as they did their doctors and Rabbins, calling him "Rabbi", though they were not his disciples; but one part of them were the disciples of the Pharisees, and the other had Herod for their master;
we know that thou art true; an honest, sincere, and upright man,
and carest for no man, for thou regardest not the person of men; no, not Caesar himself;
but teachest the way of God in truth; instructest men in the word, will, and worship of God, with all integrity and faithfulness; answer therefore this question,
is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar or not? The Syriac and Persic versions read, "head money"; and so it is read in Beza's most ancient copy; a tax that was levied on the heads of families; or on every particular head in a family; See Gill on "Mt 22:16",
See Gill on "Mt 22:17".
Mark 12:15
Ver. 15. Shall we give, or not give?.... They not only ask whether it was lawful, but whether also it was advisable to do it, that they might not only accuse him of his principles, but charge him with persuading, or dissuading in this case. These words are left out in the Vulgate Latin, Arabic, Persic, and Ethiopic versions:
but he knowing their hypocrisy; expressed in their flattering titles and characters of him, and which lay hid in their secret designs against him; which being thoroughly known to him,
said unto them, why tempt ye me: bring me a penny, that I may see it; what it is, that is required for tribute;
See Gill on "Mt 22:18",
See Gill on "Mt 22:19".
Mark 12:16
Ver. 16. And they brought it,.... The penny, which was a Roman one, and worth seven pence halfpenny of our money:
and he saith unto them, whose is this image, and superscription; for it had the head of an emperor upon it, very likely the image of the then reigning emperor Tiberius, and a superscription on it, expressing his name, and perhaps a motto along with it:
and they said unto him, Caesar's; one of the Roman emperors, Augustus, or Tiberius; most probably the latter;
See Gill on "Mt 22:20",
See Gill on "Mt 22:21".
Mark 12:17
Ver. 17. And Jesus answering said unto them,.... Very wisely and pertinently,
render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's: or "to the king, which are the king's", as the Arabic and Ethiopic versions render it:
and to God the things that are God's; See Gill on "Mt 22:21";
and they marvelled at him; at his wisdom and prudence in returning such an answer, which cut off all occasion against him.
Mark 12:18
Ver. 18. Then came unto him the Sadducees,.... The same day, immediately after he had silenced the Pharisees and Herodians: these were a set of men distinct from the former, in some of their sentiments, especially in their religions ones, and particularly in the following:
which say there is no resurrection: of the dead, in a literal sense, either general or particular; See Gill on "Mt 22:23";
and they asked him, saying; as in the next verse.
Mark 12:19
Ver. 19. Master, Moses wrote unto us,.... Has left in writing for us the following precept to observe; for they acknowledged the writings of Moses, and indeed all the Scriptures of the Old Testament; adhering to the literal sense of them, and rejecting the traditional interpretation of them by the Rabbins:
if a man's brother die, and leave no children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother; which is the sense of the law in De 25:5;
See Gill on "Mt 22:24".
Mark 12:20
Ver. 20. Now there were seven brethren,.... In a certain family, at a certain place; perhaps at Jerusalem, who were brethren by the father's side; for such only were reckoned so, and such only did this law oblige:
and the first took a wife, and dying left no seed: no child: hence it is clear that the ancient Jews used the word seed, of a single person, as these Sadducees did; though modern ones deny such an use of it in our present controversies with them about the sense of Ge 3:15;
See Gill on "Mt 22:25".
Mark 12:21
Ver. 21. The second took her,.... To wife, married her, as the next eldest brother, by the above law was obliged to: and so the Jewish {l} canon upon it runs thus;
"the command is, lwdgb, "for the eldest" to marry his brother's wife: if he will not, they go to all the brethren; if they will not, they return to the eldest, and say, the command is upon thee, either pluck off the shoe, or marry.''
Maimonides {m} relates it in this manner;
"if a man dies, and leaves many brethren, the command is upon the eldest to marry, or pull off the shoe; as it is said, De 25:6, "and it shall be the firstborn which she beareth". From tradition, it is learned that it does not speak but of the firstborn among the brethren; and it is all one as if it was said, the eldest of the brethren shall succeed in the name of his brother that is dead; and this is what is said, "which she beareth": the sense is, which the mother has borne, and not which the brother's wife beareth; if the eldest will not marry her, they go round to all the brethren; and if they will not, they return to the eldest, and say, upon thee is the command, either pluck off the shoe, or marry; and they do not compel him to marry, but they compel him to pluck off the shoe;''
i.e. in case he will not marry.
And died, neither left he any, seed, and the third likewise; married her, and died without issue, as the second did. The Persic version adds, "and the fourth, and fifth"; for so they all did to the seventh.
{l} Misn. Yebamot, c. 4. sect. 5. & T. Bab. Yebamot, fol. 39. 1. {m} Hilch. Yebum Uchalitza, c. 2, sect. 6, 7. Vid. Jarchium in Deut. xxv. 6.
Mark 12:22
Ver. 22. And the seventh had her, and left no seed,.... All, the seven brethren married her, one after another, and neither of them had any children by her:
and last of all the woman died also; after all the seven brethren, to whom she had been married.
Mark 12:23
Ver. 23. In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise,.... This last clause, "when they shall rise", is omitted in two copies of Beza's, and in the Syriac, Arabic, Persic, and Ethiopic versions, because, perhaps, it might be thought superfluous; but this is agreeably to the way of speaking and writing with the Jews: so in the Targum on Zec 3:7: Knyxa aytym twyxab, "in the quickening of the dead I will quicken thee"; or, in the resurrection of the dead I will raise thee. The question put on supposition of a resurrection, and that these seven brethren, and the wife they all had should rise, then is,
whose wife shall she be of them? of the seven brethren;
for the seven had her to wife. She was, according to law, the lawful wife of all seven; what particular and special claim could one have to her above the rest? See Gill on "Mt 22:28".
Mark 12:24
Ver. 24. And Jesus answering said unto them,.... Which they thought he was not able to do, but would have been silenced at once by them, as many of their antagonists had been:
do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the Scriptures, neither the power of God? what is expressed in Matthew affirmatively, is here put by way of interrogation, which, with the Jews, was a more vehement way of affirming; See Gill on "Mt 22:29".
Mark 12:25
Ver. 25. For when they shall rise from the dead,.... These seven brethren, and the woman; and so any, and every other:
they neither marry, nor are given marriage: there will be no such natural relation subsisting, nor any need of any:
but are as the angels which are in heaven; See Gill on "Mt 22:30".
Mark 12:26
Ver. 26. And as touching the dead, that they rise,.... For the proof of the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead,
have ye not read in the book of Moses; that is, in the law of Moses; for though it was divided into five parts, it was but one book; just as the Psalms are called the Book of Psalms, Ac 1:20, and the Prophets, the Book of the Prophets, Ac 7:42. The book of Exodus is particularly intended; for the passage referred to is in Ex 3:6,
how in the bush God spake unto him, or "out of the bush", as the Syriac and Persic versions read;
saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? See Gill on "Mt 22:31",
See Gill on "Mt 22:32".
Mark 12:27
Ver. 27. He is not the God of the dead,.... This is our Lord's reasoning upon the passage; showing from hence, that since God is the God of these persons, they must be now alive in their souls, for God is not the God of the dead; and that their bodies must rise again, or he will not be the God of their whole persons;
but the God, of the living: the word "God", in this clause, is omitted in the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Arabic versions, but retained in the Persic and Ethiopic versions; See Gill on "Mt 22:32";
ye therefore do greatly err; signifying, that it was not a slight mistake, an error of small importance, but a very great one; inasmuch as it was contrary to the Scriptures, and derogated from the power of God, and destroyed that covenant interest, which God has in his people, and particularly in the principal men of their nation, who were the fathers and founders of them.
Mark 12:28
Ver. 28. And one of the Scribes came,.... Matthew calls him a lawyer, Mt 22:35, an interpreter of the law, as a Scribe was:
and having heard them reasoning together; being present at the dispute between Christ and the Sadducees, which he diligently attended to:
and perceiving that he had answered them well: in a most beautiful manner. The Jews have adopted the very Greek word here used, and make use of it in the same sense as Mwlaq hyl rma {n}, "he answered him well": or, as the gloss upon it, "praise worthily"; in a manner deserving praise; and is the same with trmaq rypv {o}, "thou hast said well", or beautifully; and so the answer here was with great solidity, and judgment, and strength of argument, to their utter confusion and silence; whereby he understood he had considerable knowledge in the law, and yet was willing to try if he could not puzzle him with a question relating to it:
asked him, which is the first commandment of all? of all the commandments in the law, moral and ceremonial.
{n} T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 108. 1. {o} Zohar in Lev. fol. 2. 3. & 15. 1.
Mark 12:29
Ver. 29. Jesus answered him, the first of all the commandments is,.... Christ replied at once, without taking any time to consider of it, that the chief and principal of all the commands of the law, and what is of the greatest importance is,
hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord. The Vulgate Latin, and Arabic versions read, "one God"; but the Syriac, and Ethiopic render it, "one Lord"; and that rightly, agreeably to the Greek text, and to De 6:4, from whence this is taken. This passage of Scripture, to the end of the ninth verse, is the first of the sections which were put into their phylacteries; See Gill on "Mt 23:5"; and was repeated twice every day, morning and evening; which is by the Jews called from the first word emv tayrq, "the reading of the Shema": concerning the exact time of the reciting of this, morning and evening, and of the posture in which they do it, reclining in the evening, and standing in the morning, and of the prayers before and after it, various rules are given in their Misna {p}, or oral law; it is a precept of great esteem and veneration with them, and attended to with much solemnity. The account Maimonides {q} gives of it is this:
"twice every day they read Keriath Shema; (i.e. "hear, O Israel", &c.) in the evening and in morning, as it is said, De 6:7. "When thou liest down, and when thou risest up"; in the hour it is the custom of men to lie down, and this is night; and in the hour it is the custom of men to stand, and this is day: and what does he read? three sections; and they are these, "hear", &c. De 6:4, and it shall come to pass, "if ye shall hearken", &c. De 11:13, "and Moses said", &c. Ex 13:3, and they read the section, "hear, O Israel", first, because there is in it the unity of God, and the love of him and his doctrine; for it is,
lwdgh rqeh, "the great root", or "foundation", on which all hangs or depends.''
And it is observable, that the last letter of the word "hear", and the last of the word "one", are both written in very large characters in the Hebrew Bible, to denote the greatness of the command, and to cause attention to it. The Jews seek for mysteries in these letters, and think the unusual size of them, points at some very great things: they observe, that the first of these letters is numerically "seventy", and directs to the seventy names of the law, and the seventy ways in which it may be interpreted, and the seventy nations of the world, from whom the Israelites are distinguished, by their belief of the one God {r}; and that the latter stands for the number "four", and shows that the Lord is the one God, in heaven and in earth, in all the world, and in the four parts of it; and that both these letters put together, make a word, which signifies "a witness"; showing that this passage is a glorious testimony of the unity of God, and that the Israelites are witnesses of it, by believing and professing it; and that should they depart from the faith of it, God would be a witness against them: and now, though there is no solid foundation for such interpretations, yet this shows what an opinion they had of the greatness of this command; to which, may be added, they ask {s},
"why does, "hear, O Israel", &c. go before that passage in
De 11:13. "And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments", &c. but because a man must take upon him, first the yoke of the kingdom of heaven, and after that he must take upon him the yoke of the commandments.''
The sense is, that he must first make a confession of his faith in God, which is contained in De 6:4 and then he must obey his commands; so that they plainly considered this, as the first and greatest of all. These words are frequent in the mouths of the modern Jews, in proof of the unity of God, and against a plurality in the Deity; but the ancient ones, not only consider them as a good and sufficient proof, that there is but one God, but as expressive of a Trinity in the Godhead: with a view to this text they observe {t}, that
"Jehovah, "our God, Jehovah"; these are, Nygrd tlt, "three degrees" (or persons) with respect to this sublime mystery, "in the beginning, God", or "Elohim, created", &c.''
And again {u},
"there is an unity which is called Jehovah the first, our God, Jehovah; behold! they are all one, and therefore called one: lo! these three names are as one; and although we call them one, and they are one; but by the revelation of the Holy Ghost it is made known, and they are by the sight of the eye to be known, that "these three are one", (see 1Jo 5:7,) and this is the mystery of the voice that is heard; the voice is one; and there are three things, fire, and wind, and water, and they are all one, in the mystery of the voice, and they are not but one: so here, Jehovah, our God, Jehovah, these, Nynwwg atlt, "three modes, forms", or "things", are one.''
Once more they {w} say,
"there are two, and one is joined to them, and they are three; and when they are three, they are one: these are the two names of hear, O Israel, which are Jehovah, Jehovah, and Elohenu, or our God, is joined unto them; and it is the seal of the ring of truth.''
To which I shall subjoin one passage more, where R. Eliezer is asking his father R. Simeon ben Jochai, why Jehovah is sometimes called Elohim, he replies {x}, among other things;
"come see, there are Nygrdg, "three degrees", (or persons,) and every degree is by itself; although they are all one, and bound together in one, and one is not separated from another.''
To believe this, is the first and chief commandment in the law, and is the principal article of the Christian faith; namely, to believe that there is one God, and that there are three persons, Father, Son, and Spirit, in the Godhead.
{p} Berncot, c. 1. sect. 1, 2, 3, 4. {q} Hilch. Keriat Shema, c. 1. sect. 1, 2. {r} Baal Hatturim, in Deut. vi. 4. {s} Misn. Berncot, c. 2. sect. 2. {t} Zohar in Gen. fol. 1. 3. {u} Zohar in Exod. fol. 18. 3, 4. {w} Ib. in Num. fol. 67. 3. {x} Zohar in Lev. fol. 27. 2.
Mark 12:30
Ver. 30. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God,.... Which is to be understood of the one God, Father, Son, and Spirit; for all the three divine persons are to be equally loved, being possessed of the same perfections and excellencies, and having done the same works, and having bestowed like benefits and favours upon men: and though there is now no principle of love to God in men; but, on the contrary, men are enemies to God in their minds, which appears by their wicked works; yet this commandment is still in force, and the obligation to it is the same; the fall of man, the corruption of nature, and the impotency, and even aversion in man to observe this command, do not make it null and void: and in regeneration, when God puts his laws into the heart, and writes them in the mind; love is produced in such persons, to God the Father, who has begotten them again, according to his abundant mercy; and to Christ, who has saved them from their sins; and to the blessed Spirit, who has quickened and comforted them: and this love is in some measure exercised as it should be, and as here directed to,
with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind; that is, with all the powers and faculties of the soul; or with the affections, as under the influence and guidance of the more noble faculties of the soul, the mind, the understanding, judgment, and will: it is added here, which is not in Matthew,
and with all thy strength; which answers to the phrase in De 6:5, "with all thy might"; that is, with the greatest vehemency of affection, in the strongest expressions of it, and with all the strength of grace a man has. This passage follows the former in De 6:5 and is what is only cited in Mt 22:37,
See Gill on "Mt 22:37".
Mark 12:31
Ver. 31. And the second is like,.... "Unto it", as in Mt 22:39 and so it is read here in two ancient copies of Beza's, and in the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, Persic, and Ethiopic versions;
[namely] this, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. This commandment stands in Le 19:18 and respects not an Israelite only, or one of the same religion with a man's self, or his intimate friend and acquaintance, or one that lives in the same neighbourhood; but any man whatever, to whom affection should be shown, and good should be done to him, and for him, as a man would have done to and for himself; as much as lies in his power, both in things temporal and spiritual; see the note on Mt 22:39.
There is none other commandment greater than these; in the whole law, moral or ceremonial; not the sabbath, nor circumcision, nor the phylacteries, nor the fringes on the borders of the garments, nor any other.
Mark 12:32
Ver. 32. And the Scribe said unto him,.... This reply of the Scribe, is not related by Matthew:
well, Master, thou hast said the truth: what thou hast said is truth, and thou hast expressed it in a most beautiful manner: the Scribe was charmed with his answer, and could not forbear speaking in commendation of it, and even before the multitude, and those of his own sect: this was a rare and uncommon instance; it was not usual with the Scribes and Pharisees, whatever convictions they were laid under, either by the miracles or discourses of Christ, to own any thing, or make any concessions in his favour, or speak in his praise: but this man not only commends him, but gives reasons for it, and confirms the doctrine he taught in his own words;
for there is one God, and there is none other but he. The Syriac, Persic, and Ethiopic versions, leave out the word "God"; but it is in the Greek copies, and rightly retained in other versions: for the sense is, that there is one God, and but one; and which is perfectly agreeable to the Christian doctrine, of a Trinity of persons in the Godhead; for though the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, yet there are not three Gods, but one God. Nor are we to imagine, that this man said or thought any thing to the contrary, or had it in his mind to oppose the doctrine of the Trinity; which, though more clearly revealed in the New Testament, was not unknown to the ancient Jews, and might be learned from the writings of the Old Testament: but this he said, in opposition to the many idols, and fictitious deities of the Gentiles; and if he spake in the Hebrew language, as it is probable he did, there must be a beautiful "paranomasia" in his words; "for there is", dxa, "Achad, one God; and there is none", rxa, "Achar, other but he": and it is observed by a Jewish writer {y}, that the reason why the last letter of, dxa, "one", is greater than the rest, as before observed, in Mr 12:29 is, that there might be no mistake of d, for r, which are much alike; and if mistook, the word would signify "another", and not "one": but this is done, lest a man should mistake, and worship "another", and not the "one" God.
{y} Baal Hatturim, ib.
Mark 12:33
Ver. 33. And to love him with all the heart,.... That is, the one God, with a sincere hearty love and affection;
and with all the understanding; of his being, perfections, and works, which will serve to draw the affections to him: this clause answers to that, "with all thy mind", in Mr 12:30;
and with all the soul; with all the powers and faculties of it;
and with all the strength; a man has, or is given him; with all the vehemency and fervency of soul he is master of:
and to love his neighbour as himself; which are the two great commandments of the law:
is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices; that is, more excellent in their nature, more acceptable to God, and more useful among men, than all the rituals of the ceremonial law, than any sacrifice whatever: for the two words here used, "burnt offerings and sacrifices", include all offerings; as those which were wholly consumed upon the altar, and those of which part was given to the priests; and all sin offerings, meat offerings, and peace offerings, and whatever else. This man had now at least a different sense of things, from the rest of his brethren; who placed religion chiefly in the observance of the rituals of the law, and the traditions of the elders; and neglected the duties of the moral law, respecting God and their neighbour: things which are to be preferred and attended to, before any ceremonial institutions, and especially the inventions of men. This entirely agrees with the sense of the passage in Ho 6:6. "For I desired mercy and, not sacrifice"; that is, willed and required, that men should show mercy to one another; or that every one should love his neighbour as himself, and attend to this, rather than to the offering of any ceremonial sacrifice: this being more delightful and well-pleasing to God, than that: "and the knowledge of God"; of his unity, perfections, and glory: "more than burnt offerings"; which were entirely devoted to him: and it also agrees with the ancient sentiments of the people of God; so Samuel says to Saul, "Hath the Lord [as great] delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? behold, to obey [is] better than sacrifices, [and] to hearken, than the fat of rams", 1Sa 15:22. And yet it may be observed, that there is some likeness between these things, burnt offerings and sacrifices, and the love of God and love to our neighbour; though the latter are greatly preferable to the former; true love to God being no other than the offering up of the soul, as a whole burnt offering to God, in the flames of love to him; and love to the neighbour, or doing good and communicating to him, is a sacrifice well-pleasing to God.
Mark 12:34
Ver. 34. And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly,.... Wisely and prudently, as a man of sense and understanding; by taking in the several parts of our Lord's answer very distinctly, and reasoning upon them, and confirming them:
he said unto him, thou art not far from the kingdom of God: not meaning from heaven, and eternal happiness; for right and distinct notions of the above commandments, and even the performance of the in by a sinful and imperfect creature, can neither give a man a title to, or bring him near, or introduce him into the heavenly glory, which is a pure gift of God's grace; but our Lord's sense is, that he was not far off from the Gospel dispensation, and was in a fair way of entering into it; his sentiments were very near to such, who became followers of Christ, and embraced the doctrines, and submitted to the ordinances of the Gospel state: since he preferred those things, which related to the knowledge of the being and perfections of God, to the love and worship of God, and to the good of his neighbour; before the ceremonies of the law; which were quickly to be abolished, and make way for the setting up of the kingdom of God, or of the Messiah, in a more glorious and visible manner. Indeed there are some persons, who seem not far off from the kingdom of God, in the other sense of the phrase, as it may respect eternal glory and happiness, who will never enter into it: there are some that seem very devout and religions; hear the word, attend on all ordinances, join themselves with a church, submit to baptism, and sit down at the Lord's table, and live a moral life and conversation, and yet are destitute of the grace of God: yea, there are some who have clear notions of the Gospel, and make a bright profession of it, and yet have no experience of the power of it upon their hearts, and have not the oil of grace there: and even hold this profession to the end, and yet come short of the kingdom and glory of our Lord Jesus: such are almost Christians, but not altogether; virgins, but foolish ones; have lamps, but no oil; come as far as the door, but that is shut upon them.
And no man after that durst ask him any question; in any captious matter in order to ensnare him; finding they could get no advantage, or occasion against him that way; he having silenced the Herodians, Sadducees, Scribes, and Pharisees.
Mark 12:35
Ver. 35. And Jesus answered and said,.... To the Pharisees that were gathered together about him; See Gill on "Mt 22:41".
While he taught in the temple; Whilst he was in the temple, and as he was teaching the people there; among other things in his doctrine, he put this question,
how say the Scribes, that Christ is the son of David? Not that Christ meant to deny or invalidate the truth of this; for the Messiah was certainly to be the son of David, and was; but he wanted to know, inasmuch as they commonly said, and instructed the people to believe, and it was in general believed by them, that he was David's son, how they could reconcile this to his being the Lord of David: or how they could give out, that he was only and merely the Son of David, when he was David's Lord. Matthew relates the matter thus; that Christ first put these questions to them, what they thought of the Messiah, and whose son he was; and that they immediately replied, he was the son of David: wherefore this question seems to be put upon that, with another along with it,
how then doth David in spirit call him Lord?
See Gill on "Mt 22:42",
See Gill on "Mt 22:43".
Mark 12:36
Ver. 36. For David himself said by the Holy Ghost,.... In
Ps 110:1, being inspired by the Spirit of God:
the Lord said to my Lord, sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool. This is a proof, that David did call Christ his Lord; and that he called him so in spirit; since these words were delivered by him under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit: that the psalm was wrote by David, the title shows; and that he spake it as he was influenced by the Holy Ghost, our Lord declares: the passage relates to what God the Father said to Christ, when being risen from the dead, he ascended on high, and entered into the most holy place; he bid him sit down at his right hand, as having done the work of man's salvation, he was sent about, to full satisfaction; and as a mark of affection to him, and honour conferred upon him in the human nature; where he should continue, till all his enemies, Jews, Pagans, Papists, and Mahometans, as well as Satan, and all his principalities and powers, were so subdued under him, as to be as a footstool to his throne: and when David prophetically speaks of this, he calls the Messiah his Lord; saying, the "Lord said to my Lord"; on which account the prophecy is cited; who was so, as he is God, and his Creator and Redeemer. That this prophecy is a prophecy of the Messiah, and is applicable to no other but he; and is therefore pertinently cited, and applied to him here,
See Gill on "Mt 22:44".
Mark 12:37
Ver. 37. David therefore himself calleth him Lord,.... David, whose son you say the Messiah is, speaks of him as one superior to himself; as Lord, and as his Lord:
whence is he then his son? from what passage of Scripture does it appear, that he is his son? and how can these two different characters of him, be made to agree in him? Our Lord meant by this, to observe to them, that the Messiah was God, as well as man; that he was not merely the son of David, as was commonly received, or a mere man, but that he had a superior nature, in which he was David's Lord, and even Lord of all. This is a Talmudic way of speaking, frequently used when a proof from Scripture, or reason, is demanded to support any opinion or article of faith; as, arbo yah Nyynm, "from whence is this opinion" {z}? what proof is there of it? And again it is said {a}, Mytmh tyyxtl Nyynm, "from whence" is the proof of the resurrection of the dead out of the law? It is said, Ex 6:4, "and I have also established", &c. Sometimes it is expressed thus {b}, Nnyedy anm, "from whence do we know that it is so?" And sometimes the word is doubled {c}; says, R. Simeon ben Lekish, there is an intimation out of the law, concerning that which is torn,
Nyynm Nyynm, "from whence? from whence?" Ex 22:31: "Neither shall ye eat any flesh that is torn", &c. But the Scribes produced neither Scripture nor reason to support their assertion, though it was true; because they could not reconcile it with the passage cited by Christ.
And the common people; or the "whole multitude", as the Syriac and Persic versions render it; or a "great multitude", as the Vulgate Latin, and Arabic versions; or "all the people", as the Ethiopic; all but the Scribes and Pharisees, the populace in general,
heard him gladly; with great pleasure and satisfaction, observing that his doctrine was superior to that of any of the sects among them; particularly his reasoning about the Messiah, was listened to with great attention, and who, no doubt, could gladly have heard how these things could be reconciled; but we read not that any answer was returned to our Lord's queries, either by himself or any other.
{z} T. Bab. Yebamot, fol. 54. 2. {a} T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 90. 2. {b} T. Bab. Nazir, fol. 5. 1. {c} T. Bab. Cholin, fol. 42. 1.
Mark 12:38
Ver. 38. And he said unto them in his doctrine,.... As he was preaching, not to the Scribes and Pharisees but to the multitude, and to his disciples particularly; and to them in the audience of the people, as appears from Mt 23:1.
Beware of the Scribes; for though he had just spoken favourably of one of them, this was but a single man, and a singular instance; the body of that set of men, were very bad in their principles and practices, and therefore to be avoided, and that for the reasons following:
which love to go in long clothing; the Persic version renders it, "who affect to walk in coats and garments conspicuous, and in long robes"; such as were very particular, and different from others, and out of the common way of apparel; and so were observable and taken notice of by others: very likely it may have reference to the common length of their fringes on the borders of their outward garment, which they enlarged beyond others; See Gill on "Mt 23:5";
and [love] salutations the market places; or "streets", as the Syriac and Arabic versions render it, in any public places, where there was a resort of men, and they were taken notice with respect, in a public manner. The Syriac Persic supply the word "love", as we do from Mt 23:6,
See Gill on "Mt 23:6",
See Gill on "Mt 23:7".
Mark 12:39
Ver. 39. And the chief seats in the synagogues,.... Where the rulers of the synagogue, and the elders of the people sat;
See Gill on "Mt 23:6".
And the uppermost rooms at feasts; or the first and chief places where they sat, or rather lay along at public entertainment;
See Gill on "Mt 23:6".
Mark 12:40
Ver. 40. Which devour widows' houses,.... See Gill on "Mt 23:14".
Mark 12:41
Ver. 41. And Jesus sat over against the treasury,.... the Arabic version reads, "at the door of the treasury"; the place where the chests stood, into which money was put for various uses: there were thirteen chests in the temple {d}; six of them were, hbdnl, for voluntary oblations, or freewill offerings; for what remained of the sin offering, and of the trespass offering, and of the turtles; for those that had fluxes, and for new mothers; and of the sacrifices of the Nazarite, and of the trespass offering for the leper; and the last was for a freewill offering in general; and into one of these chests, or all them, was the money cast, afterwards spoken of. The Ethiopic version renders it, "over against the alms chest"; but this contribution in the temple, was not for the maintenance of the poor, but for the supply of sacrifices, and other things, as mentioned. Jesus having done preaching, and the Scribes and Pharisees having left him, and the multitude being dismissed, he sat down, being weary, and rested himself in this place:
and beheld; with pleasure.
how the people, of all sorts, rich and poor,
cast money into the treasury; into one or other of the above chests: the word rendered "money", signifies "brass", which the Jews call,
twem; for they had shekels of brass, as well as silver; and brazen pence, as well as silver pence {e}; and also "prutas", or mites of brass {f}; and such, the poor woman cast in:
and many that were rich cast in much: they gave very liberally and largely, as they were possessed with much worldly substance; for though religion was at a low ebb with them, yet they took care to support the external and ritual part of it.
{d} Misn. Shekalhim, c. 6. sect. 5. & Maimon. & Bartenora in ib. & Moses Kotsensis, Mitzvot Tora, pr. affirm. 44. & Maimon. Hilch. Shekalim, c. 2. sect. 2, 3. {e} Misn. Maaser Sheni, c. 2. sect. 8, 9. & Ediot, c. 1. sect. 9, 10. {f} Vid. Hottinger de Nummis Heb. p. 118.
Mark 12:42
Ver. 42. And there came a certain poor widow,.... Among the many that came to offer their gifts freely, there came one that was particularly taken notice of by Christ; and she was a "widow", had no husband to provide for her, and was a "poor" one; had no substance left her by her husband to support her with; very likely she was an inhabitant of Jerusalem:
and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing; a "quadrant", which was the fourth part of the Roman assis, or farthing; which seems to be much the same with the tetarthmorion of the Greeks, which is said {g} to be,
"the fourth part of an obolus (the least Athenian coin), that is, two brass pieces.''
These mites seem to be the same with the "prutas", the Jews often speak of; who say {h}, that a "pruta" is the eighth part of an Italian farthing; though some make it to be the sixth: hence the Syriac version here renders it, "two menin, that is, eighths"; and the Jerusalem Talmud expressly says {i}, that, ojnydrq twjwrp ynv, "two prutas make a quadrant", the very word here used: and that the Jews took the freewill offerings of the poor as well as the rich, though ever so little, is clear from this canon of theirs {k};
"a poor man that gives a "pruta", or mite, into the alms dish, or a "pruta" into the poor's chest, they take it of him; but if he does not give, they do not oblige him to give.''
Nor were they obliged to cast into the treasury; but if they did, they received it, be it less or more: and indeed, the rich might throw in as little as they pleased: as for instance; into the chest for gold, they might throw in as little as the weight of a barley corn of gold; and into the chest for frankincense, as little as the weight of a barley corn of frankincense {l}. The Persic version here, different from all others, instead of "two mites", renders it, "two bottoms of thread", or "yarn".
{g} Harpocratian. Lexic. p. 281. {h} Misn. Kiddushin, c. 1. sect. 1. T. Hieros. Kiddushin, fol. 58. 4. T. Bab. Kiddushin, fol. 12. 1. Bava Metzin, fol. 44. 2. Maimon. Hilch. Shekalim, c. 1. sect. 3. {i} Kiddushi, fol. 58. 4. {k} Maimon. Hilch. Mattanot Anayim, c. 9. sect. 19. {l} Maimon. & Battenora in. Misn. Shekalim, c. 6. sect. 6.
Mark 12:43
Ver. 43. And he called unto him, his disciples,.... Who were at some little distance from him, he having finished his discourses:
and saith unto them, verily I say unto you: a way of speaking he often used, when he was about to deliver something of importance, and not so easy of belief, and which required attention, and what he solemnly affirmed:
that this poor widow, pointing to her,
hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: not that she had cast in more, or so much as any one of them as to value and substance, much less more than them all put together; but that she had cast in more in proportion to what she had, than they had in proportion to their substance; and that hers, though very small in itself, and might be contemptible to others, yet it was more in the account of God and Christ, and more highly valued and esteemed of by them, than all that the rich men put in: since what she gave, she gave in faith, and from a principle of love, and with a view to the glory of God; when theirs was given only in hypocrisy, to make an outward show, and to be seen of men.
Mark 12:44
Ver. 44. For all they did cast in of their abundance,.... Or "superabundance", as the Arabic version renders it; or "superfluity", as the Ethiopic: they abounded in the things of the world, of which they gave only a part; and though they might give much, yet they could easily spare it, and had enough remaining:
but she, of her want; or "penury", as in Lu 21:4; see 2Co 8:2;
did cast in all that she had, even all her living; her whole substance, all that she had in the world; what was to have bought her food, for that day; she left herself nothing, but gave away all, and trusted to providence for immediate supply.
John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible.
Mark 13:1
Ver. 1. And as he went out of the temple,.... The Ethiopic version reads, "as they went out"; Christ and his disciples: for when Christ went out of the temple, the disciples went out with him; or at least very quickly followed him, and came to him, as appears from what follows; though the true reading is, "as he went out": and the Syriac and Persic versions are more express, and read, "as Jesus went out": for having done all he intended to do there, he left it, never more to return to it:
one of his disciples: it may be Peter, who was generally pretty forward, and commonly the mouth of the rest, as this disciple was, whoever he was: the Persic version reads, "the disciples"; and Matthew and Luke represent them in general, as observing to Christ, the beauty and grandeur of the temple, as this disciple did: who
saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings [are here]. The temple, as repaired by Herod, was a very beautiful building, according to the account the Jews give of it, and its stones were of a very great magnitude; See Gill on "Mt 24:1".
Mark 13:2
Ver. 2. And Jesus answering said unto him,.... The Persic version reads, "unto them"; and so Beza's most ancient copy but as that question is put by one, the reply is made to him:
seest thou these great buildings? how beautiful and strong they are. The Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions, add the word all; and the sense is, dost thou take a survey of all these buildings, and of the whole of this stately edifice? and dost thou not admire the strength and grandeur of them? and dost thou not think they will be of long duration, and that the demolition of them is scarcely possible?
There shall not be left one stone upon another. The Syriac and Arabic versions add, "here": as in Mt 24:9, and so it is read in four of Beza's copies, and in others:
that shall not be thrown down; See Gill on "Mt 24:2".
Mark 13:3
Ver. 3. And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives,.... On the east of Jerusalem:
over against the temple: where he could have a full view of it; the eastern wall of the temple being lower than the rest;
See Gill on "Mt 24:3".
Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, asked him privately; apart from the rest of the disciples, they being, especially the first three, his favourites, and very familiar with him.
Mark 13:4
Ver. 4. Tell us when shall these things be?.... When the temple will be destroyed, and these fine buildings shall be demolished, and not one of these large stones shall be left upon another:
and what shall be the sign when all these things [shall be] fulfilled? And what is the sign of his coming, and of the end of the world, as Matthew relates; See Gill on "Mt 24:3".
Mark 13:5
Ver. 5. And Jesus answering them,.... His four disciples, Peter, John, James, and Andrew: "began to say"; or "said", a way of speaking frequent with this evangelist:
take heed lest any man deceive you; See Gill on "Mt 24:4".
Mark 13:6
Ver. 6. For many shall come in my name,.... Taking upon them the name of the Messiah: saying,
I am [Christ]; the word "Christ", is rightly supplied from
Mt 24:5; otherwise in the original it is only, "I am"; which the Persic version doubles, reading it, "I am indeed, I am": he that was promised and expected, the true Messiah; he that was to come:
and shall deceive many; See Gill on "Mt 24:5".
Mark 13:7
Ver. 7. And when ye shall hear of wars, and rumours of wars,.... Among the Jews themselves, and with the Romans:
be not troubled; keep your place, abide by your work, go on preaching the Gospel, without distressing yourselves about the event of things:
for [such things] must needs be: being decreed by God, foretold by Christ, and made necessary by the sins of the people:
but the end shall not be yet; of the temple, of Jerusalem, and of the Jewish state and nation; See Gill on "Mt 24:6".
Mark 13:8
Ver. 8. For nation shall rise against nation,.... The nations of the world one against another, and the Romans against the Jews, and the Jews against them:
and kingdom against kingdom; which is a synonymous phrase with the former, and what the Jews call, twnwv twlm, "different words", expressing the same thing, often used in their commentaries:
and there shall be earthquakes in divers places; of the world:
and there shall be famines: especially in Judea, as in the times of Claudius Caesar, and at the siege of Jerusalem:
and troubles; public ones of various sorts, as tumults, seditions, murders, &c. This word is omitted in the Vulgate Latin, and Ethiopic versions.
These are the beginnings of sorrows; as of a woman with child, as the word signifies; whose pains before, though they are the beginnings and pledges of what shall come after, are not to be compared with those that immediately precede, and attend the birth of the child: and so all those troubles, which should be some time before the destruction of Jerusalem, would be but small, but light afflictions, the beginning of sorrows, in comparison of what should immediately go before, and attend that desolation;
See Gill on "Mt 24:7",
See Gill on "Mt 24:8".
Mark 13:9
Ver. 9. But take heed to yourselves,.... This does not so much regard their doctrine and conversation, they were to take heed to; in which sense this phrase is sometimes used; but the security of their persons and lives; and the advice is, to take care of them selves, as much as in them lay, how they came into the hands of the persecuting Jews, and exposed themselves to danger, when at any time it could be avoided:
for they shall deliver you up to councils; their greater and lesser sanhedrim; the one consisting of seventy one persons, the other of twenty three, and the least of three only; and before the greater of these, Peter and John were brought, quickly, after the ascension of Christ:
and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten; with forty stripes, save one, as the Apostle Paul was, five, times:
and ye shall be brought before rulers; governors of Roman provinces, as the same apostle was, before Gallio, Festus, and Felix:
and kings for my sake; for the sake of professing Christ, and preaching his Gospel; as some of the apostles were, before Herod, Agrippa, Nero, Domitian, and others:
for a testimony against them: both against the rulers and kings before whom they should be brought, and bear a testimony for Christ, and against the Jews, who should bring them thither;
See Gill on "Mt 10:17",
See Gill on "Mt 10:18".
Mark 13:10
Ver. 10. And the Gospel must first be published among all nations. The Syriac version reads, "my Gospel"; the Gospel which Christ was the author, subject, and preacher of; this "must be published". There was a necessity of the promulgation of it by the will of God, the command and commission of Christ; and for the gathering in of the Jews, that were the elect of God, "among all nations" of the world, especially in the Roman empire; and that "first", or before the destruction of Jerusalem; See Gill on "Mt 24:14".
Mark 13:11
Ver. 11. But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up,.... Lead to councils and courts of judicature, and deliver up to kings and rulers, to the civil magistrate, to be punished by the secular arm:
take no thought before hand; be not previously anxious, and carefully solicitous, in a distressing way:
what ye shall speak: to kings and rulers, by way of apology for yourselves, and your own innocence, and in defence of the Gospel:
neither do ye premeditate; or "meditate", as the generality of copies read: Beza says in one copy it is read, "premeditate": and so in one of Stephens's, as we render it: this clause is omitted in the Vulgate Latin, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions:
but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour; whatever shall be immediately suggested to your thoughts, be put into your minds, and laid upon your hearts:
that speak ye; freely and boldly without the fear of men:
for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost: not but that they did speak, but they were not the principal authors, either of the matter they spoke, or of the words and language in which they spoke; they were only the instruments of the Holy Ghost; they spoke as they were moved by him: hence their wisdom and eloquence in their self-defence, were amazing, and their arguments strong and unanswerable; See Gill on "Mt 10:19",
See Gill on "Mt 10:20",
Mark 13:12
Ver. 12. Now the brother shall betray the brother to death,.... Signifying, that such should be the rage of men, particularly the Jews, against Christ and his Gospel, that those that were in the nearest relation, were of the same flesh and blood, children of the same parents, should betray and deliver up each other into the hands of the civil magistrate, in order to be put to death:
and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death; things unnatural and shocking; See Gill on "Mt 10:21".
Mark 13:13
Ver. 13. And ye shall be hated of all men,.... Not only of your friends and relations of your countrymen the Jews; but of all men, the generality of men, in, all nations of the world, wherever they came:
for my name's sake; for the sake of Christ and his Gospel, they professed and preached:
but he that shall endure; reproaches, afflictions, and persecutions, patiently; or persevere in the faith of Christ, in the profession of his name, and in preaching his Gospel:
to the end; of such troubles, and of life:
the same shall be saved; if not with a temporal, yet with an everlasting salvation; See Gill on "Mt 10:22",
See Gill on "Mt 24:13".
Mark 13:14
Ver. 14. But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation,.... The Roman army encompassing Jerusalem, which was an abomination to the Jews, and an "impure sign" of their destruction, as the Syriac and Persic versions render it; and a desolating one to their nation, city, and temple:
spoken of by Daniel the prophet, in Da 9:27. This clause is omitted in the Vulgate Latin, and was not found by Beza, in two of his copies, and is thought to be transcribed from Matthew:
standing where it ought not; round about the city, in the midst of it, and even in the temple: in one of Beza's exemplars it is added, "in the holy place", as in Matthew; and so it is read in the Ethiopic version:
let him that readeth understand; either the passage in Daniel, or the citation of it by the evangelist, when he shall see this come to pass: this seems to be rather the words of the evangelist, than of Christ; since this was not written (and so not to be read), but spoken by Christ; and since his usual phrase was, "he that hath ears, let him hear": though indeed the same exhortation is in Matthew, and may be understood of Christ, as it may refer to the written prophecy in Daniel, and indeed to the Gospel, which might be read before this event came to pass: See Gill on "Mt 24:15".
Then let them that be in Judea flee to the mountains; they that are in Jerusalem, or in any of the cities and towns of Judea, let them make their escape, as soon as possible, to the mountainous parts of the country; where they may be more safe from, the devastations of the Roman army; See Gill on "Mt 24:16".
Mark 13:15
Ver. 15. And let him that is on the house top,.... On the battlements of the house, either for diversion or devotion:
not go down into the house; in the inner way by the stairs, or ladder within doors:
neither enter therein; being come down from the top of the house, by stairs, or a ladder without, which was usual:
to take any thing out of his house; to take care of his goods, or take any thing along with him, that might be useful in his flight, and journey, and stay abroad; See Gill on "Mt 24:17".
Mark 13:16
Ver. 16. And let him that is in the field,.... At work, in any sort of business there,
not turn back again: either to his own house, or rather to that part of the field where he laid down his clothes:
for to take up his garment; but let him flee without it, or otherwise he would be in great danger; See Gill on "Mt 24:18".
Mark 13:17
Ver. 17. But woe to them that are with child,.... Who because of their burdens, would be very unfit for, and very incapable of fleeing with any haste; and therefore very liable to fall into the hands of the enemy, and become their prey:
and to them that give suck in those days; who could not bear to leave their children behind, and yet would not be able to carry them with them; at least not without great trouble, and which would much retard their flight, and endanger their being taken by the enemy;
See Gill on "Mt 24:19".
Mark 13:18
Ver. 18. And pray ye that your flight be not in winter. When days are short, roads bad, the weather inclement; and when to lodge in mountains, is very incommodious, and uncomfortable. The Persic version adds, "neither on the sabbath day"; See Gill on "Mt 24:20".
Mark 13:19
Ver. 19. For in those days shall be affliction,.... What with the close siege of the Romans; the fury of the zealots, and seditious; the rage of different parties among the Jews themselves; the ravage of the sword, both within and without, together with dreadful plagues and famines:
such as was not from the beginning of the creation, which God created, unto this time, neither shall be; of which there never was the like in any age, and cannot be paralleled in any history, since the beginning of time, or the world was made, or any thing in it, down to that period; nor ever will the like befall any one particular nation under the heavens, to the end of the world;
See Gill on "Mt 24:21".
Mark 13:20
Ver. 20. And except that the Lord had shortened those days,.... Had determined that those days of affliction should be but few, and not last long; that the siege should not be longer continued, and the devastations within and without be prolonged:
no flesh should be saved; there would not have been a Jew left; that nation and race of men must have been utterly destroyed from off the face of the earth:
but for elect's sake, whom he hath chosen; in Christ, unto eternal salvation; who were either then upon the spot, called or uncalled, or that were to spring from in succeeding times:
he hath shortened the days; he hath determined they shall be but few, that a remnant might be saved, and among them his elect; or from whom should descend, such as he had chosen, who should be saved with an everlasting salvation: though the people in general have been given up to blindness and unbelief, yet they are preserved as a distinct people in the world; and in the latter day will be called and converted, and all Israel shall be saved and therefore it was the will of God to shorten those days of affliction, that they might not be entirely cut off, but that a number might be left, as a stock for future ages; See Gill on "Mt 24:22".
Mark 13:21
Ver. 21. And then if any man shall say to you,.... During those days of tribulation and affliction, or when shortened and at an end:
lo! [here is] Christ, or lo! [he is] there; the Messiah has appeared in such or in such a place, to deliver you from your national distresses and calamities, and from the Roman yoke and bondage:
believe him not; give no credit to such a report, for the reason following; See Gill on "Mt 24:23".
Mark 13:22
Ver. 22. For false Christs and false prophets shall rise,.... As there did, both before and after the destruction of Jerusalem:
and shall show signs and wonders; as they pretended to do, and did, at least to the appearance of people:
to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect; who were chosen in Christ, unto eternal life; in consequence of which they truly believed in him, and were constant followers of him; but this was not possible: though such was the force of their deception, that there was apparent danger of it, were it not for the power and grace of God; See Gill on "Mt 24:24".
Mark 13:23
Ver. 23. But take ye heed,.... The Persic version adds, "of them"; of the false Christs, and false prophets: for though the purposes of God, concerning the salvation of his elect, are infrustrable; his promises are yea and amen; his grace is efficacious and irresistible, and his power uncontrollable; and the salvation of his chosen ones certain; yet it becomes them to be on their guard against every deception, and temptation, and to make use of all means for their perseverance:
behold, I have foretold you all things; relating to the destruction of the temple, city, and nation of the Jews; the signs that would go before it, as the disciples had desired; the miseries and calamities that would attend it, and the danger they would be exposed to through false Christs, and false prophets; and therefore would be inexcusable, if they did not observe the caution he now gave them: and moreover, when all these should be accomplished, they would remember that he had told them of them beforehand; which would be a proof of his omniscience, and so an establishment of them in the truth of him, as the Messiah; See Gill on "Mt 24:25".
Mark 13:24
Ver. 24. But in those days, after that tribulation,.... That is, after the destruction of the city and temple of Jerusalem, and the miseries and calamities attending it, in the times immediately following it; see Mt 24:29;
the sun shall be darkened: so the Shekinah, or glory of the divine majesty was withdrawn, and all the symbols of the divine presence were gone, when the temple was destroyed:
and the moon shall not give her light; the ceremonial law, which though abolished by the death of Christ, was observed by the Jews as long as the temple stood; but now ceased, particularly that principal branch of it, the daily sacrifice; See Gill on "Mt 24:29".
Mark 13:25
Ver. 25. And the stars of heaven shall fall,.... The Jewish Rabbins and doctors, who fell off from the written word, and compiled their "Misna", or oral law, their book of traditions, and set it up above the Bible, the foundation of which was laid immediately upon their dispersion.
And the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken; the ordinances of the legal dispensation, which were shaken before, but now so shaken as to be removed; compare Hag 2:6 with Heb 12:26;
See Gill on "Mt 24:29".
Mark 13:26
Ver. 26. And then shall they see the son of man,.... Not in person, but in the power of his wrath and vengeance; of which the Jews then had a convincing evidence, and full proof; and even of his being come in the flesh, as if they had seen him in person: this shows, that the sign of the son of man, in Mt 24:30 is the same with the son of man:
coming in the clouds with great power and glory; not to judgment, but having taken vengeance on the Jewish nation, to set up his kingdom and glory in the Gentile world; See Gill on "Mt 24:30".
Mark 13:27
Ver. 27. And then he shall send his angels,.... The ministers of the Gospel to preach it, and plant more churches among the Gentiles, since that at Jerusalem was entirely broken up:
and shall gather together his elect; that is, he the son of man, or Christ, shall gather them by the ministry of his servants; or "they shall gather them", as the Ethiopic version reads; and as Beza says it is read in a certain copy: these ministers shall be the means of gathering such whom God has chosen from all eternity, to obtain salvation by Christ, out of the world, and unto Christ, and into a Gospel church state: even
from the uttermost part of the earth, to the uttermost part of the heaven; be they where they will, on earth, and under the whole heavens; See Gill on "Mt 24:31".
Mark 13:28
Ver. 28. Now learn a parable of the fig tree,.... Our Lord was now upon the Mount of Olives, in one part of which fig trees grew in great plenty, and one, or more, might be near, and in view; and it was the time of year, the passover being at hand, for its putting forth:
when her branch is yet tender; and soft and opening, through the sap now in motion:
and putteth forth leaves; from the branches:
ye know, that summer is near; from such an appearance on the fig tree; See Gill on "Mt 24:32".
Mark 13:29
Ver. 29. So ye, in like manner,.... This is an accommodation of the parable to the present case:
when ye shall see these things come to pass; the signs preceding the destruction of Jerusalem, and especially the abomination of desolation, or the Roman army surrounding it:
know that it, or he is nigh, even at at the doors; either that the destruction of Jerusalem is near; or that the son of man is just ready to come to take vengeance on it; or as Luke says, Lu 21:31, the kingdom of God is nigh at hand; or a more glorious display of the kingly power of Christ, in the destruction of his enemies, and a greater spread of his Gospel in the Gentile world;
See Gill on "Mt 24:33".
Mark 13:30
Ver. 30. Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass,.... Not the generation of men, in general, or Jews in particular, nor of Christians; but that present generation of men, they should not all go off the stage of life,
till all these things be done; which were now predicted by Christ, concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, the signs of it, and what, should immediately follow upon it; See Gill on "Mt 24:34".
Mark 13:31
Ver. 31. Heaven and earth shall pass away,.... Which may be understood either affirmatively, as what will be at the second coming of Christ; or comparatively, rather than any thing said by Christ should; and so shows the certainty and irreversibleness of his predictions, as it follows:
but my words shall not pass away; which is true of all the words of Christ he ever spake, and here particularly relates to those he had just delivered, concerning the calamities that should come upon the Jewish nation; See Gill on "Mt 24:35".
Mark 13:32
Ver. 32. But of that day, and of that hour,.... Of Jerusalem's destruction; for of nothing else had Christ been speaking; and, it is plain, the words are anaphorical, and relate to what goes before:
knoweth no man; nay, they that lived to see it, and have spoken of it, are not agreed about the particular day, when it was; much less did they know it beforehand, or could speak of it, and make it known to others:
no, not the angels which are in heaven; who are acquainted with many of the divine secrets, and have been employed in the imparting them to others, and in the executing divine purposes:
neither the Son; Christ, as the son of man; though he did know it as the Son of God, who knows all things, and so this; but as the son of man, and from his human nature he had no knowledge of any thing future: what knowledge he had of future things in his humanity, he had from his deity; nor, as man, had he any commission to make known, nor did he make known the day of God's vengeance on the Jews:
but the Father; who has the times and seasons in his own power, for the executing of any particular judgment on a nation, or the general one; See Gill on "Mt 24:36".
Mark 13:33
Ver. 33. Take ye heed, watch and pray,.... This seems to be the principal reason why the day and hour of Jerusalem's destruction, though known by the Father, were not made known to any man, neither to the angels, nor by them; nor to the son of man in the days of his flesh, nor by him when on earth; that his people might be upon their guard, against false Christs, and prophets, and their deception; and watch unto prayer, and in it, lest they fell into temptation, and that day should come upon them unawares:
for ye know not when the time is; the exact and precise time: for though the people of God had notice of it, and were sensible it was at hand, and did make their escape out of Jerusalem; yet they knew not the exact time, but that it might be sooner or later; and the unbelieving Jews were blinded, and in the dark about it to the very last; See Gill on "Mt 24:42".
Mark 13:34
Ver. 34. [For the son of man is] as a man taking a far journey,.... Or this case of the son of man's coming to take vengeance on the Jewish nation, is like a man that takes a journey into a far country. This puts me in mind of a question asked {m} by the Jews:
"what hqwxr Krd, "a far journey" from Modiim, and without.''
from Modiim, according to the Gemara {n}, and commentators {o} on this passage, was a place fifteen miles from Jerusalem; so that, according to them, fifteen miles were reckoned a far journey {p}.
Who left his house; and his goods in it, to the care and management of others during his absence:
and gave authority to his servants; to govern his house, and exercise power one over another, according to their different stations;
and to every man his work; which he was to do, while he was gone, and to give him an account of when he returned:
and commanded the porter to watch; his house, and take care that it was not broke open by thieves, and plundered of the substance that was in it. So Christ, when he ascended on high, went to heaven, the land afar off; left his house, his church, particularly in Judea, and at Jerusalem, to the care of his apostles, and gave authority to govern it, according to the laws, rules, and directions prescribed by him; and assigned every man his particular work, for which he gave him proper gifts and abilities; and ordered the porter to be on his watch, not Peter only, but all the apostles and ministers, whose business it is to watch over themselves, and the souls of men committed to their care.
{m} Misn. Pesachim, c. 9. sect. 2. {n} T. Bab. Pesachim, fol. 93. 2. {o} Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. ib. {p} Maimon. Hilch. Korban Pesach. c. 5. sect. 9.
Mark 13:35
Ver. 35. Watch ye therefore,.... Against false Christs, and false prophets; over yourselves, and the whole church; for the words are particularly addressed to the disciples of Christ:
for ye know not when the master of the house cometh; when Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven, and in earth, is named, who is a Son in his own house, is an high priest over the house of God, and Lord of his church and people, whom he has bought with his blood, and provides for with his grace, and by his Spirit, when he will come to break up housekeeping with the Jews, and bring his wrath upon them to the uttermost: whether
at even, or at midnight, or at the cock crowing, or in the morning. This is agreeably to the division of the night among the Jews, who speak of the first watch, the middle of the night, the cock crowing, and morning, as distinct from each other. The three first of these we have in one passage {q}:
"every day they remove the ashes from the altar, rbgh
tayrqb, "at cock crowing", or near it, either before, or after it; and on the day of atonement, twuhm, "at midnight"; and on the feast days, "at the first watch",''
the same with the evening here: and elsewhere the morning and cock crowing are distinguished {r};
"for a last of the congregation, how long may a man eat and drink? until the pillar of the morning ascends, (or until it is morning,) the words of R. Eliezer ben Jacob; R. Simeon says, until cock crowing.''
And so the phrase, from cock crowing till morning, is used by them {s}. The Romans also divided the night in like manner, into evening, the dead of the night, or midnight, cock crowing, and the morning {t}. The allusion seems to be to the time of the president of the temple's coming into it, who had the management of the affairs of it, and of appointing to each priest his work: it is said {u},
"whoever would remove the ashes from the altar, rose up early, and washed himself before the president came; but in what hour does the president come? not at all times alike: sometimes he comes, rbgh tayrqm, "at cock crowing", or near it, before it, or after it; and the president comes and knocks for them, and they open to him; and he says unto them, whosoever has washed himself, let him come and cast lots: they cast lots, and he is worthy whom he counts worthy.''
Such who understand these words of Christ's coming by death, or at judgment, apply these seasons to the several ages of men, as childhood, youth, manhood, and old age.
{q} Misn. Yoma, c. 1. sect. 8. T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 20. 9. & Zebachim, c. l. 96. 2. {r} T. Bab. Pesachim, fol. 2. 2. & Taanith, fol. 12. 1. {s} T. Bab. Zebachim, fol. 20. 2. {t} Alex. ab Alex. Genial. Dier. l. 4. c. 20. {u} Misn. Tumid. c. 1. sect. 2.
Mark 13:36
Ver. 36. Lest coming suddenly,.... Unthought of, and unexpected, at an unawares:
he find you sleeping; inactive in the exercise of grace, and negligent in the performance of duty; unprepared for his coming, and unfit for service.
Mark 13:37
Ver. 37. And what I say unto you,.... The four disciples, Peter, James, John, and Andrew; who came privately to him, and put to him the questions, which occasioned this long discourse; see
Mr 13:3.
I say unto all. The Syriac and Persic versions read, "you all"; meaning all the rest of his apostles, and all his disciples and followers in Jerusalem, and in all Judea; who were all concerned in these things, and whom it became to
watch, and be upon their guard, and cast off all sloth and negligence; since they knew not soon the son of man would come, and all these evil things would be brought upon the Jewish nation, city, and temple: and the same exhortation is suitable to saints in all ages, times, and places, on account of the various snares, temptations, and evils, that they are liable to, the suddenness of death, and the uncertainty of the second coming of Christ.
John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible.
Mark 14:1
Ver. 1. After two days was [the feast of] the passover,.... That is, two days after Christ had delivered the foregoing discourse concerning the destruction of the temple at Jerusalem, was the feast of the passover; which was kept in commemoration of God's passing over the houses of the Israelites, when he destroyed the firstborn of Egypt, and made way for the deliverance of the children of Israel from thence: and which was kept by eating the passover lamb; and which, properly speaking, is the feast of the passover:
and of unleavened bread; which was the same feast with the other, called so from the unleavened bread which was then eaten; though with this difference, the passover lamb was only eaten on the first night, but unleavened bread was eaten for seven days together. The Syriac, Persic, and Ethiopic versions render it, "the passover of unleavened bread", leaving out the copulative "and".
And the chief priests and Scribes sought how they might take him by craft; that is, Jesus,
and put him to death: for which purpose they assembled together in Caiaphas the high priest's palace, and there took counsel together how to accomplish it; see Mt 26:2.
Mark 14:2
Ver. 2. But they said not on the feast day,.... The feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread, which was nigh at hand, and would be two days hence, when there would be a great concourse of people from all parts to keep it: and therefore they did not choose to seize him, and put him to death at that time,
lest there should be an uproar of the people; or among them, lest they should rise in his favour, and rescue him out of their hands;
See Gill on "Mt 26:5".
Mark 14:3
Ver. 3. And being in Bethany,.... A place about two miles from Jerusalem, whither he retired after he had took his leave of the temple, and had predicted its destruction; a place he often went to, and from, the last week of his life; having some dear friends, and familiar acquaintance there, as Lazarus, and his two sisters, Martha and Mary, and the person next mentioned:
in the house of Simon the leper; so called because he had been one, and to distinguish him from Simon the Pharisee, and Simon Peter the apostle, and others; See Gill on "Mt 26:6";
as he sat at meat there came a woman; generally thought to be Mary Magdalene, or Mary the sister of Lazarus:
having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard; or "pure nard", unmixed and genuine; or liquid nard, which was drinkable, and so easy to be poured out; or Pistic nard, called so, either from "Pista", the name of a place from whence it was brought, or from "Pistaca", which, with the Rabbins, signifies "maste"; of which, among other things, this ointment was made. Moreover, ointment of nard was made both of the leaves of nard, and called foliate nard, and of the spikes of it, and called, as here, spikenard. Now ointment made of nard was, as Pliny says {w}, the principal among ointments. The Syriac is, by him, said to be the best; this here is said to be
very precious, costly, and valuable:
and she brake the box. The Syriac and Ethiopic versions render it, "she opened it"; and the Persic version, "she opened the head", or "top of the bottle", or "vial":
and poured it on his head; on the head of Christ, as the same version presses it; See Gill on "Mt 26:7".
{w} Nat. Hist. l. 12. c. 12.
Mark 14:4
Ver. 4. And there were some that had indignation within themselves,.... The Syriac version reads, "some of the disciples": agreeably to
Mt 26:8, particularly Judas, and others might be incensed by his means:
and said, why was this waste of the ointment made?
See Gill on "Mt 26:8".
Mark 14:5
Ver. 5. For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence,.... Which, was to the value of our money nine pounds, seven shillings, and sixpence:
and given to the poor; which was thought to be a better way of expending it, than by pouring it on the head of Christ:
and they murmured against her: that she should lavish so much money away in such an imprudent manner; they reproved her for it, expressed much resentment at it, and were very angry with, her upon the account of it; See Gill on "Mt 26:8",
See Gill on "Mt 26:9".
Mark 14:6
Ver. 6. And Jesus said, let her alone,.... Jesus knowing the secret indignation of some of his disciples, and their private murmurings at the woman, and their continual teasings of her, because of the expense of the ointment, said to them, as the Arabic and Ethiopic versions read; or "to the disciples", as the Persic, let the woman alone, cease to chide and reprove her for what she has done;
why trouble ye her? why do you grieve her, by charging her with imprudence and extravagance, as if she had been guilty of a very great crime? she is so far from it, that
she hath wrought a good work on me; she has done me an honour; expressed faith in me, and shown love to me, and ought to be commended, and not reproved; See Gill on "Mt 26:10".
Mark 14:7
Ver. 7. For ye have the poor with you always,....
See Gill on "Mt 26:11";
and whensoever ye will ye may do them good; by feeding them when hungry, clothing them when naked, and supplying them with the necessaries of life:
but me ye have not always; meaning, with respect to his bodily presence, which, in a short time, would be removed from them, and they would have no opportunity of showing him any such outward respect personally; See Gill on "Mt 26:11".
Mark 14:8
Ver. 8. She hath done what she could,.... What she had in her heart, and in the power of her hands to do; she hath done according to her ability, and her good will; and if she had not done it now, she could not have done it at all.
She is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying; or, "as if it was to bury me", as the Syriac version renders it. Christ signifies by this, that he should shortly die, and that this woman came before hand to anoint him, and, as it were, to perform the funeral rites before he was dead; it being revealed to her by the Spirit, that Jesus would quickly die, and she should not be able to perform this good work when dead, and therefore came to do it before; or, at least, she was directed by the Spirit of God, because she would be prevented doing it afterwards; See Gill on "Mt 26:12".
Mark 14:9
Ver. 9. Verily I say unto you,.... And you may assure yourselves of the truth of it:
wheresoever this Gospel, of the death and resurrection of Christ,
shall be preached throughout the whole world, as it shall be,
[this] also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her; in remembrance of her, and her work, and in commendation of her faith, love, and duty; See Gill on "Mt 26:13".
Mark 14:10
Ver. 10. And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve,.... Apostles of Christ; who was the principal person that had indignation at the woman, and murmured against her, for the profusion of the ointment:
went unto the chief priests; as soon as this affair was over, and Christ had defended the woman's conduct to his shame and silence: he immediately went out of the house, where they were, and set out from Bethany to Jerusalem; and understanding the chief priests were in consultation together at Caiaphas's house, how to apprehend Jesus, and put him to death, went directly to them, unsent for, and unthought of by them:
to betray him unto them; which Satan had put into his heart, and what his avarice and revenge for the late action of the woman, and Christ's defence of it, prompted him to; See Gill on "Mt 26:14".
Mark 14:11
Ver. 11. And when they heard it, they were glad,.... That such an opportunity offered, and from such a quarter, by one of his own disciples; so that it might be done more secretly and effectually, and with less blame to themselves:
and promised to give him money; any sum he should ask; and what was agreed upon were thirty pieces, or shekels of silver; and so the Ethiopic version here, instead of money, reads, "thirty pieces of silver"; See Gill on "Mt 26:15".
And he sought how he might conveniently betray him; after this promise, and upon this agreement: henceforward he sought the most fitting opportunity, and the best season of betraying his master into the hands of these men, when he was alone, and the multitude absent, and there was no danger of a tumult, or a rescue;
See Gill on "Mt 26:16".
Mark 14:12
Ver. 12. And the first day of unleavened bread,.... Being come, which was the fourteenth of Nisan:
when they killed the passover; that is, "the Jews", as the Syriac and Persic versions supply; for any Israelite, that not a priest, might slay it: their canon runs thus {x},
"an Israelite kills (the passover), and a priest receives (the blood), and gives it to his neighbour, and his neighbour to his neighbour, and he receives (the basin) full, and returns it empty; the priest that is near to the altar sprinkles it, at one sprinkling, over against the bottom of it.''
Upon which the commentators {y} observe, that the slaying of the passover by strangers; that is, such as are not priests, lawful. And so Philo the Jew, speaking of the passover, says {z};
"at which time the common people do not bring their sacrifices to the altar, and the priests slay; but by the command of the law, sumpan to eynov, "the whole nation", does the work of a priest; every one particularly bringing the sacrifices for himself, and then slaying them with his own hands.''
But then it was always killed in the court of the temple, and after the middle of the day; See Gill on "Mt 26:17";
his disciples said unto him, where wilt thou that we go and prepare, that thou mayst eat the passover: for it was now Thursday morning, and the passover was to be slain after the middle of the day, between the two evenings, and eaten in Jerusalem at night; and they were now at Bethany, near two miles from the city; and it was usual for servants to get ready the passover for their masters;
See Gill on "Mt 26:17".
{x} Misn. Pesachim, c. 5. sect. 6. {y} Jarchi, Maimon. & Bartenora in ib. {z} De Vita Mosis, l. 3. p. 686.
Mark 14:13
Ver. 13. And he sendeth forth two of his disciples,.... Peter and John, as appears from Lu 22:8;
and saith unto them, go ye into the city; the city of Jerusalem; for there only the passover might be eaten, De 26:2;
and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water; a servant of the master of the house that was sent for water, to mix with the wine, at the passover:
follow him; into the house to which he goes.
Mark 14:14
Ver. 14. And wheresoever he shall go in,.... Into whatsoever house he shall enter, go in after him:
and say ye to the good man of the house; the owner, and master of it, who might be Nicodemus, or Joseph of Arimathea, or some man of note and wealth in Jerusalem, that might have some knowledge of Christ, and faith in him, though he did not openly profess him; since by only saying what follows, he would at once, as he did, direct them to a suitable and convenient room;
the master saith. The Syriac and Persic versions read, our master saith: he that is yours, and ours, our master Jesus; though that is not expressed, yet it was understood by the master of the family; which confirms the above conjecture, that he was a secret disciple of Christ.
Where is the guest chamber; the chamber provided for guests that might be expected at the passover:
where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? where it might be done conveniently, and in a proper and comfortable manner;
See Gill on "Mt 26:18".
Mark 14:15
Ver. 15. And he will show you a large upper room,.... A room in the highest part of the house, large enough for such a company, for thirteen persons, which was the number of Christ and his disciples:
furnished and prepared; with a table, and a sufficient number of couches to sit, or lie upon, and with all proper vessels necessary on such an occasion:
there make ready for us; the passover.
Mark 14:16
Ver. 16. And his disciples went forth,.... The two disciples, as the Arabic version has it, Peter and John, set out from Bethany to Jerusalem directly:
and came into the city; the city of Jerusalem:
and found as he had said unto them; a man bearing a pitcher of water, whom they followed to the house he went into, and addressed the master of the house, as Jesus had bid them; when he showed them an upper room, very commodious and fit for the purpose, as Christ had said; and which is a considerable proof of the prescience of Christ:
and they made ready the passover; they bought a lamb; they had it killed in the temple, according to rule; and they brought it to the house, where they were to sup, and got it roasted; and provided unleavened bread, and wine, and bitter herbs, and every thing that was proper for the feast; See Gill on "Mt 26:19".
Mark 14:17
Ver. 17. And in the evening he cometh with the twelve. In the afternoon, as it is very reasonable to suppose, Christ set out from Bethany with the rest of the twelve, with the other nine, and came to Jerusalem; where they were joined by Judas, who had covenanted with the chief priests to betray him, and by Peter and John, who had been sent before to prepare the passover; and when it was night, when the second evening had took place, he went with all twelve of them to the house, where the provision to eat the passover together was made for them; See Gill on "Mt 26:20".
Mark 14:18
Ver. 18. And as they sat and did eat,.... Or "as they lay along"; for such was their posture at the eating of the passover;
See Gill on "Mt 26:20":
Jesus said, verily I say unto you, one of you which eateth with me shall betray me; See Gill on "Mt 26:21".
Mark 14:19
Ver. 19. And they began to be sorrowful,.... And were so, all but Judas, at this saying of Christ's:
and to say unto him, one by one; even till it came to Judas himself,
is it I? that shall betray thee;
and another said, is it I? This clause is wanting in the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, Persic, and Ethiopic versions, and in two of Beza's copies; and indeed seems to be redundant, since the disciples are said before to express themselves in this manner, one by one;
See Gill on "Mt 26:22".
Mark 14:20
Ver. 20. And he answered and said unto them,.... In order to relieve their minds, and point out the particular person:
it is one of the twelve, that dippeth with me in the dish; just at that very instant; See Gill on "Mt 26:23".
Mark 14:21
Ver. 21. The son of man indeed goeth,.... Out of this world by death,
as it is written; both in the book of God's decrees, and in the Scriptures of the Old Testament;
but woe to that man by whom the son of man is betrayed! whose sin will not be excused, nor lessened by fulfilling the decrees of God, and by accomplishing the prophecies of the Bible:
good were it for that man if he had never been born; so aggravating will be his crime, so dreadful his punishment; See Gill on "Mt 26:24".
Mark 14:22
Ver. 22. And as they did eat,.... The paschal lamb, and the unleavened bread, just at the conclusion of that feast:
Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it; beginning and instituting a new feast, to be kept in aftertimes, in commemoration of his sufferings and death, now near at hand;
and gave to them, the disciples,
and said, take, eat: the word eat is not in the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, Persic, and Ethiopic versions, and is wanting in some copies:
this is body; a figure and representation of it;
See Gill on "Mt 26:26".
Mark 14:23
Ver. 23. And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks,.... Over it, and for it, by blessing it, and appropriating it to the present use and service:
he gave it to them; his disciples,
and they all drank of it; Judas, as well as the rest, as he bid them do; See Gill on "Mt 26:27".
Mark 14:24
Ver. 24. And he said unto them,.... Not after they had drank of it, but before, and as he gave it to them:
this is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many; in Matthew it is added, "for the remission of sins";
See Gill on "Mt 26:28".
Mark 14:25
Ver. 25. Verily I say unto you,.... This seems, to have been said after the eating of the passover, according to Lu 22:18, but was, in reality, not till after the Lord's supper was ended, and the last cup was drank, which was wont to be drank at the passover:
I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine; that is, wine,
until that day that I drink it new; in a figurative and mystical sense; by which are meant the joys of heaven:
in the kingdom of God; Father, Son, and Spirit, upon the general resurrection of the dead, when the kingdom of the Mediator will be delivered up, and there will be no distinction of government; but God, Father, Son, and Spirit, will be all in all, and shall reign in the saints, and they with them, to all eternity;
See Gill on "Mt 26:29".
Mark 14:26
Ver. 26. And when they had sung an hymn,.... The Hallell, used at the passover:
they went out into the Mount of Olives; Christ, and eleven of his disciples; for Judas now separated from them, and went to the chief priests to acquaint them how things were, where Jesus was going, and where they might apprehend him; See Gill on "Mt 26:30".
Mark 14:27
Ver. 27. And Jesus saith unto them,.... As they were going to the Mount of Olives. The Persic version reads, in this place; meaning the Mount of Olives, having got thither:
all ye shall be offended because of me this night;
See Gill on "Mt 26:31";
for it is written in Zec 13:7,
I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: Christ is meant by the shepherd, and the apostles by the sheep. The Syriac version reads, "his sheep".
Mark 14:28
Ver. 28. But after that I am risen,.... From the dead, which, for their comfort, he assures them of; though they would be offended and discouraged at the seizing, and condemning, and crucifixion of him:
I will go before you into Galilee; the place of their nativity, and where he had often conversed with them; See Gill on "Mt 26:32".
Mark 14:29
Ver. 29. But Peter said unto him,.... Being greatly moved at what Christ had said, that all of them would be offended with him that night, and run away from him, and be scattered from him, and one another:
although all shall be offended, yet will not I; though all the rest of the disciples, the other ten, should do as Judas had done, should fall off from Christ, and either betray him, or deny him, or, at least, turn their backs on him, yet he would do neither;
See Gill on "Mt 26:33".
Mark 14:30
Ver. 30. And Jesus saith unto him, verily I say unto thee,.... As confident as thou art of standing by me, and abiding with me;
that this day, which was then begun; for the Jews reckoned their days from evening, as in Ge 1:5;
even in this night; this night to be observed, this night of the passover, before it is past:
before the cock crow twice; for there was a first and second cock crowing, the one at midnight, and the other near break of day, and which last is properly the cock crowing: the word "twice" is left out in the Ethiopic version:
thou shalt deny me thrice; as he did; See Gill on "Mt 26:34".
Mark 14:31
Ver. 31. But he spake the more vehemently,.... With a louder voice; with more spirit and eagerness; in a more peremptory and self-confident way.
If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. The Syriac version adds, "O my Lord", my dear Lord, I will never deny thee upon any consideration whatever; and the Persic version, O Lord:
likewise also said they all; as he said, so said "all the disciples", as the Syriac version reads it; See Gill on "Mt 26:35".
Mark 14:32
Ver. 32. And they came to a place which is named Gethsemane,.... At the foot of the Mount of Olives, where the olives, which grew in great plenty on the mount, were pressed: and where our Lord began to be bruised, for our sins:
and be saith to his disciples: to eight of them:
sit ye here while I shall pray; at some distance from hence;
See Gill on "Mt 26:36".
Mark 14:33
Ver. 33. And he taketh with him Peter, and James, and John,.... Who were witnesses of his transfiguration on the mount, and now of his sorrows in the garden:
and began to be sore amazed; to be in great consternation and astonishment, at the sight of all the sins of his people coming upon him; at the black storm of wrath, that was gathering thick over him; at the sword of justice which was brandished against him; and at the curses of the righteous law, which, like so many thunderbolts of vengeance, were directed at him: no wonder it should be added,
and to be very heavy: both with sin and sorrow;
See Gill on "Mt 26:37".
Mark 14:34
Ver. 34. And saith unto them,.... The above three disciples;
my soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: he was surrounded with sorrow, and it pressed him so hard, and close, on every side, that he was just ready to die with it:
tarry ye here, and watch: in Matthew it is added, "with me":
See Gill on "Mt 26:38".
Mark 14:35
Ver. 35. And he went forward a little,.... About a stone's cast,
Lu 22:41,
and fell on the ground, and prayed; he fell on his face to the ground, which was a praying posture. One of the Jewish canons concerning it, is this {a}:
"worshipping, how is it done? after a man has lifted up his head; he bows it five times, he sits upon the ground, and "falls upon his face", hura, "to the ground", and supplicates with whatsoever supplication he pleases: worshipping, or bowing, is the stretching out of hands and feet, until a man is found cast upon his face to the ground.''
See Gill on "Mt 26:39". The supplication Christ made in this posture was,
that, it were possible, the hour might pass from him; the time fixed and agreed upon for his sufferings and death; that is, that it might pass without his enduring them, if there was any possibility of excusing him, and of his people's being saved without them;
See Gill on "Mt 26:39".
{a} Maimon. Hilch. Tephilla, c. 5. sect. 13.
Mark 14:36
Ver. 36. And he said, Abba, Father,.... In the original text, the former of these is a Syriac word, and the latter a Greek one, explanative of the former, as in Ro 8:15 and Ga 4:6 or the repetition is made, to express the vehemency of his affection, and his strong confidence in God, as his Father, amidst his distress, as the Syriac version renders it, yba aba, "Abba, my Father": or "my Father, my Father"; and so the Ethiopic version:
all things are possible unto thee; so Philo the Jew {b}, taking notice of Isaac's question about the burnt offering, and Abraham's answer to it, represents the latter as adding, in confirmation of it,
"all things are possible to God, and which are both difficult and impossible to be done by men;''
suggesting, that God could easily provide a lamb for a sacrifice; and Christ here intimates, that every thing consistent with his perfections, counsels, and covenant, were possible to be done by him; and how far what he prays for, was agreeable to these, he submits to him, and to his sovereign will:
take away this cup from me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what thou wilt: See Gill on "Mt 26:39".
{b} De Abrahamo, p. 374.
Mark 14:37
Ver. 37. And he cometh and findeth them sleeping,.... His three disciples, Peter, James, and John:
and saith unto Peter; particularly, he having so lately asserted, with so much confidence, his love to Christ, and close attachment to him:
Simon, sleepest thou? Christ calls him by the name he first went by, and not by that which he had given him, Cephas, or Peter; he not now having that firmness and constancy, though he boasted of it, which answers to that name:
couldst thou not watch one hour? The Arabic and Persic versions add, with me; and so does the Complutensian edition;
See Gill on "Mt 26:40".
Mark 14:38
Ver. 38. Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation,.... Of denying Christ, and falling off from him, which would quickly offer to them, when they should see him apprehended, bound, and led away.
The spirit truly is ready. The Persic version renders it, "my mind"; as if the Spirit or soul of Christ was meant; whereas it is either to be understood of the evil spirit, Satan, who was disposed to attack them, and especially Peter, whom he desired to have, and sift as wheat; or else the spirit of the disciples, their renewed spirit, which was ready and disposed watching and praying, and willing to abide by Christ:
but the flesh is weak; they were but flesh and blood, and so not a match of themselves for so powerful an adversary as Satan, and therefore had need to watch and pray; or "their body", as the Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions render it, was weak, and subject to drowsiness and sleep; and especially they were weak and feeble, and very unequal of themselves for spiritual exercises, as they had flesh, or a corrupt nature in them; See Gill on "Mt 26:41".
Mark 14:39
Ver. 39. And again he went away,.... To the same place, or at much such a distance from them, as before:
and prayed and spake the same words; or word, that is, the same matter; for logov, here, answers to rbd, which signifies a thing, or matter, as well as word: Christ prayed to the same effect, for matter and substance the same as before, though not in the same express words, as is clear from Mt 26:39.
Mark 14:40
Ver. 40. And when he returned, he found them asleep again,.... Notwithstanding the expostulation he had used with them, the exhortation he had given them, and the danger he had suggested to them:
for their eyes were heavy: with sleep and sorrow:
neither wist they what to answer him; partly through confusion and shame, not knowing how to excuse themselves; and partly, through their being stupefied with sleep and grief.
Mark 14:41
Ver. 41. And he cometh the third time,.... After he had prayed a third time, to the same purport as before:
and saith unto them, sleep on now, and take your rest; which words are spoken ironically:
it is enough; or "the end is come"; as the Syriac and Arabic versions render it, of watching and praying:
the hour is come, behold the son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners; both Jews and Gentiles, by one of his own disciples;
See Gill on "Mt 26:45".
Mark 14:42
Ver. 42. Rise up let us go,.... To meet the enemy and the danger; for there is no escaping;
lo, he that betrayeth me is at hand; Judas, that he had hinted at supper should betray him, was now about doing it; and was just now coming upon him, in order to deliver him into the hands of the Jews, and the Roman band of soldiers; See Gill on "Mt 26:46".
Mark 14:43
Ver. 43. And immediately, while he yet spake,.... The above words:
cometh Judas one of the twelve: apostles of Christ, and which was an aggravation of his wickedness; the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, Persic, and Ethiopic, versions add, "Iscariot"; and so it is read in one of Beza's copies. The Ethiopic version reads, "one of the ten", very wrongly:
and with him a great multitude; a band of men and officers, with many of the chief priests and captains of the temple, and elders of the people, that mixed themselves with the crowd, to see how things would issue:
with swords and staves; which they intended to make use of, should any resistance be made in apprehending him, or any attempt to rescue him:
from the chief priests, and the Scribes, and the elders; from the Jewish sanhedrim, which consisted of these; See Gill on "Mt 26:47".
Mark 14:44
Ver. 44. And he that betrayed him had given them a token,.... A common sign, in which they agreed; and so this same Greek word is used by the Jews {c}:
"said R. Phinehas in the name of R. Reuben, did you ever see one man go out of the north, and another from the south, and meet each other, except they made, anmyo, "a common sign", between them.''
Such an one the traitor gave his company;
saying, whomsoever I shall kiss, the same is he; Jesus of Nazareth; who was to be delivered to them:
take him, and lead him away safely; with care and caution, lest he should get out of their hands, and make his escape, as he had sometimes done: the word "safely", is omitted in the Arabic, Persic, and Ethiopic versions. The Vulgate Latin renders it "cautiously", and so does the Syriac version, which joins it to the words, "take him"; See Gill on "Mt 26:48".
{c} Midras Samuel, sect. 9. apud Buxtorf. Lex. Rab. p. 1519.
Mark 14:45
Ver. 45. And as soon as he was come,.... To the place where Jesus was:
he goeth straightway to him; alone; as if he had nothing to do with the company behind, and as if he was his friend, and concerned for his safety:
and saith, Master, Master; expressing great affection for him, and respect to him, by repeating this word. The Ethiopic version has it but once, and so two exemplars of Beza's; and the Vulgate Latin reads, "hail, Master", as in Mt 26:49.
and kissed him; See Gill on "Mt 26:49".
Mark 14:46
Ver. 46. And they laid hands on him, and took him. After Christ had said to Judas, "friend, wherefore art thou come?" as in Matthew; and also, "Judas, betrayest thou the son of man with a kiss?" as in
Lu 22:48;
See Gill on "Mt 26:50".
Mark 14:47
Ver. 47. And one of them that stood by,.... One of the disciples that stood by Jesus, as Judas was betraying him, and the soldiers were laying hold on him, Peter by name:
drew a sword, and smote a servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear; his right ear; the servant's name was Malchus;
See Gill on "Mt 26:51".
Mark 14:48
Ver. 48. And Jesus answered and said unto them,.... To the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders, that came with the band and officers, as appears from Lu 22:52. The Persic version reads, "to the multitude":
are ye come out as against a thief, with swords and with staves, to take me? See Gill on "Mt 26:55".
Mark 14:49
Ver. 49. I was daily with you in the temple,.... That is, for several days past; ever since he made his public entry into Jerusalem:
teaching; the people, in a public manner:
and ye took me not; did not attempt to lay hands on him, seize him, and carry him away; which he signifies might have been easily done; See Gill on "Mt 26:55".
But the Scriptures must be fulfilled: which spoke of the betraying him by Judas; and of their taking him in this private and secret manner; and of the flight of the disciples from him next mentioned;
See Gill on "Mt 26:56".
Mark 14:50
Ver. 50. And they all forsook him and fled. That is, his disciples, as the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, Persic, and Ethiopic versions read; and who seem to have transcribed it from Matthew, and lest it should be thought, that the multitude whom Christ addressed, were intended.
Mark 14:51
Ver. 51. And there followed him a certain young man,.... Some think this was John, the beloved disciple, and the youngest of the disciples; others, that it was James, the brother of our Lord; but he does not seem to be any of the disciples of Christ, since he is manifestly distinguished from them, who all forsook him and fled: some have thought, that he was a young man of the house, where Christ and his disciples ate their passover; who had followed him to the garden, and still followed him, to see what would be the issue of things: but it seems most likely, that he was one that lived in an house in Gethsemane, or in or near the garden; who being awaked out of sleep with the noise of a band of soldiers, and others with them, leaped out of bed, and ran out in his shirt, and followed after them, to know what was the matter:
having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; which was either his shirt in which he lay, or one of the sheets, which he took and wrapped himself in, not staying to put on his clothes: though the word "Sindon", is used both by the Targumists {d} and Talmudists {e} for a linen garment; and sometimes even for the outer garment, to which the fringes were fastened {f}; and he might take up this in haste, and slip it on, without putting on any inner garment: the word "body", is not in the text, and the phrase epi gumnou, may be rendered, "upon his nakedness"; and answers to twre, in Ge 9:23 and Le 20:11, and the meaning be, he had only a piece of linen wrapped about his middle, to cover his nakedness; and in this garb ran out, to see what was doing:
and the young men laid hold on him. The Roman soldiers, who were commonly so called: so David's soldiers are called "young men", that were with him, 1Sa 21:4; these attempted to lay hold on this young man, taking him to be a disciple of Christ, or one at least affected to him, and did take hold of his linen cloth. The Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions, leave out the words, "the young men". The design of Mark in relating this incident, is to show the rage and fury of these men; who were for sparing none that appeared to be or were thought to be the followers of Christ; so that the preservation of the disciples was entirely owing to the wonderful power of Christ.
{d} Targum in Psal civ. 2. & Lam ii. 20. {e} T. Bab. Menachot, fol. 41. 1. {f} Ib. fol 40. 1.
Mark 14:52
Ver. 52. And he left the linen cloth,.... "In their hands", so the Persic version renders it; just as Joseph left his garment in the hands of his mistress, Ge 39:12;
and fled from them naked; to the house from whence he came. The Syriac, Arabic, Persic, and Ethiopic versions, leave out the words "from them".
Mark 14:53
Ver. 53. And they led Jesus away to the high priest,.... Caiaphas, as is added in the Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions. This was done, after they had took Jesus and bound, him, and after they had had him to Annas, who sent him bound to Caiaphas; see
Joh 18:12;
and with him, the high priest Caiaphas,
were assembled all the chief priests, and the elders, and the Scribes; even the whole sanhedrim, who met at Caiaphas's house, and were waiting there for Jesus; whom Judas with his band of soldiers and others, were gone to secure, and brng before them;
See Gill on "Mt 26:57".
Mark 14:54
Ver. 54. And Peter followed him afar off,.... And did another disciple, perhaps John; Joh 18:15, who having somewhat recovered themselves from their fright, turned back, and followed Jesus, and the company that led him away; keeping at some distance, that they might not be observed, and exposed to danger; and proceeded till they came to Jerusalem, and to the place where the sanhedrim were convened; and the other disciple went in along with Jesus; and Peter afterwards, by his means, got in:
even into the palace of the high priest; being let in by her that kept the door, at the motion of the other disciple
and he sat with the servants; as if he was one of them, and had no concern with Jesus:
and warmed himself at the fire; or "light", as the Greek word signifies, and answers to the Hebrew word rwa, by which both: light and fire are expressed; of which, take an instance or two, in the room of many {g}:
"a murderer that strikes, his neighbour with a stone, or with iron, and plunges him into water, or into rwah, "fire", so that he cannot get out, and dies, is guilty.''
Again {h}, a
"book which rwah, "fire", takes hold upon on one side, he puts, water on the other; and if it is quenched, it is quenched; if the "fire" takes hold on both sides, he opens it, and reads in it; and if it is quenched, it is quenched: a cloak which "fire" takes hold upon on one side, he puts water on the other side; and if it is quenched, it is quenched; if the "fire" takes hold on it on both sides, he takes, it and wraps himself in it, and if it is quenched, it is quenched.''
So we read {i} of Mnhyg lv rwa, "the fire of hell"; and Ur of the Chaldees has its name from the fire, that was worshipped there, as a symbol of the sun: and fire was the rwa, or "light", created on the first day, Ge 1:3;
See Gill on "Mt 26:58".
{g} Misn. Sanhedrin, c 9. sect 1. {h} T. Hieros. Sabbat, fol. 15. 4. & T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 120. 1. Vid. Misn. Avoda Zara, c. 5. sect. 12. {i} T. Bab. Chagiga, fol. 27. 1.
Mark 14:55
Ver. 55. And the chief priests, and all the council,.... Especially the former, who were of all most busy and active in this matter:
sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; on which they were determined, right or wrong; in this they went contrary to one of their own canons, which runs thus {k}:
"in pecuniary causes, they begin either for absolution, or condemnation; but in capital causes, they begin for absolution, and do not begin for condemnation.''
That is, they begun with such evidences as tended to acquit a man, and not with such as served to condemn him; whereas this court was only seeking for such evidence to begin with, that they might condemn Jesus to death:
and found none; that would answer their purpose;
See Gill on "Mt 26:59".
{k} Misn. Sanhedrin, c. 4. sect. 1.
Mark 14:56
Ver. 56. For many bare false witness against him,.... The word "false", is not expressed in the Syriac, Persic, and Ethiopic versions: which only signify, that they bore witness against him, accused him of, and laid many things to his charge:
but their witness agreed not together; which showed it to be false, and so not to be admitted; for witnesses were to be as one in their testimony, or not to be received: the, rules concerning them with the Jews, are these {l};
"the tradition is, for ever let not their testimony be joined together, unless they both see, dxak, "as one": says R. Joshua ben Korcha, even one after another; and their testimony is not ratified in the council, until they both witness "as one".''
Though this is not much the sense of the passage here; it was not the falsehood of their testimony, which this council was unconcerned about, or the contradiction that was in it, which does not appear; but their testimonies were not, isai, "equal", or answerable to the wishes of the council; they were not sufficient to prove a capital crime upon him, in order to, put him to death, which was what they wanted: they only respected some light and trivial matters, and did not amount to a charge of blasphemy, or sedition.
{l} T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 30. 1. Maimon. Hilch. Eduth, c. 4. sect. 1.
Mark 14:57
Ver. 57. And there arose certain,.... Two false witnesses, as in
Mt 26:60, who stood up in court; for witnesses were obliged to stand, whilst they gave in their testimony:
"says R. Bo, in the name of R. Hona, witnesses ought dwmel, "to stand", whilst they bear witness; as it is said,
De 19:17. "Both the men shall stand" {m}, &c.''
And bare false witness against him, saying; as follows.
{m} T. Herios. Sanhedrin, fol. 21. 3. & Yoma, fol. 43. 2. Maimon. Hilch. Sanhedrin, c. 21. sect. 3.
Mark 14:58
Ver. 58. We heard him say,.... In a discourse of his, recorded in Joh 2:19:
I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands; which was a very false testimony; for Christ did not say be would destroy any temple at all, only put the Jews on doing it; much less did he point at, or design the temple of Jerusalem, but his own body; nor did he use the distinction of a temple, made with and without hands; nor did he affirm that he would build another; only said, he would raise up in three days, that which they should destroy. By this testimony these witnesses would suggest, that Christ had a design upon their temple to demolish it, and that he must be a sorcerer, or a magician, to pretend to build a temple without hands in three days time;
See Gill on "Mt 26:61".
Mark 14:59
Ver. 59. But, neither so did their witness agree together. Their witness did agree together, for they both witnessed the same thing; but not so as to found upon it the charge of a capital crime against him; their witness was not so, ish, "equal", was not answerable to their desires, nor sufficient to convict him of a capital crime, for which they could condemn him to death, as before observed on
Mr 14:56.
Mark 14:60
Ver. 60. And the high priest stood up in the midst,.... Of the sanhedrim, of which he was now president: he sat at the head of them, and Ab Beth Din, or the father of the council, at his right hand; and the rest of the council sat before him, in a semicircular form, as the half of a round corn floor, so that the president, and the father of the council, could see them {n}; for they were all before him, he being situated in the middle, right against them; so that when he stood up, he might be said to stand in the midst of them:
and asked Jesus, saying, answerest thou nothing? For he had made no reply to the several witnesses, that came against him:
what is it which these witness against thee? Is it true, or false?
See Gill on "Mt 26:62".
{n} Misn. Sanhedrin, c. 4. sect. 3. Maimon. Hiltch. Sanhedrin, c. 1. sect. 3.
Mark 14:61
Ver. 61. But he held his peace, and answered nothing,.... Knowing it would be to no purpose, and signifying hereby, that the things alleged against him were unworthy of an answer:
again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? The Vulgate Latin adds, "God": in Matthew it is "God" only, Mt 26:63. This is one of the names and epithets of God, with the Jews; nothing is more common in their writings, than this abbreviature, hbqh, which is, awh Kwrb vwdqh, "the holy blessed he"; who is blessed in himself, and the fountain of all blessedness to his creatures, and who is blessed and praised by angels and saints; See Gill on "Mt 26:63".
Mark 14:62
Ver. 62. And Jesus said, I am,.... That is, the Son of God; in proof of which he adds,
and ye shall see the son of man sitting on the right hand of power; that is, of God, who is all power, the Lord God Almighty:
and coming in the clouds of heaven; either at the destruction of Jerusalem, or at the last day, referring to the prophecy in Da 7:13;
See Gill on "Mt 26:64".
Mark 14:63
Ver. 63. Then the high priest rent his clothes,.... As was usual upon hearing blasphemy; which he now supposed the case, or at least would have it so thought:
and saith, what need we any further witnesses? or trouble ourselves to see for any more, or to hear and take the depositions of any others; See Gill on "Mt 26:65".
Mark 14:64
Ver. 64. Ye have heard the blasphemy,.... The "manifest" blasphemy, as the Arabic version renders it; and "out of his own mouth", as the Syriac version adds, agreeably to Lu 22:71,
what think ye? what sentence is to, be passed upon him?
And they all condemned him to be guilty of death; excepting Joseph of Arimathea, Lu 23:51;
See Gill on "Mt 26:66".
Mark 14:65
Ver. 65. And some began to spit on him,.... The men that held him,
Lu 22:6, fulfilling the prophecy in Isa 50:6;
and to cover his face; with a veil, or linen cloth, to blindfold: him, as a person unworthy to behold the light: or rather, in order to make sport with him:
and to buffet him; with their double fists;
and to say unto him, prophesy. The Arabic version adds, "unto us, O Christ, who it is that hath buffeted thee now?" that gave thee the last blow? and to the same purpose the Ethiopic. The Persic version adds, "and deliver thyself";
and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands. The Syriac version renders it, "on his cheeks": they gave him slaps on the face. These were the officers of the high priest, that used him in this indecent manner. This clause is omitted in the Ethiopic version.
Mark 14:66
Ver. 66. And as Peter was beneath in the palace,.... Not at the lower and further end of the room, but in the lower part of it; that part in which Jesus and the sanhedrim were, being upon an advanced ground, with steps ascending to it:
there cometh one of the maids of the high priest; the same that kept the door, and let him in. The Ethiopic version renders it, "a daughter of the high priest".
Mark 14:67
Ver. 67. And when she saw Peter warming himself,.... At the life which was in the midst of the hall:
she looked upon him; very earnestly, knowing him to be the same, she had let in at the motion of one, that was known in the high priest's family; and suspecting him, by being a stranger, and by his looks:
and said, and thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth; that is, one of his disciples; See Gill on "Mt 26:69".
Mark 14:68
Ver. 68. But he denied,.... That he was with Jesus, or a disciple of his:
saying, I know not; Jesus of Nazareth: neither understand I what thou sayest; about him, and of being with him: the last phrase, "neither understand I", is omitted in the Syriac and Persic versions:
and he went out into the porch; adjoining to the palace, to consider what to do, being surprised and confounded at such a challenge:
and the cock crew; the first time, being about midnight; and yet he took no notice of it, nor remembered what Christ had but a few hours before said to him: or if he did, he might hope he should not meet with another attack, or he should have more courage and strength than to deny a second time.
Mark 14:69
Ver. 69. And a maid saw him again,.... Either the same maid, so the Syriac and Persic versions read, "that maid": that selfsame maid, as before, or another, as in Mt 26:71, and so the Arabic version reads it here; but the Ethiopic as before "a daughter"; that is, of the high priest:
and began to say to them that stood by; the fire, along with Peter, warming themselves:
this is one of them; this man is one of the disciples and followers of Jesus of Nazareth; he is of that sect, he certainly belongs to them, and is come here only as a spy.
Mark 14:70
Ver. 70. And he denied it again,.... That he was one of the disciples of Jesus:
and a little after; about an hour after, Lu 22:59;
they that stood by, said again to Peter, surely thou art one of them; one confidently affirmed that he was with Jesus, and another challenged him with seeing him in the garden with him, Lu 22:59, and in general they were of opinion, that he must be one of that sect, giving this as a reason,
for thou art a Galilean: as they supposed Jesus to be; and knowing that in Galilee he had chiefly preached, and wrought his miracles, and had there a large number of followers:
and thy speech agreeth [thereto]; he used words and phrases peculiar to the Galileans, and pronounced as they did: See Gill on "Mt 26:73". This clause is omitted in the Vulgate Latin, and is wanting in Beza's most ancient copy; but is in the other copies, and in all the eastern versions.
Mark 14:71
Ver. 71. But he began to curse and to swear,.... To wish the most dreadful things upon himself, and to swear by the living God;
[saying], I know not this man of whom ye speak:
See Gill on "Mt 26:74".
Mark 14:72
Ver. 72. And the second time the cock crew,.... Immediately, as soon as he had so said and swore, as the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions read, and as it is read in one of Beza's copies; which was about three of the clock in the morning, and is what is properly called the cock crowing:
and Peter called to mind; upon hearing the cock crow a second time,
the word that Jesus said unto him, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice: as he now had done twice, to the maid or maids, and a third time to the servants that stood by the fire along with him:
and when he thought thereon; on the words of Christ, and on his sin in denying him, and on the aggravated circumstances of it. The Arabic version renders it, "he turned himself to weep"; he turned away from the company, he threw himself out of it, and got out of doors as fast as he could, and broke out into a violent fit of weeping. The Syriac, Persic, and Vulgate Latin versions, render it, "he began to weep"; this phrase is omitted in the Ethiopic version: some choose to render it, "he looked upon him", that is, on Christ: as Christ looked upon him; which produced true evangelical repentance in him, so Peter looked upon his dear Lord with concern, whom he so had shamefully denied; he looked upon him and mourned, he looked upon him with an eye of faith, and sorrowed for his sin after a godly sort: but the true sense of the word is, "he covered himself"; he cast his garment over his head, he veiled himself as mourners did, who covered their heads, and their faces, and even their lips. So Maimonides {o};
"from whence, says he, is uncovering the head, forbidden a mourner? For, lo! it is said to Eze 24:17, "cover not thy lips" at all, for the rest of mourners are obliged to the covering of the head; the linen cloth, or veil, with which he covers his head, he covers with a part of it, a little over his mouth; as it is said, Le 13:45, "He shall put a covering upon his upper lip": and Onkelos paraphrases it,
Pjety albak, "as a mourner he shall cover himself".''
And so it is said of Haman {p},
"that he went to his house, and mourned for his daughter,
albak hyvyr le Pjetmw, "and put a covering on his head as a mourner": for his daughter, and for his reproach.''
And this, it seems, was the custom of the Ishmaelites: hence that saying {q},
"all veiling (in mourning) which is not as the veiling of the Ishmaelites (who cover all the face), is no veiling?''
And thus Peter, through shame, and as a token of sorrow and mourning for his sin, threw his garment over him:
and he wept; as Matthew says, "bitterly": being fully convinced of his sin, and heartily sorry lot it; See Gill on "Mt 26:75".
{o} Hilch. Ebel, c. 5. sect. 19. {p} Targum in Esther vi. 12. Vid. Targum in Mic. iii. 7. {q} T. Bab. Moed. Katon, fol. 24. 1.