Mark 1:11

ἐν σοί ([96][97][98][99][100] 33) rather than ἐν ᾧ ([101][102][103] of. Matthew 3:17.

[96] Codex Sinaiticus. 4th cent. Discovered by Tischendorf in 1859 at the Monastery of St Katharine on Mount Sinai. Now at St Petersburg. The whole Gospel, ending at Mark 16:8. Photographic facsimile, 1911.

[97] Codex Vaticanus. 4th cent., but perhaps a little later than א. In the Vatican Library almost since its foundation by Pope Nicolas V., and one of its greatest treasures. The whole Gospel, ending at Mark 16:8. Photographic facsimile, 1889.

[98] Codex Bezae. 6th cent. Has a Latin translation (d) side by side with the Greek text, and the two do not quite always agree. Presented by Beza to the University Library of Cambridge in 1581. Remarkable for its frequent divergences from other texts. Contains Mark, except Mark 16:15-20, which has been added by a later hand. Photographic facsimile, 1899.

[99] Codex Regius. 8th cent. An important witness. At Paris. Contains Mark 1:1 to Mark 10:15; Mark 10:30 to Mark 15:1; Mark 15:20 to Mark 16:20, but the shorter ending is inserted between Mark 16:8 and Mark 16:9, showing that the scribe preferred it to the longer one.

[100] Codex Guelpherbytanus. 6th cent. Contains Mark 1:2-11; Mark 3:5-17; Mark 14:13-24; Mark 14:48-61; Mark 15:12-37.

[101] Codex Alexandrinus. 5th cent. Brought by Cyril Lucar, Patriarch of Constantinople, from Alexandria, and afterwards presented by him to King Charles I. in 1628. In the British Museum. The whole Gospel. Photographic facsimile, 1879.
[102] Codex Oxoniensis. 9th cent. Contains Mark, except Mark 3:35 to Mark 6:20.

[103] odex Seidelianus II. 9th or 10th cent. Contains Mark 1:1-31; Mark 2:4 to Mark 15:43; Mark 16:14-20.

11. φωνὴ ἐγένετο. The first of the three Voices from Heaven; the second being at the Transfiguration (Mark 9:7), and the third being before the Passion (John 12:28). Then and at the conversion of St Paul sight and sound depended upon the condition of those present, whether they had eyes to see and ears to hear. The same was true at the Baptism.

ὁ�. In LXX. the same Heb. word is translated sometimes ἀγαπητός and sometimes μονογενής. In N.T., ἀγαπητός is freq. and “it is exclusively a title of Christ, or applied to Christians as such. As a Messianic title (cf. Mark 9:7; Mark 12:6), it indicates a unique relation to God” (Swete). Here Vulg. has dilectus, but Mark 9:7 and Mark 12:6 carissimus. Here it is possibly a separate title, Thou art my Son, the Beloved, but the usual translation (A.V., R.V.) cannot safely be set aside. J. A. Robinson, Ephesians, p. 229; Hastings’ D.C.G. art. “Voice”; Dalman, Words of Jesus, pp. 204, 276; Tisserant, Ascension d’Isaie, p. 8.

ἐν σοὶ εὐδόκησα. The timeless aorist; In Thee I am well pleased gives the force of verb and tense sufficiently well. It is rash to give any definite limit to the past tense; e.g. pre-existence, or life on earth up to this point, or the reception of Baptism. Burton, § 55; J. H. Moulton, Gr. p. 134. Theophylact renders ἐν ᾧ�, and Jerome (on Isaiah 11:2) quotes from the Nazarene Gospel, descendit fons omnis Spiritus Sancti et requievit super eum et dixit illi, Fili mi, in omnibus prophetis expectabam te, ut venires et requiescerem in te. Tu es enim requies mea. Tu es filius meus primogenitus qui regnas in aeternum.

By accepting baptism from John our Lord not only “fulfilled all righteousness,” i.e. complied with the Levitical Law, in the eyes of which He was unclean through connexion with an unclean people, but He also thereby consecrated Himself for His work of inaugurating the Kingdom of God. John’s baptism was a preparation for the Kingdom. For everyone else it was repentance-baptism. Jesus needed no repentance, but He could make use of preparation.