Bible Commentaries

Mark 14:1. τὸ πάσχα, the passover) This is said in a strict sense, as in Mark 14:12; for τὰ ἄζυμα, “the feast of unleavened bread,” is added.— μετὰ δυὸ ἡμέρας) That is to say on the following day.¹

Mark 14:3. πιστικῆς, genuine) French veritable [So marg. of Eng. Vers., pure, or else liquid; but its text, ointment of spikenard”]. Pliny, on the contrary, mentions Pseudo-nardum. Nonnus lengthens the middle syllable in πιστικῆς; viz. as if formed from Pista, a city of the Indians in the region of Cabul; a region from which most of the aromatic perfumes even already at that time used to be derived; see Lud. de Dieu, in Act, p. 133. But πιστᾶιος; would rather be the form, if derived from the proper name, [ συντρίψασα, having broken) That none of the ointment might remain in the vessel, which, had it been of glass, would have burst asunder into a number of fragments.—V. g.]

Mark 14:5. ἐπάνω τριακοσίων, above three hundred) It may be doubted whether they could have accurately estimated its value. It is a phrase, resembling an adage [At all events almost 5000 men might have been fed for two hundred denarii; therefore one may judge that that sum was to be estimated as of much higher value.—V. g.]

Mark 14:7. τοὺς πτωχοὺς, the poor) Whom ye speak of.— ὅταν, if [whensoever]) ye will, as ye here show [by your very remark as to the poor].— δύνασθε, ye can) Never is there any one so needy, as to be able to give nothing.— ἔχετε ye have) thus present with you as now. It is not always that such an honour can be conferred on me.

Mark 14:8. ὅ, What) An abbreviated mode of expression; i.e. What she had, she has freely bestowed; and what she could, she hath done; or else, what she had [it in her power] to do, she hath done.— αὕτη, she, emphatically coheres with ἔσχεν, she had. Hardly any one else of those, who were in attendance on Jesus, had so costly ointment. It was divinely designed and appointed for the purpose of this being done.— προέλαβε, she has anticipated [she is come aforehand] to) It would not have been becoming for the body of Christ, which knew not corruption, to have been anointed after death; on this account it was anointed beforehand.

Mark 14:9. εἰς ὅλον, throughout the whole) In all its wide extent.— ἅυτη, she) Demonstratively.

Mark 14:11. ἐχάρησαν, they were glad) They felt joy, and they testified it.

Mark 14:12. τὸ πάσχα ἔθυον, they killed [sacrificed] the passover) viz. The Jews, according to the commandment of the law, and therefore so also the disciples, were killing it.—V. g.]

Mark 14:13. ἀπαντήσει, there shall meet) A wonderful sign: 1) that a person is about to meet them: 2) that person a man: 3) that man alone: 4) that too, immediately: 5) he should be bearing a vessel: 6) and that vessel, one of earthenware [ κεράμιον]: 7) and containing water: 8) and that, too, going to the house which the disciples were looking for [It was in deep humiliation, even like as an ordinary Israelite, that Christ ate the Passover Lamb; wherefore He put forth His glory into exercise in the preparation for it.—V. g.]

Mark 14:14. ποῦ ἐστι, where is) It is taken for granted in this question, that there is some guest chamber already prepared through the providence of the Lord.

Mark 14:15. ἀνάγαιον μέγα, a large supper-room [upper room]) It is probable, that Jesus had before this kept the passover in the houses of other inhabitants of the city; but this Passover Himself celebrated [marking it] with greater solemnity.— ἐστρωμένον, laid out) with carpets. This householder had been guided by Divine Providence. This circumstance illustrates the omniscience of Jesus, more than if it had been laid out (paved) with precious stones.— ἑτοιμάσατε, make ready). The verb is neuter; Luke 9:52.

Mark 14:16. εὗρον, they found) Attended with [having the effect of] the confirmation of their faith, their admiring wonder and joy.

Mark 14:19. εἷς καθεῖς) So John 8:9, and ὁ δὲ καθεῖς; Romans 12:5.— ὁ καθεὶς δὲ τὼν φίλων; 3 Maccabees 5:31. From κατὰ (not καὶ εἶτα) and εἷς comes καθεὶς, of similar formation to ὀυδεὶς, μηδεὶς, unless you prefer accenting it καθεῖς, in order to distinguish it from the participle καθεὶς; κατὰ is used adverbially, as ἀνὰ μετά.

Mark 14:20. ἐμβαπτόμενος, that teas dipping [but Eng. Vers., that dippeth in]) With his own hand; this is the force of the middle voice. The participle is in the imperfect tense, as ὢν is used in John 9:25, and ἐρχόμενος in 2 John v. 7.

Mark 14:22. ἄρτον, bread) Mark does not add the article.— μον, my) Understand, which is given for you, to be supplied by implication from Mark 14:24 [My blood, which is shed for many].

Mark 14:23. καὶ ἔπιον ἐξ αὐτοῦ πάντες, and they all drank of it) This clause interposed between the words of the Lord is an argument, that the words, This is My body, this is My blood, were said, during the time whilst they were eating, and whilst they were drinking. Whence the evangelists either prefix or else subjoin those words; comp. note, Matthew 3:7. All drank, even Judas; for who is there that will say that Judas might have stolen away from the company in the midst of the supper? [Comp. Mark 14:17-18; Mark 14:22] [Nay, even in Mark 14:31, we may suppose that, under the word all, Judas is even still included. It is not unlikely that he crossed the brook Kedron along with the Saviour and the disciples, and after that acted as conductor to the armed band which was waiting for Him in the neighbourhood.—Harm. p. 528.]

Mark 14:27. γέγραπται, it is written) Comp. Matthew 26:31, note.

Mark 14:30. σὺ, thou) In antithesis to “yet will not I,” Mark 14:29.— ἢ δὶς, before that twice) A very striking circumstance, that Peter would not collect [recover] himself at the first cock-crowing. [Comp. note on Matthew 26:34.]

Mark 14:31. ἐκ περισσοῦ μᾶλλον, the rather, the more exceedingly). Comp. ch. Mark 7:36, note. Peter, in this passage, rather ( μᾶλλον) spake of his own stedfastness, than trusted [believed] in the words of Jesus.

Mark 14:33. ἐκθαμβεῖσθαι, Hesychius writes, ἔκθαυβος, ἔκπληκτος. Eustathius, θαμβεῖν, τὸ ἐπὶ θέᾳ τινὸς ἐκπλήττεσθαι.²

[35. παρέλθῃ ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ ἡ ὥρα, the hour might pass from Him) The hour, He saith. Jesus knew that the cup would speedily be drained, and His passion speedily be terminated; and as heretofore He had been sure of the issue being good, so not even now had He any room for doubting it. This certainty of the issue does not in any degree detract from the love either of the Son delivering Himself up, or even of the Father delivering His Son up for us. Yet the cup and the hour struck Jesus with anguish; for which reason He prayed for their passing from Him, subject to the condition of the Father’s will, and the possibility of the case.—Harm. p. 527.]

Mark 14:36. ἀββᾶ ὁ πατὴρ, Abba Father) Mark seems to have added Father, by way of interpretation: For Matthew, ch. Matthew 26:39; Matthew 26:42, says that what was said by Jesus was simply, “My Father:” Luke, ‘Father,’ Matthew 22:42. on the cross, He said Eli, Eli.— τὶ, what) The question in the case, saith He, is not what I will, but what Thou wilt.

Mark 14:41. καὶ ἔρχεται, and He cometh) The third departure [Mark 14:39, “He went away”] is taken for granted, as well as the third offering of the same prayer.— καθεύδετε, sleep on) Matthew 26:45, note.— ἀπέχει, it is enough) Sleep has its turn [the office which it sustains] by this time fully served: now there is another business before us [And though ye do not regard my efforts to awaken and rouse you, yet your rest is being (must now be) broken.—V. g.]

Mark 14:44. ἀσφαλῶς, with due precaution [safety]) The traitor was afraid, lest Jesus should slip from their hands [Therefore the wretched man was now no longer anxious merely about gaining the thirty pieces of silver, but was hurried along by a deadly hatred against Jesus.—V. g.]

Mark 14:51. σινδόνα, a linen cloth) He was therefore rich, Matthew 11:8.— ἐπὶ γυμνοῦ, upon his naked) viz. body. He had perhaps by this time gone to bed.— κρατοῦσιν, lay hold) He had not been desired to follow. No one tried to apprehend the disciples: this young man was apprehended by either the armed men or others.³

Mark 14:52. γυμνὸς ἔφυγεν, fled naked) He fled, the night not being without the light of the moon: fear overcame shame, in the case of such great danger.

Mark 14:53. συνέρχονται αὐτῷ, are assembled with him) By his edict.

Mark 14:54. ΄ετὰ τῶν ὑπηρετῶν, with the attendants) Often a fall is incurred more easily in the presence of such as servants, who are less feared, than among their masters, [the great].— θερμαινόμενος, warming himself) Often under care for the body the soul is neglected.— φῶς, the light) Appropriately light is the expression used instead of fire: Peter was recognised by the light, when under other circumstances he might have been safer: comp. Mark 14:67.

Mark 14:60. οὐκ; τί; answerest thou not? What is it that, etc.?) Two distinct interrogations.⁴

Mark 14:61. εὐλογητοῦ, of the Blessed) ברוך, the Blessed God.

[62. ἐγώ ἐιμι, I am) Jesus, when His enemies spake false witness against Him, and when His disciples withdrew themselves from the confession of the truth, Himself made an open profession of the truth.—V. g.]

Mark 14:65. ἤρξαντο, began) A new step in their dealings with Him.— ὑπηρέται, the servants) who used to have in their hands ῥάβδοι, rods,⁵

Mark 14:66. κάτω, beneath) There seem to have been a flight of steps there.

Mark 14:69. ἡ παιδίσκη, the maid [not as Engl. Ver. ⁶ maid]) That same maid: or else a second one, so that the πάλιν, again, may be connected with the participle alone, ἰδοῦσα, having seen him.⁷— τοῖς παρεστηκόσιν, to them that stood by) She said it then in the spirit of joking, not with intent to hurt him [Comp. note on Matthew 26:69].— ἐξ αὐτῶν, of them) The expression, of them, shows, that speaking against Jesus and His disciples was most common and frequent.

Mark 14:72. ἐπιβαλὼν ἔκλαιε, he betook himself) To weeping, or, as Stapulensis interprets it, He broke forth into weeping. The French happily express it, il sc mit à pleurer Theophr. charact., περὶ λογοποιΐας· εὐθὺς ἐρωτῆσαι— καὶ ἐπιβαλὼν ἐρωτᾶν: as to which see Casaubon [Engl. Ver., When he thought thereon.]