Bede, in Marc., 1, 7: Since by the envy of the devil death first entered into the world, it was right that the medicine of healing should first work against the author of death; and therefore it is said, "And there was in their synagogue a man, etc."
Pseudo-Chrysostom:, Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.: The word, Spirit, is applied to an Angel, the air, the soul, and even the Holy Ghost. Lest therefore by the sameness of the name we should fall into error, he adds, "unclean." And he is called unclean on account of his impiousness and far removal from God, and because he employs himself in all unclean and wicked works.
Augustine, City of God, 21: Moreover, how great is the power which the lowliness of God, appearing in the form of a servant, has over the pride of devils, the devils themselves know so well, that they express it to the same Lord clothed in the weakness of flesh. For there follows, "And he cried out, saying, What have we to do we Thee, Jesus of Nazareth, etc."
For it is evident in these words that there was in them knowledge, but there was not charity; and the reason was, that they feared their punishment from Him, and loved not the righteousness in Him.
Bede: For the devils, seeing the Lord on the earth, thought that they were immediately to be judged.
Pseudo-Chrysostom:, Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.: Or else the devil so speaks, as if he said, ’by taking away uncleanness, and giving to the souls of men divine knowledge, Thou allowest us no place in men.’
Theophylact: For to come out of man the devil considers as his own perdition; for devils are ruthless, thinking that they suffer some evil, so long as they are not troubling men. There follows, "I know that Thou art the Holy One of God."
Pseudo-Chrysostom:, Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.: As if he said, Methinks that Thou art come; for he had not a firm and certain knowledge of the coming of God. But he calls Him "holy" not as one of many, for every prophet was also holy, but he proclaims that the was the One holy; by the article in Greek he shews Him to be the One, but by his fear he shews Him to be Lord of all.
Augustine: For He was known to them in that degree in which He wished to be known; and He wished as much as was fitting. He was not known to them as to the holy Angels, who enjoy Him by partaking of His eternity according as He is the Word of God; but as He was to be made known in terror, to those beings from whose tyrannical power He was about to free the predestinate.He was known therefore to the devils, not in that He is eternal Life, [see [1Jo 5:5], [Joh 17:3]] but by some temporal effects of His Power, which might be more clear to the angelic senses of even bad spirits than to the weakness of men.
Pseudo-Chrysostom:, Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.: Further, the Truth did not wish to have the witness of unclean spirits.
Wherefore there follows, "And Jesus threatened him, saying, etc." Whence a healthful precept is given to us; let us not believe devils, howsoever they may proclaim the truth. It goes on, "And the unclean spirit tearing him, etc."
For because the man spoke as one in his senses and uttered his words with discretion, lest it should be thought that he put together his words not from the devil but out of his own heart, He permitted the man to be torn by the devil, that He might shew that it was the devil who spoke.Theophylact: That they might know, when they saw it, from how great an evil the man was freed, and on account of the miracle might believe.
Bede: But it may appear to be a discrepancy, that he should have gone out of him, tearing him, or, as some copies have it, vexing him, when, according to Luke, he did not hurt him. But Luke himself says, "When He had cast him into the midst, he came out of him, without hurting him." [[Luk 4:35]] Wherefore it is inferred that Mark meant by vexing or tearing him, what Luke expresses in the words, "When He had cast him into the midst;" so that what he goes on to say, "And did not hurt him," may be understood to mean that the tossing of his limbs and vexing did not weaken him, as devils are wont to come out even with the cutting off and tearing away of limbs. But seeing the power of the miracle, they wonder at the newness of our Lord’s doctrine, and are roused to search into what they had heard by what they had seen. Wherefore there follows, "And they all wondered, etc."
For miracles were done that they might more firmly believe the Gospel of the kingdom of God, which was being preached, since those who were promising heavenly joys to men on earth, were shewing forth heavenly things and divine works even on earth. For before (as the Evangelist says) "He was teaching them as one who had power," and now, as the crowd witnesses, "with power He commands the evil spirits, and they obey Him." It goes on, "And immediately His fame spread abroad, etc."
Gloss: For those things which men wonder at they soon divulge, for "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." [[Mat 12:34]]
Pseudo-Jerome: Moreover, Capernaum is mystically interpreted the town of consolation, and the sabbath as rest. The man with an evil spirit is healed by rest and consolation, that the place and time may agree with his healing. This man with an unclean spirit is the human race, in which uncleanness reigned from Adam to Moses; [[Rom 5:14]] for "they sinned without law," and "perished without law." [[Rom 2:12]] and he, knowing the Holy One of God, is ordered to hold his peace, for they "knowing God did not glorify him as God," [[Rom 1:21]] but "rather served the creature than the Creator." [[Rom 1:25]]
The spirit tearing the man came out of him. When salvation is near, temptation is at hand also. Pharaoh, when about to let [Source note: ed. note: Al. ’dismissus ab Israel’] Israel go, pursues Israel; the devil, when despised, rises up to create scandals.
Ver. 29. And forthwith, when they were come out of the synagogue, they entered into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.30. But Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell him of her.31. And He came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them.
Bede, in Marc., 1, 7: First, it was right that the serpent’s tongue should be shut up, that it might not spread any more venom; then that the woman, who was first seduced, should be healed from the fever of carnal concupiscence. Wherefore it is said, "And forthwith, when they were come out of the synagogue, etc."
Theophylact: He retired then as the custom was on the sabbath-day about evening to eat in His disciples’ house. But she who ought to have ministered was prevented by a fever. Wherefore it goes on, "But Simon’s wife’s mother was lying sick of a fever."
Pseudo-Chrysostom:, Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc., 1, 32: But the disciples, knowing that they were to receive a benefit by that means, without waiting for the evening prayed that Peter’s mother should be healed. Wherefore there follows, "who immediately tell Him of her."
Bede: But in the Gospel of Luke it is written that "they besought Him for her." [[Luk 4:38]] For the Saviour sometimes after being asked, sometimes of His own accord, heals the sick, shewing that He always assents to the prayers of the faithful, when they pray also against bad passions, and sometimes gives them to understand things which they do not understand at all, or else, when they pray unto Him dutifully, forgives their want of understanding; as the Psalmist begs of God, "Cleanse me, O Lord, from my secret faults." [[Psa 19:12]] Wherefore He heals her at their request; for there follows, "And He came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up."
Theophylact: By this it is signified, that God will heal a sick man, if he ministers to the Saints, through love to Christ.
Bede, in Marc., 1, 6: But in that He gives most profusely His gifts of healing and doctrine on the sabbath day, He teaches, that He is not under the Law, but above the Law, and does not choose the Jewish sabbath, but the true sabbath, and our rest is pleasing to the Lord, if, in order to attend to the health of our souls, we abstain from slavish work, that is, from all unlawful things. It goes on, "And immediately the fever left her, etc."
Bede, in Marc., 1, 8: The health which is conferred at the command of the Lord, returns at once entire, accompanied with such strength that she is able to minister to those of whose help she had before stood in need.
Again, if we suppose that the man delivered from the devil means, in the moral way of interpretation, the soul purged from unclean thoughts, fitly does the woman cured of a fever by the command of God mean the flesh, restrained from the heat of it concupiscence by the precepts of continence.
Pseudo-Jerome: For the fever means intemperance, from which, we the sons of the synagogue [Source note: ed. note: See St. Augustine on Ps 72, no. 4, 5, "Ecclesia Socrus Synagogue." The Church is called the daughter of the Synagogue in the spurious ’Altercatio Eccles. et Synagog.’ (Aug. Opp t. viii, p. 19.) They word ’synagogue’ is applied to the Church by Justin M. Dial, see Tryph, p. 160 (Ben.) Clem. Alex. Str. vi, 633.] , by the hand of discipline, and by the lifting up of our desires, are healed, and minister to the will of Him who heals us.
Theophylact: But he has a fever who is angry, and in the unruliness of his anger stretches forth his hands to do hurt; but if reason restrains his hands, he will arise, and so serve reason.
Ver. 32. And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto Him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils.33. And all the city was gathered together at the door.34. And He healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew Him.
Theophylact: Because the multitude thought that it was not lawful to heal on the sabbath day, they waited for the evening, to bring those who were to be healed to Jesus. Wherefore it is said, "And at even, when the sun had set." There follows, "and He healed many that were vexed with divers diseases."
Pseudo-Chrysostom:, Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.: Now in that he says "many", all are to be understood according to the Scripture mode of expression.
Theophylact: Or he says, "many", because there were some faithless persons, who could not at all be cured on account of their unfaithfulness. Therefore He healed many of those who were brought, that is, all who had faith. It goes on, "and cast out many devils."
Pseudo-Augustine, Quaest. e Vet. et Nov. Test. 16: For the devils knew that He was the Christ, who had been promised by the Law: for they saw in Him all the signs which had been foretold by the Prophets; but they were ignorant of His divinity, as also were "their princes, for if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." [[1Co 2:2]]
Bede: For, Him whom the devil had known as a man, wearied by His forty days’ fast, without being able by tempting Him to prove whether He was the Son of God, he now by the power of His miracles understood or rather suspected to be the Son of God. The reason therefore why he persuaded the Jews to crucify Him, was not because he did not think that He was the Son of God, but because he did not foresee that he himself was to be condemned by Christ’s death.
Theophylact: Furthermore, the reason that He forbade the devils to speak, was to teach us not to believe them, even if they say true. For if once they find persons to believe them, they mingle truth with falsehood.
Pseudo-Chrysostom:, Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.: And Luke does not contradict this, when he says, that "devils came out of many, crying out and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God:" [[Luk 4:41]] for he subjoins, "And He rebuking them, suffered them not to speak;" for Mark, who passes over many things for the sake of brevity, speaks about what happened subsequently to the abovementioned words.
Bede: Again, in a mystical sense, the setting of the sun signifies the passion of Him, who said, "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." [[Joh 9:5]] And when the sun was going down, more demoniacs and sick persons were healed than before: because He who living in the flesh for a time taught a few Jews, has transmitted the gifts of faith and health to all the Gentiles throughout the world.
Pseudo-Jerome: But the door of the kingdom, morally, is repentance and faith, which works health for various diseases; for divers are the vices with which the city of this world is sick.
Ver. 35. And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.36. And Simon and they that were with Him followed after Him.37. And when they had found Him, they said unto Him, "All men seek for Thee."38. And He said unto them, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth."39. And He preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils.
Theophylact: After that the Lord had cured the sick, He retired apart. Wherefore it is said, "And rising very early in the morning, He went out and departed into a desert place." By which He taught us not to do any thing for the sake of appearance, but if we do any good, not to publish it openly. It goes on, "and there prayed."
Pseudo-Chrysostom:, Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.: Not that He required prayer; for it was He who Himself received the prayers of men; but He did this by way of an economy, and became to us the model of good work.
Theophylact: For He shews to us that we ought to attribute to God whatever we do well, and to say to Him, "Every good gift cometh down from above," [[Jam 1:17]] from Thee. It continues: "And Simon followed Him, and they that were with Him."
Pseudo-Chrysostom:, Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.: Luke however says that crowds came to Christ, and spoke what Mark here relates that the Apostles said, adding, "And when they came to Him, they said to Him, All seek thee." [[Luk 4:42]] But they do not contradict each other; for Christ received after the Apostles the multitude, breathlessly anxious to embrace His feet. He received them willingly, but chose to dismiss them, that the rest also might be partakers of His doctrine, as He was not to remain long in the world.
And therefore there follows: "And He said, Let us go into the neighbouring villages and towns, that there also I may preach."
Theophylact: For He passes on to them as being more in need, since it was not right to shut up doctrine in one place, but to throw out his rays every where. It goes on: "For therefore am I come."