Mark 11:29

29. [2590][2591][2592][2593][2594][2595] omit ἀποκριθείς. See on Mark 5:9; Mark 10:5. [2596][2597][2598][2599] omit κἀγώ.

[2590] 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.

[2591] 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.

[2592] 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.

[2593] 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.

[2594] 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.
[2595] Codex Athous Laurae. 8th cent. Like N and Σ, it is written in silver letters on purple vellum. Contains Mark 9:5 to Mark 16:20, and, as in L, the shorter ending is inserted between Mark 16:8 and Mark 16:9. As in Δ, the text of Mark is specially good.

[2596] 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.

[2597] 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.

[2598] 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.

[2599] 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.

29. Ἐπερωτήσω. See crit. note. He answers their questions with another question; but the ἐπ- refers to directing the interrogation, not to making it on the top of previous interrogations. Wünsche says that it was a Rabbinical custom to ask another question by way of a rejoinder; but the custom is general.

ἕνα λόγον. Not “one question” (A.V., R.V.), nor “one thing” (A.V. marg.), but one statement. “You have asked me to state My authority. I will ask you for one statement.” The “one” is not in opposition to their two questions; it means that a single statement from them may settle the matter. At once they, and not He, are placed in a dilemma. But His reply is not an evasion; if they answered His question, the way to the answer to their question would be clear. As the constituted religious guides of the people, sitting on Moses’ seat, it was their place to speak first. The people had declared John to be a Prophet, and John had declared Jesus to be the Messiah. The Sanhedrin knew this, and they had allowed the popular estimate of John to pass unchallenged. That ought to mean that they admitted that John was a Prophet with a commission from Heaven to preach repentance-baptism. Did they admit this? If so, the authority of Jesus was established, for an inspired Prophet had declared Him to be the Messiah. Cf. Acts 5:38-39, where Gamaliel offers a similar dilemma.