1. Beginning (apy), without the article, showing that the expression is a kind of title. It is the beginning, not of his book, but of the facts of the Gospel. He shows from the prophets that the Gospel was to begin by the sending forth of a forerunner. :
3. A voice (dwv}). No article as A. V. and Rev., “the voice.” It has a sort of exclamatory force. Listening, the prophet exclaims, Zo/ a vovce.
4. John did baptize (éyéveto "Iwdvyns 0 Barrifwv). Lit., John came to pass or arose who baptized. Rev., John came who baptized.
Baptism of repentance (Samticpa petaveas). A bap- tism the characteristic of which was repentance; which in- volved an obligation to repent. We should rather expect Mark to put this in the more dramatic form used by Matthew: Say- ing, Repent ye !
5. There went out (é£eopevero). The imperfect tense signifies, there kept goung out.
The river. Peculiar to Mark.
Confessing. See on Matt. iii. 6.
Cu. I.] MARK. 163
6. With camels’ hair (tpiyas xayrjrov). Lit., hairs. Not with a camel’s skin, but with a vesture woven of camels’ hair, Compare 2 Kings 1, 8.
Wild honey. ‘The innumerable fissures and clefts of the limestone rocks, which everywhere flank the valleys, afford in their recesses secure shelter for any number of swarms of wild bees ; and many of the Bedouin, particularly about the wilder- ness of Judaea, obtain their subardusane by bee-hunting, bring- ing into een jars of that wild honey on which John ie Baptist fed in the wilderness” (Tristram, “Land of Israel ”). Wyc., honey of the wood.
7. To stoop down. A detail peculiar to Mark. And unloose. Compare fo bear ; Matt. iii. 11.
10. Straightway. <A favorite word with Mark. See In- troduction.
Opened (cyifouévous). Lit., as Rev., rent asunder: much stronger than Matthew’s and Luke’s avedySnoav, were opened.
11. Thou art my beloved son. The three synoptists give the saying in the same form: Zhow art my son, the beloved.
12. Driveth him (é«@adrev). Stronger than Matthew’s any sn, was led up, and Luke’s syero, was led. See on Matt. ix. 88. It is the word used of our Lord’s expulsion of demons, Mark i. 34, 39.
The Wilderness. The place is unknown. Tradition fixes it near Jericho, in the neighborhood of the Quarantania, the precipitous face of which is pierced with ancient cells and chap- els, and a ruined church is on its topmost peak. Dr. Tristram says that every spring a few devout Abyssinian Christians are in the habit of coming and remaining here for forty days, to keep their Lent on the spot where they apie that our Lord fasted and was tempted.
164 WORD STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. (On...
13. With the wild beasts. Peculiar to Mark. The region just alluded to abounds in boars, jackals, wolves, foxes, leop- ards, hyenas, etc.
15. The time (6 xaspos). That is, the period completed by the setting up of Messiah’s kingdom. Compare the fulness of the time, Gal. iv. 4.
Repent. See on Matt. iii. 2; xxi. 29. Mark adds, and be- lieve in the Gospel.
16. Casting a net (audiBarrovras). See on Matt. iv. 18. Mark here uses, more graphically, only the verb, without add-
ing net. Lit., throwing about in the sea. Probably a fisher- man’s phrase, like @ cast, a haut.
17. To become (yevéo9ai). An addition of Mark. 19. A little farther. Added by Mark. Mending. See on Matt. iv. 21.
20. With the hired servants. Peculiar to Mark. It may imply that Zebedee carried on his business on a larger scale than ordinary fishermen.
22. He taught (jv dudaoxwv). The finite verb with the par- ticiple denoting something continuous: was teaching.
23. Straightway. At the conclusion of his teaching. With an unclean spirit (€v mvevuate axaddapt@). Lit., “in an unclean spirit.” ‘Ev (én) has the force of in the power of.