_He entered again into the synagogue_ Luke says, _On another sabbath._
The synagogue seems not to have been at Capernaum, but in some city
which lay in his way as he went through Galilee. _And there was a man
which had a withered hand_ His hand was not only withered, but
contracted, as appears from... [ Continue Reading ]
_And the Pharisees went forth_, &c. From Matthew's observing that
_they held a council against him_, it seems probable that those of
them, with the scribes, who were present at this miracle, were members
of the sanhedrim, or great council; _with the Herodians_ As bitter as
they and the Pharisees usu... [ Continue Reading ]
_He goeth up into a mountain_ Thus Luke also represents him as
retiring to a mountain for solemn prayer, and indeed continuing all
night in that duty, before he made choice of twelve out of his
disciples, and appointed them to be apostles: thereby showing, that
much consideration and prayer ought to... [ Continue Reading ]
_He ordained_, Gr. εποιησε, _he made, constituted_, or
_appointed, twelve_ The word is elsewhere used for appointing to an
office. See 1 Samuel 12:6 Greek; Hebrews 3:2. Henry thinks our Lord
appointed them by imposition of hands, but of this there is no proof.
Indeed, this appointment seems to have... [ Continue Reading ]
_James and John he surnamed Boanerges_ “This word,” says Dr.
Hammond, “is the corruption of the Hebrew בני רעשּׁ, _benei
ragnash, sons of earthquake, tempest_, or any other _commotion_, such
as is here styled, βροντη, _thunder._ And the meaning of this
title may seem to be, that those two sons of Ze... [ Continue Reading ]
_And they went into a house_ It appears, from the manner in which Mark
here connects this with the names of the apostles, that it happened
very quickly after their being chosen. The other evangelists, indeed,
inform us of some previous events which happened in the meantime, but
they might be despatc... [ Continue Reading ]
_The scribes_ (and Pharisees, Mat 12:22) _who had come down from
Jerusalem_, &c. Purposely, on the devil's errand; and not without
success. For the common people now began to drink in the poison from
these learned, good, honourable men! _He hath Beelzebub_ At command;
is in league with him: _And by... [ Continue Reading ]
_Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit_ That is, because they
said, _he hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth out
devils, Mark 3:22_. Is it not astonishing that men who have ever read
these words should doubt what is the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost?
Can any words declar... [ Continue Reading ]
_There came then his brethren and his mother_ Having at length made
their way through the crowd, so as to come to the door. _His brethren_
are here named first, as being first and most earnest in the design of
taking him; _for neither did_ these of _his brethren believe on him._
They _sent to him, c... [ Continue Reading ]