Bible Commentaries
Mark 10

Verse 1

X.

(1) And he arose from thence.—We may note, as some help to a right study of the Gospel narrative, that the best harmonists place Matthew 18:15-35, Luke 10:1 to Luke 17:10 (with the exception of Mark 15:3-7), and John 7:1 to John 11:54, between the 9th and 10th chapters of this Gospel. The “farther side of Jordan” implies what is known as the Peræan ministry of our Lord, and which is related only by St. Luke.

Resort unto him.—Literally, come together, or journey together.

Verses 2-12

(2-12) And the Pharisees came to him.—See Notes on Matthew 19:3-12. We are not surprised to find St. Mark omitting the “hard saying” about the eunuchs of Matthew 19:12. It was hardly likely, even if he knew it, to commend itself to him as adapted for the Gentile readers for whom he wrote his Gospel. Probably, however, for the reason thus given, it was not part of the current teaching of the Church, and was recorded by St. Matthew as something exceptional.

Verse 10

(10) And in the house.—St. Mark’s narrative is, on the whole, much shorter than St. Matthew’s; but this detail of the question coming from the disciples after they had entered the house is given by him only.

Verse 12

(12) And if a woman shall put away.—This also is peculiar to St. Mark, and it is noticeable, as being the only passage in our Lord’s teaching which distinctly states the case referred to, and passes sentence on the wife who divorces her husband and marries again, as well as on the husband who divorces his wife, and the wife who is so divorced. All three cases are dealt with on the same grounds: (1) that the marriage relationship ought to be indissoluble, and that one cause only justifies or permits its dissolution; and (2) that any further permission of divorce is but a concession to the hardness of men’s hearts for the avoidance of greater evils.

Verses 13-15

(13-15) And they brought young children.—See Notes on Matthew 19:13-15.

Verse 14

(14) He was much displeased.—The word, as used by our Lord, is peculiar to St. Mark; St. Matthew uses it of the disciples (Matthew 20:24; Matthew 26:8) and of the chief priests (Matthew 21:15).

Verse 15

(15) Verily I say unto you.—St. Matthew does not give the verse. St. Mark has it in common with St. Luke. To receive the kingdom of God “as a little child,” is to receive it after the manner of a child, with simplicity and faith, humility and love. Unless these conditions were fulfilled, those who were disputing who was the greatest in it, were as if they had not even entered it.

Verse 16

(16) And he took them up in his arms.—Better, folded them in His arms, leaving the question whether they were lifted from the ground open. The word is used by St. Mark only. The actual “blessing,” though implied in St. Matthew, is also definitely mentioned by him only.

Verses 17-27

(17-27) And when he was gone forth.—Better, as He was going forth. (See Notes on Matthew 19:16-26.)

Running, and kneeled to him.—Another of St. Mark’s vividly descriptive touches. The adjective “good,” which is wanting in the better MSS. of St. Matthew, is the true reading here. St. Mark and St. Luke give the word “inherit,” instead of St. Matthew’s “have,” or “possess.”

Verse 18

(18) Why callest thou me good?—Our Lord’s question is, in St. Mark’s report, in harmony with that of the seeker after life eternal. Its obvious drift was to force him back upon the conditions of absolute goodness, to make him ask himself how far, and under what conditions, that word might be used relatively of any child of man.

Verse 19

(19) Defraud not.—Peculiar to St. Mark. It seems as if intended to be a special application of the Tenth Commandment. One who had great possessions, gathered in the usual ways by which men gain wealth, needed to examine himself specially by that text. Were there no ill-gotten gains in his treasure? Had no wages of the reaper been kept back; no sharp bargains driven with widows or orphans or the poor?

Verse 21

(21) Then Jesus beholding him loved him.—Better, looking, or gazing on him. The fact is narrated by St. Mark only, and implies that the love showed itself in the stedfast look, perhaps also in the kiss upon the brow with which the Rabbis of the time showed their approval of their more promising disciples.

Come, take up the cross.—This also is peculiar to St. Mark. In using such words our Lord taught the questioner, as He had before taught His disciples, with what clear prevision He looked forward to the form and manner of His death.

Verse 22

(22) And he was sad at that saying.—Better, He frowned. The word is the same as that translated “lowering” in Matthew 16:3.

Verse 23

(23) And Jesus looked round.—The glance and gesture are mentioned by St. Mark only.

Verse 24

(24) How hard is it for them that trust in riches.—The words have the appearance of limiting, and so softening, the seeming sternness of the previous utterance. There is, however, good reason for thinking, as they are wanting in the best MSS., that they were added by some one who sought to tone down the words of warning to what seemed a rational medium. Omitting the doubtful words, the sentence runs, “How hard is it to enter into the kingdom of God!”—hard alike for rich and poor, though, as the words that follow show, it was hardest for the former.

Verses 28-31

(28-31) Then Peter began to say unto him.—See Notes on Matthew 19:27-30. St. Mark omits the question which St. Matthew adds to St. Peter’s words, “What shall we have therefore?”

Verse 29

(29) Verily I say unto you.—St. Mark, possibly as writing for Gentile converts, omits the special promise to the Twelve, that they should “sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Matthew 19:28).

Verse 30

(30) With persecutions.—Peculiar to St. Mark. (See Notes on Matthew 19:29.) We may, perhaps, venture to think of them as having been engraved on Peter’s mind by the lessons of his experience. He had been taught to see in the “fiery trial” almost the necessary condition of the “exceeding joy” (1 Peter 4:12-13).

Verse 31

(31) Many that are first shall be last.—It will be noted that St. Mark omits the parable of the Labourers in the Vineyard, which follows in St. Matthew as an illustration of the truth.

Verses 32-34

(32-34) And they were in the way.—See Notes on Matthew 20:17-19.

Jesus went before them.—Better, was leading the way. The word is the same as that used in Matthew 21:9; Matthew 21:31. The graphic picture of the order in which the Master and the disciples were at this time travelling is eminently characteristic of St. Mark. The special mention of “the Twelve” implies that there were other disciples, possibly the Seventy of Luke 10:1, and the “devout women” of Luke 8:1.

And they were amazed.—We have clearly in these words a vivid reproduction of states of feeling which the disciples remembered, but for which the facts related hardly give a sufficient explanation. Probably the words that had just been spoken—still more, perhaps, the look and tone which accompanied them—and the silent withdrawal from converse with them, struck all the disciples with a vague fear, and the Twelve with absolute terror.

Verse 34

(34) Shall spit upon him.—In common with St. Luke, but not with St. Matthew.

Verses 35-45

(35-45) And James and John.—See Notes on Matthew 20:20-28. In St. Matthew, their mother is represented as coming with them, and uttering her prayer for them.

Verse 38

(38) And be baptized with the baptism.—The clause seems to have been found originally in St. Mark only, and to have been added afterwards by the transcribers of St. Matthew to bring the reports of the two Gospels into more entire agreement.

Verse 39

(39) And with the baptism.—Here, as before, the clause is omitted in the best MSS. of St. Matthew, and is therefore, strictly speaking, peculiar to St. Mark.

Verse 40

(40) But it shall be given to them.—Better, omitting the interpolated words, is not Mine to give, but to those for whom it has been prepared. Our Lord disclaims, not the power to give, but that of giving arbitrarily, otherwise than His Father willed.

Verse 42

(42) Exercise lordship. . . . exercise authority.—On the force of the two words, see Note on Matthew 20:25.

Verse 43

(43) Shall be your minister.—Substantially the same as in St. Matthew, but note in both verses the variation, “shall be your minister,” “shall be servant,” instead of “let him be.”

Verses 46-52

(46-52) And they came to Jericho.—See Notes on Matthew 20:29-34. St. Mark agrees with St. Matthew in placing the miracle as the disciples were leaving Jericho, and differs from him in speaking of one blind man only, and in giving his name.

Blind Bartimæus.—Better, as giving the same order as the Greek, the son of Timœus, Bartimœus, a blind beggar was sitting by the wayside begging. The later MSS. have the definite article before “blind,” as though he were well known and conspicuous. It is noticeable that the name was Greek with the Aramaic prefix Bar (= son), a combination not found elsewhere.

Verse 49

(49) And commanded him to be called.—The better MSS. give, more vividly, “and said, Call him.”

Be of good comfort.—The cheering words of the disciples or by-standers are given by St. Mark only, as is also the eager action of the man “casting off his garment (i.e., the outer mantle) and leaping up.” The Greek word, in the better MSS. is much stronger than the English “rose.”

Verse 51

(51) Lord.—Better Rabboni, the word being the same as in John 20:16, and occurring in these two passages only. The word was an augmentative form of Rabbi, and as such expressed greater reverence. It takes its place as another example of St. Mark’s fondness for reproducing the very syllables that were spoken.

Verse 52

(52) Followed Jesus in the way.—We may reasonably infer from this that Bartimæus was one of those who went up with the travelling company to Jerusalem. The prominence which St. Mark gives to his name suggests the thought that he afterwards became more or less conspicuous in the Church of the Circumcision, his new-found gift of sight qualifying him to take his place among the eye-witnesses of the things that were done in the ensuing week. In the Apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus he appears as one of the witnesses for the defence on our Lord’s trial.