Bible Commentaries

§ 103. — JESUS HAVING LEFT GALILEE, IN PEREA, DISCUSSES THE LAW OF MARRIAGE.

(See notes on Matthew 19:1-12.)

12. If a woman — By the Mosaic law the woman seems to have had no legal right to divorce her husband. Yet several instances appear in Jewish history, of a woman’s abandoning her husband and marrying another during the first husband’s life; nor does there seem to have been any law to punish such wickedness. Jesus virtually puts both sexes on a level in the Christian dispensation. Neither has a right to divorce for other cause than unchasteness, and neither, so divorced, has a right to marry again.

13. Touch them — In accordance, with the Old Testament custom.

Genesis 47:14. He should lay his right hand on them and pray the divine benediction upon them.

§ 104. — THE BLESSING OF YOUNG CHILDREN, Mark 10:13-16.

(See notes on Matthew 19:13-15, and Luke 18:15.)

§ 105. — POSSIBILITY OF A RICH MAN’S BEING SAVED, Mark 10:17-31.

(See notes on Matthew 19:23-30.)

32. Jesus… before them… amazed… followed — The picture is a very striking one. As our Lord is boldly starting to move forward, and is about leading on the way, his tremulous and trembling disciples hesitate in dismay at the prospect of going to the capital at the present time. Our Lord then pauses with them at the wayside to show that the destiny which he goes to meet is the divine destiny of his mission.

§ 107. — AMBITIOUS REQUEST OF SALOME FOR HER SONS, (See notes on Matthew 20:20-28.)

According to Matthew, the request is made by the mother of James and John. But if the two sons did not verbally make the request, they spoke through the mouth of their mother.

§ 106. — HIS SUFFERINGS AGAIN FORETOLD, Mark 10:32-34.

(See on Matthew 20:17-19.)

Our Lord is now on his final journey to Jerusalem, before his crucifixion.

46. Bartimeus — The word Bar in Hebrew signifies son, as Bar-Jesus, son of Jesus, (Acts 13:6,) Bar-Jona, Bar-tholemew. Bartimeus is son of Timeus. He seems to have been a well known blind beggar of that locality, and hence his name is given.

§ 108. — HEALING OF BLIND BARTIMEUS, Mark 10:46-52.

(See notes on Matthew 20:29-34.