Mark 1:21

Καφαρναούμ ([129][130][131][132] 33) rather than the softer Καπερναούμ ([133][134][135][136][137]). [138][139][140][141], Syr-Sin. Syr-Pesh. Memph., Orig. omit εἰσελθών. Syr-Sin. omits καὶ εἰσπορεύονται εἰς Καφ.

[129] 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.

[130] 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.

[131] 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.

[132] Codex Sangallensis. 9th or 10th cent. Contains the Gospels nearly complete, with an interlinear Latin translation. The text of Mark is specially good, agreeing often with CL. At St Gall.
[133] 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.
[134] Codex Ephraemi. 5th cent. A palimpsest: the original writing has been partially rubbed out, and the works of Ephraem the Syrian have been written over it; but a great deal of the original writing has been recovered; of Mark we have Mark 1:17 to Mark 6:31; Mark 8:5 to Mark 12:29; Mark 13:19 to Mark 16:20. In the National Library at Paris.

[135] 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.

[136] Codex Oxoniensis. 9th cent. Contains Mark, except Mark 3:35 to Mark 6:20.

[137] Codex Petropolitanus. 9th cent. Gospels almost complete. Mark 16:18-20 is in a later hand.

[138] 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.

[139] Codex Ephraemi. 5th cent. A palimpsest: the original writing has been partially rubbed out, and the works of Ephraem the Syrian have been written over it; but a great deal of the original writing has been recovered; of Mark we have Mark 1:17 to Mark 6:31; Mark 8:5 to Mark 12:29; Mark 13:19 to Mark 16:20. In the National Library at Paris.

[140] 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.

[141] Codex Sangallensis. 9th or 10th cent. Contains the Gospels nearly complete, with an interlinear Latin translation. The text of Mark is specially good, agreeing often with CL. At St Gall.

21. Καφαρναούμ. See crit. note. Christ came thither from Nazareth (Mt., Lk.), and for a time it became His headquarters. “Caphar” means “hamlet” or “village”; Capharsalama (1Ma 7:31) and Capharsaba (Joseph. Ant. XVI. Mark 1:2). The site of Capernaum is still much debated; either Tell Hum, or Khan Minyeh, which is about 2 ½ miles S.W. of Tell Hum, may be right. Mk speaks thrice of Christ’s coming to Capernaum (Mark 1:21; Mark 2:1; Mark 9:33) and thrice of His entering Jerusalem (Mark 11:11; Mark 11:15; Mark 11:27). We cannot safely infer from this that were was an intention “to convey that both cities received a three-fold warning from the Messiah.”

εὐθὺς τοῖς σάββασιν. On the very first sabbath after the call of the first disciples; cf. εὐθὺς πρωί (Mark 15:1). Like Peter (Acts 10:38), Mk lays stress on Christ’s healing demoniacs, and he places an act of this kind first among the miracles. Both in LXX. and in N.T., both σάββατον and σάββατα are used for “a Sabbath.” In N.T., σάββατον is more common (Mark 2:27-28; Mark 6:2; Mark 16:1; etc.), and σάββατα is “Sabbaths” in Acts 17:2, where a numeral (ἐπὶ σαβ. τρία) requires the plur. Elsewhere σάββατα is plur. in sound, perhaps in imitation of the Hebrew or because Greek festivals are neut. plur. (Mark 6:21; John 10:22), but is sing, in meaning. In N.T., σάββασιν is the usual form of the dat., with σαββάτοις as v. l. in some authorities (Matthew 12:1; Matthew 12:12 in [191] in LXX., σαββάτοις prevails. Josephus has both. Mk uses neither σάββατον nor σάββατα in the sense of “a week”; Mark 16:9 is not by Mk.

[191] odex 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.

εἰσελθὼν … ἐδίδασκεν. See crit. note. “He entered their synagogue and was teaching there, and thereupon they were in a state of amazement.” If εἰσελθών be omitted, cf. Mark 1:39; Mark 10:10; Mark 13:9; Mark 14:9. The art. is probably possessive, or it may imply that there was only one; but that built by the good centurion is not likely to have been the only one in so large a place as Capernaum; see on Luke 7:5. At Tell Hum there are ruins of two, but perhaps neither is as old as the first century. In LXX., both συναγωγή and ἐκκλησία are used of a congregation of the Israelites, especially in an organized form, but sometimes of other gatherings (Proverbs 5:14; cf. συναγωγὰς ὁσίων, Ps. Sol. 17:18). In N.T., Josephus, and Philo, συναγωγή is used, as here, of the building in which the congregation met. There were many such in Jerusalem, and we read of them at Nazareth (Mark 6:2; Matthew 13:54; Luke 4:16) as well as at Capernaum. In Asia Minor and in Greece, St Paul could find a synagogue in most cities, and could count on being allowed by the officials to address the congregation. The origin of synagogues is unknown. The service in them consisted largely of instruction. Philo calls them “houses of instruction” and regards them primarily as schools. They were also courts of justice (Luke 12:11; Luke 21:12), and punishment was inflicted in them (Mark 13:9).