Mark 12:14

καὶ ἐλθόντες ([2704][2705][2706][2707][2708][2709]) rather than οἱ δὲ ἐλθόντες ([2710][2711][2712][2713][2714]). See on Mark 1:14.

[2704] 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.

[2705] 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.

[2706] 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.

[2707] 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.

[2708] 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.

[2709] 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.
[2710] 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.
[2711] Codex Purpureus. 6th cent. Full text in Texts and Studies v. No. 4, 1899. Contains Mark 5:20 to Mark 7:4; Mark 7:20 to Mark 8:32; Mark 9:1 to Mark 10:43; Mark 11:7 to Mark 12:19; Mark 14:25 to Mark 15:23; Mark 15:33-42. See below on Ψ.

[2712] Codex Monacensis. 10th cent. Contains Mark 6:47 to Mark 16:20. Many verses in 14, 15, 16 are defective.

[2713] Codex Oxoniensis. 9th cent. Contains Mark, except Mark 3:35 to Mark 6:20.

[2714] Codex Petropolitanus. 9th cent. Gospels almost complete. Mark 16:18-20 is in a later hand.

14. ἀληθὴς εἶ. They did not believe this, but they knew that Jesus professed it (John 8:14; John 8:16; John 8:18; John 8:40); and we have here indirect confirmation of the Fourth Gospel, in which ἀληθής and the cognate words are freq., whereas ἀληθής occurs nowhere in the Synoptic Gospels, except in this saying.

οὐ μέλει σοι. Cf. Mark 4:38; Luke 10:40; John 10:13.

βλέπεις εἰς πρόσωπον. In LXX. we have ὁρᾶν εἰς πρ. (1 Samuel 16:7), but more often θαυμάζειν πρ. (Leviticus 19:15; Proverbs 18:5; Job 13:10; cf. Jude 1:16) or λαμβάνειν πρ. (Malachi 1:8-9; Malachi 2:9; Sir 4:21; Sir 4:27; cf. Luke 20:21; Galatians 2:6).

ἐπʼ ἀληθείας. On a basis of truth, or according to truth (Luke 4:25; Luke 22:59; Acts 10:34). Cf. ἐπʼ ἀδείας, ἐπὶ σχολῆς, ἐπʼ ἴσης, sc. μοίρας.

τὴν ὁδὸν τοῦ θεοῦ. Cf. Acts 18:26. The opposite of “evil ways,” “ways of sinners,” “false ways” (Psalms 119:101; Psalms 119:104; Psalms 119:128).

ἔξεστιν δοῦναι. “Does the Law allow it?” Cf. εἰ ἔξεστιν (Mark 10:2), οὐκ ἔξεστιν (Mark 2:24; Mark 2:26; Mark 6:18). Since the deposition of Archelaus, Judaea had paid a poll-tax to Rome, and this question about the lawfulness of paying tribute had been raised by Judas of Galilee (Acts 5:37), whose rebellion, about A.D. 7, is often mentioned by Josephus (Ant. xviii. 1. 1, etc.). Like the question about authority, this was in itself a fair one to put to a public teacher; it was one about which the Pharisees (Mt.) and the partisans of Herod might feel perplexed. How could the payment of a poll-tax, which went to the fiscus of a heathen Emperor who had robbed the Jews of their freedom, be reconciled with the Law?

κῆνσον. Census from meaning the valuation of a person’s estate came to mean the tax which depended on the valuation, and then any kind of impost, which is the meaning here. The impost being a poll-tax, [2858] and some other authorities have ἐπικεφάλαιον, k capitularium.

[2858] 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.

ἢ οὔ; The alternative is not otiose; they wish to tie Him down to a plain Yes or No, either of which would land Him in difficulty.

ἢ μὴ δῶμεν; Deliberative subj. (Mark 4:30; Mark 6:24; Mark 6:37), and hence the change from οὐ to μή. This second question is omitted by Mt. and Lk., also by Syr-Sin. in Mk., as superfluous fulness, as in Mark 1:32; Mark 1:42; Mark 6:25, etc.