1 And G2547 he arose G450 from thence, G2547 and cometh G2064 into G1519 the coasts G3725 of Judaea G2449 by G1223 the farther side G4008 of Jordan: G2446 and G2532 the people G3793 resort G4848 unto G4314 him G846 again; G3825 and, G2532 as G5613 he was wont, G1486 he taught G1321 them G846 again. G3825
2 And G2532 the Pharisees G5330 came to him, G4334 and asked G1905 him, G846 Is it G1487 lawful G1832 for a man G435 to put away G630 his wife? G1135 tempting G3985 him. G846
3 And G1161 he answered G611 and said G2036 unto them, G846 What G5101 did Moses G3475 command G1781 you? G5213
4 And G1161 they said, G2036 Moses G3475 suffered G2010 to write G1125 a bill G975 of divorcement, G647 and G2532 to put her away. G630
5 And G2532 Jesus G2424 answered G611 and said G2036 unto them, G846 For G4314 the hardness G4641 of your G5216 heart G4641 he wrote G1125 you G5213 this G5026 precept. G1785
6 But G1161 from G575 the beginning G746 of the creation G2937 God G2316 made G4160 them G846 male G730 and G2532 female. G2338
7 For this cause G1752 G5127 shall G2641 a man G444 leave G2641 his G846 father G3962 and G2532 mother, G3384 and G2532 cleave G4347 to G4314 his G846 wife; G1135
8 And G2532 they twain G1417 shall be G2071 one G1519 G3391 flesh: G4561 so then G5620 they are G1526 no more G3765 twain, G1417 but G235 one G3391 flesh. G4561
9 What G3739 therefore G3767 God G2316 hath joined together, G4801 let G5563 not G3361 man G444 put asunder. G5563
10 And G2532 in G1722 the house G3614 his G846 disciples G3101 asked G1905 him G846 again G3825 of G4012 the same G846 matter.
11 And G2532 he saith G3004 unto them, G846 Whosoever G3739 G1437 shall put away G630 his G846 wife, G1135 and G2532 marry G1060 another, G243 committeth adultery G3429 against G1909 her. G846
12 And G2532 if G1437 a woman G1135 shall put away G630 her G846 husband, G435 and G2532 be married G1060 to another, G243 she committeth adultery. G3429
13 And G2532 they brought G4374 young children G3813 to him, G846 that G2443 he should touch G680 them: G846 and G1161 his disciples G3101 rebuked G2008 those that brought G4374 them.
14 But G1161 when Jesus G2424 saw G1492 it, he was much displeased, G23 and G2532 said G2036 unto them, G846 Suffer G863 the little children G3813 to come G2064 unto G4314 me, G3165 and G2532 forbid G2967 them G846 not: G3361 for G1063 of such G5108 is G2076 the kingdom G932 of God. G2316
15 Verily G281 I say G3004 unto you, G5213 Whosoever G3739 shall G1209 not G3362 receive G1209 the kingdom G932 of God G2316 as G5613 a little child, G3813 he shall G1525 not G3364 enter G1525 therein. G1519 G846
16 And G2532 he took G1723 them G846 up in his arms, G1723 put G5087 his hands G5495 upon G1909 them, G846 and blessed G2127 them. G846
17 And G2532 when he was gone forth G1607 into G1519 the way, G846 G3598 there came G4370 one G1520 running, G4370 and G2532 kneeled G1120 to him, G846 and asked G1905 him, G846 Good G18 Master, G1320 what G5101 shall I do G4160 that G2443 I may inherit G2816 eternal G166 life? G2222
18 And G1161 Jesus G2424 said G2036 unto him, G846 Why G5101 callest thou G3004 me G3165 good? G18 there is none G3762 good G18 but G1508 one, G1520 that is, God. G2316
19 Thou knowest G1492 the commandments, G1785 Do G3431 not G3361 commit adultery, G3431 Do G5407 not G3361 kill, G5407 Do G2813 not G3361 steal, G2813 Do G5576 not G3361 bear false witness, G5576 Defraud G650 not, G3361 Honour G5091 thy G4675 father G3962 and G2532 mother. G3384
20 And G1161 he answered G611 and said G2036 unto him, G846 Master, G1320 all G3956 these G5023 have I observed G5442 from G1537 my G3450 youth. G3503
21 Then G1161 Jesus G2424 beholding G1689 him G846 loved G25 him, G846 and G2532 said G2036 unto him, G846 One thing G1520 thou G4671 lackest: G5302 go thy way, G5217 sell G4453 whatsoever G3745 thou hast, G2192 and G2532 give G1325 to the poor, G4434 and G2532 thou shalt have G2192 treasure G2344 in G1722 heaven: G3772 and G2532 come, G1204 take up G142 the cross, G4716 and follow G190 me. G3427
22 And G1161 he was sad G4768 at G1909 that saying, G3056 and went away G565 grieved: G3076 for G1063 he had G2192 G2258 great G4183 possessions. G2933
23 And G2532 Jesus G2424 looked round about, G4017 and saith G3004 unto his G846 disciples, G3101 How G4459 hardly G1423 shall they that have G2192 riches G5536 enter G1525 into G1519 the kingdom G932 of God! G2316
24 And G1161 the disciples G3101 were astonished G2284 at G1909 his G846 words. G3056 But G1161 Jesus G2424 answereth G611 again, G3825 and saith G3004 unto them, G846 Children, G5043 how G4459 hard G1422 is it G2076 for them that trust G3982 in G1909 riches G5536 to enter G1525 into G1519 the kingdom G932 of God! G2316
25 It is G2076 easier G2123 for a camel G2574 to go G1525 G1330 through G1223 the eye G5168 of a needle, G4476 than G2228 for a rich man G4145 to enter G1525 into G1519 the kingdom G932 of God. G2316
26 And G1161 they were astonished G1605 out of measure, G4057 saying G3004 among G4314 themselves, G1438 G2532 Who G5101 then can G1410 be saved? G4982
27 And G1161 Jesus G2424 looking upon G1689 them G846 saith, G3004 With G3844 men G444 it is impossible, G102 but G235 not G3756 with G3844 God: G2316 for G1063 with G3844 God G2316 all things G3956 are G2076 possible. G1415
28 Then G2532 Peter G4074 began G756 to say G3004 unto him, G846 Lo, G2400 we G2249 have left G863 all, G3956 and G2532 have followed G190 thee. G4671
29 And G1161 Jesus G2424 answered G611 and said, G2036 Verily G281 I say G3004 unto you, G5213 There is G2076 no man G3762 that G3739 hath left G863 house, G3614 or G2228 brethren, G80 or G2228 sisters, G79 or G2228 father, G3962 or G2228 mother, G3384 or G2228 wife, G1135 or G2228 children, G5043 or G2228 lands, G68 for my G1700 sake, G1752 and G2532 the gospel's, G2098
30 But G3362 he shall receive G2983 an hundredfold G1542 now G3568 in G1722 this G5129 time, G2540 houses, G3614 and G2532 brethren, G80 and G2532 sisters, G79 and G2532 mothers, G3384 and G2532 children, G5043 and G2532 lands, G68 with G3326 persecutions; G1375 and G2532 in G1722 the world G165 to come G2064 eternal G166 life. G2222
31 But G1161 many G4183 that are first G4413 shall be G2071 last; G2078 and G2532 the last G2078 first. G4413
32 And G1161 they were G2258 in G1722 the way G3598 going up G305 to G1519 Jerusalem; G2414 and G2532 Jesus G2424 went G2258 before G4254 them: G846 and G2532 they were amazed; G2284 and G2532 as they followed, G190 they were afraid. G5399 And G2532 he took G3880 again G3825 the twelve, G1427 and began G756 to tell G3004 them G846 what things should G3195 happen G4819 unto him, G846
33 Saying, G3754 Behold, G2400 we go up G305 to G1519 Jerusalem; G2414 and G2532 the Son G5207 of man G444 shall be delivered G3860 unto the chief priests, G749 and G2532 unto the scribes; G1122 and G2532 they shall condemn G2632 him G846 to death, G2288 and G2532 shall deliver G3860 him G846 to the Gentiles: G1484
34 And G2532 they shall mock G1702 him, G846 and G2532 shall scourge G3146 him, G846 and G2532 shall spit upon G1716 him, G846 and G2532 shall kill G615 him: G846 and G2532 the third G5154 day G2250 he shall rise again. G450
35 And G2532 James G2385 and G2532 John, G2491 the sons G5207 of Zebedee, G2199 come G4365 unto him, G846 saying, G3004 Master, G1320 we would G2309 that G2443 thou shouldest do G4160 for us G2254 whatsoever G3739 G1437 we shall desire. G154
36 And G1161 he said G2036 unto them, G846 What G5101 would G2309 ye that I G3165 should do G4160 for you? G5213
37 G1161 They said G2036 unto him, G846 Grant G1325 unto us G2254 that G2443 we may sit, G2523 one G1520 on G1537 thy G4675 right hand, G1188 and G2532 the other G1520 on G1537 thy G4675 left hand, G2176 in G1722 thy G4675 glory. G1391
38 But G1161 Jesus G2424 said G2036 unto them, G846 Ye know G1492 not G3756 what G5101 ye ask: G154 can ye G1410 drink G4095 of the cup G4221 that G3739 I G1473 drink of? G4095 and G2532 be baptized G907 with the baptism G908 that G3739 I G1473 am baptized with? G907
39 And G1161 they said G2036 unto him, G846 We can. G1410 And G1161 Jesus G2424 said G2036 unto them, G846 Ye shall G4095 indeed G3303 drink G4095 of the cup G4221 that G3739 I G1473 drink of; G4095 and G2532 with the baptism G908 that G3739 I G1473 am baptized withal G907 shall ye be baptized: G907
40 But G1161 to sit G2523 on G1537 my G3450 right hand G1188 and G2532 on G1537 my G3450 left hand G2176 is G2076 not G3756 mine G1699 to give; G1325 but G235 it shall be given to them for whom G3739 it is prepared. G2090
41 And G2532 when the ten G1176 heard G191 it, they began G756 to be much displeased G23 with G4012 James G2385 and G2532 John. G2491
42 But G1161 Jesus G2424 called G4341 them G846 to him, and saith G3004 unto them, G846 Ye know G1492 that G3754 they which are accounted G1380 to rule G757 over the Gentiles G1484 exercise lordship G2634 over them; G846 and G2532 their G846 great ones G3173 exercise authority G2715 upon them. G846
43 But G1161 so G3779 shall it G2071 not G3756 be G2071 among G1722 you: G5213 but G235 whosoever G3739 G1437 will G2309 be G1096 great G3173 among G1722 you, G5213 shall be G2071 your G5216 minister: G1249
44 And G2532 whosoever G3739 G302 of you G5216 will G2309 be G1096 the chiefest, G4413 shall be G2071 servant G1401 of all. G3956
45 For G1063 even G2532 the Son G5207 of man G444 came G2064 not G3756 to be ministered unto, G1247 but G235 to minister, G1247 and G2532 to give G1325 his G846 life G5590 a ransom G3083 for G473 many. G4183
46 And G2532 they came G2064 to G1519 Jericho: G2410 and G2532 as he G846 went G1607 out of G575 Jericho G2410 with G2532 his G846 disciples G3101 and G2532 a great G2425 number of people, G3793 blind G5185 Bartimaeus, G924 the son G5207 of Timaeus, G5090 sat G2521 by G3844 the highway side G3598 begging. G4319
47 And G2532 when he heard G191 that G3754 it was G2076 Jesus G2424 of Nazareth, G3480 he began G756 to cry out, G2896 and G2532 say, G3004 Jesus, G2424 thou Son G5207 of David, G1138 have mercy G1653 on me. G3165
48 And G2532 many G4183 charged G2008 him G846 that G2443 he should hold his peace: G4623 but G1161 he cried G2896 the more G3123 a great deal, G4183 Thou Son G5207 of David, G1138 have mercy G1653 on me. G3165
49 And G2532 Jesus G2424 stood still, G2476 and commanded G2036 him G846 to be called. G5455 And G2532 they call G5455 the blind man, G5185 saying G3004 unto him, G846 Be of good comfort, G2293 rise; G1453 he calleth G5455 thee. G4571
50 And G1161 he, casting away G577 his G846 garment, G2440 rose, G450 and came G2064 to G4314 Jesus. G2424
51 And G2532 Jesus G2424 answered G611 and said G3004 unto him, G846 What G5101 wilt G2309 thou that I should do G4160 unto thee? G4671 G1161 The blind man G5185 said G2036 unto him, G846 Lord, G4462 that G2443 I might receive my sight. G308
52 And G1161 Jesus G2424 said G2036 unto him, G846 Go thy way; G5217 thy G4675 faith G4102 hath made G4982 thee G4571 whole. G4982 And G2532 immediately G2112 he received his sight, G308 and G2532 followed G190 Jesus G2424 in G1722 the way. G3598
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Mark 10
Commentary on Mark 10 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 10
Mr 10:1-12. Final Departure from Galilee—Divorce. ( = Mt 19:1-12; Lu 9:51).
See on Mt 19:1-12.
Mr 10:13-16. Little Children Brought to Christ. ( = Mt 19:13-15; Lu 18:15-17).
See on Lu 18:15-17.
Mr 10:17-31. The Rich Young Ruler. ( = Mt 19:16-30; Lu 18:18-30).
See on Lu 18:18-30.
Mr 10:32-45. Third Explicit and Still Fuller Announcement of His Approaching Sufferings, Death, and Resurrection—The Ambitious Request of James and John, and the Reply. ( = Mt 20:17-28; Lu 18:31-34).
Third Announcement of His approaching Sufferings, Death, and Resurrection (Mr 10:32-34).
32. And they were in the way—on the road.
going up to Jerusalem—in Perea, and probably somewhere between Ephraim and Jericho, on the farther side of the Jordan, and to the northeast of Jerusalem.
and Jesus went before them—as Grotius says, in the style of an intrepid Leader.
and they were amazed—or "struck with astonishment" at His courage in advancing to certain death.
and as they followed, they were afraid—for their own safety. These artless, lifelike touches—not only from an eye-witness, but one whom the noble carriage of the Master struck with wonder and awe—are peculiar to Mark, and give the second Gospel a charm all its own; making us feel as if we ourselves were in the midst of the scenes it describes. Well might the poet exclaim:
"The Saviour, what a noble flame
Was kindled in His breast,
When, hasting to Jerusalem,
He march'd before the rest!"
Cowper
And he took again the twelve—referring to His previous announcements on this sad subject.
and began to tell them what things should happen unto him—"were going to befall Him." The word expresses something already begun but not brought to a head, rather than something wholly future.
33. Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem—for the last time, and—"all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished" (Lu 18:31).
the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles—This is the first express statement that the Gentiles would combine with the Jews in His death; the two grand divisions of the human race for whom He died thus taking part in crucifying the Lord of Glory, as Webster and Wilkinson observe.
34. And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again—Singularly explicit as this announcement was, Luke (Lu 18:34) says "they understood none of these things; and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken." The meaning of the words they could be at no loss to understand, but their import in relation to His Messianic kingdom they could not penetrate; the whole prediction being right in the teeth of their preconceived notions. That they should have clung so tenaciously to the popular notion of an "unsuffering" Messiah, may surprise us; but it gives inexpressible weight to their after-testimony to a suffering and dying Saviour.
Ambitious Request of James and John—The Reply (Mr 10:35-45).
35. And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying—Matthew (Mt 20:20) says their "mother came to Him with her sons, worshipping Him and desiring," &c. (Compare Mt 27:56, with Mr 15:40). Salome was her name (Mr 16:1). We cannot be sure with which of the parties the movement originated; but as our Lord, even in Matthew's account, addresses Himself to James and John, taking no account of the mother, it is likely the mother was merely set on by them. The thought was doubtless suggested to her sons by the recent promise to the Twelve of "thrones to sit on, when the Son of man should sit on the throne of His glory" (Mt 19:28); but after the reproof so lately given them (Mr 9:33, &c.) they get their mother to speak for them.
Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire—thus cautiously approaching the subject.
36. And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you?—Though well aware what was in their mind and their mother's, our Lord will have the unseemly petition uttered before all.
37. Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory—that is, Assign to us the two places of highest honor in the coming kingdom. The semblance of a plea for so presumptuous a request might possibly have been drawn from the fact that one of the two usually leaned on the breast of Jesus, or sat next Him at meals, while the other was one of the favored three.
38. But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask—How gentle the reply to such a request, preferred at such a time, after the sad announcement just made!
can ye drink of the cup that I drink of?—To "drink of a cup" is in Scripture a figure for getting one's fill either of good (Ps 16:5; 23:5; 116:13; Jer 16:7) or of ill (Ps 75:8; Joh 18:11; Re 14:10). Here it is the cup of suffering.
and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?—(Compare for the language, Ps 42:7). The object of this question seems to have been to try how far those two men were capable of the dignity to which they aspired and this on the principle that he who is able to suffer most for His sake will be the nearest to Him in His kingdom.
39. And they said unto him, We can—Here we see them owning their mother's petition for them as their own; and doubtless they were perfectly sincere in professing their willingness to follow their Master to any suffering He might have to endure. As for James, he was the first of the apostles who was honored, and showed himself able to be baptized with his Master's baptism of blood (Ac 12:1, 2); while John, after going through all the persecutions to which the infant Church was exposed from the Jews, and sharing in the struggles and sufferings occasioned by the first triumphs of the Gospel among the Gentiles, lived to be the victim, after all the rest had got to glory, of a bitter persecution in the evening of his days, for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. Yes, they were dear believers and blessed men, in spite of this unworthy ambition, and their Lord knew it; and perhaps the foresight of what they would have to pass through, and the courageous testimony He would yet receive from them, was the cause of that gentleness which we cannot but wonder at in His reproof.
And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized—No doubt this prediction, when their sufferings at length came upon them, cheered them with the assurance, not that they would sit on His right and left hand—for of that thought they would be heartily ashamed—but that "if they suffered with Him, they should be also glorified together."
40. But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand in not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared—"of My Father" (Mt 20:23). The supplement which our translators have inserted is approved by some good interpreters, and the proper sense of the word rendered "but" is certainly in favor of it. But besides that it makes the statement too elliptical—leaving too many words to be supplied—it seems to make our Lord repudiate the right to assign to each of His people his place in the kingdom of glory; a thing which He nowhere else does, but rather the contrary. It is true that He says their place is "prepared for them by His Father." But that is true of their admission to heaven at all; and yet from His great white throne Jesus will Himself adjudicate the kingdom, and authoritatively invite into it those on His right hand, calling them the "blessed of His Father"; so little inconsistency is there between the eternal choice of them by His Father, and that public adjudication of them, not only to heaven in general, but each to his own position in it, which all Scripture assigns to Christ. The true rendering, then, of this clause, we take it, is this: "But to sit on My right hand and on My left hand is not Mine to give, save to them for whom it is prepared." When therefore He says, "It is not Mine to give," the meaning is, "I cannot give it as a favor to whomsoever I please, or on a principle of favoritism; it belongs exclusively to those for whom it is prepared," &c. And if this be His meaning, it will be seen how far our Lord is from disclaiming the right to assign to each his proper place in His Kingdom; that on the contrary, He expressly asserts it, merely announcing that the principle of distribution is quite different from what these petitioners supposed. Our Lord, it will be observed, does not deny the petition of James and John, or say they shall not occupy the place in His kingdom which they now improperly sought:—for aught we know, that may be their true place. All we are sure of is, that their asking it was displeasing to Him "to whom all judgment is committed," and so was not fitted to gain their object, but just the reverse. (See what is taught in Lu 14:8-11). One at least of these brethren, as Alford strikingly remarks, saw on the right and on the left hand of their Lord, as He hung upon the tree, the crucified thieves; and bitter indeed must have been the remembrance of this ambitious prayer at that moment.
41. And when the ten heard it, they began to be much displeased with James and John—or "were moved with indignation," as the same word is rendered in Mt 20:24. The expression "began to be," which is of frequent occurrence in the Gospels, means that more passed than is expressed, and that we have but the result. And can we blame the ten for the indignation which they felt? Yet there was probably a spice of the old spirit of rivalry in it, which in spite of our Lord's recent lengthened, diversified, and most solemn warnings against it, had not ceased to stir in their breasts.
42. But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule—are recognized or acknowledged as rulers.
over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them: and their great ones exercise authority upon them—as superiors exercising an acknowledged authority over inferiors.
43. But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister—a subordinate servant.
44. And whosoever of you will be the chiefest—or "first."
shall be—that is, "let him be," or "shall be he who is prepared to be."
servant of all—one in the lowest condition of service.
45. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many—"instead of many," that is, "In the kingdom about to be set up, this principle shall have no place. All My servants shall there be equal; and the only greatness known to it shall be the greatness of humility and devotedness to the service of others. He that goes down the deepest in these services of self-denying humility shall rise the highest and hold the chiefest place in that kingdom; even as the Son of man, whose abasement and self-sacrifice for others, transcending all, gives Him of right a place above all!" As "the Word in the beginning with God," He was ministered unto; and as the risen Redeemer in our nature He now is ministered unto, "angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto Him" (1Pe 3:22); but not for this came He hither. The Served of all came to be the Servant of all; and His last act was the grandest Service ever beheld by the universe of God—"He Gave His Life a Ransom for Many!", &c. "Many" is here to be taken, not in contrast with few or with all, but in opposition to one—the one Son of man for the many sinners.
Mr 10:46-52. Blind Bartimaeus Healed. ( = Mt 20:29-34; Lu 18:35-43).
See on Lu 18:35-43.