Mark 6:45

ἀπολύει ([1302][1303][1304][1305] rather than ἀπολύσῃ ([1306][1307][1308] etc.) from Mt.

[1302] 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.

[1303] 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.

[1304] 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.

[1305] 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.

[1306] 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.

[1307] 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.

[1308] Codex Seidelianus I. 9th or 10th cent. Contains Mark 1:13 to Mark 14:18; Mark 14:25 to Mark 16:20.

45. εὐθὺς ἠνάγκασεν τ. μαθητάς. Jn again differs considerably from the Synoptists. They say that He sent away the disciples and then dismissed the multitude. He says that Christ escaped from the people without dismissing them. But Jn shows why Christ insisted upon the disciples going away at once. There was a tradition that the Messiah would feed Israel with bread from heaven as Moses had done. Even without that belief, the miracle that had saved them from exhaustion in the wilderness might lead to the conclusion that Jesus was the Messiah, and their idea of the Messiah was that of an earthly conqueror and king. Jesus must be made to declare Himself as such. The disciples might be inclined to join such a movement (Luke 19:39); and to save them from such disastrous enthusiasm, Christ compelled them to leave Him. Compulsion was necessary, for they had only recently returned to Him, and this time they were being sent away without any mission. Mk’s interest is centred in what Christ did; Jn’s narrative is concerned with what the disciples did.

ἐμβῆναι καὶ προάγειν. The combination of tenses is unusual; cf. γαμῆσαι ἢ πυροῦσθαι (1 Corinthians 7:9).

εἰς τὸ πέραν πρὸς Βηθσαϊδάν. Mt. omits πρὸς [1355] possibly because it seemed to contradict the tradition that the Feeding took place near Bethsaida. Jn says ἤρχοντο πέραν τῆς θαλάσσης πρὸς Καφαρναούμ, and both Mk (Mark 6:53) and Mt. (Mark 14:34) say that they came to land εἰς Γεννησαρέτ. This has led some to suppose that there was another Bethsaida, on the W. shore of the Lake, near Capernaum. The existence of this Bethsaida is doubtful (Hastings’ D.B., Enc. Bibl. art. “Bethsaida”), but it may be admitted as a possibility (D.C.G.). The improbability of two places called “Fishinghouse” near to one another is not great. There are three Torringtons and two Little-hams in Devon. But if we reject the W. Bethsaida, then εἰς τὸ πέραν does not mean across the Lake, but across the bay which separates the scene of the Feeding from Bethsaida Julias. The storm prevented them from reaching Bethsaida, and they went homewards to Capernaum. To render πρὸς [1356] “looking towards [1357] i.e. opposite [1358] or take πρὸς [1359] with ἀπολύει, is not admissible.

[1355] odex 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.

[1356] 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.

[1357] dex 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.

[1358] odex 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.

[1359] 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.

ἕως αὐτὸς�. See crit. note and cf. John 21:22; 1 Timothy 4:13. While He Himself sendeth the multitude away (R.V.). Then He is to rejoin them, as προάγειν implies, and this is against Bethsaida being on the W. shore. The distance round the [1360] end of the Lake would be very considerable, while that round the little bay would be only a moderate walk. For τὸν ὄχλον Mt. has τοὺς ὄχλους. See on Mark 2:4.

[1360] 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.