Bible Commentaries

Verse 25

25. ] The ὅταν … ἀναστῶσιν here is general, not as in Mark 12:23 : see note there.

Verse 26

26. ] ἐπὶ τοῦ βάτου (so also ( τῆς ) Luke); either, ‘ in the chapter containing the history of God appearing in the bush,’ or, ‘ when he was at the bush.’ The former is the more probable, on account of the construction of the verse in our text. In Luke, if we had his account alone, the other rendering might be admissible, ‘Moses testified, at the bush:’ but this will not answer in our text.

Verse 28

28. ] The motive, as shewn by the subordination of ἀκούσας to προσελθών , and of εἰδώς to ἐπηρώτησεν , seems to have been, admiration of our Lord’s wise answer , and a desire to be instructed further by Him.

ἐντ . πρώτη πάντ . ] This was one of the μάχαι νομικαί ( Tit 3:9 ), which was the greatest commandment . The Scribes had many frivolous enumerations and classifications of the commands of the law.

πάντων , not πασῶν : πρώτη - πάντων is treated almost as one word , so that πάντων does not belong to ἐντ . understood, but, q. d. ‘first-of-all of the commandments.’

Verses 28-34

28 34. ] REPLY CONCERNING THE GREAT COMMANDMENT. Matthew 22:34-40 , but with differing circumstances. There the question appears as that of one among the Pharisees’ adherents, who puts this question, πειράζων αὐτόν , and in consequence of the Pharisees coming up to the strife, after He had discomfited the Sadducees. I should be disposed to take Mark’s as the strictly accurate account, seeing that there is nothing in the question which indicates enmity, and our Lord’s answer, Mark 12:34 , plainly precludes it. The man, from hearing them disputing, came up, and formed one of the band who gathered together for the purpose of tempting Him. Mark’s report, which here is wholly unconnected in origin with Matt.’s, is that of some one who had taken accurate note of the circumstances and character of the man: Matt.’s is more general, not entering, as this, into individual motives, but classing the question broadly among the various “temptations” of our Lord at this time.

Verse 29

29 f. ] Mark cites the passage entire, Matt. only the command itself: compare the LXX. In this citation the Vat. reading διανοίας and the Alex. καρδίας are combined: and ἰσχύος ═ δυνάμεως . “Thou shalt love the Lord with spirit, soul, and body:” with the inner spirit, and the outer life. This is faith working by love: for κ . ὁ θ . ἡμῶν is the language of faith .

Verse 30

30. ] ἰσχύς is the inner spiritual strength of the heart: see Beck’s useful little manual, Die biblische Seelenlehre, p. 110.

Verse 31

31. ] Our Lord adds this second, as an application or bringing home of the first.

The first is the Sun , so to speak, of the spiritual life: this the lesser light , which reflects the shining of that other. It is like to it, inasmuch as both are laws of love: both deduced from the great and highest love: both dependent on ‘I am the Lord thy God,’ Leviticus 19:18 .

Stier sets forth beautifully the strong contrast between the requirements of these two commands , and the then state of the Jewish Church: see John 7:19 .

Verses 32-33

32, 33. ] The Scribe shews that he had entered into the true spirit of our Lord’s answer; and replies in admiration at its wisdom.

Observe συνέσεως corresponding to διανοίας : and see Beck, p. 60.

ὁλοκ . κ . θ ., the things to which, the outward literal observers paid all their attention.

Verse 34

34. ] νουνεχῶς Attice νουνεχόντως , opposed to ἀφρόνως , Isocr. Mark 12:7 (Meyer).

οὐ μακρὰν … ] This man had hold of that principle in which Law and Gospel are one: he stood as it were at the door of the Kingdom of God. He only wanted (but the want was indeed a serious one) repentance and faith to be within it . The Lord shews us here that even outside His flock, those who can answer νουνεχῶς who have knowledge of the spirit of the great command of Law and Gospel, are nearer to being of his flock, than the formalists: but then, as Bengel adds, ‘Si non procul es, intra: alias prœstiterit, procul fuisse .’

καὶ οὐδεὶς … ] This is apparently out of its place here, as it is after the question which now follows , that Matt. relates this discomfiture of his adversaries. We must not however conclude too hastily, especially where the minute accuracy of Mark is at stake. The question just asked was the last put to our Lord , and therefore the notice of its being the last comes in fitly here. The enquiry which follows did more than silence their questioning: it silenced their answering too: both which things Matt. combines as the result of this day, in his Matthew 22:46 .

ἐπερωτῆσαι , not, ‘to ask him any more questions:’ see on ch. Mark 11:29 .

Verse 35

35. ] The whole controversy in the temple is regarded as one: hence the new point raised by our Lord is introduced as a rejoinder , with ἀποκριθείς .