Mark Chapter Five
A Legion of Demons Cast Out, 5:1-20.
(Matt. 8:28-34; Luke 8:26-40)
1. Gadarenes.—Both "Gadarenes" and "Gerasenes" are found in the manuscripts, but the preference is given to the latter. The same is true of the parallel in Luke. Matthew employs neither of these names, but calls the place "the country of the Gergesenes." The reason of the difference is not certainly known; but the conjecture of Alford, that the country of the Gergesenes was a part of the country of the Gerasenes, Matthew using the more specific designation, and Mark and Luke the more general one, is highly probable. (See Alford on Matt. 8:28.) The place designated was in the still larger district called Decapolis.
2. immediately there met him.—The demoniac did not wait for Jesus to draw near, but as soon as he came out of the ship, and while he was yet afar off (verse 6), the demons ran, in the person of their victim, to meet him and to do homage to him. They probably had two purposes in this: first, by cunning flattery and fawning to dissuade Jesus from casting them out; and second, to injure his cause by making it appear that there was friendship between him and themselves. (On the meaning and usage of the word demon, see the note on Matt. 8:16.)
a man.—Matthew says there were two men. The one mentioned and described by Mark and Luke was doubtless the fiercer and the more notorious of the two. Intending to speak particularly of him, and to say nothing about the other, they use the singular number throughout the account. (For examples of a similar usage, see the note on 11:2, and the references there given.)
3. among the tombs.—It may be that the demons selected the tombs as a dwelling-place, because of a preference for a place of gloom and seclusion; or it may be that their own bodies were buried there, and that on this account they had a fondness for the spot. It was certainly a very unnatural and undesirable dwelling-place for the man, especially as he was a Jew, educated to regard a burying-ground as an unclean place. Matthew adds that "no man might pass that way" (Matt. 8:28)—meaning, that the demoniac was dangerous.
4. fetters broken in pieces.—The fact that "no man could bind him" (that is, effectually), because he broke the chains and fetters that were put upon him, shows that he was possessed of supernatural strength. The normal strength of the human muscles depends largely on the force of will which is brought to bear on them. The multitude of demons seem to have concentrated their combined force of will on the man's muscles, and by this means imparted to him his amazing strength. It must have been at intervals of quietude that his friends succeeded in binding him and taking him home; but when the demons willed, he was thrown into a phrensy, and, bursting through all restraints, was driven out again into the mountains and the tombs.
5. crying, and cutting himself.—In the statement that he was "always, night and day," crying, and cutting himself with stones, the term "always" is explained by the expression "night and day:" he was there not merely all the day, but all through the night. His extreme wretchedness is accounted for in part, no doubt, by the struggle of the natural spirit to throw off the burden of the foreign spirits which possessed it, and in part by the unspeakable misery of these foreign spirits themselves. Certain it is that a wretchedness comparable only to that of wicked spirits in perdition, possessed the unfortunate man, and made hideous both the night and the day on that lonely mountain. Let the sinner listen to that cry, and learn what it is to be under the dominion of Satan.
6. and worshiped him.—Worshiped him in attitude only, by falling prostrate at his feet. (For the reason of this, see above on verse 2.)
7. cried with a loud voice.—In quoting the words of this outcry, Mark omits the question quoted by Matthew, "Art thou come to torment us before the time?" and he adds what Matthew omits, "I adjure thee by the living God that thou torment us not." (Comp. Matt. 8:29.) Doubtless both remarks were made, and in the order in which we have placed them: first, "Art thou come to torment us before the time?" and then, without waiting for an answer, "I adjure thee by the living God that thou torment me not."
8. For he said unto him.—The fact that Jesus said, "Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit," is given as the reason why the demon entreated Jesus not to torment him; and this implies that the command to come out was given before the outcry. The flattery and fawning of the demons, then (see note on verse 2), had been met by a prompt command to come out of the man, and had therefore failed of its purpose. It is further evident from the connection between the command and the outcry, that the demon considered it a torment to be driven out. His position in the man's person was a comparative relief from the torment which be experienced when utterly disembodied.
9. What is thy name?—This question naturally followed the entreaty of the demon. The case was so unusual that Jesus chose to develop it to the multitude, before commanding the demon into silence. The answer, "My name is legion, for we are many," at once brought out the fact that not a single demon, but a multitude of them, had possession of the man. A legion was a division of the Roman army, composed, when full, of six thousand men, but varying in number, like the brigades of a modern army, according to losses experienced in the service. The amazing fact is therefore developed in this case, that some thousands of evil spirits had crowded into this one unfortunate man. Their statement on this point is confirmed by the fact, that when they left the man they entered into the bodies of two thousand hogs. (Verse 13.)
10. he besought him.—Even after developing the fact that a legion of evil spirits were speaking, Mark still uses the singular number, doubtless on account of the fact that there was but one voice and one man through whose mouth they found utterance. The entreaty which they had begun when first commanded to come out of the man, is here continued, but the form of the request is, "that he would not send them away out of the country." Luke has it, "that he would not command them to go out into the deep" (ἀβυσσος), the abyss. The abyss, rendered "the bottomless pit" in Revelation 9:1, 2, 11, and in other places, was their proper abode. To be expelled from a man, under ordinary circumstances, was to be driven back into this abode, and consequently, to be sent away "out of the country." How they had managed to escape from the abyss and get into this man, is one of the unsolved mysteries of the spirit world. Knowing so little as we do of that world, we need not be surprised that we know not this.
11-13. he gave them leave.—After beseeching Jesus not to send them away out of the country, the demons besought him for permission to go into the swine, showing that in the bodies of these brutes they hoped to be less wretched than in the abyss. That he gave them leave, and thus permitted the destruction of so much property, is an isolated fact in the career of Jesus. The only instance approaching it is the blasting of the fig-tree, but it was a barren tree which cumbered the ground. He doubtless justified himself on the ground that the hog was an unclean animal according to the law; that the Jews who owned and those who herded them were engaged in an unlawful business; and that the loss of the property was a righteous retribution for their evil conduct.
the herd ran.—The demons could not control the hogs as they did the man. Phrensied by their presence, as the man had been, they rushed madly forward, and their heads being toward the lake, into it they rushed and were drowned. The death of the swine expelled the demons, and thus at last they were forced back into the abyss.
14. they that fed the swine.—The country was unfenced, and all kinds of stock were guarded by herdsmen. The swineherds had heard the outcry of the fierce demoniac as he ran to meet Jesus, and had watched with interest all that was done (Matt. 8:33); but when they saw that the demoniac had no sooner been quieted than their own hogs were seized with the phrensy which had left him and ran grunting and squealing down the precipice, they concluded it was time for them to leave. They took to their heels, some flying to the city, and some to the country, and told every body what had happened. As a matter of course, the people "went out to see what it was that was done."
15. sitting, and clothed.—Hitherto the demoniac had not worn any clothing (Luke 8:27), and he had been almost constantly in motion. Now he is sitting still; they have put clothes on him which he is wearing quietly; and he is in his right mind. The remark that he was "in his right mind," implies that he had been insane, as he certainly had been: but this detracts nothing from the reality of demon possession; it only shows that the presence of a foreign spirit within a man disturbed, as from the nature of the case it must, the normal workings of his own spirit.
16, 17. to pray him to depart.—The people were afraid of Jesus (verse 15), being filled with awe in the presence of his miraculous power. They knew not how soon the power which had delivered the man and destroyed the demons might be visited on them for their many sins, and therefore his presence was painful to them. They were somewhat in the condition of guilty Felix when he said to Paul, "Go thy way for this time: when I have a convenient season I will call for thee;" but unlike the unfortunate Roman governor, they subsequently became more favorably acquainted with Jesus. (See Mark 7:31-37.)
18. that he might be with him.—Very different were the feelings of the man who had been delivered from so great a death. If Jesus should leave him he knew not how soon the legion of demons might again possess him; so, like a little child who has awakened from a terrific dream, and cries for the presence of its mother, he begs Jesus for permission to "be with him." Thus it is with every true disciple: having been delivered by Jesus from the power of Satan, he knows no safety except in keeping close to the side of his Redeemer.
19, 20. Go... and tell.—Jesus here departs from his usual custom, and, instead of forbidding this man to tell what had been done, commands him to go and tell it. This was because he was about to depart from that region, leaving only this one proof of his power among that people, and avoiding the possibility of their gathering about him in superexcited multitudes. As the man went preaching, both the power and the compassion of Jesus were made known, and the people who had been frightened by the former were reassured by the latter. The man's preaching, moreover, had the greater effect, because he was remembered as the demoniac who made hideous the mountains and burial-places about the lakeshore, and he was himself a monument of the power and compassion which he proclaimed.
We leave this most interesting piece of history, one of the most suggestive, and one of the most carefully described of all the incidents recorded by Mark, with a feeling of thankfulness for the large amount of light which it throws on a very obscure subject.
The Ruler's Daughter, and the Bloody Issue, 21-43.
(Matt. 9:18-26; Luke 8:41-56)
21. when Jesus was passed over.—From the southeastern shore of the lake, where the legion of demons was cast out, Jesus passed over "to the other side;" or, as Matthew more definitely expresses it, "to his own city," which was Capernaum. (Matt. 9:1.) Matthew follows his account of this voyage with that of the healing of the paralytic, the call of Matthew, and the conversation about fasting; and states that, "While he spoke these things to them"—that is, the things about fasting—"a certain ruler came to him," etc. (Matt. 9:1-18.) Mark, having already mentioned these incidents in a different connection (2:1-22), omits them here, and passes immediately to the coming of the ruler, and, according to his usual method, he gives us the name of the ruler—Jairus.
22. fell at his feet.—This explains Matthew's statement, that "he worshiped him." He rendered homage to Jesus by falling at his feet. This was a lowly act for a ruler of a synagogue in the presence of the Man of Nazareth. But the ruler was now in trouble, and trouble often brings men to their senses.
23. My little daughter.—More exact than Matthew's report, which simply says, "My daughter." She was twelve years of age. (Verse 42.)
at the point of death.—Matthew reports him as saying, "even now dead." (Matt. 9:18.) The two reports are not at all inconsistent, but each writer, as in so many other places, reports a part only of what was said. The man made both remarks: "My little daughter is at the point of death. She is even now dead." The latter remark proved not to be strictly true, but he supposed it was; for he left her in a dying condition, and she was dead when they got back to the house.
25, 26. a certain woman.—The condition of this woman, including the long duration of her affliction, the vain efforts of many physicians to heal her, and the fact that she grew worse rather than better, is described, in order to show that her instantaneous cure by Jesus was an unmistakable and a very surprising miracle.
27-29. If I may touch.—Her faith in his power is shown by this remark which she made to herself, "If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole." She seems to have been led to this conclusion by what she had "heard of Jesus" (verse 27), rather than by what she had seen; and her ready faith received a rich reward when, upon touching his garment, she felt the thrill of health and vigor pass through her frame.
30. that virtue had gone out.—Not till the moment that the cure was effected did Jesus know what the woman was doing; and it seems that the virtue went out from him without any volition on his part. The heavenly Father was observing the woman, and caused virtue to go out from the Son to reward her implicit faith.
31. Thou seest the multitude.—It was strange to the disciples that he should ask, "Who touched me?" when the multitude were thronging him, and many were touching him every moment. They knew not the peculiar touch to which he referred.
33. fearing and trembling.—The manner of Jesus as he demanded," Who touched my clothes?" together with the well known fact that the touch of a person in her condition rendered one unclean (Lev. 15:19-25), caused her to fear that she had given a serious offense. For a moment the joy she felt in recovery was clouded by apprehension in regard to the means which she had employed; but instead of running away as with stolen treasure, she humbly "fell down before him and told him all the truth."
34. faith hath made thee whole.—The way in which her faith had made her whole is very apparent, and it illustrates the manner in which faith saves us from sin. It caused her to force her way through the crowd until she could touch the garment of him from whom the deliverance was to tome. Had she stopped short of this, her faith would not have made her whole. In like manner faith saves the sinner, not by the mere fact that he believes, but by that which it leads him to do. It brings him through the pangs of sorrow, and the deep resolve of repentance, to the public confession of Jesus and baptism into his name, and thus, by bringing him in the appointed way to Jesus who saves, it saves him.
35, 36. Be not afraid.—When the messengers from the house of the ruler, which they were still approaching, announced to him that his daughter was dead, they showed their despair by asking him, "Why troublest thou the Master any further?" The worst fears of Jairus were now realized, and he showed it in his countenance, if not by some word or action; but the reassuring words of Jesus, "Be not afraid, only believe," sustained his hope. This remark of the Savior points out the antagonism between faith and fear. To believe is to be not afraid; there is no man so fear less as the man of faith.
37. no man to follow him.—That is, into the house. The multitude who thronged him, and all of the twelve except the chosen three so often chosen for special privileges, were commanded to remain outside. This was to prevent the house from being overrun by a curious and excited crowd, and also to secure the fullest opportunity for the chosen witnesses to see clearly what was done.
38, 39. Why make ye this ado.—The gush of sorrow which followed the last breath of the little sufferer was now filling the house, and the confusion was unsuited to the calm and solemn act which Jesus was about to perform; hence his rebuke of those that "wept and wailed," and his attempt to quiet them by the assertion, "The damsel is not dead, but sleepeth." This last remark was justifiable because he intended to turn this death into a momentary sleep. (Comp. note on Matt 9:24.)
40. put them all out.—Out of the house. As they "laughed him to scorn," or, more properly, ridiculed him, for they were in no mood for laughing, he could secure the quiet which he desired only by removing them from the house. When thus removed, it is probable that their curiosity so far overcame their grief, that they waited silently to see what would be done.
he taketh the father—Just live persons were permitted to go with him into the room where the dead lay—the father and mother of the child, and the three chosen disciples. This was to guard against misconceptions and false reports. If the room had been crowded with an excited mass of men and women, only a few could have seen clearly what was done, or could have heard distinctly what was said; and, as a consequence, many incorrect stories might have gone abroad. But with only five besides himself, all could stand about the bed in full view of the damsel, all confusion was avoided, and a correct report from the lips of each one present was secured.
41, 42. with a great astonishment.—When the child was seen alive and well, walking and eating, the derision of the mourners and the incredulity of the messengers were turned into astonishment. The astonishment was great in proportion to the previous incredulity, and to the novelty of the event itself; for this was the first person whom Jesus had raised from the dead. No doubt, at the final resurrection of all the dead, those most astonished will be those who in life have "laughed to scorn" the promise of Jesus that "all who are in their graves shall hear the voice of the Son of man, and shall come forth."
43. that no man should know it.—That is, no man except those of the multitude who were present. It was not to be expected that all, or even any of them, would be entirely silent in reference to the event, but this charge would have a restraining influence, and would prevent much of the popular excitement which might otherwise result. It is remarkable that we read not of a single instance in which Jesus was requested to raise the dead: and the fact may be accounted for in part by this charge of privacy, indicating that he did not wish to be importuned for this exercise of his power.
something... to eat.—Her frame had doubtless been wasted away by sickness, and, though restored to life, was still emaciated. It was now to be reinvigorated by natural means, and these were promptly employed by the command of Jesus. Miraculous aid is given only where it alone can effect the divine purpose.
Argument of Section 5 The argument of this section is the same as that of the corresponding section in Matthew. (See Matt. 8:1-9:35.) It proves the divine power of Jesus by showing that he could control by a word the winds and the waves of the sea; could direct and compel the movements of demons; could by his touch remove incurable diseases; and could instantly raise the dead. In other words, it proves the sufficiency of his power to save to the uttermost all who come to him, by proving that all the dangers to which we are exposed, whether from the forces of the physical world, the malice of evil spirits, the power of disease, or the hand of death, may be averted at his command, and that they will be in behalf of all who put themselves under his protection.
A very marked distinction is observable between Mark's treatment of this argument, and that adopted by Matthew. The latter presents an array of ten miracles without much elaboration of any one of them; the former selects four out of the ten, and devotes almost as much space to these as Matthew does to the ten. The one writer depends more on the number of miracles reported, and the other on the character of those selected and on the minuteness with which they are described. Each mode of treatment has its advantages, and the wisdom of God is displayed in giving us both.
The New Testament Commentary: Vol. I - Matthew and Mark.
(Matt. 8:28-34; Luke 8:26-40)
1. Gadarenes.—Both "Gadarenes" and "Gerasenes" are found in the manuscripts, but the preference is given to the latter. The same is true of the parallel in Luke. Matthew employs neither of these names, but calls the place "the country of the Gergesenes." The reason of the difference is not certainly known; but the conjecture of Alford, that the country of the Gergesenes was a part of the country of the Gerasenes, Matthew using the more specific designation, and Mark and Luke the more general one, is highly probable. (See Alford on Matt. 8:28.) The place designated was in the still larger district called Decapolis.
2. immediately there met him.—The demoniac did not wait for Jesus to draw near, but as soon as he came out of the ship, and while he was yet afar off (verse 6), the demons ran, in the person of their victim, to meet him and to do homage to him. They probably had two purposes in this: first, by cunning flattery and fawning to dissuade Jesus from casting them out; and second, to injure his cause by making it appear that there was friendship between him and themselves. (On the meaning and usage of the word demon, see the note on Matt. 8:16.)
a man.—Matthew says there were two men. The one mentioned and described by Mark and Luke was doubtless the fiercer and the more notorious of the two. Intending to speak particularly of him, and to say nothing about the other, they use the singular number throughout the account. (For examples of a similar usage, see the note on 11:2, and the references there given.)
3. among the tombs.—It may be that the demons selected the tombs as a dwelling-place, because of a preference for a place of gloom and seclusion; or it may be that their own bodies were buried there, and that on this account they had a fondness for the spot. It was certainly a very unnatural and undesirable dwelling-place for the man, especially as he was a Jew, educated to regard a burying-ground as an unclean place. Matthew adds that "no man might pass that way" (Matt. 8:28)—meaning, that the demoniac was dangerous.
4. fetters broken in pieces.—The fact that "no man could bind him" (that is, effectually), because he broke the chains and fetters that were put upon him, shows that he was possessed of supernatural strength. The normal strength of the human muscles depends largely on the force of will which is brought to bear on them. The multitude of demons seem to have concentrated their combined force of will on the man's muscles, and by this means imparted to him his amazing strength. It must have been at intervals of quietude that his friends succeeded in binding him and taking him home; but when the demons willed, he was thrown into a phrensy, and, bursting through all restraints, was driven out again into the mountains and the tombs.
5. crying, and cutting himself.—In the statement that he was "always, night and day," crying, and cutting himself with stones, the term "always" is explained by the expression "night and day:" he was there not merely all the day, but all through the night. His extreme wretchedness is accounted for in part, no doubt, by the struggle of the natural spirit to throw off the burden of the foreign spirits which possessed it, and in part by the unspeakable misery of these foreign spirits themselves. Certain it is that a wretchedness comparable only to that of wicked spirits in perdition, possessed the unfortunate man, and made hideous both the night and the day on that lonely mountain. Let the sinner listen to that cry, and learn what it is to be under the dominion of Satan.
6. and worshiped him.—Worshiped him in attitude only, by falling prostrate at his feet. (For the reason of this, see above on verse 2.)
7. cried with a loud voice.—In quoting the words of this outcry, Mark omits the question quoted by Matthew, "Art thou come to torment us before the time?" and he adds what Matthew omits, "I adjure thee by the living God that thou torment us not." (Comp. Matt. 8:29.) Doubtless both remarks were made, and in the order in which we have placed them: first, "Art thou come to torment us before the time?" and then, without waiting for an answer, "I adjure thee by the living God that thou torment me not."
8. For he said unto him.—The fact that Jesus said, "Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit," is given as the reason why the demon entreated Jesus not to torment him; and this implies that the command to come out was given before the outcry. The flattery and fawning of the demons, then (see note on verse 2), had been met by a prompt command to come out of the man, and had therefore failed of its purpose. It is further evident from the connection between the command and the outcry, that the demon considered it a torment to be driven out. His position in the man's person was a comparative relief from the torment which be experienced when utterly disembodied.
9. What is thy name?—This question naturally followed the entreaty of the demon. The case was so unusual that Jesus chose to develop it to the multitude, before commanding the demon into silence. The answer, "My name is legion, for we are many," at once brought out the fact that not a single demon, but a multitude of them, had possession of the man. A legion was a division of the Roman army, composed, when full, of six thousand men, but varying in number, like the brigades of a modern army, according to losses experienced in the service. The amazing fact is therefore developed in this case, that some thousands of evil spirits had crowded into this one unfortunate man. Their statement on this point is confirmed by the fact, that when they left the man they entered into the bodies of two thousand hogs. (Verse 13.)
10. he besought him.—Even after developing the fact that a legion of evil spirits were speaking, Mark still uses the singular number, doubtless on account of the fact that there was but one voice and one man through whose mouth they found utterance. The entreaty which they had begun when first commanded to come out of the man, is here continued, but the form of the request is, "that he would not send them away out of the country." Luke has it, "that he would not command them to go out into the deep" (ἀβυσσος), the abyss. The abyss, rendered "the bottomless pit" in Revelation 9:1, 2, 11, and in other places, was their proper abode. To be expelled from a man, under ordinary circumstances, was to be driven back into this abode, and consequently, to be sent away "out of the country." How they had managed to escape from the abyss and get into this man, is one of the unsolved mysteries of the spirit world. Knowing so little as we do of that world, we need not be surprised that we know not this.
11-13. he gave them leave.—After beseeching Jesus not to send them away out of the country, the demons besought him for permission to go into the swine, showing that in the bodies of these brutes they hoped to be less wretched than in the abyss. That he gave them leave, and thus permitted the destruction of so much property, is an isolated fact in the career of Jesus. The only instance approaching it is the blasting of the fig-tree, but it was a barren tree which cumbered the ground. He doubtless justified himself on the ground that the hog was an unclean animal according to the law; that the Jews who owned and those who herded them were engaged in an unlawful business; and that the loss of the property was a righteous retribution for their evil conduct.
the herd ran.—The demons could not control the hogs as they did the man. Phrensied by their presence, as the man had been, they rushed madly forward, and their heads being toward the lake, into it they rushed and were drowned. The death of the swine expelled the demons, and thus at last they were forced back into the abyss.
14. they that fed the swine.—The country was unfenced, and all kinds of stock were guarded by herdsmen. The swineherds had heard the outcry of the fierce demoniac as he ran to meet Jesus, and had watched with interest all that was done (Matt. 8:33); but when they saw that the demoniac had no sooner been quieted than their own hogs were seized with the phrensy which had left him and ran grunting and squealing down the precipice, they concluded it was time for them to leave. They took to their heels, some flying to the city, and some to the country, and told every body what had happened. As a matter of course, the people "went out to see what it was that was done."
15. sitting, and clothed.—Hitherto the demoniac had not worn any clothing (Luke 8:27), and he had been almost constantly in motion. Now he is sitting still; they have put clothes on him which he is wearing quietly; and he is in his right mind. The remark that he was "in his right mind," implies that he had been insane, as he certainly had been: but this detracts nothing from the reality of demon possession; it only shows that the presence of a foreign spirit within a man disturbed, as from the nature of the case it must, the normal workings of his own spirit.
16, 17. to pray him to depart.—The people were afraid of Jesus (verse 15), being filled with awe in the presence of his miraculous power. They knew not how soon the power which had delivered the man and destroyed the demons might be visited on them for their many sins, and therefore his presence was painful to them. They were somewhat in the condition of guilty Felix when he said to Paul, "Go thy way for this time: when I have a convenient season I will call for thee;" but unlike the unfortunate Roman governor, they subsequently became more favorably acquainted with Jesus. (See Mark 7:31-37.)
18. that he might be with him.—Very different were the feelings of the man who had been delivered from so great a death. If Jesus should leave him he knew not how soon the legion of demons might again possess him; so, like a little child who has awakened from a terrific dream, and cries for the presence of its mother, he begs Jesus for permission to "be with him." Thus it is with every true disciple: having been delivered by Jesus from the power of Satan, he knows no safety except in keeping close to the side of his Redeemer.
19, 20. Go... and tell.—Jesus here departs from his usual custom, and, instead of forbidding this man to tell what had been done, commands him to go and tell it. This was because he was about to depart from that region, leaving only this one proof of his power among that people, and avoiding the possibility of their gathering about him in superexcited multitudes. As the man went preaching, both the power and the compassion of Jesus were made known, and the people who had been frightened by the former were reassured by the latter. The man's preaching, moreover, had the greater effect, because he was remembered as the demoniac who made hideous the mountains and burial-places about the lakeshore, and he was himself a monument of the power and compassion which he proclaimed.
We leave this most interesting piece of history, one of the most suggestive, and one of the most carefully described of all the incidents recorded by Mark, with a feeling of thankfulness for the large amount of light which it throws on a very obscure subject.
The Ruler's Daughter, and the Bloody Issue, 21-43.
(Matt. 9:18-26; Luke 8:41-56)
21. when Jesus was passed over.—From the southeastern shore of the lake, where the legion of demons was cast out, Jesus passed over "to the other side;" or, as Matthew more definitely expresses it, "to his own city," which was Capernaum. (Matt. 9:1.) Matthew follows his account of this voyage with that of the healing of the paralytic, the call of Matthew, and the conversation about fasting; and states that, "While he spoke these things to them"—that is, the things about fasting—"a certain ruler came to him," etc. (Matt. 9:1-18.) Mark, having already mentioned these incidents in a different connection (2:1-22), omits them here, and passes immediately to the coming of the ruler, and, according to his usual method, he gives us the name of the ruler—Jairus.
22. fell at his feet.—This explains Matthew's statement, that "he worshiped him." He rendered homage to Jesus by falling at his feet. This was a lowly act for a ruler of a synagogue in the presence of the Man of Nazareth. But the ruler was now in trouble, and trouble often brings men to their senses.
23. My little daughter.—More exact than Matthew's report, which simply says, "My daughter." She was twelve years of age. (Verse 42.)
at the point of death.—Matthew reports him as saying, "even now dead." (Matt. 9:18.) The two reports are not at all inconsistent, but each writer, as in so many other places, reports a part only of what was said. The man made both remarks: "My little daughter is at the point of death. She is even now dead." The latter remark proved not to be strictly true, but he supposed it was; for he left her in a dying condition, and she was dead when they got back to the house.
25, 26. a certain woman.—The condition of this woman, including the long duration of her affliction, the vain efforts of many physicians to heal her, and the fact that she grew worse rather than better, is described, in order to show that her instantaneous cure by Jesus was an unmistakable and a very surprising miracle.
27-29. If I may touch.—Her faith in his power is shown by this remark which she made to herself, "If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole." She seems to have been led to this conclusion by what she had "heard of Jesus" (verse 27), rather than by what she had seen; and her ready faith received a rich reward when, upon touching his garment, she felt the thrill of health and vigor pass through her frame.
30. that virtue had gone out.—Not till the moment that the cure was effected did Jesus know what the woman was doing; and it seems that the virtue went out from him without any volition on his part. The heavenly Father was observing the woman, and caused virtue to go out from the Son to reward her implicit faith.
31. Thou seest the multitude.—It was strange to the disciples that he should ask, "Who touched me?" when the multitude were thronging him, and many were touching him every moment. They knew not the peculiar touch to which he referred.
33. fearing and trembling.—The manner of Jesus as he demanded," Who touched my clothes?" together with the well known fact that the touch of a person in her condition rendered one unclean (Lev. 15:19-25), caused her to fear that she had given a serious offense. For a moment the joy she felt in recovery was clouded by apprehension in regard to the means which she had employed; but instead of running away as with stolen treasure, she humbly "fell down before him and told him all the truth."
34. faith hath made thee whole.—The way in which her faith had made her whole is very apparent, and it illustrates the manner in which faith saves us from sin. It caused her to force her way through the crowd until she could touch the garment of him from whom the deliverance was to tome. Had she stopped short of this, her faith would not have made her whole. In like manner faith saves the sinner, not by the mere fact that he believes, but by that which it leads him to do. It brings him through the pangs of sorrow, and the deep resolve of repentance, to the public confession of Jesus and baptism into his name, and thus, by bringing him in the appointed way to Jesus who saves, it saves him.
35, 36. Be not afraid.—When the messengers from the house of the ruler, which they were still approaching, announced to him that his daughter was dead, they showed their despair by asking him, "Why troublest thou the Master any further?" The worst fears of Jairus were now realized, and he showed it in his countenance, if not by some word or action; but the reassuring words of Jesus, "Be not afraid, only believe," sustained his hope. This remark of the Savior points out the antagonism between faith and fear. To believe is to be not afraid; there is no man so fear less as the man of faith.
37. no man to follow him.—That is, into the house. The multitude who thronged him, and all of the twelve except the chosen three so often chosen for special privileges, were commanded to remain outside. This was to prevent the house from being overrun by a curious and excited crowd, and also to secure the fullest opportunity for the chosen witnesses to see clearly what was done.
38, 39. Why make ye this ado.—The gush of sorrow which followed the last breath of the little sufferer was now filling the house, and the confusion was unsuited to the calm and solemn act which Jesus was about to perform; hence his rebuke of those that "wept and wailed," and his attempt to quiet them by the assertion, "The damsel is not dead, but sleepeth." This last remark was justifiable because he intended to turn this death into a momentary sleep. (Comp. note on Matt 9:24.)
40. put them all out.—Out of the house. As they "laughed him to scorn," or, more properly, ridiculed him, for they were in no mood for laughing, he could secure the quiet which he desired only by removing them from the house. When thus removed, it is probable that their curiosity so far overcame their grief, that they waited silently to see what would be done.
he taketh the father—Just live persons were permitted to go with him into the room where the dead lay—the father and mother of the child, and the three chosen disciples. This was to guard against misconceptions and false reports. If the room had been crowded with an excited mass of men and women, only a few could have seen clearly what was done, or could have heard distinctly what was said; and, as a consequence, many incorrect stories might have gone abroad. But with only five besides himself, all could stand about the bed in full view of the damsel, all confusion was avoided, and a correct report from the lips of each one present was secured.
41, 42. with a great astonishment.—When the child was seen alive and well, walking and eating, the derision of the mourners and the incredulity of the messengers were turned into astonishment. The astonishment was great in proportion to the previous incredulity, and to the novelty of the event itself; for this was the first person whom Jesus had raised from the dead. No doubt, at the final resurrection of all the dead, those most astonished will be those who in life have "laughed to scorn" the promise of Jesus that "all who are in their graves shall hear the voice of the Son of man, and shall come forth."
43. that no man should know it.—That is, no man except those of the multitude who were present. It was not to be expected that all, or even any of them, would be entirely silent in reference to the event, but this charge would have a restraining influence, and would prevent much of the popular excitement which might otherwise result. It is remarkable that we read not of a single instance in which Jesus was requested to raise the dead: and the fact may be accounted for in part by this charge of privacy, indicating that he did not wish to be importuned for this exercise of his power.
something... to eat.—Her frame had doubtless been wasted away by sickness, and, though restored to life, was still emaciated. It was now to be reinvigorated by natural means, and these were promptly employed by the command of Jesus. Miraculous aid is given only where it alone can effect the divine purpose.
Argument of Section 5 The argument of this section is the same as that of the corresponding section in Matthew. (See Matt. 8:1-9:35.) It proves the divine power of Jesus by showing that he could control by a word the winds and the waves of the sea; could direct and compel the movements of demons; could by his touch remove incurable diseases; and could instantly raise the dead. In other words, it proves the sufficiency of his power to save to the uttermost all who come to him, by proving that all the dangers to which we are exposed, whether from the forces of the physical world, the malice of evil spirits, the power of disease, or the hand of death, may be averted at his command, and that they will be in behalf of all who put themselves under his protection.
A very marked distinction is observable between Mark's treatment of this argument, and that adopted by Matthew. The latter presents an array of ten miracles without much elaboration of any one of them; the former selects four out of the ten, and devotes almost as much space to these as Matthew does to the ten. The one writer depends more on the number of miracles reported, and the other on the character of those selected and on the minuteness with which they are described. Each mode of treatment has its advantages, and the wisdom of God is displayed in giving us both.
The New Testament Commentary: Vol. I - Matthew and Mark.