CHAPTER 4. PARABOLIC TEACHING. In common with Mt., Mk. recognises that teaching in parables became at a given date a special feature of Christ's didactic ministry. He gives, however, fewer samples of that type than the first evangelist. Two out of the seven in Mt., with one peculiar to himself, th... [ Continue Reading ]
πάλιν ἤρξατο. After spending some time in teaching disciples, Jesus resumes His wider ministry among the people in the open air: at various points along the shore of the sea (παρὰ τ. θ.). Speaking to larger crowds than ever (ὄχλος πλεῖστος), which could be effectively addressed only by the Speaker g... [ Continue Reading ]
_The Sower_ (Matthew 13:1-9; Luke 8:4-8).... [ Continue Reading ]
πολλά : a vague expression, but implying that the staple of that day's teaching consisted of parables, probably all more or less of the same drift as the parable of the _Sower_, indicating that in spite of the ever-growing crowds Jesus was dissatisfied with the results of His popular ministry in str... [ Continue Reading ]
ἀκούετε : bear! listen! a summons to attention natural for one addressing a great crowd from a boat, quite compatible with ἰδού, which introduces the parable (against Weiss in Meyer). The parable is given here essentially as in Mt., with only slight variations: σπεῖραι (Mark 4:3) for σπείρειν; ὃ μὲν... [ Continue Reading ]
καὶ ἔλεγεν : this phrase is wanting in Mt., and the summons to reflection is more pithily expressed there = who hath ears let him hear. The summons implies that understanding is possible even for those without.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Disciples ask an explanation of the parable_ (Matthew 13:10-17; Luke 8:9-10). Mark 4:10. κατὰ μόνας (ὁδούς or χώρας understood), alone οἱ περὶ αὐτὸν, those about Him, not = οἱ παρʼ αὐτοῦ (Mark 3:21), nor = the Twelve, who are separately mentioned (σὺν τ. δωδ.); an outer circle of disciples from whi... [ Continue Reading ]
ὑμῖν, to _you_ has been given, so as to be a permanent possession, the mystery of the Kingdom of God. They have been initiated into the secret, so that for them it is a secret no longer, not by explanation of the parable (Weiss), but independently. This true of them so far as disciples; discipleship... [ Continue Reading ]
seems to state the aim of the parabolic method of teaching as being to keep the people in the dark, and prevent them from being converted and forgiven. This cannot really have been the aim of Jesus. _Vide_ notes on the parable of the Sower in Mt., where the statement is softened somewhat.... [ Continue Reading ]
οὐκ οἴδατε … γνώσεσθε : not one question = know ye not this parable, and how ye shall know all, etc. (so Meyer and Weiss), but two = know ye not this parable? and how shall ye, etc. (so most), the meaning being, not: if ye know not the simpler how shall ye know the more difficult? but rather implyin... [ Continue Reading ]
_Explanation of the Sower_ (Matthew 13:18-23; Luke 8:11-15), prefaced by a gentle reproach that explanation should be needed.... [ Continue Reading ]
Mark 4:14, in effect, states that the seed is the word.... [ Continue Reading ]
οἱ παρὰ τὴν ὁδόν : elliptical for, those in whose case the seed falls along the way = the “way-side” men, and so in the other cases. ὅπου for εἰς οὓς, Euthy. Zig.... [ Continue Reading ]
ὁμοίως would stand more naturally before οὗτοι = on the same method of interpretation. σπειρόμενοι : this class are identified with the seed rather than with the soil, but the sense, though crudely expressed is plain. They are the “rocky ground” men.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἄλλοι εἰσὶν, there are others; ἄλλοι, well attested (οὗτοί in T. R.), is significant. It fixes attention on the third type of hearers as calling for special notice. They are such as, lacking the thoughtlessness of the first and shallowness of the second class, and having some depth and earnestness,... [ Continue Reading ]
specifies the hindrances, the choking thorns. μέριμναι τ. α., cares of life, in the case of thoughtful devout poor (Matthew 6:25 f.). ἀπάτη τ. πλ., the deceitfulness of wealth in the case of the commercial class (Chorazin, Bethsaida, Capernaum: Matthew 11:21-23. _Vide_ notes there). αἱ π. τ. λ. ἐπιθ... [ Continue Reading ]
παραδέχονται, receive, answering to συνιείς in Mt. This does not adequately differentiate the fourth class from the third, who also take in the word, but not it _alone_. Lk. has supplied the defect. εν might be either ἕν = this one 30, that one 60, etc., or ἐν = in 30, and in 60, and in 100 = good,... [ Continue Reading ]
μήτι ἔρχεται, does the light _come_, for is it brought, in accordance with classic usage in reference to things without life; examples in Kypke, _e.g._, οὐκ ἔμεινʼ ἐλθεῖν τράπεζαν νυμφίαν. Pindar, _Pyth._, iii., 28 = “non exspectavit donec adferretur mensa sponsalis”. ὑ. τ. κλίνην : not necessarily... [ Continue Reading ]
_Responsibilities of disciples_ (Matthew 5:15; Matthew 10:26; Matthew 7:2; Luke 8:16-18). True to His uniform teaching that privileges are to be used for the benefit of others, Jesus tells His disciples that if they have more insight than the multitude they must employ it for the common benefit. The... [ Continue Reading ]
Double statement of the law that the hidden is to be revealed; 1st, predictively: there is nothing hidden which shall not be revealed; 2nd, interpretatively, with reference to the purpose of the hider: nor did anything become concealed with any other view than that it should eventually come to manif... [ Continue Reading ]
In Mark 4:9 a summons to try to understand the parable; here a summons to those who have understood, or shall understand, the parable, or the great theme of all the parables, to communicate their knowledge. Fritzsche, after Theophy. and Grot., thinks that in Mark 4:21-22, Jesus exhorts His disciples... [ Continue Reading ]
βλέπετε, etc., take heed what you hear or how (πῶς, Lk.), see that ye hear to purpose. ἐν ᾧ μέτρῳ, etc. = careful hearing pays, the reward of _attention_ is _knowledge_ (ἐν ᾧ μέτρῳ μετρεῖτε τὴν προσοχὴν ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ μετρηθήσεται ὑμῖν ἡ γνῶσις, Euthy. Zig.). In Matthew 7:2 the apothegm is applied to ju... [ Continue Reading ]
καὶ ἔλεγεν, and He said, to whom? The disciples in private, or the crowd from the boat? The absence of αὐτοῖς after ἔλεγεν (_cf._ Mark 4:21; Mark 4:24) is not conclusive against the former, as Weiss and Meyer think. On the latter view Mark 4:21-25 are a parenthesis. In any case this new parable _ref... [ Continue Reading ]
_Parable of the Blade, the Ear, and the Full Corn_. Peculiar to Mark and beyond doubt a genuine utterance of Jesus, the doctrine taught being over the head of the reporter and the Apostolic Church generally.... [ Continue Reading ]
καθεύδῃ … ἡμέραν, sleep and rise night and day, suggestive of the monotonous life of a man who has nothing particular to do beyond waiting patiently for the result of what he has already done (seed sown). The presents express a habit, while βάλῃ, Mark 4:26, expresses an act, done once for all. βλαστ... [ Continue Reading ]
αὐτομάτη (αὐτός and μέμαα from absolute μάω, to desire eagerly), self-moved, spontaneously, without external aid, and also beyond external control; with a way and will, so to speak, of its own that must be respected and waited for. Classical examples in Wetstein, Kypke, Raphel, etc. καρποφορεῖ, bear... [ Continue Reading ]
παραδοῖ (παρυδόω), when the fruit _yields_ itself, or _permits_ (by being ripe). The latter sense (for which classical usage can be cited) is preferred by most recent commentators.... [ Continue Reading ]
πῶς … θῶμεν (_vide_ above). This introductory question, especially as given in the text of W.H [29], is very graphic = how shall we liken the Kingdom of God, or in (under) what parable shall we place it? The form of expression implies that something has been said before creating a need for figurativ... [ Continue Reading ]
_The Mustard Seed_ (Matthew 13:31-32; Luke 13:18-19).... [ Continue Reading ]
ὡς κόκκῳ : ὡς stands for ὁμοιώσωμεν = let us liken it to a grain, etc.; κόκκον would depend on θῶμεν. ὃς ὃταν σπαρῇ … καὶ ὅταν σπαρῇ : the construction of this passage as given in critical texts is very halting, offering a very tempting opportunity for emendation to the scribes who in the T. R. have... [ Continue Reading ]
μεῖζον π. τ. λαχάνων, the greatest of all the herbs, still only an herb; no word of a tree here as in Matthew and Luke, though comparatively tree-like in size, making great boughs (κλάδους μεγάλους), great relatively to its kind, not to forest trees. Mark's version here is evidently the more origina... [ Continue Reading ]
τοιαύταις π. π., with _such_ parables, many of them, He was speaking to them the word, implying that the three _sower; blade, ear and full corn; mustard seed_ are given as samples of the utterances from the boat, all of one type, about seed representing the word, and expressing Christ's feelings of... [ Continue Reading ]
_Conclusion of the parable collection_ (Matthew 13:34-35).... [ Continue Reading ]
χωρὶς παραβολῆς, etc., without a parable He was not wont to speak to the people, not merely that day, but at any time. ἐπέλυε, etc., He was in the habit of interpreting all things (_viz._, the parables in private to His own disciples, the Twelve, _cf._ ἐπιλύσεως, 2 Peter 1:20). This does not necessa... [ Continue Reading ]
_Crossing the lake_ (Matthew 8:18; Matthew 8:23-27; Luke 8:22-25). ἐν ἐκείνῃ τ. ἡ., on _that_ day, the day of the parable discourse, the more to be noted that Mark does not usually trouble himself about temporal connection. διέλθωμεν, let us cross over, spoken to the Twelve, who are in the boat with... [ Continue Reading ]
This verse describes the manner in which Christ's wish was carried out it was in effect a flight along the only line of retreat, the shore being besieged by the crowd = leaving (ἀφέντες, not dismissing) the crowd they carry Him off (_avehunt_, Grotius) as He was in the ship (ὡς ἦν = ὡς εἶχεν) _sine... [ Continue Reading ]
γίνεται λαῖλαψ : _cf._ Jonah 1:4, ἐγένετο κλύδων μέγας. ἐπέβαλλεν, were dashing (intransitive) against and into (εἰς) the ship. γεμίζεσθαι, so that already (ἤδη) the ship was _getting full_.... [ Continue Reading ]
τὸ προσκεφάλαιον, the pillow, a part of the ship, as indicated by the article (Bengel); no soft luxurious pillow, probably of wood (Theophy., Euthy.); “the leathern cushion of the steersman” (Maclear, Camb. N. T.); the low bench at the stern on which the steersman sometimes sits, and the captain som... [ Continue Reading ]
Observe the poetic parallelism in this verse: wind and sea separately addressed, and the corresponding effects separately specified: lulled wind, calmed sea. The evangelist realises the dramatic character of the situation. σιώπα, πεφίμωσο, silence! hush! laconic, majestic, probably the very words. ἐ... [ Continue Reading ]
τί δειλοί, etc., duality of expression again. Matthew gives the second phrase, Luke the gist of both.... [ Continue Reading ]
ἐφοβήθησαν φ. μ.: nearly the same phrase as in Jonah 1:16. τίς ἄρα οὗτός, who then is this? One would have thought the disciples had been prepared by this time for anything. Matthew indeed has οἱ ἄνθρωποι, suggestive of other than disciples, as if such surprise in _them_ were incongruous. But their... [ Continue Reading ]