Mark 1:34

Χριστὸν εἶναι ([166][167][168] 33, Syr-Hark. Arm. Memph. Aeth.) is powerfully supported (τὸν Χν εἶναι, [169]c[170][171] but [172][173][174][175][176][177] etc., Latt. Syr-Sin. Syr-Pesh. Goth. omit. It may come from Luke 4:41.

[166] 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.

[167] 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.

[168] Codex Rossanensis. 6th cent. Mark 16:14-20 is missing.

[169] 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.

[170] Codex Seidelianus I. 9th or 10th cent. Contains Mark 1:13 to Mark 14:18; Mark 14:25 to Mark 16:20.

[171] odex Campianus. 9th cent. At Paris. Gospels complete.

[172] 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.

[173] An asterisk denotes that the word is not found elsewhere in N.T., and such words are included in the index, even if there is no note on them in the commentary.
[174] 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.

[175] 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.

[176] Codex Basiliensis. 8th cent. At Basle.

[177] Codex Boreelianus. Once in the possession of John Boreel. 9th cent. At Utrecht. Contains Mk 1–41; Mark 2:8-23; Mark 3:5 to Mark 11:6; Mark 11:27 to Mark 14:54; Mark 15:6-39; Mark 16:19-20.

34. πολλούς. They brought πάντας and He healed πολλούς, which does not mean that some went away without treatment. To avoid this misinterpretation, Mt. transposes πολλούς and πάντας: they brought many and He healed all. The physician tells us the method of healing: “He laid His hands on each one.” He also has the more accurate ἐθεράπευεν, for such individual treatment was a long process, and persistent energy was evident through it all. All three distinguish casting out demons from healing the sick, and it is because of the preceding δαιμονιζομένους that Mk has δαιμόνια instead of πνεύματα�. Syr-Sin. omits κακῶς … νόσοις.

ἤφιεν. We have the same form Mark 11:16; cf. Mark 11:4; Revelation 11:9; συνίω is a similar form. W.H. App. p. 167; Blass, § 23. 7. The use of λαλεῖν (not λέγειν) shows that ὅτι means “because,” not “that.” The two verbs are not confused in N.T.

ἤδεισαν. See on οἶδα, Mark 1:24. It was the demons, not the demoniacs, who recognized Him. If the demoniacs were only insane or epileptic persons, how did they know who Jesus was? See crit. note. If Χριστὸν εἶναι is a gloss, it is a correct gloss; “knew Him” means “knew Him to be the Messiah.” But Mk writes with reserve as to what they knew, and perhaps we ought to write and speak with reserve also. We do not know enough about it to speak with confidence; but perhaps it is more correct to say that as yet Jesus was the Messiah-designate rather than the Messiah, because He had not yet been revealed to mankind as having this office. The time for that revelation had not yet come. In God’s sight He was the Messiah, a fact declared to Him and to John at the Baptism. And we are told here that this was known also to the demons. But it had not yet been revealed to men; and it was for God to make this revelation at the fitting time, not for demons, nor even for Apostles. Hence the silence about the fact which is strictly enjoined upon Peter and the rest (Mark 8:30). At first sight that requirement of silence from those who had to proclaim the coming of the reign of God seems inconsistent; but the nearer we get to the view given us by St Mark, the more intelligible it will become. We need not be surprised at finding that there are “things concerning Jesus of Nazareth” which we cannot fully explain; but we can understand that it was not God’s will that His Son should be prematurely proclaimed as the promised Messiah, or be proclaimed as such by demons.