Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Mark 3:28

ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν. This solemn formula, which introduces a statement of special import, occurs 13 times in Mk, 30 in Matthew, 6 in Lk. Christ does not quote Moses; nor does He say “Thus saith the Lord”; He speaks out of His own ἐξουσία, “Verily I say to you.” Cf. the O.T. formula, “As I live, saith the Lord.” In O.T., as in our prayers, “Amen” confirms what precedes (1 Kings 1:36; Jeremiah 11:5; Jeremiah 28:6); but in the Gospels it affirms what is coming. Jerome regards it as equivalent to an oath; debemus Christo juranti credere. But this use of Ἀμήν is unfamiliar to the whole range of Jewish literature. Jesus seems to have given the word a new meaning as a form of asseveration in place of the oath which He forbade. Dalman, Words, p. 226.

πάντα. This can hardly be taken directly with the too distant τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, “all their sins shall be forgiven” (R.V.); τὰ ἁμαρτήματα κ.τ.λ. is epexegetic of πάντα: all things shall be forgiven to the sons of men, yea all their sins and their blasphemies. In the Gospels, ἁμάρτημα, “an act of sin,” is found only in these verses; elsewhere, only Romans 3:25 and 1 Corinthians 6:18. The word is interpolated in some texts of Mark 4:12.

τοῖς υἱοῖς τῶν�. This plur. is found only here and Ephesians 3:5; in LXX. it is freq. Syr-Sin. has “all sins which they shall blaspheme shall be forgiven unto men.”

ὅσα ἐὰν βλασφ. Constr. ad sensum; [626][627][628][629][630] etc., substitute ὅσας. Cf. φυλάσσεσθε τὰς ἐντολὰς … ὅσα ἐγὼ ἐντέλλομαι (Deuteronomy 4:2). We have ἐάν for ἄν in hypothetical relative clauses Matthew 7:12; Luke 9:57; Acts 2:21. J. H. Moulton, pp. 42 f. The clause is omitted in Lat-Vet.

[626] 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.
[627] 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.

[628] 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.

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

[630] 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.

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Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Mark 3:28

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