1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;
2 As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, Which shall prepare thy way before thee.
3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, Make his paths straight.
4 John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
5 And there went out unto him all the land of Judæa, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.
6 And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey;
7 and preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose.
8 I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.
9 And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.
10 And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:
11 and there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
12 And immediately the spirit driveth him into the wilderness.
13 And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.
Jesus in Galilee
14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
15 and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
His First Disciples
16 Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
17 And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.
18 And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.
19 And when he had gone a little farther thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets.
20 And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him.
In Capernaum
21 And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught.
22 And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.
23 And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,
24 saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.
25 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.
26 And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him.
27 And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.
28 And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee.
29 And forthwith, when they were come out of the synagogue, they entered into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.
30 But Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell him of her.
31 And he came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them.
32 And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils.
33 And all the city was gathered together at the door.
34 And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him.
35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.
36 And Simon and they that were with him followed after him.
37 And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee.
A Preaching Tour
38 And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth.
39 And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils.
40 And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
41 And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.
42 And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed.
43 And he straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him away;
44 and saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
45 But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places: and they came to him from every quarter.
Mar 1:1-8. The appearance and ministry of the Baptist (Mat 3:1-12, Luk 3:1-18).
Mar 1:2-4. καθὼς introduces a prophetic citation as protasis to the historical statement about John in Mar 1:4 = in accordance with, etc., John appeared. The prophetic reference and the historical statement are given in inverse order in Matthew.-ἐν τῷ Ἠσαίᾳ, in Isaiah, the actual quotation being from Isaiah and Malachi (Mar 1:2) conjointly. An inaccuracy doubtless, but not through an error of memory (Meyer and Weiss), but through indifference to greater exactness, the quotation from Isaiah being what chiefly occupied the mind. It is something analogous to attraction in grammar. It is Mark’s only prophetic citation on his own account.-ἰδοὺ begins the quotation from Mal 3:1, given as in Mat 11:10, with μου, after προσώπου and ὁδόν, changed into σου.
Mar 1:3. Quotation from Isa 40:3 as in Mat 3:3.
Mar 1:4. ἐγένετο Ἰ.: in accordance with, and in fulfilment of, these prophetic anticipations, appeared John.-ὁ βαπτίζων = the Baptist (substantive participle), that the function by which he was best known.-εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν: this clause (in Luke, not in Matthew) may plausibly be represented as a Christianised version of John’s baptism (Weiss), but of course John’s preaching and baptism implied that if men really repented they would be forgiven (Holtz., H. C.).
Mar 1:5-8. Mar 1:5 describes the widespread character of the movement much as in Mt., only that Judaea comes before Jerusalem, and the district of the Jordan is not mentioned.
Mar 1:6 describes John’s way of life as in Mt., ἐνδεδυμένος standing for εἶχεν τὸ ἔνδυμα, and ἔσθων for ἡ τροφὴ ἦν.
Mar 1:7. καὶ ἐκήρυσσεν, introducing a special and very important part of his kerygma: inter alia he kept saying-anxious to prevent men from forming a wrong impression of his position. This is what makes mention of his ministry relevant in the evangelic record.-λῦσαι τὸν ἱμάντα, to loose the latchet of, instead of τὰ ὑποδ. βαστάσαι; a stronger expression of subordination, practically the same idea.
Mar 1:8. πνεύματι ἁγίῳ: καὶ πυρί omitted, whereby the view presented of Messiah’s function becomes less judicial, more Christian. Mt.’s account here is truer to John’s conception of the Messiah. Mk.’s was probably influenced by the destination of his Gospel for Gentile readers.
Mar 1:9-11. The baptism of Jesus (Mat 3:13-17; Luk 3:21-22).
Mar 1:10. εὐθὺς, straightway, a favourite word of Mk.’s, to be taken with εἶδε = as soon as He had ascended, etc., He saw. For similar usage in reference to εἶτα vide Hermann, Viger, p. 772.-σχιζομένους, being rent asunder, a sudden event; a stronger word than that used in Mt. and Lk. (ἀνεῴχθησαν-ῆναι). The subject of εἶδε is Jesus.-εἰς αὐτόν: this reading suggests the idea of a descent not merely upon (ἐπὶ) but into Him, as if to take up its abode; henceforth the immanent spirit of Jesus.
Mar 1:12-13. The temptation (Mat 4:1-11; Luk 4:1-13).
Mar 1:13. πειραζόμενος, being tempted, presumably the whole time; doubtless the real truth. Two powers at work all through, the Spirit of God and the spirit of evil.-ἦν μετὰ τ. θηρ.: not merely pictorial or intended to hint danger; meant rather to indicate the uninhabited nature of the place; no supplies obtainable there, hunger therefore a part of the experience.-οἱ ἄγγελοι: angels as opposed, not to devils (Schanz), but to human beings, of whom there were none.-διηκόνουν, ministered; in what way not said, but implying exhaustion. These few touches of Mk. suggest a vivid picture of a spiritual crisis: intense preoccupation, instinctive retreat into congenial grim solitudes, temptation, struggle, fierce and protracted, issuing in weakness, calling for preternatural aid.
Mar 1:14-20. The Galilean ministry begins (Mat 4:12-22; Luk 4:14).
Mar 1:15. ἡ βασιλεία τ. θ.: this defines more precisely the gospel Jesus preaches. It is the gospel of the Kingdom of God. But even this is vague. The kingdom may be differently conceived: as an awful thing or as a beneficent thing. The summons following throws light on its nature.-μετανοεῖτε καὶ πιστεύετε: “repent” echoes John’s preaching, and savours of awe, but “believe” is a new word, and presumably the watchword of the new ministry. And the name for the message to be believed settles the nature of the kingdom. Its coming is good news (ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ). For πιστεύειν ἐν, vide Gal 3:26, Eph 1:13.
Mar 1:16. ἀμφιβάλλοντας, just because different from Mt.’s expression, to which the T. R. assimilates Mk.’s, is likely to be the true reading, and is very expressive: casting about (their nets understood, here only).
Mar 1:17. γενέσθαι: I will make you become, implying a gradual process of training; therefore the disciples called as early as possible.
Mar 1:20. μετὰ μισθωτῶν: they left their father with the hired assistants. This is taken by some as a merely pictorial trait, but others justly regard it as a touch of humanity. It comforted Mk. and probably his voucher Peter that the two brothers did not need to leave their father alone. He could do without them.
Mar 1:21-28. First appearance in the synagogue; first impressions (Luk 4:31-37).
Mar 1:22. ἐξεπλήσσοντο: they were amazed; a strong word, several times in Mk. (Mat 7:28).-ὡς ἐξουσίαν ἔχων, etc.: a similar remark in Mat 7:29 (see notes there) appended to Sermon on Mount. Mk. gives no discourse, but only notes the impression made. “A poor substitute for the beautiful Sermon on the Mount” (Schanz). Doubtless, but let us be thankful for what we do get: a record of the impression made by Christ’s very first appearance in the synagogue, witnessing to a striking individuality. Mk. omits much, and is in many ways a meagre Gospel, but it makes a distinctive contribution to the evangelic history in showing by a few realistic touches (this one of them) the remarkable personality of Jesus.
Mar 1:23-28. The demoniac.
Mar 1:24. τί ἡμῖν καὶ σοί, what to us and to Thee. The diseased man speaks for the demon in him, and the demon speaks for the fraternity as all having one interest. For the phrase used in a similar sense vide 1Ki 17:18.-Ναζαρηνέ: first certain intimation (cf. Mar 1:9) that Jesus belonged to Nazareth. The corresponding adjective in Matthew is Ναζωραῖος (Mar 2:23).-ἦλθες ἀ. ἡ. may be either a question or an assertion, the sense of the whole passage being: Thou art come to destroy us, for I know well who Thou art-the Holy One of God (Fritzsche). The epithet, ἅγιος, applied to Jesus is in antithesis to ἀκαθάρτῳ.
Mar 1:25. φιμώθητι: vide at Mat 22:12.
Mar 1:26. σπαράξαν, convulsing, throwing into a spasm. This reveals a characteristic of the malady under which the man suffered. He appears to have been an epileptic. The Gadarene demoniac was a madman. This was the final fit before recovery.
Mar 1:27. ἐθαμβήθησαν: another strong word peculiar to Mark = they were astonished, i.e., at the sudden and complete recovery. They saw at a glance that the attack had not run its usual course.-ὥστε with the infinitive here expressing result.-συζητεῖν, to seek together; in N. T. tropical = to inquire of one another, to discuss. The word occurs several times in Mark.-τί ἐστι τοῦτο; The question refers to the whole appearance of Jesus in the synagogue that day. One surprise following close on another provoked wondering inquiry as to the whole phenomenon. The words following state the twofold ground of their astonishment: (1) διδαχὴ καινή κατʼ ἐξουσίαν, a style of teaching new as to authoritativeness (entirely different from the familiar type of the scribes); (2) καὶ τοῖς πνεύμασι τοῖς ἀκαθάρτοις ἑπιτάσσει, etc., also He commandeth the unclean spirits so that they obey Him. Both equally unlooked for: the former a moral miracle, the latter a physical; both revealing an imperial spirit exercising sway over the minds and bodies of men.
Mar 1:28. ἡ ἀκοὴ, the report, as in Mat 14:1; Mat 24:6.-εὐθὺς, expressive of the lightning speed with which rumour travels = πανταχοῦ = πανταχοῖ, in every direction.-εἰς ὅλην τ. π. τ. Γαλ., a vague phrase suggestive of a wide range of circulation, even beyond the boundaries of Galilee. But that can hardly be meant. Recent interpreters take it as meaning that the fame spread into the Galilean environment of Capernaum, along the lake north and south, and back into the hill country.
Similarity at certain points in this incident to the story of the Gadarene demoniac, especially in the deprecatory speech (Mar 1:24, Mat 8:29), has suggested the hypothesis of borrowing on one side or other. Keim thinks this not a real history but an acted programme, like the change of water into wine in John 2 and like the preaching programme in Luke 4 (L. J., ii. 165, 203), a mere duplicate of the Gadara story. Weiss thinks the words spoken by the demoniac (Mar 1:34) are borrowed from that story, and that Mark reproduces the features with which Peter was wont to describe such cases. The lifelike reflections of the spectators (Mar 1:27) powerfully witness for the reality of the occurrence.
Mar 1:29-31. Cure of Peter’s mother-in-law (Mat 8:14-15; Luk 4:38-39).-ἐξελθόντες ἦλθον: even if the reading of [2] (participle and verb singular) be the true one, as it probably is just because the more difficult, the implied fact is that Jesus left the synagogue accompanied by His disciples, probably all four, Simon and Andrew as well as James and John. Jesus came from the synagogue to the house of Simon and Andrew, with them, and with James and John.
[2] Codex Vaticanus (sæc. iv.), published in photographic facsimile in 1889 under the care of the Abbate Cozza-Luzi.
Mar 1:30. πυρέσσουσα (same word in Matthew), fevered, or feverish, doubtless a common occurrence in the damp, marshy flats by the lake.-λέγουσι αὐτῷ π. α., forthwith they tell Him about her, not necessarily as expecting Him to heal her, but to account for her absence, or as one naturally tells a friend of family troubles.
Mar 1:31. ἥγειρεν, etc., He took hold of her hand and so raised her up, the cure taking place simultaneously. In Matthew the touch (ἥψατο) is the means of cure. Holtz. (H. C.) thinks Jesus took hold of her hand simply by way of greeting, and that the result was unexpected, Jesus thus discovering an unsuspected power.
Mar 1:32-34. Cures on Sabbath evening (Mat 8:16-17; Luk 4:40-41).
Mar 1:33. ὅλη ἡ πόλις, a colloquial exaggeration.-πρὸς τ. θύραν: the door of Peter’s house. Meyer thinks that in the interval Jesus had gone to His own house, and that it was there the people gathered. But does Mark’s gospel think of Jesus as having a residence in Capernaum? Weiss answers in the negative.
Mar 1:34. πολλοὺς, many; not all? In Matthew many are brought and all are healed.-ἤφιε, allow, imperfect, as if from ἀφίω with augment on preposition, again in Mar 11:16; prorsus barbara (Fritzsche).-ὅτι ᾔδεισαν α., because they knew Him. On the insight of demoniacs cf. at Mat 8:28 ff.
Mar 1:35-39. Flight from Capernaum (Luk 4:42-44).
Mar 1:36. κατεδίωξεν: followed Him up; almost pursued Him as a fugitive; verb singular, though more than one followed, Peter, the chief of them, being thought of mainly. A strong term like ἐκβάλλει, Mar 1:12, all allowance made for weakened force in Hellenistic usage.
Mar 1:37. πάντες ζητοῦσί σε, all seek Thee, not merely all the people of Capernaum, but all the world: “nemo non te quaerit,” Fritzsche; a colloquial exaggeration.
Mar 1:38. ἄγωμεν: let us go, intransitive; not so used in Greek authors.-κωμοπόλεις, village towns; towns as to extent of population, villages as without walls (Kypke); Oppidula (Beza); here only in N. T., found in Strabo.-κηρύξω: that there I may preach, no word of healing; because no part of His vocation (Klostermann); because subordinate to the preaching (Schanz).-ἐξῆλθον: I came out (from Capernaum, Mar 1:35). This may seem trivial (Keil), but it appears to be the real meaning, and it is so understood by Meyer, Weiss, Holtz., and even Schanz. The Fathers understood the words as meaning: “I am come from heaven”. So Keil. In this clause Weiss finds evidence that in Mk.’s narrative Jesus has no home in Capernaum. He has visited it, done good in it, and now He wants to go elsewhere.
Mar 1:39. ἦλθεν (vide critical notes).-εἰς τ. συν. may be connected with ἦλθεν, and the sentence will run thus: He came, preaching, to their synagogues, all over Galilee; also casting out devils, the healing ministry being referred to as subordinate to the teaching. If we connect εἰς τὰς συν with κηρύσσων the word “synagogues” will refer to the assemblies rather than to the places = preaching to their synagogues, as we might say “preaching to their churches” or “congregations”. For similar expressions cf. Mar 13:10, Mar 14:9, Joh 8:26. This short verse contains the record of an extensive preaching tour, of which not a single discourse has been preserved. Doubtless some of the parables were spoken on these occasions. Note the synagogue, not the market place, was the scene of Christ’s addresses; His work religious, not political (Schanz).
Mar 1:40-45. The leper (Mat 8:1-4; Luk 5:12-16).
Mar 1:41. σπλαγχνισθεὶς, having compassion. Watch carefully the portraiture of Christ’s personality in this Gospel, Mk.’s speciality.
Mar 1:42. ἀπῆλθεν, etc.: another instance of duality, the leprosy left him, and he or it was cleansed. Lk. has the former of the two phrases, Mt. the latter.-καθαρίζειν is Hellenistic for καθαίρειν.
Mar 1:43. ἐμβριμησάμενος, etc.: assuming a severe aspect, vide notes on the word at Mat 9:30, especially the quotation from Euthy. Zig.-ἐξέβαλεν α., thrust him out of the synagogue or the crowd. It is not quite certain that the incident happened in a synagogue, though the inference is natural from the connection with Mar 1:39. Lepers were not interdicted from entering the synagogue. These particulars are peculiar to Mk., and belong to his character-sketching. He does not mean to impute real anger to Jesus, but only a masterful manner dictated by a desire that the benefit should be complete = away out of this, to the priest; do what the law requires, that you may be not only clean but recognised as such by the authorities, and so received by the people as a leper no longer.
Mar 1:44. εἰς μαρτύριον αὐτοῖς: for a testimony from priest to people, without which the leper would not be received as clean.
Mar 1:45. What Jesus feared seems to have happened. The man went about telling of his cure, and neglecting the means necessary to obtain social recognition as cured.-τὸν λόγον: “the matter,” A. V[3] Perhaps we should translate strictly the word, i.e., the word Jesus spoke: “I will, be thou clean”. So Holtz. after Fritzsche. So also Euthy. Zig. (διεφημίζε τὸν λόγον, ὃν εἴρηκεν αὐτῷ ὁ χριστὸς, δηλαδὴ τὸ θέλω, καθαρίσθητι, ὡς μετʼ ἐξουσίας γενόμενον).-εἰς πόλιν: the result was that Jesus could not enter openly into a city, a populous place, but was obliged to remain in retired spots. This cure and the popularity it caused may have co-operated to bring Christ’s synagogue ministry to an abrupt termination by stirring up envy. Jesus was between two fires, and His order to the leper, “Go, show thyself,” had a double reference: to the man’s good and to the conciliation of the scribes and synagogue rulers.-καὶ ἤρχοντο, etc.: and (still) they kept coming from all quarters. Popularity at its height. There is nothing corresponding to Mar 1:45 in Mt.
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