31 And G2532 they reasoned G3049 with G4314 themselves, G1438 saying, G3004 If G1437 we shall say, G2036 From G1537 heaven; G3772 he will say, G2046 Why G1302 then G3767 did ye G4100 not G3756 believe G4100 him? G846
And G1161 as G5130 they departed, G4198 Jesus G2424 began G756 to say G3004 unto the multitudes G3793 concerning G4012 John, G2491 What G5101 went ye G1831 out into G1519 the wilderness G2048 to see? G2300 A reed G2563 shaken G4531 with G5259 the wind? G417 But G235 what G5101 went ye out G1831 for to see? G1492 A man G444 clothed G294 in G1722 soft G3120 raiment? G2440 behold, G2400 they that wear G5409 soft G3120 clothing are G1526 in G1722 kings' G935 houses. G3624 But G235 what G5101 went ye out G1831 for to see? G1492 A prophet? G4396 yea, G3483 I say G3004 unto you, G5213 and G2532 more G4055 than a prophet. G4396 For G1063 this G3778 is G2076 he, of G4012 whom G3739 it is written, G1125 Behold, G2400 I G1473 send G649 my G3450 messenger G32 before G4253 thy G4675 face, G4383 which G3739 shall prepare G2680 thy G4675 way G3598 before G1715 thee. G4675 Verily G281 I say G3004 unto you, G5213 Among G1722 them that are born G1084 of women G1135 there hath G1453 not G3756 risen G1453 a greater than G3187 John G2491 the Baptist: G910 notwithstanding G1161 he that is least G3398 in G1722 the kingdom G932 of heaven G3772 is G2076 greater than G3187 he. G846 And G1161 from G575 the days G2250 of John G2491 the Baptist G910 until G2193 now G737 the kingdom G932 of heaven G3772 suffereth violence, G971 and G2532 the violent G973 take G726 it G846 by force. G726 For G1063 all G3956 the prophets G4396 and G2532 the law G3551 prophesied G4395 until G2193 John. G2491 And G2532 if G1487 ye will G2309 receive G1209 it, this G846 is G2076 Elias, G2243 which G3588 was for G3195 to come. G2064
The baptism G908 of John, G2491 whence G4159 was it? G2258 from G1537 heaven, G3772 or G2228 of G1537 men? G444 And G1161 they reasoned G1260 with G3844 themselves, G1438 saying, G3004 If G1437 we shall say, G2036 From G1537 heaven; G3772 he will say G2046 unto us, G2254 Why G1302 did ye G4100 not G3756 then G3767 believe G4100 him? G846 But G1161 if G1437 we shall say, G2036 Of G1537 men; G444 we fear G5399 the people; G3793 for G1063 all G3956 hold G2192 John G2491 as G5613 a prophet. G4396 And G2532 they answered G611 Jesus, G2424 and said, G2036 We cannot G3756 tell. G1492 And G2532 he G846 said G5346 unto them, G846 Neither G3761 tell G3004 I G1473 you G5213 by G1722 what G4169 authority G1849 I do G4160 these things. G5023
Whether G5101 of G1537 them twain G1417 did G4160 the will G2307 of his father? G3962 They say G3004 unto him, G846 The first. G4413 Jesus G2424 saith G3004 unto them, G846 Verily G281 I say G3004 unto you, G5213 That G3754 the publicans G5057 and G2532 the harlots G4204 go G4254 into G1519 the kingdom G932 of God G2316 before G4254 you. G5209 For G1063 John G2491 came G2064 unto G4314 you G5209 in G1722 the way G3598 of righteousness, G1343 and G2532 ye believed G4100 him G846 not: G3756 but G1161 the publicans G5057 and G2532 the harlots G4204 believed G4100 him: G846 and G1161 ye, G5210 when ye had seen G1492 it, repented G3338 not G3756 afterward, G5305 that ye might believe G4100 him. G846
He that hath G2192 the bride G3565 is G2076 the bridegroom: G3566 but G1161 the friend G5384 of the bridegroom, G3566 which G3588 standeth G2476 and G2532 heareth G191 him, G846 rejoiceth G5463 greatly G5479 because G1223 of the bridegroom's G3566 voice: G5456 this G3778 my G1699 joy G5479 therefore G3767 is fulfilled. G4137 He G1565 must G1163 increase, G837 but G1161 I G1691 must decrease. G1642 He that cometh G2064 from above G509 is G2076 above G1883 all: G3956 he that is G5607 of G1537 the earth G1093 is G2076 earthly, G1537 G1093 and G2532 speaketh G2980 of G1537 the earth: G1093 he that cometh G2064 from G1537 heaven G3772 is G2076 above G1883 all. G3956 And G2532 what G3739 he hath seen G3708 and G2532 heard, G191 that G5124 he testifieth; G3140 and G2532 no man G3762 receiveth G2983 his G846 testimony. G3141 He that hath received G2983 his G846 testimony G3141 hath set to his seal G4972 that G3754 God G2316 is G2076 true. G227 For G1063 he whom G3739 God G2316 hath sent G649 speaketh G2980 the words G4487 of God: G2316 for G1063 God G2316 giveth G1325 not G3756 the Spirit G4151 by G1537 measure G3358 unto him. The Father G3962 loveth G25 the Son, G5207 and G2532 hath given G1325 all things G3956 into G1722 his G846 hand. G5495 He that believeth G4100 on G1519 the Son G5207 hath G2192 everlasting G166 life: G2222 and G1161 he that believeth not G544 the Son G5207 shall G3700 not G3756 see G3700 life; G2222 but G235 the wrath G3709 of God G2316 abideth G3306 on G1909 him. G846
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Mark 11
Commentary on Mark 11 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 11
Mr 11:1-11. Christ's Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, on the First Day of the Week. ( = Mt 21:1-9; Lu 19:29-40; Joh 12:12, 19).
See on Lu 19:29-40.
Mr 11:11-26. The Barren Fig Tree Cursed with Lessons from It—Second Cleansing of the Temple, on the Second and Third Days of the Week. ( = Mt 21:12-22; Lu 19:45-48).
11. And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon—surveyed.
all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out into Bethany with the twelve—Thus briefly does our Evangelist dispose of this His first day in Jerusalem, after the triumphal entry. Nor do the Third and Fourth Gospels give us more light. But from Matthew (Mt 21:10, 11, 14-16) we learn some additional and precious particulars, for which see on Lu 19:45-48. It was not now safe for the Lord to sleep in the city, nor, from the day of His Triumphal Entry, did He pass one night in it, save the last fatal one.
The Barren Fig Tree Cursed (Mr 11:12-14).
12. And on the morrow—The Triumphal Entry being on the first day of the week, this following day was Monday.
when they were come from Bethany—"in the morning" (Mt 21:18).
he was hungry—How was that? Had he stolen forth from that dear roof at Bethany to the "mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God?" (Lu 6:12); or, "in the morning," as on a former occasion, "risen up a great while before day, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed" (Mr 1:35); not breaking His fast thereafter, but bending His steps straight for the city, that He might "work the works of Him that sent Him while it was day?" (Joh 9:4). We know not, though one lingers upon and loves to trace out the every movement of that life of wonders. One thing, however we are sure of—it was real bodily hunger which He now sought to allay by the fruit of this fig tree, "if haply He might find any thing thereon"; not a mere scene for the purpose of teaching a lesson, as some early heretics maintained, and some still seem virtually to hold.
13. And seeing a fig tree—(In Mt 21:19, it is "one fig tree," but the sense is the same as here, "a certain fig tree," as in Mt 8:19, &c.). Bethphage, which adjoined Bethany, derives its name from its being a fig region—"House of figs."
afar off having leaves—and therefore promising fruit, which in the case of figs come before the leaves.
he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet—What the precise import of this explanation is, interpreters are not agreed. Perhaps all that is meant is, that as the proper fig season had not arrived, no fruit would have been expected even of this tree but for the leaves which it had, which were in this case prematurely and unnaturally developed.
14. And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever—That word did not make the tree barren, but sealed it up in its own barrenness. See on Mt 13:13-15.
And his disciples heard it—and marked the saying. This is introduced as a connecting link, to explain what was afterwards to be said on the subject, as the narrative has to proceed to the other transactions of this day.
Second Cleansing of the Temple (Mr 11:15-18).
For the exposition of this portion, see on Lu 19:45-48.
Lessons from the Cursing of the Fig Tree (Mr 11:20-26).
20. And in the morning—of Tuesday, the third day of the week: He had slept, as during all this week, at Bethany.
as they passed by—going into Jerusalem again.
they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots—no partial blight, leaving life in the root; but it was now dead, root and branch. In Mt 21:19 it is said it withered away as soon as it was cursed. But the full blight had not appeared probably at once; and in the dusk perhaps, as they returned to Bethany, they had not observed it. The precision with which Mark distinguishes the days is not observed by Matthew, intent only on holding up the truths which the incident was designed to teach. In Matthew the whole is represented as taking place at once, just as the two stages of Jairus' daughter—dying and dead—are represented by him as one. The only difference is between a more summary and a more detailed narrative, each of which only confirms the other.
21. And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him—satisfied that a miracle so very peculiar—a miracle, not of blessing, as all His other miracles, but of cursing—could not have been wrought but with some higher reference, and fully expecting to hear something weighty on the subject.
Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away—so connecting the two things as to show that he traced the death of the tree entirely to the curse of his Lord. Matthew (Mt 21:20) gives this simply as a general exclamation of surprise by the disciples "how soon" the blight had taken effect.
22. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
23. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed … he shall have whatsoever he saith—Here is the lesson now. From the nature of the case supposed—that they might wish a mountain removed and cast into the sea, a thing far removed from anything which they could be thought actually to desire—it is plain that not physical but moral obstacles to the progress of His kingdom were in the Redeemer's view, and that what He designed to teach was the great lesson, that no obstacle should be able to stand before a confiding faith in God.
24. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them—This verse only generalizes the assurance of Mr 11:23; which seems to show that it was designed for the special encouragement of evangelistic and missionary efforts, while this is a directory for prevailing prayer in general.
25. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any; that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses, &c.—This is repeated from the Sermon on the Mount (see on Mt 6:12); to remind them that if this was necessary to the acceptableness of all prayer, much more when great things were to be asked and confidently expected.
Mr 11:27-33. The Authority of Jesus Questioned—His Reply. ( = Mt 21:23-27; Lu 20:1-8).
See on Mt 21:23-27.