A LEPER IS CLEANSED St Mark 1:40-44; where this incident is placed in the course of a Galilæan circuit, and before the return to Capernaum. St Luke 5:12, where the cure is placed ἐν μιᾷ τῶν πόλεων, and precedes the Sermon on the Mount. With these discrepancies which meet us at every turn in the Gos... [ Continue Reading ]
ΠΡΟΣΕΛΘῺΝ for ἐλθών. The termination of λεπρὸς caused the omission of πρὸς before ἐλθών. 2. ΛΕΠΡΌΣ. St Luke has ἀνὴρ πλήρης λέπρας, a term implying the gravity of the disease. In Leviticus 13:13, where a man appears to be pronounced clean if ‘the leprosy have covered all his flesh,’ there is probabl... [ Continue Reading ]
The name Ἰησοῦς occurs in this chapter four times against MS. authority,—Matthew 8:3; Matthew 8:5; Matthew 8:7; Matthew 8:29. Such insertions are principally due to the Church lectionaries, the proper name being introduced at the commencement of a passage selected for reading. 3. ἭΨΑΤΟ. An act that... [ Continue Reading ]
ΛΈΓΕΙ ΑΥ̓ΤΩ͂Ι. St Mark has ἐμβριμησάμενος ἐξέβαλεν αὐτὸν καὶ εἶπεν. ὍΡΑ ΜΗΔΕΝῚ ΕἼΠΗΙΣ. Christ enjoins the cleansed leper to tell no one, thus instructing us that He would not have people converted by His miracles. Christ addresses Himself to men’s hearts, not to their eyes or ears. He will not flin... [ Continue Reading ]
ἙΚΑΤΌΝΤΑΡΧΟΣ, i.e. a captain or commander of a century—a company nominally composed of a hundred men, the sixtieth part of a legion in the Roman army. This centurion was probably an officer in the army of Herod Antipas, which would be modelled after the Roman fashion, and not, as is often understood... [ Continue Reading ]
CURE OF A CENTURION’S SERVANT St Luke 7:1-10, where the incident is placed immediately after the Sermon on the Mount. The centurion sends a deputation of Jewish elders to Jesus, who speak of the worthiness of the centurion and of his love to the nation, ‘he built us a synagogue.’ St Luke does not i... [ Continue Reading ]
Ὁ ΠΑΙ͂Σ. ‘Slave,’ not ‘son;’ the meaning is determined by the parallel passages; in Luke 7. where though the centurion himself uses the more affectionate term παῖς (Matthew 8:7), the messenger (Matthew 8:3) and the Evangelist (Matthew 8:10) call the servant δοῦλος. ΠΑΡΑΛΥΤΙΚΌΣ. Stricken with palsy... [ Continue Reading ]
ΛΌΓΩΙ for λόγον. The accusative inserted as the more usual case after εἶπε. 8. ἈΠΟΚΡΙΘΕῚΣ ΔῈ Ὁ ἙΚΑΤΌΝΤΑΡΧΟΣ. The argument lies in a comparison between the centurion’s command and the authority of Jesus. ‘If I who am under authority command others, how much more hast thou power to command who art un... [ Continue Reading ]
ΚΑῚ ΓΆΡ, ‘for indeed.’ καὶ connects the reason why Christ should not enter more closely with the facts of the centurion’s position. ὙΠῸ ἘΞΟΥΣΊΑΝ, ‘under authority,’ e.g. that of the χιλίαρχος or _tribunus militum_: cp. Acts 21:32, ὅς (χιλίαρχος) παραλαβὼν στρατιώτας καὶ ἑκατοντάρχας. ΤΟΎΤΩΙ [ΣΤΡΑΤ... [ Continue Reading ]
ἈΝΑΤΟΛΩ͂Ν. See note ch. Matthew 2:1. ἈΝΑΚΛΙΘΉΣΟΝΤΑΙ, i.e. recline at a feast. The image of a banquet is often used to represent the joy of the kingdom of heaven. Luke 14:15; Luke 22:29-30; Revelation 19:9. Cp. Isaiah 25:6.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤῸ ΣΚΌΤΟΣ ΤῸ ἘΞΏΤΕΡΟΝ, i.e. the darkness outside the house in which the banquet is going on. Ὁ ΚΛΑΥΘΜῸΣ ΚΑῚ Ὁ ΒΡΥΓΜΌΣ. The article, ignored in A.V., means ‘that wailing and gnashing of teeth which you speak of;’ τὸ λεγόμενον, it was a common figure.... [ Continue Reading ]
ὝΠΑΓΕ, ‘go,’ the ordinary modern word in this sense, and so used colloquially before it was established in literary language. Cp. Aristoph. _Ranœ_, 174, ὑπάγεθʼ ὑμεῖς τῆς ὁδοῦ. See note ch. Matthew 4:10. ὑπάγειν is especially frequent in St John’s gospel.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΕἸΣ ΤῊΝ ΟἸΚΊΑΝ ΠΈΤΡΟΥ. From John 1:44 we learn that Bethsaida was the city of Andrew and Simon Peter. Either then (1) they had changed their home to Capernaum, or (2) Bethsaida was close to Capernaum. ΤῊΝ ΠΕΝΘΕΡΆΝ. St Peter alone of the Apostles is expressly named as being married. It is however a... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CURE OF PETER’S MOTHER-IN-LAW OF A FEVER, Mark 1:29-31; Luke 4:38-39. St Luke’s description bears special marks of scientific accuracy. Both St Mark and St Luke mention that the incident took place when ‘he came out of the synagogue;’, and St Mark adds that he went into the house of Simon and... [ Continue Reading ]
ἭΨΑΤΟ. The touch of Jesus is not mentioned in Luke. ἈΦΗ͂ΚΕΝ ΑΥ̓ΤΉΝ. The addition of εὐθέως in Mark is probably a gloss. St Luke however has παραχρῆμα�. To the physician the completeness and suddenness of the cure proves the miraculous nature of it. ΔΙΗΚΌΝΕΙ. In the proper sense of serving at table... [ Continue Reading ]
ΛΌΓΩΙ. Not by a touch, as in the case of leprosy and fever. Christ never laid his hand on demoniacs.... [ Continue Reading ]
Isaiah 53:4.... [ Continue Reading ]
FITNESS FOR DISCIPLESHIP Luke 9:57-62. St Luke names three instances, and places the scene of the incident in Samaria. The instances are typical of the way in which Jesus deals with different characters. To one attracted by the promises of the Gospel and full of eagerness, Jesus presents the darke... [ Continue Reading ]
ΕἿΣ. To be taken in connection with ἕτερος δέ, the first in the enumeration. ΓΡΑΜΜΑΤΕΎΣ. The accession of a Scribe to the cause of Christ must have appeared to the people as a great success. Language of the most extravagant adulation is used to express the dignity and influence of the Scribes. Yet... [ Continue Reading ]
ΦΩΛΕΟΎΣ. A word used by Piutarch and other late authors. Theocritus has φωλάδες ἄρκτοι, I. 115, and κνώδαλα φωλεύοντα, XXIV. 83, a heteroclite plural φωλεὰ is found. ΚΑΤΑΣΚΗΝΏΣΕΙΣ. Cp. ‘In which all trees of honour stately stood, And did all winter as in summer bud, Spreading pavilions for the bi... [ Continue Reading ]
ΘΆΨΑΙ ΤΟῪΣ ἙΑΥΤΩ͂Ν ΝΕΚΡΟΎΣ. The exact force of this is not quite clear. The word ‘dead’ is used first in a figurative, secondly, in a literal sense, as in John 11:25-26. In a figurative sense by the ‘dead’ are intended those who are outside the kingdom, who are dead to the true life. Perhaps a broth... [ Continue Reading ]
ΤῸ ΠΛΟΙ͂ΟΝ. The ship or fishing-boat, i.e. the boat which Jesus always used.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE STORM ON THE LAKE Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25. St Mark, as usual, adds some interesting details: ‘it was evening—there were other boats with Him—a great storm (λαῖλαψ) of wind—the waves beat into the boat—He was asleep on the cushion (τὸ προσκεφάλαιον) in the hinder part of the boat.’ With all... [ Continue Reading ]
ΣΕΙΣΜΌΣ, elsewhere of earthquakes, Luke and Mark have the more descriptive λαῖλαψ. ΑΥ̓ΤῸΣ ἘΚΆΘΕΥΔΕΝ. ‘He—the Master—continued to sleep.’ It is the only place where the sleep of Jesus is named. The nominative of αὐτὸς is very rare in Matthew and Mark but very common in Luke. It has the proper class... [ Continue Reading ]
ΣΩ͂ΣΟΝ, ἈΠΟΛΛΎΜΕΘΑ. The brevity of speech that wastes no words adds to the impression of danger. Cp. ch. Matthew 26:45-46. St Luke has ἐπιστάτα repeated. St Mark the pathetic διδάσκαλε οὐ μέλει σοι ὅτι�. Cp. with σῶσον,—the aorist of earnest and instant request—the aorists in the Lord’s prayer.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΔΕΙΛΟΊ, ‘cowardly:’ ὁ δὲ τῷ φοβεῖσθαι ὑπερβάλλων δειλός, Arist. _Eth. Nic._ III. 7, 10. The sea was a recognised test of courage, οὐ μὴν� … ἀδεὴς ὁ� (Arist.). Neither ἀνδρεῖος nor θρασὺς occur in N.T. Cowardice and want of faith are classed together as grievous sins in Revelation 21:8, δειλοῖς καὶ�.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΟἹ ἌΝΘΡΩΠΟΙ. The disciples, and other fishermen who were also on the Lake: see account in Mark.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΓΑΔΑΡΗΝΩ͂Ν. (א* B C &c.), Γεργεσηνῶν (E K L &c.), Γερασηνῶν stated by Origen to be the prevailing reading. 28. ΓΑΔΑΡΗΝΩ͂Ν. The readings vary between Γερασηνῶν, Γαδαρηνῶν and Γεργεσηνῶν in the Synoptic accounts. Gerasa and Gergesa are forms of the same name. Gadara was some distance to the south of... [ Continue Reading ]
THE GADARENE DEMONIACS Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-39. St Mark and St Luke make mention of one demoniac only. St Mark relates the incident at greater length and with more particularity. St Matthew omits the name ‘legion,’ the prayer not to be sent into the ‘abyss’ (Luke), the request of one of the demo... [ Continue Reading ]
ἸΔΟῪ ἜΚΡΑΞΑΝ. Cp. Verg. _Aen._ IV. 490, Mugire _videbis_ | sub pedibus terram; but ἰδοὺ in Hellenistic Greek is little more than a vivid transitional particle, drawing attention to what follows.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἈΠΌΣΤΕΙΛΟΝ ἩΜΑ͂Σ for ἐπίτρεψον ἡμῖν�, doubtless influenced by Luke 8:32. 31. ΔΑΊΜΟΝΕΣ. The masculine form occurs nowhere else in N.T. In the parallel passages Mark 5:12 and Luke 8:29, the best criticism rejects this form. It is an interesting instance of the tendency with copyists to assimilate par... [ Continue Reading ]
ΕἸΣ ΤΟῪΣ ΧΟΊΡΟΥΣ (א B C*) for εἰς τὴν�. 32. ΤΟΥ͂ ΚΡΗΜΝΟΥ͂. Translate, _the_ steep place. The slope of Gergesa, familiar to Matthew and to the readers of his Gospel.... [ Continue Reading ]
ΟἹ ΔῈ ΒΌΣΚΟΝΤΕΣ. It does not appear whether these were Jews or Gentiles, more probably the latter; if the former, they were transgressing the law. (1) This narrative may be regarded as a signal instance of μετάνοια, or change from the old evil state to the new life. (2) It recalls the connection be... [ Continue Reading ]
ὙΠΆΝΤΗΣΙΝ for συνάντησιν. See notes _infra_. 34. ὍΠΩΣ ΜΕΤΑΒΗ͂Ι. The motive for the request was fear lest a greater disaster should follow (Meyer).... [ Continue Reading ]