--- title: "Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible" author: "Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown" languages: [en] shelf: "Commentaries" section: 613 of 927 url: https://scriptura.si/works/jamieson-fausset-brown-commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/613/ cite: "Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, section 613. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/jamieson-fausset-brown-commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/613/" --- # Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible *Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown* The Victorian standard commentary, critical and practical, from Genesis to Revelation. ## 613. Mark · 11 of 21 Source: https://scriptura.si/works/jamieson-fausset-brown-commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/613/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/jamieson-fausset-brown-commentary-critical-and-explanatory-on-the-whole-bible/613/#p-N [¶0] 12. And he sighed deeply in his spirit--The language is very strong. These glimpses into the interior of the Redeemer's heart, in which our Evangelist abounds, are more precious than rubies. The state of the Pharisaic heart, which prompted this desire for a fresh sign, went to His very soul. [¶1] and saith, Why doth this generation--"this wicked and adulterous generation" ([Mt 16:4]). [¶2] seek after a sign?--when they have had such abundant evidence already. [¶3] There shall no sign be given unto this generation--literally, "If there shall be given to this generation a sign"; a Jewish way of expressing a solemn and peremptory determination to the contrary (compare [He 4:5]; [Psa 95:11], Margin). "A generation incapable of appreciating such demonstrations shall not be gratified with them." In [Mt 16:4] He added, "but the sign of the prophet Jonas." (See on [Mt 12:39], .) [¶4] 13. And he left them--no doubt with tokens of displeasure. [¶5] and entering into the ship again, departed to the other side. [¶6] The Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees ([Mr 8:14-21]). [¶7] 14. Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf--This is another example of that graphic circumstantiality which gives such a charm to this briefest of the four Gospels. The circumstance of the "one loaf" only remaining, as Webster and Wilkinson remark, was more suggestive of their Master's recent miracles than the entire absence of provisions. [¶8] 15. And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees--"and of the Sadducees" ([Mt 16:6]). [¶9] and of the leaven of Herod--The teaching or "doctrine" ([Mt 16:12]) of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees was quite different, but both were equally pernicious; and the Herodians, though rather a political party, were equally envenomed against our Lord's spiritual teaching. See on [Mt 12:14]. The penetrating and diffusive quality of leaven, for good or bad, is the ground of the comparison. [¶10] 16. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread--But a little while ago He was tried with the obduracy of the Pharisees; now He is tried with the obtuseness of His own disciples. The nine questions following each other in rapid succession ([Mr 8:17-21]) show how deeply He was hurt at this want of spiritual apprehension, and worse still, their low thoughts of Him, as if He would utter so solemn a warning on so petty a subject. It will be seen, however, from the very form of their conjecture, "It is because we have no bread," and our Lord's astonishment that they should not by that time have known better with what He took up His attention--that He ever left the whole care for His own temporal wants to the Twelve: that He did this so entirely, that finding they were reduced to their last loaf they felt as if unworthy of such a trust, and could not think but that the same thought was in their Lord's mind which was pressing upon their own; but that in this they were so far wrong that it hurt His feelings--sharp just in proportion to His love--that such a thought of Him should have entered their minds! Who that, like angels, "desire to look into these things" will not prize such glimpses above gold? [¶11] 17. have ye your heart yet hardened?--How strong an expression to use of true-hearted disciples! See on [Mr 6:52]. [¶12] 18. Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not?--See on [Mt 13:13]. [¶13] and do ye not remember? [¶14] 19. When I brake the five loaves among five thousand--"the five thousand." [¶15] how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? &c. [¶16] 21. How is it that ye do not understand?--"do not understand that the warning I gave you could not have been prompted by any such petty consideration as the want of loaves in your scrip." Profuse as were our Lord's miracles, we see from this that they were not wrought at random, but that He carefully noted their minutest details, and desired that this should be done by those who witnessed, as doubtless by all who read the record of them. Even the different kind of baskets used at the two miraculous feedings, so carefully noted in the two narratives, are here also referred to; the one smaller, of which there were twelve, the other much larger, of which there were seven. [¶17] Blind Man at Bethsaida Restored to Sight ([Mr 8:22-26]). [¶18] 22. And he cometh to Bethsaida--Bethsaida Julias, on the northeast side of the lake, whence after this He proceeded to Cæsarea Philippi ([Mr 8:27]). [¶19] and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him--See on [Mr 7:32]. [¶20] 23. And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town--Of the deaf and dumb man it is merely said that "He took him aside" ([Mr 7:33]); but this blind man He led by the hand out of the town, doing it Himself rather than employing another--great humility, exclaims Bengel--that He might gain his confidence and raise his expectation. [¶21] and when he had spit on his eyes--the organ affected--See on [Mr 7:33]. [¶22] and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw aught. [¶23] 24. And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking--This is one of the cases in which one edition of what is called the received text differs from another. That which is decidedly the best supported, and has also internal evidence on its side is this: "I see men; for I see [them] as trees walking"--that is, he could distinguish them from trees only by their motion; a minute mark of truth in the narrative, as Alford observes, describing how human objects had appeared to him during that gradual failing of sight which had ended in blindness. [¶24] 25. After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up; and he was restored, and saw every man clearly--Perhaps the one operation perfectly restored the eyes, while the other imparted immediately the faculty of using them. It is the only recorded example of a progressive cure, and it certainly illustrates similar methods in the spiritual kingdom. Of the four recorded cases of sight restored, all the patients save one either came or were brought to the Physician. In the case of the man born blind, the Physician came to the patient. So some seek and find Christ; of others He is found who seek Him not. [¶25] 26. Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town--Besides the usual reasons against going about "blazing the matter," retirement in this case would be salutary to himself. ### Mr 8:27-38. Peter's Noble Confession of Christ--Our Lord's First Explicit Announcement of His Approaching Sufferings, Death, and Resurrection--His Rebuke of Peter, and Warning to All the Twelve. ( = [¶27] [Mt 16:13-27]; [Lu 9:18-26]). [¶28] For the exposition, see on [Mt 16:13-28]. ### Chapter 9 ### Mr 9:1-13. Jesus Is Transfigured--Conversation about Elias. ( = Mt 16:28-17:13; Lu 9:27-36) [¶31] See on [Lu 9:27-36]. ### Mr 9:14-32. Healing of a Demoniac Boy--Second Explicit Announcement of His Approaching Death and Resurrection. ( = Mt 17:14-23; Lu 9:37-45) [¶33] Healing of the Demoniac Boy ([Mr 9:14-29]). [¶34] 14. And when he came to his disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and the scribes questioning with them--This was "on the next day, when they were come down from the hill" ([Lu 9:37]). The Transfiguration appears to have taken place at night. In the morning, as He came down from the hill on which it took place--with Peter, and James, and John--on approaching the other nine, He found them surrounded by a great multitude, and the scribes disputing or discussing with them. No doubt these cavillers were twitting the apostles of Jesus with their inability to cure the demoniac boy of whom we are presently to hear, and insinuating doubts even of their Master's ability to do it; while they, zealous for their Master's honor, would no doubt refer to His past miracles in proof of the contrary. [¶35] 15. And straightway all the people--the multitude. [¶36] when they beheld him, were greatly amazed--were astounded. [¶37] and running to him saluted him--The singularly strong expression of surprise, the sudden arrest of the discussion, and the rush of the multitude towards Him, can be accounted for by nothing less than something amazing in His appearance. There can hardly be any doubt that His countenance still retained traces of His transfiguration-glory. (See [Ex 34:29], ). So Bengel, De Wette, Meyer, Trench, Alford. No wonder, if this was the case, that they not only ran to Him, but saluted Him. Our Lord, however, takes no notice of what had attracted them, and probably it gradually faded away as He drew near; but addressing Himself to the scribes, He demands the subject of their discussion, ready to meet them where they had pressed hard upon His half-instructed and as yet timid apostles. [¶38] 16. And he asked the scribes, What question ye with them?--Ere they had time to reply, the father of the boy, whose case had occasioned the dispute, himself steps forward and answers the question; telling a piteous tale of deafness, and dumbness, and fits of epilepsy--ending with this, that the disciples, though entreated, could not perform the cure. [¶39] 17. And one of the multitude answered, and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son--"mine only child" ([Lu 9:38]). [¶40] which hath a dumb spirit--a spirit whose operation had the effect of rendering his victim speechless, and deaf also ([Mr 9:25]). In Matthew's report of the speech ([Mt 17:15]), the father says "he is lunatic"; this being another and most distressing effect of the possession. [¶41] 18. And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him; and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away--rather, "becomes withered," "dried up," or "paralyzed"; as the same word is everywhere else rendered in the New Testament. Some additional particulars are given by Luke, and by our Evangelist below. "Lo," says he in [Lu 9:39], "a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly [or with difficulty] departeth from him." [¶42] and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not--Our Lord replies to the father by a severe rebuke to the disciples. As if wounded at the exposure before such a multitude, of the weakness of His disciples' faith, which doubtless He felt as a reflection on Himself, He puts them to the blush before all, but in language fitted only to raise expectation of what He Himself would do. [¶43] 19. He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation--"and perverse," or "perverted" ([Mt 17:17]; [Lu 9:41]). [¶44] how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you?--language implying that it was a shame to them to want the faith necessary to perform this cure, and that it needed some patience to put up with them. It is to us surprising that some interpreters, as Chrysostom and Calvin, should represent this rebuke as addressed, not to the disciples at all, but to the scribes who disputed with them. Nor does it much, if at all, mend the matter to view it as addressed to both, as most expositors seem to do. With Bengel, De Wette, and Meyer, we regard it as addressed directly to the nine apostles who were unable to expel this evil spirit. And though, in ascribing this inability to their "want of faith" and the "perverted turn of mind" which they had drunk in with their early training, the rebuke would undoubtedly apply, with vastly greater force, to those who twitted the poor disciples with their inability, it would be to change the whole nature of the rebuke to suppose it addressed to those who had no faith at all, and were wholly perverted. It was because faith sufficient for curing this youth was to be expected of the disciples, and because they should by that time have got rid of the perversity in which they had been reared, that Jesus exposes them thus before the rest. And who does not see that this was fitted, more than anything else, to impress upon the by-standers the severe loftiness of the training He was giving to the Twelve, and the unsophisticated footing He was on with them?