Cu. LJ MARK. 167
une. So in the beautiful simile of the sick father (“ Odyssey,” v., 396), “Some malignant genius has assailed him.” Compare “Odyssey,” x., 64; xi, 61. Hence, later, the phrase xara daipova is nearly equivalent to by chance.
We have seen that, in Homer, the bad sense of datudrvos is the prevailing one. In the tragedians, also, da(uev, though used both of good and bad fortune, occurs more frequently in the latter sense, and toward this sense the word gravitates more and more. The undertone of Greek thought, which tended to regard no man happy until he had escaped from life (see on Matt. v. 3, blessed), naturally imparted a gloomy and forbidding character to those who were supposed to allot the destinies of life.
In classical Greek it is noticeable that the abstract 76 dapoveoy fell into the background behind da/uwy, with the development in the latter of the notion of a fate or genius connected with each individual, as the demon of Socrates; while in biblical Greek the process is the reverse, this doctrine being rejected for that of an overruling personal providence, and the strange gods, “obscure to human knowledge and alien to human life,” taking the abstract term uniformly in an evil sense.
Empedocles, a Greek philosopher, of Sicily, developed He- siod’s distinction ; making the demons of a mixed nature be- tween gods and men, not only the link between the two, but having an agency and disposition of their own; not immortal, but long-lived, and subject to the passions and propensities of men. While in Hesiod the demons are all good, according to Empedocles they are both bad and good. This conception re- lieved the gods of the responsibility for proceedings unbecom- ing the divine nature. The enormities which the older myths ascribed directly to the gods—thefts, rapes, abductions— were the doings of bad demons. It also saved the credit of the old legends, obviating the necessity of pronouncing either that the gods were unworthy or the legends untrue.“ Yet, though de- vised for the purpose of satisfying a more scrupulous religious sensibility, it was found inconvenient afterward when assail- ants arose against paganism generally. For while it abandoned as indefensible a large portion of what had once been genuine
168 WORD STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. [Cu. I.
faith, it still retained the same word demons with an entirely altered signification. The Christian writers in their controver- sies found ample warrant among the earlier pagan authors for treating all the gods as demons; and not less ample warrant among the dater pagans for denouncing the demons generally as evil beings ” (Grote, “‘ History of Greece”).
This evil sense the words always bear in the New Testament as well as in the Septuagint. Demons are synonymous with unclean spirits (Mark v. 12, 15; iii. 22, 80; Luke iv. 33). They appear in connection with Satan (Luke x. 17, 18; xi. 18, 19) 5 they are put in opposition to the Lord (1 Cor. x. 20, 21); to the faith (1 Tim. iv. 1). They are connected with idolatry (Apoe. ix. 20; xvi. 13, 14). They are special powers of evil, influenc- ing and disturbing the physical, mental, and moral being (Luke xii. 11,16; Mark v. 2-5; vii. 25; Matt. xii. 45).
33. All the city was gathered together at the door. Peculiar to Mark.
35. A great while before day (fvvya). Lit., while it was in the night. The word is peculiar to Mark.
36. Followed after (xateSiwEav). The word found only in Mark. Simon and his companions, as well as the people of the city, seem to have been afraid lest he should have permanently left them. Hence the compound verb indicates that they fol- lowed him eagerly ; pursued him as if he were fleeing from them. Simon, true to his nature, was foremost in the pursuit : Simon, and they that were with him.