Mark 2:10

ἐξουσίαν ἔχει. Hath authority. God has the power, and has given authority to the Son of Man to exercise it (John 5:27; John 5:30).

ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ�. This remarkable expression is used 14 times by Mk. All of these are preserved in Mt., who adds 19, most of which have come from Q. The total for the four Gospels is 81, 12 of which are in Jn. Lk. has it 8 times in common with Mk and Matthew, 8 times in common with Matthew,, 8 times without either. All four Evangelists represent Christ as using this title of Himself. They never call Him “the Son of Man,” and they nowhere record that anyone gave Him this title. The theory that He never used this title of Himself is untenable. Even if it were certain, which it is not, that the difference between υἱὸς�, “son of man” or “human being,” and ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ�, “the Son of Man,” could not be expressed in Aramaic, it is incredible that all four Evangelists have gone wrong on this point. Christ sometimes spoke Greek, and He may have used the expression ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ�. Even if He did not, the Evangelists, whoever they were, represent the memories of numerous persons who knew whether or no Christ had applied this unusual title to Himself. Allen, S. Matthew, pp. lxxi. f.; Driver, Hastings D.B. iv. pp. 579 f.; Dalman, Words, pp. 249, 253, 259. If the first Christians had invented a designation for the now risen and glorified Lord, they would not have chosen an expression so indeterminate as “the Son of Man.”

Here, as in Mark 2:28, it is possible to conjecture that the Aramaic original meant mankind in general. The meaning then would be, not that all men possess this power, but that it is possible for a man to have it. Such an interpretation makes good sense, and Matthew 9:8 favours it. But this is not often the case: in Mark 8:13; Mark 8:38; Mark 9:9; Mark 9:12; Mark 9:31; Mark 10:33; Mark 10:45; Mark 14:21; Mark 14:41, such an interpretation is scarcely possible, and in Mark 13:26; Mark 14:62 is quite impossible.

ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. In Mt. and Lk. these words immediately precede ἀφιέναι ἁμαρτίας, and it is possible that they did so in the original text of Mk. So [376][377][378][379][380][381]c[382][383], Latt. Syr-Pesh. Memph. Arm. Goth. But [384] here has ἀφ. ἁμ. ἐπὶ τ. γῆς, and is supported by [385] and two cursives. A third reading, ἀφ. ἐπὶ τ. γ. ἁμ. ([386][387][388][389][390][391][392][393][394][395], Syr-Hark.) adds weight to [396] as indicating that ἐπὶ τ. γ. belongs to ἀφ. ἁμαρτ. rather than to ὁ υἱὸς τ. ἀν. The absolution which the Son of Man declares takes effect on earth, for it is in accordance with Divine rule.

[376] 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.

[377] 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.

[378] 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.

[379] Codex Seidelianus II. 9th or 10th cent. Contains Mark 1:1-31; Mark 2:4 to Mark 15:43; Mark 16:14-20.

[380] 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.

[381] Codex Campianus. 9th cent. At Paris. Gospels complete.
[382] 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.
[383] Codex Rossanensis. 6th cent. Mark 16:14-20 is missing.

[384] 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.

[385] Codex Beratinus. 6th cent. Contains Mark 1:1 to Mark 14:62.

[386] 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.
[387] Codex Basiliensis. 8th cent. At Basle.

[388] 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.

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

[390] Codex Cyprius. 9th cent. One of the seven uncials which have the Gospels complete, the others being אBMSUΩ. At Paris.

[391] Codex Vaticanus. 10th cent. Dated A.D. 949.
[392] Codex Nanianus. 9th or 10th cent. Gospels complete.
[393] Codex Mosquensis. 9th cent.
[394] Codex Oxoniensis. 9th cent. Contains Mark, except Mark 3:35 to Mark 6:20.

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

[396] 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.