Mark 2:20

ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ([333][334][335][336][337][338][339][340]) rather than ἐκείναις ταῖς ἡμέραις ([341], Latt.).

[333] 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.

[334] 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.
[335] 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.

[336] 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.

[337] 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.

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

[339] 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.

[340] 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.
[341] Codex Oxoniensis. 9th cent. Contains Mark, except Mark 3:35 to Mark 6:20.

20. ἐλεύσονται δὲ ἡμέραι. But days will come. There is no art.; yet even R.V. inserts it here in all three Gospels, and also Luke 17:22; Luke 19:43; Luke 21:6; Luke 23:29.

ὅταν�. The verb is in all three, and nowhere else in N.T. He does not say simply ἀπέλθῃ or πορευθῇ (John 16:7), but implies, for the first time, that His death will be a violent one; ὅτι αἴρεται� (Isaiah 63:8). Dalman, Words, p. 263. Cf. Mark 14:7.

τότε νηστεύσουσιν. Then they will fast, of their own accord, ex arbitrio, non ex imperio (Tert.). Not, “they can fast,” or “they shall fast”; the fut. here is not imperative. We have instances of the fulfilment of this prediction, Acts 2:13; Acts 13:2-3; Acts 14:23. The fast before Easter was observed from very early times, but for several centuries great diversity existed as to its duration; see Irenaeus in Eus. H. E. Mark 2:24; Socrates H. E. Mark 2:22; Sozomen H. E. vii. 19.

ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ. See crit. note. “In that sad day,” atra dies; cf. the superfluous, but impressive, ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐκεῖνος, Mark 14:21. Mt. omits these words as implied in τότε, while Lk. has his characteristic ἐν ἐκείναις ταῖς ἡμέραις, in agreement with the preceding ἡμέραι, which Mk seems to have forgotten. If a change is made it should rather have been the other way; “A day will come when He will be taken away, and then will they fast in those days.” Is Mk influenced by the usage in his own day, which may have been that of fasting on the Friday?