Mark 14:65

ἔλαβον ([3266][3267][3268][3269][3270][3271][3272][3273][3274]) rather than ἐλάμβανον ([3275][3276] or ἔβαλον ([3277][3278][3279] 33). Nestle (Text. Crit. of N.T., p. 266) argues in favour of ἐλάμβανον.

[3266] 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.

[3267] 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.
[3268] 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.

[3269] 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.

[3270] 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.

[3271] 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.

[3272] Codex Oxoniensis. 9th cent. Contains Mark, except Mark 3:35 to Mark 6:20.

[3273] 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.
[3274] Codex Petropolitanus. 9th cent. Gospels almost complete. Mark 16:18-20 is in a later hand.

[3275] 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.

[3276] Codex Seidelianus I. 9th or 10th cent. Contains Mark 1:13 to Mark 14:18; Mark 14:25 to Mark 16:20.

[3277] Codex Basiliensis. 8th cent. At Basle.
[3278] Codex Campianus. 9th cent. At Paris. Gospels complete.
[3279] Codex Monacensis. 10th cent. Contains Mark 6:47 to Mark 16:20. Many verses in 14, 15, 16 are defective.

65. ἤρξαντό τινες ἐμπτύειν. The τινες, in contrast with the preceding πάντες, must mean some members of the Sanhedrin. That Roman soldiers should be guilty of such brutality (Mark 15:19) is not wonderful; but that members of the supreme court should exhibit their malignity in this way shows the temper in which they had come to judge their Prisoner. Christ had prophesied the spitting, but as done by the heathen (Mark 10:34). Lk. records the prediction of the spitting (Luke 18:32), but not the fulfilment of it. The more classical καταπτύω does not occur in N.T. or LXX. The covering of the face has no connexion with the Roman custom of covering the head of a criminal before crucifixion. Cic. Pro Rabir. iv. 13, Mark 14:16. Syr-Sin. omits the covering. Κολαφίζω means “strike with the fist” (1 Corinthians 4:11; 2 Corinthians 12:7, where see note; 1 Peter 2:20).

Προφήτευσον. This might have come immediately after the covering of the face; even then the meaning would not have been quite obvious. Mt. gives it clearly. Jesus was challenged to declare by His Messianic power who His unseen assailant was.

οἱ ὑπηρέται. The underlings of the Sanhedrin, the Levitical guard. “Did strike Him with the palms of their hands” (A.V.) is certainly wrong as regards the verb. We must read ἔλαβον (see crit. note); they caught Him. The meaning of ῥαπίσμασιν is less certain. It may have its original meaning of blows with a rod, but it is more probable that the later meaning of slaps with the open hand is to be retained here. Cf. Isaiah 50:6. They caught Him with blows is a safe rendering, leaving it open whether the blows were inflicted with the hand or with rods. Κονδύλοις ἔλαβεν has been found in a papyrus of this period, and Wohlenberg illustrates the unusual form of expression from Cic. Tusc. ii. 14, Spartae pueri ad aram verberibus accipiuntur. Euthymius remarks with what candour (φιλαληθῶς) and with what freedom from partiality (ἀπαθῶς) the Evangelists narrate. No concealment of the sins of Apostles, no exaltation of the Master, and no abuse of His enemies.