HEROD THE TETRARCH PUTS TO DEATH JOHN THE BAPTIST Mark 6:14-29, where the further conjectures as to the personality of Jesus are given, ‘Elias, a [or the] prophet, or as one of the prophets,’ and the whole account is narrated in the vivid dramatic manner of St Mark. St Luke relates the cause of the... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΝ ἘΚΕΊΝΩΙ ΤΩ͂Ι ΚΑΙΡΩ͂Ι. During the missionary journey of the Twelve. See Mark _loc. cit_. ἩΡΏΔΗΣ. Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee and Peræa. He was a son of Herod the Great, and Malthakè, a Samaritan, who was also the mother of Archelaus and Olympias. He was thus of Gentile origin, and his early... [ Continue Reading ]
ΑΥ̓ΤΌΣ. Emphatic, ‘he himself,’ ‘in his own person.’ ἨΓΈΡΘΗ�. A proof that Herod did not hold the Sadducaan doctrine, that there is no resurrection. ΔΙᾺ ΤΟΥ͂ΤΟ. In consequence of having risen from the dead he is thought to be possessed of larger powers. Alford remarks that this incidentally confir... [ Continue Reading ]
ἈΠΈΘΕΤΟ, probably right (א B), for ἔθετο. 3. ἘΝ ΤΗ͂Ι ΦΥΛΑΚΗ͂Ι. At Machærus, in Peræa, on the eastern side of the Dead Sea, near the southern frontier of the tetrarchy. Here Antipas had a palace and a prison under one roof, as was common in the East. Cp. Nehemiah 3:25, ‘The tower which lieth out fro... [ Continue Reading ]
ἜΛΕΓΕΝ. Imperfect, ‘told him repeatedly.’ ἜΧΕΙΝ, ‘to marry’ her. ἔχειν has this special force, 1 Corinthians 5:1, τοιαύτη πορνεία … ὥστε γυναῖκά τινα τοῦ πατρὸς ἔχειν. ch. Matthew 22:28, πάντες γὰρ ἔσχον αὐτήν. Xen. _Cyrop_. I, Κυαξάρης ἔπεμψε πρὸς Καμβύσην τὸν τὴν�. ΟΥ̓Κ ἜΞΕΣΤΊΝ ΣΟΙ ἜΧΕΙΝ ΑΥ̓ΤΉΝ.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΘΈΛΩΝ. From St Mark we learn that Herodias was eager to kill John, while Herod, partly from fear of his prisoner, partly from interest in him, refused to take away his life. St Mark’s narrative gives a picture of the inner court intrigues, and bears evidence of keen questioning of some eye-witness a... [ Continue Reading ]
ΓΕΝΕΣΊΟΙΣ ΓΕΝΟΜΈΝΟΙΣ, for γενεσίων γενομένων. The dative has decisive authority. The gen. abs. a grammatical note, which has come into the text as the easier reading. 6. ΓΕΝΕΣΊΟΙΣ ΓΕΝΟΜΈΝΟΙΣ. Dative of time, ‘marking _precisely_ time _when_’ (Clyde); cp. τοῖς σάββασιν, ch. Matthew 12:2, Winer, p. 27... [ Continue Reading ]
ΠΡΟΒΙΒΑΣΘΕΙ͂ΣΑ. ‘Impelled,’ ‘instigated;’ cp. Xen. _Mem._ 1. 5. 1, ἐπισκεψώμεθα εἴ τι προυβίβαζε λέγων εἰς αὐτὴν τοιάδε. ΠΊΝΑΞ = ‘a flat wooden trencher’ on which meat was served, δαιτρὸς δὲ κρειών πίνακας παρέθηκεν�, Hom. _Od._ I. 141. This appears to have been the meaning of the old English word... [ Continue Reading ]
ΛΥΠΗΘΕΊΣ, ‘though vexed;’ he still feared the popular vengeance, and perhaps did not himself desire the death of John, see Mark 6:20. Ὁ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΎΣ. A title which Antipas had in vain tried to acquire: it was probably addressed to him by his courtiers. ΔΙᾺ ΤΟῪΣ ὍΡΚΟΥΣ. ‘Because of the _oaths_;’ he had... [ Continue Reading ]
ἬΝΕΓΚΕΝ ΤΗ͂Ι ΜΗΤΡῚ ΑΥ̓ΤΗ͂Σ. The revenge of Herodias recalls the story of Fulvia, who treated with great indignity the head of her murdered enemy Cicero, piercing the tongue once so eloquent against her. Both are instances of ‘furens quid femina possit.’ The perpetration of the deed on the occasion o... [ Continue Reading ]
ἮΡΑΝ ΤῸ ΠΤΩ͂ΜΑ ΚΑῚ ἜΘΑΨΑΝ ΑΥ̓ΤΌΝ. There is in this some proof of forbearance, if not of kindness, on Herod’s part. He did not persecute John’s disciples, or prevent them paying the last offices to their master. ΠΤΩ͂ΜΑ. Lat. _cadaver_, in this sense πτῶμα is followed by νεκροῦ, or by genitive of per... [ Continue Reading ]
ΠΕΖΗ͂Ι (ὉΔΩ͂Ι), ‘on foot,’ i.e. not by boat; cp. Acts 20:13, μέλλων αὐτὸς πεζεύειν.... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS RETIRES TO A DESERT PLACE, WHERE HE FEEDS FIVE THOUSAND Mark 6:31-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:5-14. This is the only miracle narrated by all the Evangelists. In St John it prepares the way for the memorable discourse on the ‘Bread of Life.’ St John also mentions, as a result of this miracle, the... [ Continue Reading ]
14, 22, 25. The subject Ἰησοῦς omitted, insertion due to lectionaries or marginal note.... [ Continue Reading ]
ὈΨΊΑΣ ΓΕΝΟΜΈΝΗΣ. In the Jewish division of the day there were two evenings. According to the most probable view the space of time called ‘between the evenings’ (Exodus 12:6) was from the ninth to the twelfth hour (Jos. _B. J._ VI. 9. 3). Hence the first evening ended at 3 o’clock, the second began a... [ Continue Reading ]
ὙΜΕΙ͂Σ. Emphatic.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΟΥ̓Κ ἜΧΟΜΕΝ Κ.Τ.Λ. St John more definitely; ἔστιν παιδάριον ὧδε ὃ ἔχει πέντε ἄρτους κριθίνους, καὶ δύο ὀψάρια (Matthew 6:9). Barley bread (ἄρτους κριθίνους), for which the classical word is μᾶζα, was the food of the very poorest. It seems probable that the English word _mass_ is traceable to μᾶζα, a... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤΟΥ͂ ΧΌΡΤΟΥ. The plural τοὺς χόρτους (‘grassy places’) has the support of the late MSS.: the gen. sing. is the reading of אBC*. 19. ἈΝΑΚΛΙΘΗ͂ΝΑΙ ἘΠῚ ΤΟΥ͂ ΧΌΡΤΟΥ. St John has ἦν δὲ χόρτος πολὺς ἐν τῷ τόπῳ. St Mark and St Luke mention that they sat in companies, ἀνὰ ἑκατὸν καὶ� (Mark), ἀνὰ πεντήκοντα... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤῸ ΠΕΡΙΣΣΕΥ͂ΟΝ ΤΩ͂Ν ΚΛΑΣΜΆΤΩΝ. ΚΛΑΣΜΆΤΩΝ connected with κλάσας, therefore not ‘fragments’ in the sense of crumbs of bread, but the ‘portions’ broken off for distribution. ΔΏΔΕΚΑ ΚΟΦΊΝΟΥΣ. The same word is used for baskets in the four accounts of this miracle, and also by our Lord, when He refers to... [ Continue Reading ]
14, 22, 25. The subject Ἰησοῦς omitted, insertion due to lectionaries or marginal note. 22. ΤῸ ΠΛΟΙ͂ΟΝ, _the_ ship or _their_ ship.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE DISCIPLES CROSS FROM THE SCENE OF THE MIRACLE TO BETHSAIDA Mark 6:45-52; John 6:15-21 St Matthew alone narrates St Peter’s endeavour to walk on the sea.... [ Continue Reading ]
ὈΨΊΑΣ ΔῈ ΓΕΝΟΜΈΝΗΣ. See Matthew 14:15. ΜΌΝΟΣ ἮΝ ἘΚΕΙ͂. This is a simple but sublime thought:—the solitary watch on the lonely mountain, the communion in prayer with the Father throughout the beautiful Eastern night.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΒΑΣΑΝΙΖΌΜΕΝΟΝ. The expression is forcible, ‘tortured by the waves,’ writhing in throes of agony, as it were. These sudden storms are very characteristic of the Lake of Gennesaret.... [ Continue Reading ]
14, 22, 25. The subject Ἰησοῦς omitted, insertion due to lectionaries or marginal note. 25. ΤΕΤΆΡΤΗΙ ΔῈ ΦΥΛΑΚΗ͂Ι, i.e. early in the morning. Cp. ‘Et jam quarta canit venturam buccina lucem,’ Propert. IV. 4. 63. At this time the Jews had adopted the Greek and Roman custom of four night watches. Form... [ Continue Reading ]
25, 26. The true reading ἐπὶ τὴν θάλ.… ἐπὶ τῆς θαλ. reverses the _textus receptus_. The change of case after ἐπί, and of the order of the participle, is suggestive: περιπ. ἐπὶ τὴν θάλ. ‘walking over the sea,’ ἐπὶ τῆς θαλ. περιπ. ‘upon the sea,’ (the wonder that first struck the disciples,) ‘walking,... [ Continue Reading ]
ἈΠῸ ΤΟΥ͂ ΦΌΒΟΥ ἜΚΡΑΞΑΝ. Note the article. Not merely cried out from fear, but _the_ fear which necessarily resulted from the appearance made them cry out.... [ Continue Reading ]
Ὁ ΔῈ ΕἾΠΕΝ, ἘΛΘΈ. The boat was so near that the voice of Jesus could be heard even through the storm, though the wind was strong and the oarsmen labouring and perhaps calling out to one another. The hand of the Saviour was quite close to the sinking disciple.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἸΣΧΥΡΌΝ, omitted by Tischendorf on the evidence of א B* 33. Lachmann and Tregelles, who retain it, did not know of א. 30. ἸΣΧΥΡΌΝ. Predicate. ΚΑΤΑΠΟΝΤΊΖΕΣΘΑΙ. Here and ch. Matthew 18:6 only in N.T. ‘to sink into the deep sea’ (πόντος, the wide open sea, so the _deep_ sea, connected with πάτος and... [ Continue Reading ]
ΕἸΣ ΤΊ; Literal translation of the Hebr. _lammah_, ‘with a view to what?’ = ἱνατί, see note ch. Matthew 27:46. ἐδίστασας, see ch. Matthew 28:17.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἘΚΌΠΑΣΕΝ. κοπάζειν, properly to be weary or fatigued (κόπτω, κόπος), then to rest from weariness or suffering, used of a sick man Hipp. p. 1207, (so κόπος, of the pain of disease, Soph. _Phil._ 880,) then figuratively of the wind or a flood, cp. Herod. VII. 191, where speaking of the storm at Artemi... [ Continue Reading ]
ΘΕΟΥ͂ ΥἹῸΣ ΕἾ. A son of God. The higher revelation of _the_ Son of the living God was not yet given. See ch. Matthew 16:16.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΔΙΑΠΕΡΆΣΑΝΤΕΣ. Having crossed the bay from Tiberias to the neighbourhood of Capernaum. See map and note on Matthew 14:13-21. ΕἸΣ ΓΕΝΝΗΣΑΡΈΤ. By this is meant the plain of Gennesaret, two miles and a half in length and about one mile in breadth. Modern travellers speak of ‘its charming bays and its... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS CURES SICK FOLK IN THE LAND OF GENNESARET Mark 6:53-56, where the stir of the neighbourhood and eagerness of the people are vividly portrayed.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΠΑΡΕΚΆΛΟΥΝ ἽΝΑ ἍΨΩΝΤΑΙ. For ἵνα in _petitio obliqua_ for the classical ὅπως see note ch. Matthew 1:22, and Goodwin’s _Greek Moods and Tenses_, p. 78. The sequence of the subjunctive on a historical tense gives vividness to the narrative by retaining the mood originally used by the speaker. The usag... [ Continue Reading ]